Two Rocks Town Centre

This is the Two Rocks town centre and Marina designed in 1975 by Forbes and Fitzhardinge. Wonderful, albeit unloved and showing its age,little town centre development. Strong forms and bold details at a nice human scale, with a variety of level changes, volume diffenrences, setbacks etc create an interesting ’street’ and surrounds. Similiar in form to the UWA music school completed soon after.

Cosmology gallery, Gingin

This is the Cosmology Gallery at the Gravity Discovery Centre in Gingin. Designed by Simon Anderson, 2008. Great little building, where the form(an overscaled particle) acts as a symbol for the program within. Also similiar to the geodesic domes of Fuller etc. Excellent details abound, including an amazing corbelled arch entrance and the expressed joints between the limestone faces.

Two Rocks Surf Rescue

This is the Two Rocks Surf Rescue lookout. It is beyond decrepit now, but it was once a very interesting little folly. Simple fibreglass and timber construction is used to make a visually impressive, and memorable structure. Not many pieces like this in WA. A true duck! Unfortunately it is in ruins now, and dislodged from its footings, but still worth a visit. Just down from King Neptune.

Steve Woodland

It was just announced that Steve Woodland is the new Government Architect. So to celebrate here is one of his residential projects, dating from the mid 80s, or round about. Bold roof line, strong geometry and a very ‘closed’ street facade. The way the roof rakes back and echoes the roof lines of the neighbours house is great.

Salentina Ridge Picnic Shelters

This a picnic area in Salentina ridge, Fremantle designed by CODA Studio. It is a very modest little structure,  isolated, yet commands the space very well. It uses found timber and concrete footings from the site, and the roof form zig zags over the picnic tables. Simply detailed, well constructed with an interesting form, this is an excellent little public space.

Picnic Shelters

These are some picnic shelters in Coogee designed by Blacket Smith in 1999. Amazing little structures, that are formed directly from the site. By taking various connections between exisiting points and extending them, or creating new ‘lines’ on the land, folds were created and the shelters twist and distort according to these invisible lines. The recycled materials, and general rawness of the structures are amazing, and are perfect for the setting. The undersides of the shelters spell out the names of them in giant fluro orange supergraphics. The seating, tables and barbecues are just as good. There is a nice harshness to the structures, which reflects the  nature of the position. There is a great conversation between shelter and surrounds.

Mengler Avenue House

This is a house in Mengler Avenue Claremont designed by Kate Hislop. I do not know too much about it, but the form and ideas expressed are amazing. It uses a very dry, brusque aesthetic with exposed fast wall, hardiflex panels,  colourbond steel roof. The roof is the main feature, as it changes form and expression over the course of the block. It starts as a low, undulating covered way and violently changes direction as it connect to the house. It then slows in the form an inflated mansard and steps its way gradually away to nothing. The image of the lean to, ad hoc house is invoked. The roof is also pierced in several places by dormer style windows. This is a wonderful house, confronting in its honesty and exciting  in its form.

HomesWest

This is the second part of the Donaldson and Warn Homeswest housing in Victoria Park. The first part was in King George st, this is in Camberwell st. This development consists of more traditional detached single houses, whereas the other had more of an urban townhouse feel. These are low slung, simple volumeswith pitched roofs , with bold brick patterning and standard, almost unrefined detailing. It uses the same palette of materials and colours as the King George st set, just in a  different form. Very suburban, in a good way.

Fern st House

This is a house in Fern St Swanbourne. It is an amazing house! Nothing more to say.

City Beach

This is a house on Banool Crs in City Beach. I do not know who the architect is, but it is an amzing house. The siting is arresting. Very aggresive in the way it addresses the street. Transparent and solid volumes, interlock and slide past each other. Great house, if anyone knows the author, let me know!