Archives: Architecture Projects

TLC Noble Gardens Aged Care – Noble Park

Type: Healthcare
Client: TLC Aged Care
Size: 270m2
Location: Noble Park, VIC, AU
Status: In Progress

This project designed by Melbourne Aged Care Architect Thextonsmith encompasses a new 225m2 addition to an existing aged care facility, including hydrotherapy pool, change room and showers, new gym, beauty therapy, two offices and a maintenance area. This sleek new addition provides a stark contrast with the traditional construction of the existing building.

The client requested a bright, prominent linkage between the old and new buildings. Our response was a contemporary, minimalistic curved and glazed façade that maximises the small footprint to achieve an increase in program above and beyond the client’s expectations.

With a simple connection to the main activity area and café of the existing facility, the new addition aims to expand upon the facility’s already excellent resident amenity.

If you have a project in the Melbourne region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Melbourne Aged Care Architect team, please contact us.

TLC Sunlight Aged Care – Whittlesea

Client: TLC Aged Care
Services: Architecture, Interiors, Project Management, Superintendency
Size: 9,687m2
Location: Whittlesea, VIC, AU
Status: Completed

Located in a growing region on the urban-rural fringe of Melbourne, this project designed by Melbourne Aged Care Architect Thextonsmith required the extensive redevelopment of an existing 90-bed aged care facility, doubling it in size and transforming it into a 180-bed facility and medical centre. Key services such as commercial laundry, kitchen and service areas were relocated as part of the redevelopment.

Due to the rectangular nature of the site, a new central hub was created, offering two connections to the existing facility to enable ease of resident movement. To invigorate resident activities outdoors and provide attractive spaces for visitors and families, a bowls green, golf putting green and children’s playground were also achieved.

If you have a project in the Melbourne region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Melbourne Aged Care Architect team, please contact us.

Earth House – Gippsland Architect

Client: Confidential
Size: 504m2
Location: Gippsland, VIC, AU
Status: Concept

Set in Gippsland, Eastern Victoria, this farm house designed by Gippsland architect Thextonsmith provided the clients with an opportunity to build a home to accommodate their exacting needs both now and into the future.

The clients requested a sense of permanence to the building, quality materials and a visual connection back to the surrounding farm.

As the clients have spent decades working on the land, our design team developed a response that respects the local environment and celebrates the landscape. The design features rammed earth walls which provide visual and tactile connection to the land, combined with a bunkered concept, which offers natural protection and enduring quality.

The farm house is nestled between earthen batters, sheltering the north-facing outdoor living area from south-westerly winds and providing privacy.

A flying roof is located to each of the front and back of the house, indicating key access points and living space, whilst also providing protection from the elements.

As the home is intended to take the clients through to retirement and beyond, it is designed to accommodate future works to enable the clients to live there for as long as possible, with features to support reduced mobility such as flush transitions at thresholds and wider-than-normal passages.

If you have a project in the Gippsland region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Gippsland Architect team, please contact us.

Solar Tower – Melbourne

Client: Confidential
Size:15,000m2
Location:Melbourne – VIC, AU
Status:Concept

Solar Tower is a concept commercial tower designed by Melbourne architect Thextonsmith to influence the Australian tower vernacular toward a more considered and sustainable future.

On a north facing site, opposite a large public park, the site receives no overshadowing and lots of daylight, making it ideal for harnessing solar energy.

Given the building’s intended use as a commercial premises, the bulk of its usage is during weekdays. The primary idea was to develop a façade that would serve a dual purpose – provide a canvas for green or low carbon energy, whilst also being visually striking and bespoke.

The result was a serrated or saw-tooth façade, with photovoltaic glass to the upper portions optimally angled to catch the sun, and the lower portions utilising performance glass carefully angled to protect the occupants from the powerful summer sun. This results in approximately 924m2 of photovoltaic glass to the façade, and 241m2 to the north-west facing roof.

Each portion of the solar façade is fed directly into the correlating tenancy, with the roof top solar array used for the communal areas. Not only does the design achieve a comfortable, usable and exceptionally energy efficient workspace for tenants, it contributes positively to the commercial architecture landscape.

If you have a project in the Melbourne region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Melbourne Architect team, please contact us.

Lexcen Close Aged Care – Melton

Client: Heritage Care
Size:5,703m2
Location:Melton – VIC, AU
Status:In Progress

Designed by Melbourne Aged Care Architect Thextonsmith, this project consists of a new 90-bed aged care facility over two levels with an on-grade car park.

The irregular combination of sites dictated the building be an ‘L’ shape. This predicated the need to break down the building into readable components.

The primary form consists of two-story brick volumes with off-centre pitched roofs, linking the new building to the local architectural vernacular. Rectangular feature elements in a bold yellow create a striking contrast and have the dual effects of enclosing and protecting the outdoor terraces, and adding prominence to the built form. These elements are used to help break up the visual bulk of the facility and highlight key areas such as the premium suites and entry.

Each feature element is accompanied by a flying roof, which provides further protection for residents and creates a more dynamic visual form.

If you have a project in the Melbourne region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Melbourne Aged Care Architect team, please contact us.

East Melbourne Apartments

Client: Orchard Piper
Size: 12,000m2
Location: East Melbourne, VIC, AU
Status: Construction
Services: Delivery Architect

Melbourne Architect Thextonsmith were engaged as delivery architect for the East Melbourne apartment project for Orchard Piper.

Undertaking the developed design and documentation of this mixed use project which consists of 6 levels of luxury apartments, 2 levels of commercial, 4 levels of basement carparking and a refurbished heritage terrace house.

Thextonsmith were engaged for a 6 month delivery program whereby we worked closely with the builder – Minicon Construction – and the consultant team, the client and their representatives.

Designed by Jolson, the project has a striking facade with elegant curved forms and views south over Fitzroy Gardens and beyond.

If you have a project in the Melbourne region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Melbourne Architect team, please contact us.

Country House – Sale

Client:Confidential
Size:450m2
Location:Sale, Gippsland, VIC, AU
Status:Design

Services:Architecture, Interior Architecture

A retired farming couple approached Gippsland architect Thextonsmith to design what they hope would be their retirement house on a 100 acre block in Gippsland.

The house was required to be flexible, allowing for future flexibility as the clients aged, whilst also allowing space for grand kids to stay and resale viability. This ment there was a substantial amount of consideration given to program and the layout, to best adopt the client’s requirements.

The client had firm ideas on a prominent central roof form, as well as preferred materials. These items were adopted alongside other key brief items and a feature roof was formed over the central living area, providing an opportunity for a cathedral ceiling internally, and the brick and timber claddings were adopted to varying degrees.

If you have a project in the Gippsland region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Gippsland Architect team, please contact us.

Stilt House – Loch Sport

Client:Confidential
Size:400m2
Location:Loch Sport, Gippsland, VIC, AU
Status:Design

Services:Architecture, Interior Architecture

Set a block back from the shoreline of Lake Victoria, in Gippsland, designed by Gippsland architect Thextonsmith, is on a simple, level site this design takes advantage of all the site has to offer, and more.

Our brief was to design a flexible and robust home for a family of 5, whilst also having space to cater for additional family and friends over summer, and etch out a sea view if possible, all whilst on a firm budget.

With this in mind, thextonsmith responded by lifting the home on posts to the maximum height possible, whilst still allowing space for a roof top deck.  This kept the floor plate minimal, essentially being a single level house on stilts, whilst providing shade, cover and shelter below for cars, camping and covered outdoor entertaining adjacent the lawn area.

The living level obtains Lakeviews, whilst and the rooftop deck has uninterrupted Lake views.

The raised home consists of 5 bedrooms, living, dining, kitchen and family rooms, master ensuite and bathroom with separate powder room. The lower level consists of an entry lobby and garage/workshop.

If you have a project in the Gippsland region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Gippsland Architect team, please contact us.

Lakeview House – Loch Sport

Client:Confidential
Size:500m2
Location:Loch Sport, Gippsland, VIC, AU
Status:Design

Our Lake View house is set on a steep sloping site immediately adjacent the shoreline of Lake Victoria in Loch Sport, Gippsland.

Designed by Gippsland architect Thextonsmith, the project consists of a sprawling 3 level holiday home over levels 2, 3 and 4, with a ground level entry and extra height garage/boat garage capable of housing 6 cars, or 4 cars and a boat.

Level 1 consists of a separate residence with 2 bedrooms, living, dining and kitchen with large bathroom.

Due to the slope of the site, a lift connects ground level to levels 2 and 3 above.

With the primary views to the north west, the home looks out over the access road and native bush,  to the Lake beyond. Slatted timber screens were designed to protect and direct the views, whilst enabling operability for the occupants to block out the worst of the summer sun. A warm and simple palette was chosen of local Mt Angus sandstone, white vertical shiplap cladding and insitu concrete curved fins.

If you have a project in the Gippsland region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Gippsland Architect team, please contact us.

Chirnside Aged Care – Chirnside Park

Client: Confidential
Size: 11,000m2
Location: Chirnside, VIC, AU
Status: Concept
Services: Architecture

Our design for our Chirnside Residential Aged Care was a response to site conditions. The client had a site located on a mid-grade slope overlooking Chirnside Park. Melbourne Aged Care Architect Thextonsmith responded by putting the best, and the most challenging aspects of the site to use. As the site sloped to the north, the early decision was made to locate the car parking and services levels to a semi basement under croft, we then freed up ground level for pick up/drop off, resident amenity and facility management. Levels 2 and 3 were left for resident living – totalling 140 beds. This design produced a tiered privacy model for the residents, with common uses to ground level and private uses to levels 1 and 2.

The strong horizontal form of the floor plates provides a simple and pleasing aesthetic that draws the eye to the building, whilst also creating a perspective that then draws the eye to the landscape beyond.

These strong horizontal forms are broken vertically by bronze sliding sun screens, further enhancing the composition, and providing functional sun and wind protection.

Whilst un-realised, Thextonsmith’s beautiful and elegant design proposal provides outlook toward the Yarra Ranges via. wrap around balconies, whilst also having two significantly sized internal courtyards providing sheltered outdoor living.

If you have a project in the Melbourne region and would like to chat to our Thextonsmith Melbourne Aged Care Architect team, please contact us.