Innholdsfortegnelse for #101 Jan-Feb 2025 i Green Magazine

INTRODUCTION: With a 90-year legacy of design-driven innovation, Laminex continues to set benchmarks in sustainable manufacturing and premium surface solutions. By evolving its environmental practices and embracing circularity initiatives, Laminex has solidified its role as a leader in the Australian building materials industry. From achieving Global GreenTag certification to introducing groundbreaking products like the True to Nature: Next Generation Woodgrains, Laminex demonstrates a steadfast commitment to sustainability and design excellence. As the brand looks to the future, its dedication to durability, ethical sourcing, and technological innovation underscores its mission to positively shape the Australian design landscape. 1) WHAT LIFE CYCLE / CIRCULARITY INITIATIVES DOES LAMINEX HAVE IN PLACE? With a drive to focus on the constant improvement and enhancement of environmental performance, we utilise energyefficient processes and ethically sourced material…

Skeehan’s modular TAG Collection blends tailored precision with practical design, offering ottomans and tables adaptable to both expansive and intimate spaces. Modules are designed for material efficiency, fitting neatly into standard sheet sizes to minimise waste, and GECA-certified Dunlop “Enduro” foam and water-based adhesives help lower environmental impact. The design supports disassembly, enabling easy repair, refurbishment and recycling, while the signature TAG loop border – available in five colours – adds a playful, customisable touch for designers. Launched with Stylecraft, the collection is manufactured entirely in Sydney, prioritising local and ethical production, and strict quality control. skeehan.com.au / stylecraft.com.au…

Reminiscent of a classic farmhouse water tank, the ridged form of the “Uneri Wall Basin”, features a recyclable solid surface of natural minerals (Gibbsite) and UV-stable resin. Designed by Nick Rennie for Mains Water Co, the Uneri bathware collection is produced with lowenergy, water-free processes using a tiny fraction of the energy that ceramic and concrete products require. Originating in Melbourne, Mains Water Co factories are powered with hydroelectricity, and products are packaged in recyclable materials. mainswater.co / nickrennie.com / oblica.com.au…

Cumulus Studio has achieved a reputation for creating bold, aspirational architecture for commercial clients with a focus on the tourism sector. Projects include Pumphouse Point, Devil’s Corner Cellar Door, Hotel Verge and recently the Dove Lake Viewing Shelter and the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre. Additionally, the practice has many residential clients and important social housing projects such as Hobart’s Goulburn Street Housing under its belt. By the very nature of being headquartered in Tasmania, the island’s wild landscape and First Nations history has ensured that sustainability in design is always at the forefront of the response to the brief. On a recent visit, accompanied by director Peter Walker, we journeyed to the newly completed Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre which clearly illustrates the tread-lightly approach and the collaboration with First Nations…

Kitchens are the most scrutinised of rooms when it comes to a build or renovation. They are often the victim of fashion and sadly many are dismantled before their time is up. In this issue we look at six kitchens that buck the trend. A couple have really just had a good scrub and some gentle intervention to emerge back into the world with their bones strengthened and their function restored. Others have considered it all from the get-go. Energy efficient appliances, materials with integrity and an eye for the future … all up, it seems that the focus here is on longevity, restoration and simplicity, with not a gas burner in sight. Speaking of kitchens, we visit the multi-award-winning restaurant Brae to write about their Food Made Good accreditation…

Claudia Bloxsome, through her practice Cloud May Studio, explores the passage of time through meticulous woven works. She gravitates towards labour-intensive methodologies where irregularities become markers of the time, care and attention embedded in the handweaving process, as well as reflections of life’s inherent rhythms. Claudia works with a wide range of fibres – always natural, and often hand spun – from silk, wool and cotton to less common fibres like hemp, ramie, bamboo or tencel. At times she even weaves unconventional materials like feathers, shells and bark into her cloth. She transforms these mesmerising woven grids into sculptural forms, often incorporating metal and timber as scaffolding. These forms create a personal visual language of patterns and symbols, offering a conceptual framework to reflect on life’s quiet resilience and enduring…

Pivot, a sculptural work by Donna Marcus, transforms discarded aluminium cake tins into a towering structure that bridges the domestic and industrial. Stacked modules form rhythmic grids, reflecting Modernist precision while evoking nostalgia. Aluminium – once valued as gold and later called ‘poor man’s silver’ – has shaped everyday life and innovation, from kitchens to aeroplanes. Installed in public spaces, Pivot reimagines humble materials as a commentary on shared histories and sustainability. Donna Marcus is represented by Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sydney. donnamarcus.com.au / gallerysallydancuthbert.com…

COX Architecture’s Adelaide studio raises the bar for low-carbon interiors, cutting embodied carbon emissions to just 98 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per square metre. That’s a 90 per cent reduction compared to the typical Australian office fit-out, covering everything from material production to construction and end-of-life impacts. Renewable cork flooring and recycled carpet tiles make a significant impact, locking away over a third of the fit-out's 65 tonnes of CO2e. The project offers a practical example of how measurable design choices can reduce emissions while maintaining the integrity of a space. coxarchitecture.com.au…

TSAI DESIGN Small Packages This tiny kitchen was designed to fit into a 25-square-metre apartment in Melbourne’s St Kilda for a couple who travel a lot and rent out their place when they are away. The interior is dominated by a large unit with a mirrored copper finish that simultaneously hides the bathroom and part of the kitchen, while also bouncing light through the space. The kitchen bench, positioned under a window, contains the bins, cutlery drawer, dish-drawer, fridge-drawer and a microwave oven. The copper joinery unit opens along this side to reveal bright blue shelves for kitchen storage including crockery, food and appliances. tsaidesign.com.au BRAVE NEW ECO Choosing Reuse This apartment in Melbourne’s South Yarra, originally designed by inter-war architect Arthur Plaisted, has had a sustainable redesign by Brave…

This modular and mobile seating system by Outside Assembly is a standout feature of the Weemala Outdoor Learning Space – a dedicated area for Australian Catholic University’s Indigenous Support Centre on their Brisbane campus. Commissioned by project architects Resonance D+A, these versatile pieces shift effortlessly from private screened arrangements to open relaxed settings perfect for socialising. Perforated aluminium and hardwood timber add durability and a grounded aesthetic, while Indigenous artwork, woven into the design, reflects stories of the land, forest, river and reef. outsideassembly.com.au / resonanceda.com / acu.edu.au…

LOCATION GAYEMAGAL COUNTRY / MANLY / NSW Even as a local, it’s easy to see why being in Manly feels like a holiday. On a midweek morning at 6am, waterfront paths are packed with people strolling the esplanade in swimsuits, walking dogs and wheeling kayaks. Visitors often wonder quietly, ‘Does anyone here work?’ Manly is an early riser, and although it appears like everyone is on a permanent vacation, many of them make the 20-minute ferry commute into the city each morning, an enviable way to travel to the office. The suburb has a long history as a holiday destination, established in the 1850s as Australia’s first seaside resort. During this time (and until 1984), Q Station at Manly’s prominent North Head was a quarantine for migrants arriving in Australia.…

White Utopia by Natural Material Studio investigates how bio-based materials reshape domestic spaces. Presented in Copenhagan at 3daysofdesign 2024, the installation was created entirely of bioplastic developed by the studio. Translucent bio-textiles form walls and ceilings, while bio-foams shape furniture and structural elements. These fully circular materials made from protein-based biopolymers, natural softeners and chalk using the studio’s Procel casting technique are biodegradable, re-castable and recognisable for their cloudy swirls and natural textures. White Utopia demonstrates how a single innovative material can redefine adaptive living spaces and challenge static architectural norms. naturalmaterialstudio.com…

Taking cues from vast caves, subterranean landforms and mycelium networks, TERRAIN, Australia’s first ecologically oriented bookshop, gallery and studio, exemplifies biophilic design. Lime-plastered walls over a base of locally recycled plastic aggregate form textured, organic surfaces and are paired with mycelium lights, algae-based bio-plastic panel blinds, and circular design elements that push the boundaries of traditional materials. A terrarium wall, aluminium and recycled HDPE in furnishings, and a renewables-powered server, point to a future deeply rooted in ecological responsibility. Housed in a former family-run barbershop that served Fitzroy for 73 years, the fit-out honours the area’s rich migrant history. Collaborating with local craftspeople and suppliers, TERRAIN weaves heritage and forward-thinking design into a vital hub for ecological exploration and transdisciplinary collaboration. terrain.earth…

“Pull 03” by Bankston and Edition Office plays with geometry to create stunningly simple architectural hardware. Recyclable sandcast aluminium gives a textured surface, highlighting its artisanal roots, and a recessed cavity slider provides a tactile and intuitive place to pull. Part of the Casts collection, “Pull 03” balances functional utility and artistic expression. Bankston’s sustainability efforts – from cutting plastics to adopting renewable energy – drive their commitment to thoughtful, user-focused design. bankston.com / edition-office.com…

LOCATION DJA DJA WURRUNG COUNTRY / WOODEND / VIC Five years ago, Bonnie and Remy, the entrepreneurial couple behind Coolstore café in Victoria’s Harcourt, were living in nearby Woodend when Bonnie spied a sloping, 1340-square-metre creek-side block with a long granite outcrop. It charmed and intrigued her, and its idiosyncrasies meant an affordable asking price. “It was on the market for a very long time,” Bonnie recalls. “You just couldn’t tell if you could build on it. We had some drilling done. He said, ‘You’ve got 30 centimetres till you hit stone in some spots, and three metres in others’. They came back with ‘P for problematic’. I was like, ‘P for possible’,” she adds with a laugh. Fortunately for Bonnie and Remy, Anthony Dawkins of Sense of Space Architecture…

POTO pots are the creation of Melbourne-based landscape designer Clea Cregan, founder of Miniscape Projects. Leftover mosaic tiles -often accounting for up to 10 per cent of waste in tiling projects – are transformed into striking planters, featuring a lightweight poly terrazzo base and meticulously hand-laid salvaged tiles. Current designs feature Japanese porcelain and natural stone travertine mosaics. POTO pots also collaborate with architects and designers to craft custom, sustainable pieces for any space. potopots.com.au / miniscapeprojects.com…