Indulge your architectural curiosity at Brisbane Open House

By Kate Lockyer

If you’ve ever walked past an interesting-looking building and felt an urge to have a stickybeak inside, Brisbane Open House gave us the chance to do just that this July.

Over 90 buildings, structures, places and spaces across Brisbane were open to visitors, from heritage icons to visionary contemporary design, community treasures, and rarely seen private residences.

One such private residence was Floating Gable House, a “parallel universe” in Clayfield, where iconic slant-roofed gables line the streets.

The award-winning modern home was built on the tennis court of Sally and her husband’s old Queenslander home of 20 years and features traditional elements within an entirely modern design by Phorm Architecture and Design.

Architect Paul Hotston said: “They came to us with this idea that that they wanted to downsize into a smaller house… what they were also saying is: we don’t actually want to move out of the community.”

“It charged us with this idea that we have this capacity in this architecture to retain all the memories that the family had in their old house and on the tennis court itself.”

Their rooftop deck is inspired by a treasured family memory.

“It came from the fact that my dad and I built a cubby on top of the bomb shelter for the kids… it’s how our use of here (the backyard) as a play space became our home,” Sally said.

They have let light dictate the design, something Sally celebrates as an artist herself.

Glass between the two floors to let light in made Sally think of “a ship floating in the night” which is how the name Floating Gable House came about.

Sally said she was eager to invite Open House attendees into her home because “people’s lives are made better by good design”.

For a peek behind the curtain of subtropical architectural design, you could visit a new local studio in Teneriffe.

Con Zahos, Principal at Loucas Zahos Architects, said design enthusiasts discovered a workspace that makes a bold architectural statement and encapsulates their emotive placemaking.

“The architectural response uses biophilic design principles to establish an oasis-like environment, connecting the studio to the outdoors.

“The open-plan studio emphasises sub-tropical design hallmarks such as natural breezes, light-filled spaces and a small energy footprint.

“Further, there’s an operable glazed wall that opens out to green planting, bespoke detailing and custom brickwork. These are just some of our signature design features to discover on the tour,” Mr Zahos said.

Heritage community spaces such as the Merthyr Croquet Club, tucked away in New Farm Park, and St Augustine’s Church, a landmark on Racecourse Road, also offered tours informing people of their storied history.

Other local spots to visit included the beautiful Newstead House, historic Miegunyah House Museum, the “blue cross on the hill” – Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church, restored institutions The Tivoli and The Powerhouse, or the Spring Hill Baths and Centenary Pool.

Brisbane Open House ran over the weekend of July 19 – 20, with select events earlier in the month – more at brisbaneopenhouse.com.au.