ABN
FILES
2 MEET THE TEAM Your colleagues at Boutique Homes give an insight into their jobs and backgrounds.
6 INNOVATION PROJECT Dean Brunton presents ABN Developments’ new mini townhouses. page 6-7 MODERN MINAMALIST GARDENS
5 LANDSCAPES John Passarelli goes minimalist in the garden.
8 ARCHITECTURAL PROFILE Simone Carrivick introduces us to the man behind many iconic WA Art Deco buildings.
9-11 INTERIORS
page 4-5
Jade Webb celebrates her debut display home and details the challenges it presented.
HIGH-DENSITY LIVING IN THE SUBURBS
page 14 PEPPER THE EMO
12-13 INSPIRATION Sarah Mossop searches for the sun in futuristic windowless spaces.
14-19 IDEAS FILE Noelle O’Riordan goes global to explore the latest in trends and ideas.
20 PROFILE What inspires Boutiques Homes senior page 8-9 WILLIAM G BENNETT’S REGAL DESIGN
designer, Rob Nyugen.
ROBOT IS COMING YOUR WAY ARMED WITH AN ENJO
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rob nyugen
“Horse riders, moth swatters, walk-in-robe dwellers, sleepwalkers, hikers, basketballers we certainly are a versatile lot”
katie hillary
SENIOR DESIGNER After finishing my architecture degree at Melbourne University, I started working as a designer at Henley and was there for three years. I then moved to ABN Group Victoria, for a senior design role where I’ve been for over three years and haven’t looked back.
INTERIOR DESIGNER I moved here almost six years ago from New Zealand where I studied interior design and worked as a kitchen designer. I have been with Boutique Homes for five-anda-half years spending four years in preconstruction before joining the interior design team last July.
SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I’m also creative outside work, painting abstract geometric artwork.
SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I started horse riding when I was eight years old, and competed at a high level before I moved. In my 15 years of riding I was lucky to break only one bone.
andrea grover DESIGN CO-ORDINATOR I grew up in New Zealand where I studied architectural design and worked for five years in high-end residential housing. I made the move to Melbourne nearly three years ago and was lucky to end up at ABN Victoria. Beginning in drafting, I have since moved to the design department. SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I spent four months living in California where I worked as a lifeguard which lead to a love of travel. A highlight would be hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.
tina jovevski DESIGN MANAGER I have been in the industry for 12 years. I completed one-and-a-half years of interior/exhibition design before completing my building design and drafting diploma. I started as a draftsperson at a volume builder which allowed me to work on masters, displays and design. I moved to ABN group last year, starting as a senior design draftsperson and in the last six months the design manager. As well working full-time I am also a busy mum of two little girls. SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME As a child and into my early 20’s I used to sleepwalk a couple times a week. I remember when I was of primary school age, I tried to open the front door while sleepwalking (dreaming that I was going to school). My parents ran out of their room and asked me where I was going. Suffice to say my mum hid the key from that day on.
atty thammasam CGI ILLUSTRATOR I have worked in the industry for just under ten years. Two years with Webb and Brown-Neaves and over five years with ABN Victoria. I started as a draftsman in WA and moved to Victoria as a member of their drafting team. I’m now in the design team as an illustrator with a variety of other duties. SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I once slept for three nights in my walk-in robe.
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meet the team
Lisa
Rob
Andrea
mitra whittle
Atty
SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER Born in Iran, I studied in the UK and graduated from university with an Arts honours degree in interior design and worked in the design and architectural field until migrating to Australia in 1991. After running my own business for 16 years working on contract with Boutique Homes since 2006, I joined the company full-time in 2012. SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I learnt to speak English in Iran through my passion for English pop music, memorising and translating lyrics. At night classes in the college of foreign languages, my teacher noticed my pronunciation and when I told him my methods he didn’t believe me, so he made me sing in front of the class and the lecturers. It was because of that I got a scholarship to complete the courses free of charge.
Adriana Mitra
Katie
DESIGN DRAFTSPERSON I have been in the industry for seven years and worked in various fields, from building surveying to engineering, high-end residential and low-rise commercial architectural firms to volume build. I did this to enable me to grasp the entire concept of the construction industry and further my knowledge about opportunities and trends. Currently employed with ABN, I have been here just under a year, and enjoy every minute.
Tina
lisa tsvetanski DESIGN DRAFTSPERSON My drafting career began in 2003. I was recommended for a position at a Ballarat volume builders after completing my first year at TAFE. It was here I was introduced to Archicad. The following year I worked in Daylesford in a small studio and this began a five-year period working in building design. My perseverance in pursuing drafting work using Archicad allowed me to find ABN Group and I’ve been fortunate to work in the design team for the past three years. SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I never took maternity leave when I had my children. Instead, I started my own company to remain working. I’ve also been known to work while on overseas holidays in fear I’d forget my Archicad commands. Last holiday I didn’t work and surprisingly I remembered how to use Archicad on return.
adriana stankovic
“One of your colleagues works while on holidays... and another learnt English from pop-song lyrics”
SOMETHING YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME I played basketball to a high standard and was scouted to play college league at 16. I’m terrified of moths.
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meet the team
HIGH-DENSITY LIVING IN THE SUBURBS MINI-TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT A SELL-OUT REPORT DEAN BRUNTON In earlier newsletters we showcased medium -density projects ABN has developed which are now being delivered to the Perth metropolitan area. You may remember the 6x30m lot terraced homes in Mandurah and the two-level, one and two-bedroomed apartments in Catalina Estate. These projects have proved popular with the public, selling out on release to the market. Encouraged by this success, ABN has partnered with land developer Stockland to deliver the next medium-density project to Perth, the 7.5x15m lot mini-townhouse development at Whiteman Edge, Braham. The ground-floor level townhouses comprise of an apartment-style living/dining/kitchen area, powder room and laundry facilities. A single garage/store area is provided along with a front-entry courtyard and generous rear courtyard. The upper floor has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, one is an ensuite. A three bedroomed version has also been designed. The project will incorporate alternative building materials and methods, including timber framing, EPS cladding (expanded polystyrene), floor and roof trusses, profiled cement fibre sheeting and magnesium oxide paneling. Another innovation is packaging the overall site costs into one instead of treating the houses as separate dwellings. These initiatives will increase cost savings to the consumer. Typically, these lots are created at
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MINI TOWNHOUSE LOTS
BOOKEND
EXTRA STREET FACING INTERNAL LOTS
TYPICAL BOOKEND LOT
the street ends or bookends of a parcel of standard-sized residential lots. These lots are usually for squat-lot designs more square in shape than the rectangular street-facing lots. There are two important outcomes from the mini-lot designs. The first is to increase the yield of the bookend lots from the typical number of four-to-eight dwellings. Secondly, as the depth of the bookend is reduced to 15m in lieu of the typical 25m, extra streetfacing lots are created between the bookends, again increasing yield for the developer. The house-and-land packages will hit the market at affordable prices aimed at first homebuyers and downsizers with apartment buyers also seeing value in these type of product, where they’ll have their own courtyard and small gardens. This pilot project in Whiteman Edge has become a reality because of the ongoing relationship between ABN and Stockland, enabling a win-win outcome. Much of the hard work has been in collaboration with various ABN teams including ABN Developments, ABN Support, The Homebuyers Centre, Dale Alcock Developments and APG Homes. http://abngroup.net.au/panorama/Internal/ Internal.html http://abngroup.net.au/panorama/Pano1/ PanoramaV2_1.html
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Landscape design has evolved to reflect our ever-changing fastpaced lifestyles. Block sizes are getting smaller and apartments are becoming more popular. Very little remains for landscaping and particularly in WA, we have a wonderful climate to enjoy the outdoors and entertain friends in this small space. We therefore need to be clever in how we utilise it and keep the planting constrained and tidy, free from clutter or fuss. A well-designed minimalist garden can effectively provide you with an extra room. The need for plants is minimal, so use artificial materials to create a bold, crisp landscape. Steel, glass and concrete are all heavily featured in many minimalist gardens. This industrial style does not mean it has to be stark and unwelcoming, though a good knowledge of how to utilise these materials is essential. Plants are indeed the key to a minimalist design but it should be the hard landscape features which tie it together, with materials used for sculptures and furniture being echoed in the paving. All this adds up to an area you can both entertain and relax in with the furniture being echoed in the paving.
exteriors
THE MODERN MINIMALIST GARDEN JOHN PASSARELLI explores the benefits of minimalism in small spaces
The creation, definition and celebration of space is crucial to the success of a modern minimalist garden. The primary emphasis is the outdoor entertaining space with planting frequently used as an architectural element. Clipped hedges, specimen trees and large blocks of planting provide simple, sculptural surfaces or screens, which complement the horizontal expanses of timber, stone, concrete or water.
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The geometry of modernism is almost exclusively rectilinear and emphasises the horizontal line. In saying that, however, there are successful designs and interpretations based on circles or ovals in this genre.
Water can be used but it must be calm and sedate to create great reflective effects. The back garden should always mimic the front, perhaps replicating features such as sculpture or water.
Lighting to great effect, perhaps set into the patio floor, to alter the garden's mood as you enter the twilight hours.
“A minimalist garden design suits young professionals looking for a clean, smart, lowmaintenance garden. It should feature sculptures, architectural planting and great vistas. All this adds up to an area in which you can both entertain and relax.�
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exteriors
William G. Bennett (1896–1977) Bill Bennett was a prominent Perth architect well known for Art Deco and inter-war Functionalist buildings that are still landmarks in our great city today. Born in Victoria, Bennett moved to Western Australia with his family in 1910. He studied architectural drafting at Perth Technical School and in 1924 became the first locally-trained architect to pass the Architects Board of Examination. This was only the start of many firsts, becoming the first WA architect to be president of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects among other association national titles. In the early 1930s, Bennett started working with Art Deco theatre designer William T. Leighton at the office of Eales and Cohen. It was there he created some of our famous Art Deco and inter-war Functionalist style buildings that are now iconic buildings and used regularly by many west Australians. Bennett left the offices and partnership of Eales and Cohen and started up his own firm in June 1935 which focused on commercial and residential, new and renovated projects. Bennett’s scope of work includes the Raffles Hotel in Applecross, Plaza Arcade in Hay St (which connects the Hay Street and Murray Street malls), the Dalkeith and Nedlands tennis clubs, Lord Forrest Olympic Pool in Kalgoorlie, the Regal Theatre in Subiaco, The Masonic Temple in Nedlands and the remodelled Beaucott Buildings in Mt Lawley. A number of other hotels and houses were built or redesigned by Bennett in both Perth and country towns. Built in such a small window of opportunity (1920-1940) makes these buildings even more special and many ar now heritage listed. Art Deco buildings had simple internal layouts which lead to the functionalist description. The outside of the buildings were curved with horizontal emphasis in
RAFFLES HOTEL, APPLECROSS
WILLIAM G. BENNET T SIMONE CARRIVICK gives an insight into the man behind many of Perth’s Art Deco buildings the windows and brows and a large vertical tower dominating the front elevation. Another feature in the commercial buildings was the symmetry. The Regal Theatre is a fine example symmetry spread both sides of the circular tower. However being a theatre, the internal layout didn’t lend itself easily to symmetry on a corner site so the façade facing Rokeby Road has an area of false walling, including false windows to balance the volume of the bio box on the opposite side. The centre line of the façade and foyer is situated on a diagonal, facing the intersection
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PLAZA CINEMA, HAY STREET PERTH
BEAUCOTT BUILDING, MOUNT LAWLEY
DALKEITH RESIDENCE
REGAL THEATRE, SUBIACO
whereas the auditorium runs parallel to Rokeby Road. The two-tiered half-cylindrical tower features aspects of horizontal and vertical detailing which is accented with ribbed bands supporting the verticality of the stepped "banner". The Beaucott Buildings as we know them today was a renovation from the original single-storey building built in 1905. Bennett was commissioned to upgrade the building in 1937 creating the Art Deco structure that dominates the corner of Walcott and Beaufort Streets in Mt Lawley. CS DYER HOUSE, SOUTH PERTH
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creativity
I was ecstatic. After shadowing ABN’s designers for almost a year, today was the day I was getting my first solo project. To say I was enthusiastic would be an understatement and I had been collating concepts and suppliers for months. The display was Celebrations’ new house in Eden Beach, Jindalee, a northern coastal suburb for young, expanding families. Minutes after walking into the briefing, I was handed a fresh set of plans and a very clear design brief. HAMPTONS! I panicked. To be honest, I had reservations about Hamptons. My plans for a fresh contemporary interior with blacks and neon pops of colour were completely shattered. After my momentary freak-out, I began to research my least-favourite interior style. But to my complete surprise I started to develop an attraction for Hamptons and slowly my fears dissolved. Research proved fruitful. I found some fantastic suppliers. Echo Chic and Vavoom Furniture had impressive selections and I found integral-accent pieces from websites such as ‘Hard to Find’ and ‘Down that Little Lane’. I learnt some valuable lessons on this first project. Most importantly, disregard personal taste and always design in the interests of the customer. I thoroughly enjoyed working on the project. The Keaton is now open at Lot 39 Midsummer Ave, Jindalee. Please check it out!
DESIGN DEBUT PROVED A CHALLENGE JADE WEBB celebrates her first display home
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When forecasting the future, there are two schools of thought. One that sees our planetary cup still half-full, the other alarmingly half-empty. Those who have viewed the cup with less optimism have predicted a more gloomy future, one in which much of the world’s population will be forced into smaller dwellings out of necessity “in windowless apartments with areas limited to 100 square feet”. For many countries this is becoming a reality because of high populations. China and Japan are prime examples where clever space planning and innovative technologies are creating liveable spaces in the most unusual ways. But not all is lost. Bernard Schorr, a creative technologist, believes digital technologies can be engineered to allow occupants of these micro-apartments to escape the sensation of being confined within “prison cells” by projecting immersive virtual environments to “expand” the walls way beyond their true dimensional boundaries. This may sound like an old sci-fi movie, but what it is doing is not only pushing the boundaries of how we use space but also serving as an experiment for a future where windows will be a luxury. One company which has embraced artificial environment stimulations is
inspiration
HERE COMES THE SUN SARAH MOSSOP finds the light
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CoeLux. With three options to choose from—the CoeLux 30, CoeLux 45 and the CoeLux 60 — each numerical label represents the angle and light temperature simulated by a proprietary LED lighting array designed to be installed overhead in spaces where no windows are available - thus creating an artificial sun! With CoeLux, you can experience sunny skies anytime, anywhere. Like trying to describe the scent of a perfume or the colour of a tropical sun, it is difficult to describe CoeLux’s uplifting effects due to the perception of infinite space which the technology produces. Indeed, evidence collected in the course of the project has shown that even people who suffer from claustrophobia feel happy and relaxed when exposed to CoeLux light despite being in a windowless room of a few square metres for a sustained period. If this sounds unbelieveable, then I urge you to check out the links below for videos which demonstrate the ideas behind CoeLux. http://youtu.be/H8FwT1LCxew http://vimeo.com/91498093
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inspiration
WHAT’S HOT! NOELLE O’RIORDAN checks out new ideas and products from around the world
A BLAST FROM THE PAST Parquetry is making a comeback but not as you know it. Gone are the straightforward timber-floor patterns of old as designers are taking imaginative leaps with everything from ceilings, walls, furniture, panels getting a guernsey. There are even oversize ceramic tiles reproducing the timber look in parquetry (check out the coming APG display in Eden Beach) The inclusion of colour woods integrated into the pattern adds an impressive new dimension to this oldfashioned yet well-loved look.
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A FIX AND A BED FOR HOMELESS CATS
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ROBOTS TAKING OVER THE WORLD? PERHAPS HAL IS NOT SO SCI-FI AFTERALL Have you ever fed a stray cat and felt sad you couldn’t do more for it? Believe it or not there’s a group calling themselves ‘Architects for Animals’ who have organised an awareness-raising initiative, bringing together some of the best architecture and design firms to create amazing outdoor cat shelters to benefit FixNation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to minimising cat populations in a humane way. All the shelters were unveiled to the public during an exhibition named “Giving Shelter” recently and proceeds were donated to FixNation. Check out their site to see lots of simple shelters which animal lovers around the world have created from everyday items like polystyrene boxes. http://architectsforanimals.com/
Listening to Radio National’s Correspondent’s Report, I was fascinated to hear about Japan’s newest robot, Pepper. Once the stuff of sci-fi novels, robots have become almost commonplace, with every second home having their floors hoovered by little motors whizzing about. But progress has stepped up a notch with the introduction of Pepper a cute, wideeyed emo robot. Japan was once the undisputed world leader in robotic technology. However, over the years rival robot producing countries have emerged to challenge that supremacy. Now the government there is pouring money into a quest to stake a place at the forefront of a new golden global robot age. Pepper is the world's first emo robot and represents a significant leap in artificial intelligence. He can read facial expressions, voice tones, body language and engage in conversation. He is designed to be cute, standing at about 120 centimetres and has big puppydog eyes. On sale for $2,000 from next year, Pepper is sure to be a bestseller. As a household robot, he will do the washing, the hoovering, all the mundane chores with a smile. Wow! Perhaps ABN could use this as a marketing promo : BUILD AN ABN GROUP HOUSE AND GET A FREE ROBOT TO KEEP IT CLEAN But Japanese industry, backed by the government, have serious plans for Pepper and robots like him. They want to build 30 million Peppers to create a workforce that can make Japan the world's number one manufacturer again.
The scale is scary and conjures up nightmare scenarios. Pepper is cloud-based artificial intelligence which means he learns and becomes more intelligent with each interaction and can communicate with others in the cloud. In other words, an army of 30 million robots plotting and scheming against us, taking over the world! The inventors insist humans will remain in control. The government sees robots as the answer to caring for an ageing population and a shrinking workforce. The factory of the future is on the outskirts of Tokyo, where robots control the floor, making ATMs and vending machines. They do the work of three humans, 24 hours a day. They don't get sick or suffer from fatigue. Could this be the perfect labour force? The plant’s manager says it's heading that way because since introducing the robots two years ago, the productivity has increased fivefold. The human workers at the factory look like the robots’ assistants, running around and ensuring robots have everything they need to function properly. The question is, will robots ultimately help or hinder? Will they mean the end of slave labour and usher in the new age of creative work like many theorists predict? Or will they lead to massive unemployment and more inequality? It's a debate that's keeping academics and analysts busy. The answer, perhaps, depends on who owns the robots and how the new wealth will be shared around. Food for thought.
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FUNCTION MEETS ART Popular at the moment is the use of funky shelving as art. These odd-shaped pieces add an artistic touch while providing a useful element to the space. Check out sites like Etsy or Hard to find or, better, go wild and create your own unique piece.
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MANHATTAN MICRO LOFT you can pack a lot of living into a small space
It’s hard to make 425 square feet look spacious but Specht Harpman Architects managed to do just that in this once awkward New York City apartment set at the top of a six-storey building. Ah, Manhattan, the coveted Big Apple that’s full of small spaces. Known as the Manhattan Micro Loft, this 425 sq ft, three-level penthouse recently underwent an award-winning renovation by Specht Harpman Architects. The once dull, souless dwelling was gutted and is now a modern dream apartment filled with natural light and generous liveable space. The vertical residence was transformed into a two-storey loft space with “living platforms” and unique interior access to the rooftop garden – a decadent element in New York City. The staircase of rich wood and linear cable wire supports appears to float, becoming an object of beauty and function. Storage, which is a rarity in any Manhattan apartment, is cleverly disguised in what looks like endless cabinets and drawers tucked away beneath the stairs. According to the designers, this was a reference to kaidan-dansu, a Japanese design tradition. Also hidden in a small corner underneath the staircase is the minimalist bathroom with large glass tiles and a hovering vanity which immediately lighten the compact space. By taking what was originally a humble landing on the second level and fitting it with a cantilevered built-in bed, that space is now an innovative extension, suspended over a portion of the downstairs living room. This two-storey bedroom features a structural wall of windows, both fixed and opening, which allows natural light in. A secondary staircase of the same design, leads to the rooftop and is accessed through a steelframed glass door. This Manhattan Micro Loft is anything but. The team at Specht Harpman Architects was ingenious with an enviable design of a modern dream apartment in a sought-after location. For more ideas on clever use of compact space check out this site for an amazing fit-out in a Hong Kong apartment and a tiny Woolloomooloo studio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB2-2j9e4co http://architectureau.com/articles/the-studio/
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SHIPPING CONTAINERS, HOME SWEET HOME Shipping containers are becoming the latest design must-have. They meet a variety of requirements: Modern? Yes. Low-cost? Yes. Environmentally-friendly? Yes. What’s not to like about them? Here are a few of the many designs that make them work. Check out http://design-milk.com/12-homes-madefrom-shipping-containers/ to see all 12 This design uses two shipping containers which flank a taller common space. The residence was designed by STUDIO-HT in Denver, USA. The bedrooms are in the containers while the entry, dining, living, and a loft is in the centre area. The project is planned to be off-the-grid using solar orientation, passive cooling, green roofs, pellet stove heating, and photovoltaics to create electricity. Copenhagen-based architecture firm Arcgency created the “WFH House” in Wuxi, China, with three stacked shipping containers. Upcycled steel shipping containers were used for a steel frame, which was then clad with a sustainable bamboo facade. The home includes a rainwater collection system, solar cell-clad green roof, skylights and permeable paving.
ideas file
HYBRID CHARGING STATIONS MANDATORY IN CALIFORNIA but could it work here? California is likely to amend its building code next year to include the requirement of basic EV and hybrid charging station infrastructure to be in place on new construction. Could that happen in Australia? According to the update, new housing and car-park construction must have, at the minimum, “the conduit and electrical system calculations required to prepare for charging stations”. The purpose of such a change is to sway potential buyers towards hybrid EVs like the Volkswagen Passat GTE, with the knowledge that installing a dedicated charging system won’t have hassle (or a kick to the wallet) as in the past. Dedicated chargers are much more powerful and stable than a standard 120-volt home outlet, which will cut down on refueling times and pesky circuit overloads. European cities are already awash with these cute little ‘climate saviours’ and everywhere you look, the winding cobbled streets are filled with lines of hybrids hooked up to lifeforce stations. Would this work in our wide brown land? Leederville car park has one installed. Given the long distances we travel to get from one end of Perth’s sprawling suburbs to the other, perhaps we are a fair way off but if we crack the inner city living that we are being feted with, maybe we will.
Poteet Architects, a firm known for its adaptive reuse of existing buildings, designed this 32 square-foot guesthouse in San Antonio, Texas using a shipping container. The interior is lined with bamboo plywood for the floor and walls. The deck is made from recycled soda bottles. It also has a planted roof.
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ZNAK TEAR-OFF WALLPAPER how cool is this? Hanging wallpaper has never
been so much fun. With this perforated tear-off wallpaper from ZNAK, you can customise your look by tearing off pieces as you please. The wallpaper is created from non-woven material and the shapes are inspired by the the transformation process of snakes. The paper can be applied over an existing artwork or colour and is revealed when the pattern strips are torn away creating a completely unique look.
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What words best describe you? Ambitious, driven, creative, passionate, fastidious. When did you first become interested in the construction industry? When I was eleven years old. I wanted to be an architect and went on to study at Melbourne University and became interested in the volume industry late in my degree because of its affordability for end users and the opportunity to offer architecture to a wider audience. Where do you get inspiration? The internet, magazines, online subscriptions, the classics - Frank Lloyd Wright and the modern movement. What are your interests? Films, tennis, painting, philosophy, quantum physics (just reading about it). What was your first job? Barman at a restaurant in Melbourne. What does the next year hold for you? Working at ABN and a trip to Europe. If work was optional, what would you do with your time? Design houses, watch movies and play tennis. Most useful tip? Design with a pen, not a mouse. Most embarrassing moment? Having Happy Birthday sung at work annually.
ROB NGUYEN: SENIOR DESIGNER BOUTIQUE HOMES
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