I recently visited a project in Coombabah, on the Gold Coast, where I was involved with the re-design of the facades. I had a tour of the site and managed to take some photos during construction. I might have to re-visit once its all done. http://hansfordresidences.com.au/
Recently, I revisited a project I worked on about 12 months ago. What was once an empty warehouse, has been transformed into a taphouse and brewery. I am pleased to say, not only is the venue fun and relaxed, the beer was pretty awesome! The Lost Palms Brewing Co. is located at 11 Oak Ave, Miami, Queensland.
Set against the backdrop of gold coasts iconic coastal landscape, these apartments has been designed to complement its surrounding built & natural context. The mass of the apartment tower has been reduced on the upper levels, with increased setbacks to remain sympathetic to future adjoining developments.
Each facade has been addressed and treated to maximise the level of quality natural light into the internal living and communal spaces. Strong and light architectural elements and colours have been introduced to create contrast and depth to the facade. Sliding screens have been used to activate the facade and change the character of the building. Perforated screens to the entry, west and east facades will maximise the building’s energy efficiency and serve as decorative elements, with silhouette of plants common to the gold coast, creating a connection back to its local context.
My kids are enjoying sharing a room, despite each having their own bedrooms. My little one, aged two and a half, is now sleeping on a mattress on the floor, until we can come up with another solution, as my older one has a double bed. While his bedroom is spacious, fitting a double and single in the one bedroom is just not practical. Besides, I think they’re keen on bunks. The only problem is…. the ceiling fan. Our well-designed home, if I do say so myself, does not have, nor need, air conditioning. Although, we do rely on the ceiling fans to make the summer nights here on the Gold Coast more comfortable. If we leave aside the inherent dangers of the bunk beds themselves, my wife, as she always does, has done her own internet research in an effort to find a solution to the ceiling fan issue. This is what she found.
The ACCC has several safety recommendations in relation to ceiling fans. With regards to bunk beds, their recommendation is to ensure the bunk bed is 2m from the fan. My son’s bedroom, while not small, is not wide enough for the bed to be more than 2m from the fan given the fan is in the middle of the room.
Place bunk beds and other furniture 2 metres away from ceiling fans
Given we cannot place a bunk more than 2m from the fan, maybe we could put a cage or guard around the fan? Like the ones they have on pedestal fans…
These are available in the USA and are not a very cost effective solution, costing several times more than the fan itself in one case. We haven’t been able to find anything like these that are available for purchase in Australia, which is kind of surprising given the fashion of industrial looking lighting around at the moment. Everything but fans appears to be available in cages.
Beacon Lighting sells ceiling fans with retractable blades. The blades are smaller, and maybe the 2m distance requirement could be fulfilled using this fan. But the design of these fans just does not fit with the minimalist style of our house. So it’s a no from both of us for this one.
The Exhale Fan is a bit space age looking. But, given that it has no blades, it is clearly a safe option. This fan creates a vortex and circulates the air around a room. The manufacturers say it won’t blow air onto you in the same way a traditional fan does, and is designed to be used in conjunction with air conditioning. I’m not quite sure why this fan is necessary if you have air conditioning, maybe someone could explain this one to me. The Exhale Fan looks better than a cage, but also, is not available in Australia.
In the end, I don’t think my kids are getting their bunk beds any time soon. I’m either going to have to find another solution for their sleeping arrangements or decommission the fan and put off an alternative solution until summer gets closer.
The 3D render artist has been busy working up our new home designs lately. This one is for a new home at Fitzgibbon Chase in the Brisbane suburb of Fitzgibbon.
Architecture is not about building the impossible, which we can do if we have enough money and enough tools and enough computers. It is about building what is appropriate and about attaining beauty through such an approach. I describe this premise as ‘inherent buildability’, and I believe it is central to what I do.
There are always limitations on design. Planning controls, site size, shape and slope, and building budget all impact on design. While it would be wonderful to be able to design without restrictions, architecture is all about being able to work within these limitations and still design something beautiful.
Matthew Dean Architects specialises in the design of prestige modern homes. Here is another currently under way in Kedron, on the Brisbane’s north side. We’re looking forward to seeing this one come to life in 2017.
