spontaneous

a short statement I encountered recently by 2012 Pritzker Award winner Wang Shu:

"Design Philosophy

I design a house instead of a building. The house is the amateur architecture approach to the infinitely spontaneous order.
Built spontaneously, illegally and temporarily, amateur architecture is equal to professional architecture. But amateur architecture is just not significant.

One problem of professional architecture is, that it thinks too much of a building. A house, which is close to our simple and trivial life, is more fundamental than architecture. Before becoming an architect, I was only a literati. Architecture is part time work to me. For one place, humanity is more important than architecture while simple handicraft is more important than technology.
The attitude of amateur architecture, - though first of all being an attitude towards a critical experimental building process -, can have more entire and fundamental meaning than professional architecture. For me, any building activity without comprehensive thoughtfulness will be insignificant."

see:- http://www.chinese-architects.com/en/amateur/en/

I love the nature of "spontaneity" in design...creation which is in the moment

such a shame that so much design
and construction today is based on dollar value, energy consumed and saved and the like...

Wang's modesty in saying " amateur architecture is just not significant" belies the true value of simple creative spirit in homes.

How do you "value" creative input?

Can a feeling be given a tangible value?

PRIVACY

We recently completed a new home.
Designed by myself in conjunction with the owners, it was an interesting study in renovations

The site is heavily overlooked by all the houses around it due to being the lowest site in the street. Everyone could look into the backyard and the existing house was very small - one bedroom effectively so there was nowhere to escape the streetscape and neighbours.

Paramount was to create comfortable living areas that gave northerly sunny aspect, yet reduced the opportunity for the neighbours and passers-by to look into the house.
We aimed to create a separation between the original and new sections of the house so it could become a separate section for visiting family and their kids and the new living/ kitchen/dining area and master bedroom.

The new dwelling has a beautiful ambience, with a sense of privacy that will only be enhanced by the plantings once they grow to screening height. Light, playful and open, with a spacious courtyard garden allowing interaction with the outdoors.

Open plan living with large functional spaces that interact

Courtyard garden

A rammed earth thermal wall forms a strong bond with the ground, 

contrasting to the lightness of the flowing decks. 

The formal separation between garden and house is blurred,  

by the juxtaposition of the deck floating over the lawn. 

The subtle connection through a winding set of steps to the grove of native plants 

has aided the division between the site and the neighbouring houses which overlook.

Master bedroom

Cladding in local tallowood helps to reflect the beach side tones

of the site, silvering over time to a hue seen in the endemic flora.

Rammed Earth feature wall; a quietening presence

bonding the house to the site. 

Massive and monolithic, jutting out of the natural landscape;

anchoring the house's volume akin to the surrounding dunes

Playful joinery -  a custom made double bunk bed

Light, private bedroom

Key to the design was to create private spaces with framed views rather than large expanses of glass. This has allowed privacy to be retained whilst giving "picture" views throughout the house. Cross ventilation is enhanced through carefully placed, selective use of tall narrow louvres.  

Dining to Kitchen view - monolithic rammed earth wall, 

custom heavy timber "floating" joinery on the wall. 

The contrast between simple palettes enhances the connection 

between dwelling and site.

RESPECT-1

we have been very fortunate to have help from a family of amazing joiners - the Turners
always willing to help
always full of life and good humour

boat builders
traditional heavy timber framers
ecologists in the real word

they have my utmost respect and love

andrew created the amazing traditional japanese joinery in the salvaged oregon beam structure that supports our main bedroom.
mortise and tenoned, spline joints
dove tail was my little addition to his craftsmanship

i learnt so much working alongside andrew.
his oldest son Rye is an accomplished luthier as well

much respect

a nice aside is that the beams are 300x150mm and average 7.2m long.
they were 15 m long when pulled out of the old army warehouse in sydney!
I love the contrast of a strong structural element against the simple white palette.

images by:
claudia gabriel lim

SIMPLICITY

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
Leonardo da Vinci

our house...
learning the language of architecture
a reflection of the beautiful local trees

detailed timber work is our forte
key is creating a clean simple palette to allow the details to present themselves

salvaged oregon 12x6" beam
salvaged brushbox flooring
natural paint finishes
all natural lighting

images by:
claudia gabriel lim

ART

Martin Worthington is my hero!

I have been enthralled by his work for as long as I can remember being interested in surfing. I recall seeing my uncle's 70's Surfing World magazines with crazy ad's for Hot Buttered boards with Martin's Psychedelic work.

I've met him several times and he has been so humble about his work, which I consider part of the evolution of Australian surf-lore.

I'm fortunate to have several boards with Martin's amazing work on it.

Love a gun, especially TF's shapes

 Typically most people think that his work is only on Hot Buttered boards, but actually he has been the production sprayer for many well known labels over the years. I have a very cool Aloha sprayed by Martin in '82 ( thanks Adam), and a beaten up classic Tom Curren Channel Islands also sprayed by him.

Great Greg Clough shape with textured deck and Worthington 80's spray

Martin graciously signed this one for me
Dig the rockets!

Quirky almost bonzer fin set up - early thruster experiment

Check out Kye Fitz's blog for a cool insight into Martin and his work. There are some seriously nice boards ridden beautifully by Kye!
http://www.doublewingflyer.blogspot.com/

Here's one of Kye's own boards; A 5'10' Modern Drifta
Shaped by the man himself - TF, with inspirational spray by Martin!

IMPERMANENCE

Always the same....

As sad as this may seem, I always marvel at how it only takes a short while before nature reuses it's resources. And every year more come on the same journey.

We tried to save them one year, they refused food, rested, but really didn't recover well. Upon release one took off never to return, the other was harried by the local sea eagle, despite our best warding off attempts. Foolish of us to interfere.

I have left them alone from them on, despite how forlorn it seems.

Next season we had more luck helping a beautiful sea snake that had been washed down the coast by the strong NE storm swells that time. They are amazing - so colourful, so feared, yet harmless to humans and absolutely beautiful to see it the ocean.

SPACE

always searching for new expressions of space
private and intimate are coveted
peace from the madding crowds

as our life becomes ever increasingly public, I crave the cubby house above the trees, or a little cave, hidden that I can peak out from to watch the days travails.

Solace in nature