2 MEET THE DESIGN TEAM Gain some insight into your colleagues’ backgrounds and the roles they play in ABN. page 2
3 ICONIC CATALINA SITE
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Catalina benefits from the proximity of commercial and retail development to the north. Read about how ABN have been leaders in this. Simone Carrivick and Dean Brunton explain the design process. page 3
4 LANDSCAPE DESIGN The process of creating an outdoor space that defines us and our lifestyle choices. John Passarelli elaborates on his favourite
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topic. page 4
5 FEATURE DISPLAY Celebration’s The Blanchett was built in Piara Waters and Bunbury. Read why this is a favourite of Jade Webb.
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6 DESIGNER PROFILE Noelle O’Riordan gives and insight into George Nelson, a complex character who was ahead of his time and responsible for much of what we take for granted in our everyday lives.
7 THE YEAR in 3D Mark De Vattimo takes us into the amazing world of 3D imaging with his favourites for this year. page 7
8 NEW TRENDS A few of our favourite discoveries, coming trends, how to keep your lunch safe... and other useful tips. pages 8-9
10 PROFILE All you ever wanted to know (and more than you should) about Design GM, Max Pirone. page 10
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content
mark de vattimo
jade webb
noelle o’riordan
I have worked at ABN for 4 years and in the industry for 10. A man of many trades, I also worked on oil rigs for 6 years.
I worked in publishing as a graphic designer and artist for many years before meeting and working with Dianne BrownNeaves in 1999.
Something you don’t know about me: I’m the frontman in a heavy metal band called Psychonaut and played at a major Indonesian festival to over 4000 people.
Something you don’t know about me: I have a touch of Irish in me - slainte!
john passarelli
I am at ABN one year having previously worked for Prentice and Adam Design. Something you don’t know about me: I have been singing in bands around Perth for 10 years and I have a degree in nutrition.
dean brunton
Max
Noel le
John
Dean
Something you don’t know about me: I played WAFL footy for West Perth.
I met Garry Brown-Neaves at 15 and we married at 19 years of age. I helped create the success story that is now ABN. After 35 years as a designer and decorator I am still a force to be reckoned with!
Mar k
Jade Dian ne
Tama ra
I have been in the industry for 20 years (at ABN for 2 years). Previously, design manager for DAH, I left on maternity leave and rejoined ABN part-time 2-3 days a week. I am interested in all facets of design, architecture, interiors, landscaping, graphics and fashion. Something you don’t know about me: I am missing the top of one finger.
simone carrivick I have worked in drafting and design since age 18. It has always been my dream to draw houses. I began working for ABN 2 years ago and am now 10 years in the industry. Something you don’t know about me: I am a champion BMX rider.
I grew up in Geraldton and have been associated with ABN since 1989 working as a drafting assistant at WB. I am lefthanded. Something you don’t know about me: I was a national ballroom dancing champion at 12 years old. I danced in the world championships in Perth in 1980.
Rach el
Sara h
Simo ne
Something you don’t know about me: I didn’t write this - I’m far too modest!
tamara whitsed
Something you don’t know about me: My real name is Enzo.
max pirone
I worked for DAH and WB for 6 years before becoming a self-employed designer for 12 years. I joined ABN as a group designer.
dianne brown-neaves
My first job was working for Aherns. I’ve been in the industry over 20 years and have worked in all facets of the sector, from fixing carpenter, interior design, sales to structural engineering.
rachel maree I was at Summit Homes Group as a designer for new homes, projects and developments before moving to Sydney and working as a photographer and stylist. In 2009, I joined ABN as an Interior designer. Jeez, I feel old reading that! Something you don’t know about me: My middle name is Peach.
sarah mossop I have been working with ABN for over 3 years. My passion is to create dynamic and visually aesthetic interior solutions. Something you don’t know about me: I don’t have any of my real teeth (just kidding!).
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meet the team
CATALINA MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENT SIMONE CARRIVICK & DEAN BRUNTON Catalina was presented to us as a new project site and a joint venture with Tamala Park Regional Council. TPRC represents a number of councils in the northern suburbs, so it meant a lot of people would have a say in what was being built.The project team led by ABN Developments had the job of winning over the many stakeholders through our desgin and vision. Lot 1 McAllister Blvd is a prominent site on the entry to Catalina, Clarkson so we knew it had to be a great product and due to the proximity to local shops and infrastructure we knew it was a good spot for us to use to try some new ideas and concept products that we had been looking to offer potential customers. A multi-unit walk-up design we had for a previous site would be perfect and we used another new product that had been sitting around waiting for the right situation. We were excited to finally be able to get into the multi-unit space with a client and a site that would actually come to life. Two-storey walk-ups are the main focal point on the corner of the lot which is the main visual impact on the approach to Catalina from Neerabup Road. We kept it at two-storey for a few reasons – venturing into a new unknown product space we wanted to be cautious. The site is about 2.5m above the road level so we didn’t want a development that could be perceived as too tall for an otherwise single-storey estate, and also location. It is a great location with proximity to shops and train station and has ocean glimpses. However after looking at the demographics of the area it was decided a third level would not suit the area. There are 10 units of each type - 2x2’s and 1x1’s. When they were designed a major consideration was buildability. We needed to create a simple design with minimal perimeter, simple but
attractive elevations and cost effective that could be easily duplicated over the site. Like all projects the cost of the building was kept tight so that the selling price didn’t step over and above what our target market could afford. It was also a big deal to keep the sale price of the units low because just down the road you could purchase your own green title piece of land and build a 3x2 for the same price if we didn’t offer an attractive purchase price. Being such a large site we placed the walk-ups around the edge facing all the major roads and the view corridors which then left a gap at the back of the site facing the standard lots and traditional housing types in the rest of the estate. We looked at this as another opportunity to use another concept product the ABN Design team had come up with but hadn’t had the chance to place. A 2x2 single storey single garage design was used as it had similar characteristics as the 2 bed apartment but, acts and looks like a traditional small-lot house. This product was used to create a transition between the walk-ups and the single storey traditional housing opposite our site on Antares Street. Overall this site has given us a great opportunity to trial and showcase new products and has also been a huge learning curve from all aspects of keeping the design simple but attractive and also keeping them compliant with Class 2 building codes and dealing with external consultants to ensure this occurs. We are really excited to see it progress and the next step is getting a building licence. It will be going to market very soon so check it out. If you have been looking for an entry into the property market this could be it.
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product
LANDSCAPE’S VITAL ROLE JOHN PASSARELLI The concept of landscape design is nothing new. When man first cultivated his land and enclosed his crops and livestock, he was thinking of how to make the best use of his space. Perhaps not design as we know it today (aesthetics didn't play a major role then) but he was making spatial relationships based on his environment and needs. Since then, the process of creating an outdoor space that encompasses who we are (or would like to be) in our lifestyle choices, can be dated to that first need. We like to be in sync and have control of our surroundings. Landscape design has evolved to reflect our fast lifestyles. Block sizes are getting smaller and apartments becoming more popular. Style, fashion, skill, materials, wealth, travel, experimentation and history are among the influences on modern landscape design. But man’s yearning to be part of nature and feel more tranquil in his natural environment is the major driving force. We do this in many ways, be it pot plants on a balcony or a rural home comlete with stream. In saying this, however, we still like to control nature in our immediate surroundings. We don't like nature invading or controlling of our lives, so we contain it or
create borders, planter boxes, pathways and the like, much like when man first cultivated his land and set borders between his crops and livestock. Modern landscape design attempts a seamless extension from indoor to outdoor, incorporating themes and colour palettes from within the home. Inspiration comes in many forms, shapes, styles and ideas which differs little from designing a building. 'Form and Function' are the fundamentals of all design processes with landscape design also important. Climate also plays an important role in landscaping but is more centred on the choice of plants that suit the client’s lifestyle and environment. Style refers to the way in which we express ideas and organise materials, plants, colours and ornaments to create a composition that can be understood and appreciated. In my columns I will elaborate on individual styles of garden design. Some of these will include urban, modernist, fusion, concept, Japanese, foliage, formal, mediterranean, cottage, native, sustainable and productive. Catchya then!
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exteriors
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE WITH CELEBRATION HOMES’ BLANCHETT DISPLAY? JADE WEBB
Celebration Homes presents its latest display The Blanchett in Piara Waters. Much of the inspiration for this home was provided by the life of a traveller - someone who had lovingly collected key pieces or art and furniture from across the globe. I love the character and olde world charm of this display. From the moment you enter, it feels personal. The styling fits best into an eclectic or vintage theme. Here, objects don’t necessarily match, finishes are often raw or recycled and antiques are a must. But this cleverly designed home has a twist. To appeal to today’s market, the old world reclaimed pieces were combined with the new. This season, fluoro colours and geometric prints are everywhere. Check out the minor bedrooms to see how this is integrated these styles. One of my favourite rooms is the boys’ room. The space is maximised using cool bunk beds from Domayne. A hip storage solution for a young boy are the changeroom style lockers from Canary Home, creating a very ‘street’ feel. In the master suite, the daring use of feature colour (Marsh Green) on the walls cleverly demonstrates how to add warmth to a room.
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interiors
GEORGE NELSON, DESIGNER NOELLE O’RIORDAN profiles the man behind many modern concepts George Nelson was a designer ahead of his time. He is responsible for so much of what we take for granted today. Most of the 20th century’s iconic furniture, the solution to storage problems, even down to how our office work spaces work. Born in Connecticut, USA, in 1908, through his working life from 1936 to his death at 77 in 1986, he wore many design hats industrial designer, architect, author, editor, teacher among them. Nelson's work is instantly familiar, even if his name isn't. Has there ever been a couch more fun than the marshmallow sofa (1956), with its rounded cushions of candy hues? Remember the bubble lamp or the coconut chair? Nelson was the man responsible for these and many other favourites. Graduating from Yale as an architect, he travelled extensively through Europe. He believed “good design lasts and good design improves lives”. This philosophy sprang from his interest in European modernism and many respected designers like Walter Gropius, Mies Van Der Rohe and Le Corbusier. A creative writer, he edited Architectural Forum before co writing Tomorrow’s House with Henry Wright, he introduced the concept of the "family room" and the "storage wall". His design ideas post war, when increasing affluence led to greater storage dilemmas, were solved with his innovative built-in cupboards. The storage wall
was essentially the idea of recessed, built-in bookcases or shelving occupying the space previously lost between walls. The idea came about while writing the book, when Nelson questioned: "What's inside the wall?" It was then that the idea of utilising the space between walls for storage was born. "Tomorrow's House" was innovative because it looked at how problems could be solved. The book became a best-selling manual for people to build their own houses. These designs brought Nelson to the attention of one of America’s largest furniture design companies, Hermon Millers. He was more useful to them as an employee than a competitor. This led to his move into furniture design. Despite lacking experience he quickly predicted he would increase turnover from $300k to $3milion in a matter of years and they went on to become global phenomenon. His passion for good functional, pared-down design led to cheaper production and better quality, which steered his pioneering work in the working space. Awarded the prestigious Alcoa award for The Action Office I, incorporating multi-work stations for each worker: a standup desk (very much a modern day talking point), a separate typing desk and another padded cubicle for telephone privacy - thus creating a more humanist positive workplace for the employee. The Action Office II, the redesign of his project, went on to become the office cubicle we all know today, with his L-shaped desk being the forerunner of the modern
work station. Despite it being the company’s biggest earner, Nelson removed himself from any connection with the project, describing the system's "dehumanising effect on the working environment." Scornful as he may have been, by 2005 total sales had reached $5 billion. As a writer, Nelson was harsh in regard to trends in his profession, spotlighting how "we are not building antiques of the future anymore ... we are just making things to use and throw away". He felt the US had turned into a "Kleenex culture", building objects designed to be disposable. One of his primary concerns was reducing pollution. Through his attempts to reduce all forms of pollution, including visual, audio, and chemical, Nelson pioneered the idea of the outdoor shopping mall, first using the idea in a proposal for the city plan of Austin, Texas, which was not used. Nelson retired with the closing of his studio in the mid-1980s and died shortly afterwards.
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designer
THE YEAR IN 3D
MARK DE VATTIMO
Here are some of my favourite projects from the year. These include computer generated images (CGI) for the APG-Breakthrough range, WB Homes’ The Pearl, Dale Alcock Improvements Granny Flat and an interior image for the ABN Developments The Apartments at Catalina, Clarkson. Select images have appeared in the real estate section of WA’s newspapers. Other work includes photoshopped ‘before and after’ images. I often need to add gardens to pictures of display homes that are not yet landscaped. Other items in the picture may include adding external light fittings, tidying up wooden decking and even removing the reflections of tradesmen and their utes from the windows. I have been kept on my toes all year and have enjoyed the vast array of challenges that have come my way. Next year will see my skills pushed even further as I upgrade to the latest V-Ray rendering plugin. This will create better quality images. I will also be exploring Lumion. This programme creates a walk-through/animation package designed to bring large-scale developments to life. It can animate trees, clouds and even 3D humans to help populate what would otherwise be a static scene. This will result in more realism in the final 3D model illustration and help to entice potential clients to sign up for a new home with the ABN Group.
APG HOMES BREAKTHROUGH RANGE
WB HOMES THE PEARL
DALE ALCOCK HOME IMPROVEMENTS GRANNY FLAT
ABN DEVELOPMENTS CATALINA THE APARTMENTS
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3D illustration TR HOMES THE GRANGE
FASHION CHANGES BUT STYLE ENDURES Coco Chanel
HYBRID BEAUTY KARTELL “MASTERS” CHAIR IN MATT BLACK Philippe Starck is a French product designer and interior designer, born in1949 in Paris. He is equally well known as an interior designer, a designer of consumer goods, and for his industrial design and architectural creations. Starck’s prolific output gradually extended to every area in which design can have its say: furniture, decoration, architecture, street furniture, industry (wind turbine, photo booth, etc.), bathroom fittings, kitchens, floor and wall coverings, lighting, domestic appliances, office equipment (stapler, etc.), utensils (including a juice squeezer and a toothbrush), tableware, clothing, accessories (shoes, eyewear, luggage, watches, etc.) toys, glassware (perfume bottles, mirrors, etc.), graphic design and publishing, even food (Panzani pasta, Lenôtre Yule log), and vehicles for land, sea, air and space (bike, motorbike, yacht, plane, etc.). The buildings he designed in Japan, as of 1989, went against the grain of traditional forms. The first, Nani Nani, in Tokyo, is an
CARDBOARD - BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT Forget everything you know about cardboard and prepare to be amazed! Furnish entire rooms with impossibly strong, stunning, simple cardboard furniture you can live with. Karton, home-delivered, flat-packed paper stack folds out to become clever designs to fit any room from your home office to your bedroom. Check out these simple designs at karton.com.au.
POP-OUT STOOL
anthropomorphic structure (takes on human form), clad in a living material that evolves over time. The message was clear: Design should take its place within the environment but without impinging on it; an object must serve its context and become part of it.
TIPS FROM AN INTERIOR DESIGNER I’ve tossed my kids out of the car to make room for roadside treasure. They didn’t have far to walk home and the storm was miles away...
Brings a whole new meaning to the term
Seriously, roadside finds wait for no man, woman or child
“Cut & Paste”, the Pop-Out stool comes
and it’s our duty to recycle and reuse.
flat packed. Simply pop out the 3 pieces
Trends are not necessarily your friend. It’s easy to
and slide them together to create your
take a theme too far. Styling or designing a room is all
perfect plywood stool. You can paint and
about telling a visual story and setting a mood. The best
play with the design and finish or simply
storytellers mix things up and do the unexpected, not just
give it a gentle polish with the Natural
of-the-moment or same-same.
Beeswax Polish provided. Voila!
8 trends
A NEW ALTERNATIVE TO WALLPAPER
Increasingly popular and ever evolving wall murals are in trend and in focus for both residential and commercial feature walls. They can often be a cheaper alternative to wallpaper and if you are creatively blessed, they allow you to put your DIY skills to the test. The benefit of investing in a feature mural Is that it can be as easy or as complicated as you like and allow you complete creative freedom. Featured in DA HOME’s display, the ST ALI (left) Piara Waters, is the work of local fashion illustrator and artist Pippa Mc Mannus. Pippa worked closely with the designers to develop a beautiful design to suit the brief for a young girl’s bedroom. And if the thought of losing a precious piece of art to a wall that may be painted over is too tough, try painting on to MDF and mounting on the wall. The artwork (right) was used in a DA Home Improvements demonstration display. This is the work of local and now internationally recognised artist “THE YOK”. His graffiti has been turning blank walls throughout Perth into gallery spaces
OUT-THERE TENTS On a mission to inject colour and creativity into camping, UK brand Field Candy (fieldcandy. com) has produced an array of new designs, from camouflaging grass and sheep to stand-out patterns like brick walls, bubble wrap, patchwork quilts and our favourite (below) Always room for one more! Check them out. Prices range from $420 to $1000.
One of our favourite fun sites is designmilk.com. Check it out and see what’s amusing, interesting or simply downright nuts this month. ‘TEAR OFF’ WALLPAPER BY ZNAK ANTI THEFT LUNCH BAGS complete with mould - yuck! 20+ MODERN STAIRCASES and lots more
9 trends
GM of DESIGN PIRONE,
WHAT DOES THE NEXT YEAR HOLD FOR YOU? Ongoing change, personal improvement and the challenge of developing new ideas and sharing them.
MAX
WHAT WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOU? Loyal, hardworking, energetic, sociable, funny (in my mind) and creative. WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? When I was about 10 years old helping my father on building sites as a carpenter’s “apprentice”. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM? It’s everywhere. New housing from other countries, nature, commercial and residential projects, magazines, landscapes and internet. WHAT ARE YOUR OUTSIDE INTERESTS? Some form of exercise to keep fit. Spending time with my kids. I love the beach especially at 5:30am. Checking out all forms of architecture, interior design and landscaping and networking! DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST DRAWING AS A CHILD? I can recall it was for a social studies project in primary school. It was of my house. I drew a floor plan and elevation. It felt pretty cool. I did a pencil perspective too.
IF WORK WAS OPTIONAL WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME? Some form of charity work - I’d be interested in building houses with a group like Habitat for Housing. MOST USEFUL TIP? Never burn a bridge. Always be pleasant and professional. This industry is too small and you never know when you‘ll be either doing business with them or working for them again. Love what you do or move on to something else - it’s too hard to work 8 hours plus in something you hate. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT? A bit of over-indulgence at the 2011 end-of-year Christmas function resulting in losing my mobile phone - somewhere in a cab. Can’t believe I didn’t win that horse’s arse!
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