Home About Contact

The Local Project

The Local Project •

Michael Kirby Building by Hassell

A few years ago, Macquarie University’s Wallumattagal Campus, situated on Dharug Country in Sydney, Australia, looked a little different. The tired circa-1985 structure that masqueraded as the administration centre is now where the Michael Kirby Building stands. When architectural firm Hassell ultimately took up the gauntlet of reimagining the space into a contemporary learning destination, the intent was never to undo the past but to honour it in making room for the future.
The Local Project •

Hendry Compound by Garret Cord Werner Architects & Interior Designers, HB Design and Donohoe Living Landscapes

“What drew us to this project was the combination of beautiful architecture, a site with great potential and clients whose vision aligned with ours,” says Bradner, a partner at Vancouver-based HB Design. Her interiors are anchored in a neutral, earthy palette inspired by the tones of the North Shore, layered with darker, timeless finishes. Brick, stone and warm timber are softened with tactile fabrics and calibrated light. Custom millwork integrates storage into the architecture, while expansive...
The Local Project •

Basil Bangs at the Mondrian Gold Coast

Mondrian Gold Coast – the esteemed hotel brand’s debut outpost in Australia – is a kaleidoscope of ocean vistas, sun-drenched interiors and bold design gestures that blur the line between laid-back luxury and contemporary sophistication. In the surfside enclave of Burleigh Heads, the property channels the area’s relaxed energy while layering it with Mondrian’s signature edge. With architecture by Fraser & Partners and interiors by Studio Carter and Alexander &CO, the hotel strikes a harmonious balance between playful and polished.
The Local Project •

Chromatica by Arent&Pyke

Perched on the upper level of a contemporary residential building in Elizabeth Bay, Chromatica is a light-filled three-bedroom apartment that peers out towards Sydney Harbour through a leafy canopy. Purchased off the plan, the home offered its owners a blank slate, one they were keen to personalise into a refined yet inviting retreat. The result is an interior that balances intimacy with elegance, drawing inspiration from the suburb’s storied Art Deco legacy through a rich material palette and finely tuned detailing.
The Local Project •

Campbell Parade Apartment by Lawless & Meyerson and MHNDU

Discreetly positioned behind a restored, century-old heritage facade, Campbell Parade Apartment commands uninterrupted 180-degree views of Australia’s most iconic shoreline: Bondi Beach. Yet despite its coveted address, the home embraces a sense of privacy and serenity.
Bondi is a lively beachside suburb where tourists, sunseekers and local fitness enthusiasts bring the streets to life year-round. In contrast, this thoughtfully designed residence is a refuge – a cocooning retreat from the vibran...
The Local Project •

Basecamp by Composition

Avalon Beach, a community-minded enclave nestled between Pittwater and the sea, moves to the rhythm of the breeze – calm, unhurried and deeply connected to nature. It’s here, within this tranquil corner of New South Wales, that Claire Perini of Sydney-based showroom Composition reimagined a house for herself and her family. Set on a tree-lined street, just a block back from the village, the mid-century home sits quietly beneath the canopy of ancient angophoras that frame its unassuming facade.
The Local Project •

Gruyere Farm by Simone Haag and Manifold

Among the rolling vineyards of Victoria’s Yarra Valley, time slows to a whisper, revealing a home that lets go of the city’s restless hum. At Gruyere Farm, nearly 40 hectares of bushland, vineyards and grazing Angus cattle set the stage for a story of quiet renewal. Originally designed by John Pizzey in 1986, the home has been tenderly reawakened with a contemporary sensibility – one that honours its roots while embracing the present, carrying echoes of Alistair Knox, Glenn Murcutt, Harry Seidle...
The Local Project •

[Print] Architects at Home: Inside Rob Mills's Howqua Home

Long before he created Howqua River Lodge in the Victorian Alps, architect Rob Mills knew that a quiet life in the countryside was written in his stars. “I had already built a beach house in the city and enjoyed that experience enormously, but as I grew older, I was in search of something quieter,” says the founder and principal of Melbourne-based Rob Mills Architects, whose pursuit, in due course, led him deep into the Howqua Valley—a region prized for its magnificent panoramas. “I'd been holidaying there with my family and friends my entire life, but land in this valley is very rare. Then, by chance, about 15 or 16 years ago—maybe more—a parcel of land became available.” Seeing it as an opportunity to step into his next chapter, Mills purchased the land, spending the following years manifesting a residence grown slowly from the earth, nourished and sustained by the elements themselves.
The Local Project •

Woollahra Apartment by Porebski Architects

There’s something special about designing a home for oneself – but something even more meaningful about creating one for one’s parents. Perched atop a building in a leafy enclave beside the heritage-listed Rosemont Estate, the three-bedroom residence offers beautiful harbour views, but its true charm lies in how the duo transformed it into a timeless setting for their mother’s cherished collection of antiques and art. “We were lucky to get the opportunity to redesign it,” says D’Alisa of the home, which they thoughtfully downsized to accommodate her sculptures, vintage furniture and beloved objets d’art – treasures gathered over the years with their father, retired architect Andre Porebski. “These pieces really informed our approach; the challenge was finding ways to integrate them seamlessly into the new design.”
The Local Project •

Ricotta House by Paul Tilse Architects and Sarah Gibson

From the street, Ricotta House appears to be just another century-old Spanish Revival residence in Griffith, one of Canberra’s original suburbs. In reality, it’s a sophisticated exercise in illusion – an elegant reinvention of its 20th-century form. Designed by Paul Tilse Architects in collaboration with the owner, furniture designer Sarah Gibson of Design By Them, the revitalised home and its extension embody Gibson’s modern yet grounded approach to materiality and form.
The Local Project •

Pittella Celebrates 50 Years

For more than five decades, Pittella has quietly shaped Australia’s architectural landscape through the language of Italian craftsmanship. Known for its meticulously crafted architectural doorware – designed and manufactured in Italy – the family-owned studio has become synonymous with detail, material integrity and subtle luxury. As it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the architectural doorware brand continues its legacy of innovation and design excellence while exploring new directions in bathroom fittings.
The Local Project •

SABI Launches its Béton Collection - The Local Project

As pets become more intrinsic to the rhythms of our lives, the gap between our thoughtfully designed spaces and the objects our pets use each day feels increasingly disparate. SABI emerged from this cultural moment, with a recognition that the products our pets live with deserve the same level of consideration we grant to the rest of our homes. In place of accessories, the brand imagines something more deliberate: objects conceived as part of the interior landscape, shaped with the same sensibility and intention we bring to furniture. This became the foundation for what SABI calls pet furniture – sculptural, tactile forms designed to belong, not simply exist, within a room.
The Local Project •

Mondrian Gold Coast by Fraser & Partners, Studio Carter and Alexander &CO

Beachside locales are often characterised by a free-spirited charm and laid-back energy, but Mondrian Gold Coast, Australia’s first luxury lifestyle property by Mondrian Hotels, elegantly breaks the mould with its elevated coastal flair. Situated at Burleigh Heads, Queensland, a seaside suburb known for its sparkling sand and surf, the 24-storey hotel comprises studios, suites, private beach and sky houses, a bio-wellness spa and event spaces, and two podium restaurants. The architecture and construction were respectively helmed by Melbourne-based Fraser & Partners and Brisbane-based The Barrett Group, while the interior design was divided between Sydney-based Alexander &CO. and Studio Carter, a California-headquartered practice previously enlisted to design Mondrian Singapore Duxton.
The Local Project •

120 Collins Street by Hassell

Some things get better with age—though, as Ingrid Bakker, Principal and Co-Leader of the Commercial and Workplace sector at Hassell, will attest, they sometimes need a little help along the way. Such was the case with 120 Collins Street, a landmark skyscraper on Melbourne’s Collins Street, originally completed by Hassell in association with architect Daryl Jackson in 1991, whose ground floor and entrance had gradually lost their lustre. To restore the 35-year-old spaces to their former glory, Hassell returned to lead the transformation, drawing on their deep connection to the building’s heritage to create a revitalised, future-facing experience that honours the original while meeting contemporary expectations.
The Local Project •

Michael Kirby Building by Hassell

A few years ago, Macquarie University’s Wallumattagal Campus, situated on Dharug Country in Sydney, Australia, looked a little different. Where now stands Michael Kirby Building was a tired circa-1985 structure that masqueraded as the administration centre. When Hassell ultimately took up the gauntlet of reimagining the space into a modern learning destination, the intent was never to undo the past, but to honour it in making room for the future. Inaugurated in March 2024, Michael Kirby Building—christened after the former Justice of the High Court of Australia and the university’s first Emeritus Chancellor—is an object lesson in adaptive reuse. The 8,500-square-metre upcycled building emerges from the shadows of its predecessor, serving as a modern home for Macquarie University Law School and the University’s Department of Philosophy. In remaining committed to its lifelong pursuit of educational excellence, the institution has also positioned the building as a support facility for the larger campus.
The Local Project •

Mondrian Gold Coast by Fraser & Partners, Studio Carter and Alexander&CO

Beachside locales are often characterised by a free-spirited charm and laid-back energy, but Mondrian Gold Coast, Australia’s first luxury lifestyle property by Mondrian Hotels, elegantly breaks the mould with its elevated coastal flair. Situated at Burleigh Heads, Queensland, a seaside suburb known for its sparkling sand and surf, the 24-storey hotel comprises studios, suites, private beach and sky houses, a bio-wellness spa and event spaces, and two podium restaurants. The architecture and construction were respectively helmed by Melbourne-based Fraser & Partners and Brisbane-based The Barrett Group, while the interior design was divided between Sydney-based Alexander &CO. and Studio Carter, a California-headquartered practice previously enlisted to design Mondrian Singapore Duxton.
The Local Project •

[Print] Greg & Lesa Faulkner at Home

A few times a year, Greg and Lesa Faulkner leave their residence in San Francisco and disappear into the wilds of Martis Valley—a forested Californian vale on the outskirts of Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the U.S. Their retreats are far from casual escapes; they’re purposeful returns. Years ago, the couple—Greg, co-founder and principal of the California-based Faulkner Architects, and Lesa, who helms the firm’s interior design—acquired a 2.5-acre parcel in this rugged highland, with a promise to honour the land in their effort to make it home. Set at 2,100 metres above sea level and cloaked in towering Jeffrey and Ponderosa pines, tangled manzanita, and the crisp perfume of wild sage, the site asked not just for attention, but reverence.
The Local Project •

Garden House by Openspace Architecture

Garden House may be physically situated on the sylvan shores of Saanich Inlet, just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island, but the waterfront residence exists metaphysically somewhere between the West Coast of America and the refined minimalism of Japan.
Conceived and constructed over a period of seven years, Garden House is as much a part of the landscape as the forest that surrounds it. The property comprises three buildings – a single-storey main house of 929 square metres, a guesthouse and a...
The Local Project •

Greg and Lesa Faulkner At Home

A few times a year, Greg and Lesa Faulkner leave their residence in San Francisco and disappear into the wilds of Martis Valley, a forested Californian vale on the outskirts of Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, the United States’ largest alpine lake. Their retreats are far from casual escapes; they’re purposeful returns. Years ago, the couple – Greg, the founder and principal of California-based Faulkner Architects, and Lesa, who oversees interior design at the firm – acquired a 10,000-squaremetre parcel in the highland, with a promise to honour the land in their effort to make it home. Set at 2,100 metres above sea level and cloaked in towering Jeffrey and Ponderosa pines, tangled manzanita and the crisp perfume of wild sage, the site doesn’t just invite attention but reverence.
Load More