NEArchitecture Pty Ltd
NEArchitecture is an up and coming design firm in Far North Queensland. Although the company is new, Director, Nicole Ewing has a wealth of experience working in Cairns, and remotely in the Cape. She brings a refreshing enthusiasm to the design practice, along with a history of award winning projects. NEArchitecture focuses on design for tropical environments. The climatic conditions of the region create both challenges and opportunities for design and living. NEA strives to embrace the climate, concentrating on outside living, cross ventilation, orientation and low thermal mass; designing to provide shelter while allowing buildings to breathe.
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Projects:
Clifton Beach House
Cairns, 2014
The Clifton Beach House is a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home, situated on a tight 600sqm corner block. The house provides open, relaxed living by opening up to the beautiful natural surroundings, while managing the suburban constraints of the neighbouring developments. On entering the building, you are immediately greeted by an outdoor garden space, which separates the living spaces from the bedroom spaces. The spacious entry hallway linking these two has full glazing at either end, allowing ventilation and light to penetrate the building. Turning toward the living zone, the interior spaces open up to a deck, pool and garden beyond. Mature melaleuca trees appear as a sculptural addition to the architecture, providing a dialogue between the built and natural forms, while providing dappled light to the interior. In bedroom wing, the spaces maintain their connection with the exterior, having large wall to wall glazed openings to the outside courtyards. The profile of the rooms is also articulated externally with fin walls extending into the garden, to claim that space as the bedroom’s own. Additionally, the external cladding is continued inside the rooms. The Clifton Beach House is a thoughtful design response to the site. Despite the very tight constraints of the lot, the house feels open and spacious.
Post War Queenslander Renovation
Clayfield, 2014
The existing Queenslander had undergone a number of alterations in its past life. The internal renovation by NEA resolved some of the less functional outcomes of these alterations, bringing life and joy back to the home. The design focus was to the rear of the house, amalgamating the tiny existing kitchen with the generous circulation space at the top of the internal stairs. In the existing fabric, walls were removed and doorways reconsidered, to allow the spaces to flow more freely. Stackable doors were installed to provide a link to the new external deck, and allow light into the centre of the house. A new kitchen was designed within the space, employing a very modern and understated palette. This was critical to blend the new cabinetry into the existing fabric of the house. In the detailing, the new finishes came up against a sleeker use of the retained timber VJ boards. Trims were flushed and grooves expressed, wrapping the VJ into bulkheads. In addition, simple elegant shadow lines delineated the break between the two stages of the design.
Atherton Mountain Bike Trail Head Shelter
Atherton Tablelands, 2014
The trail head shelter is a community use building, providing amenity to mountain bike riders using the adjacent terrain park, or venturing on a trail ride through the surrounding forest. The structure is a simple, elegant response to the brief, comprising a large roof which floats over a meeting area and ladies’ & men’s change rooms. The construction palette reflects the surrounding natural materials, using rubble, exposed aggregate, ply and timbers with natural stains. The structure is easily maintainable, through the use of resilient materials. There is also a hose down facility, using water collected from the roof.
