Di Mase Architects Pty Ltd
Di Mase Architects is a diverse and vibrant practice of designers based in North Fitzroy. We are driven by a passion for place, re-use and daylighting. Formed in 2001, our work with residential, commercial and local government projects has established an extensive portfolio spanning a wide variety of end-uses, scale and building types. We immerse ourselves in the narrative of a project, and craft responses that are truly unique and beautiful. Di Mase Architects loves architecture, creating new life in old spaces, bringing buildings to light, and designing more and consuming less.
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Projects:
Matilda Bay Brewers’ Canteen
Port Melbourne, 2012
An intimate bar in the middle of a working factory, the bar separate from ‘ but remaining clearly connected to ‘ the industrial activity surrounding it. This was the desire of our client, Matilda Bay Brewing Company, for their new tasting bar in Port Melbourne.
Re-imagining space is a key focus for our practice, and a cosy, intimate bar on the floor of a working factory was a challenging and exciting brief. Our aim was to design a space that supports the leading edge of experience marketing; a space with a strong focus on the story of the client’s brand and product. Rather than impose a design derived from fashion or experience, we sought to embed ourselves in this narrative and craft a response that reads simply as another chapter. The ‘Brewer’s Canteen’ does just this. It is a space indistinguishable from the story of Matilda Bay; a bar of and for the makers of craft beer.
Collingwood Warehouse
Collingwood, 2007
Many older homes do not fulfil the needs of a contemporary lifestyle, but that does not mean that these existing structures must be replaced by more modern buildings. At Di Mase Architects we believe that it is increasingly necessary to rethink and adapt our existing built fabric rather than starting over.
With imagination and creativity, it is frequently possible to modernise a house with relatively minor adjustments to space, light and colour. Changes to layout and to the provision of services can help an older home better meet the needs of today’s family in a way that is both sustainable and economically restrained.
This warehouse refurbishment in Collingwood is an example of what we call ‘adaptive reuse’. The approach was to strip back layers of clutter built up over time, revealing the inherent beauty of the existing structure. The main spaces were preserved; a restrained palette of materials and finishes was applied to create a comfortable and light-filled interior.
Clifton Hill Renovation
Clifton Hill, 2012
Private, filled with natural light and garden views, we’ve crafted a special home for a Clifton Hill family. With this 2-storey extension the goal was to improve the connection between house and garden. By incorporating a courtyard between the existing building and the new part of the home, we were able to increase the amount of internal space while not ‘detaching’ existing areas from the landscape. Doors and windows open this house layer by layer allowing interior and exterior spaces to flow into one. Interior daylighting strategies also contribute to this connection, with living and circulation spaces bathed in the warm, dappled light of the landscape.
Whilst the house is in the middle of a busy part of Melbourne, this home is truly an oasis that dwells in its own world of light and nature.
