Latest news with #AnthonyBurke
The Age
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Age
The June 7 Edition
Australians have always had a love affair with bricks and mortar, but in these uncertain times our homes have become even more of a steadying place in our lives. In this, our winter Style Issue, domestic cocooning is something of a theme, with Anthony Burke, the host of Grand Designs Australia, showing how function and beauty can coexist in even the most modest of homes, and landscape designer Kate Seddon demonstrating how gardens can bring so much joy and calm into our lives. Call it a nice dose of comfort reading. – Greg Callaghan, acting editor.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
The June 7 Edition
Australians have always had a love affair with bricks and mortar, but in these uncertain times our homes have become even more of a steadying place in our lives. In this, our winter Style Issue, domestic cocooning is something of a theme, with Anthony Burke, the host of Grand Designs Australia, showing how function and beauty can coexist in even the most modest of homes, and landscape designer Kate Seddon demonstrating how gardens can bring so much joy and calm into our lives. Call it a nice dose of comfort reading. – Greg Callaghan, acting editor.
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
Can quirky homes get Qlders on the property ladder?
Queenslanders have made some of the quirkiest things into homes and one prominent architecture expert reckons this ingenuity may just help the next generation of homebuyers during the housing crisis. Throughout the Sunshine State people are living in planes, trains, space station-like bubbles, war bunkers and even a Barbie dream house, with their creations driven by budget constraints, inventiveness and a desire to standout. But where some may view these quirky residences as oversized curios, Grand Designs Australia and Restoration Australia host Anthony Burke sees them as the work of trailblazers. The professor of architecture said experimenting with home designs could lead to more affordable homes for Australians. 'We're going to have to invent our way out of this (housing) problem,' he said. 'Australia is very risk adverse when it comes to our houses and that hasn't budged much since the 1950s 'We need Australians to engage with a bit more risk-taking with our architecture. 'And while (quirky homes) aren't necessarily the answer to the housing crisis, they are a good step towards breaking us out of business as usual.' Mr Burke said he was seeing an increase in Australians willing to experiment with home building and renovation, particularly younger people. 'There's a new generation of Australians who can't afford a new home,' he said. 'They are the group that is going to reinvent what a house looks like because they can't afford a house like it has looked for the past 70 years. '(Quirky homes) are necessary to change our thinking. 'I think we're going to see more of them is the next 20 years, the way we haven't in the past 40 years.' Buyer's agent and managing director of Cohen Handler, Jordan Navybox said while 'quirky' homes were once the purview of eccentrics, unique luxury homes were growing in popularity in South East Queensland. 'Prestige buyers do want a level of exclusivity and uniqueness,' he said. 'They want a home that is one-of-one. 'Brisbane is finally seeing this fashion and lifestyle movement and there are more architects pushing the boundaries in Brisbane. 'Rob Mills is a Melbourne architect doing a lot in Brisbane right now and so is Luigi Rosselli from Sydney. 'It's super fashionable now to have a really beautiful and unique house and the more fashionable that becomes, the more boundary pushing we will see.' Lynn Malone of Queensland Sotheby's, who is selling 'Alkira', a futuristic concrete residence built above a lake in Cape Tribulation, said it was more difficult to sell a quirky home but the trick was to know the buyers to target. 'Buyers' reactions are often polarised — some are captivated by the unexpected and folly, while others have concerns about comparable property sales and valuations,' she said. 'The objective is to identify and reach the niche audience that aspires to acquire a property such as 'Alkira Resort House' and has the financial capability to purchase. 'Too much uniqueness, such as a remote location in Far North Queensland, can be a drawback for a traditional buyer. 'However, most prospective buyers for 'Alkira' view remoteness, privacy, and exclusivity as compelling attributes.' Ms Malone said truly unique homes attracted strong interest when they hit the market. 'The challenge lies in translating that tremendous interest into genuine buyer inquiries,' she said. Ms Malone said she had seen an increase in buyers willing to consider more quirky homes. 'Especially in the luxury real estate sector, buyers seek properties that offer authenticity, design innovation, and a connection with nature, particularly when buying a second or third residence,' she said. Mr Burke said in general, owners of quirky homes could be broken down into two groups – those looking to experiment and those looking to express their personality. 'Some are inventions by necessity, such as inhabiting a train carriage because that's all they could afford,' he said. 'Some, like the Bubble House (in Ipswich), are a labour of love and an experimental thesis. 'There's also the really formally flamboyant house, which are more about puffing up and saying 'I'm here, I'm doing something different'. 'It's not an idea, it's a power play. 'But the person with the lifelong thesis they've had in sustainable housing, that's a labour of love and that comes from a strength of idea.' Mr Burke said Aussies tended to appreciate the passion builds. 'There is an army of good taste cops out there that shake their but most people see something usual like the Bubble house and say 'good on you for having a crack',' he said. 'Australians, we love the underdog, the renegade, the brave eccentric.' Mr Burke said most who set out to build a unique home were the type to care little about the opinions of others. 'These are kind of places that stay in a family for as long as someone can live independently and, by that time, they've become landmarks,' he said. 'They become a bit precious, think mid-century Seidler homes and Robin Boyd homes.' Mr Burke said he appreciated those homeowners, builders and architects ready to take the risk and do something outside the box. 'New materials, new technology, new processes – they will take a while to land in meaningful ways, but we need early adopters,' he said. 'Things like rammed earth are already coming back into play, which is good to see.' Mr Burke said he hoped to see the experimentation occurring overseas start to influence Australians homeowners. 'They are 3D printing houses in Texas, mushroom houses grown and built out of mushroom are happening in the US and Europe, and we're even seeing architectural structures made by silkworms.' SOME OF QUEENSLAND'S QUIRKIEST HOMES 1. Bubble House – Karalee Built by architect owner Graham Birchall, this home took a decade to complete and is made from 11 intersecting circular domes. The house began as a thesis idea more than 40 years ago and ended up a 20-room family home with 1050 sqm of floor space. 2. Alkira Resort House – Cape Tribulation This remote concrete masterpiece was designed by visionary architect Charles Wright and is positioned over a man-made lake and surrounded by 30ha of wilderness including a beach. It took the original owner, stamp collector and property developer Rob Perry, five years to design and build the six bedroom, seven bathroom house. The unusual swimming pool shape and surrounding roofline is based on the silhouette of the head on the 'One Pound Jimmy' postage stamp issued in Australia in the 1950s. 3. Barbie Dream House – Agnes Waters This eye-catching home is spread across four levels with a party zone that includes a built-in bar, space for a pool table and guest bedrooms. Like any good dream house, it has a bright colour scheme, a pool and plenty of space to entertain or just relax. You can even see the ocean from the decks. 4. Train carriage home – Booie Marketed as one of a kind and currently for sale, this 2.67ha property comes with a home created from a Melbourne train carriage. The stainless steel carriage, measuring around 23m long and 2.9m wide, has a kitchen, dining, and lounge area, complete with original train handrails, a bathroom and a bedroom. There is also an added second bedroom and deck plus the block has a big shed and dam. 5. Silo house – Kairi This two-bedroom, one bathroom home is built into the side of historic grain silos that were bought for just $5000 in 2010. The home sits in what was originally the office and weigh station, but all the machinery from the silos has been kept on site. The silos themselves are accessed from inside the home, with a door opening to the first two silos and a shaft that runs underneath all four. 6. Gill House – Norman Park Designed to look like the gills of a shark, this modern riverside home is spread across four levels and has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Inside there is a 6.3m high void, marble-clad fireplace, a master suite that takes up an entire level, a round bathtub sitting under a skylight and a four-car stacker in the garage. The property looks out over the Brisbane River and is currently for sale. 7. Chateau sur-Ciel – Willow Vale The name of this Gold Coast property aptly translates to 'castle in the sky'. Designed and built over a period of ten years by the original owners, the home has medieval-themed games room, a moat, a chapel and horse stables. The six-bedroom home was inspired by a love of European art and architecture. 8. Bunker house – Miles The couple behind Possum Park Caravan Park, 20km north of Miles, turned a WWII bunker into their home after buying an abandoned air force base in 1986. The 12m-long ammunition bunker, made from 10-inch thick concrete and covered with 1m of dirt, contains a bedroom, bathroom, office and open plan kitchen and living room. The couple have also converted more bunkers, an army igloo, a plane and train carriages into guest accommodation. 9. Elysian Falls dome house – Flaxton Artist Cath Wild designed and built this aircrete dome house on her property in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The four-dome structure is the first aircrete dome to have council build approval and covers just under 90 sqm. Ms Wild made about 6000 aircrete blocks to complete the home and the build took about three years. 10. Renovated church – Innisfail The former St Andrew's Presbyterian Memorial Church in Innisfail isn't your typical church – it was designed by architect Eddie Oribin in the modernist organic style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Now converted to a private residence, the home has triangular brickwork, patterned screen walls with green glass inserts, tulip oak walls, polished timber floors, original diamond shaped leadlight windows, a burning tree motif and a copper flower bowl. There are three levels with open plan living, dining and kitchen, and a bedroom on a mezzanine level.
Courier-Mail
03-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Courier-Mail
Can quirky homes get Qlders on the property ladder?
Queenslanders have made some of the quirkiest things into homes and one prominent architecture expert reckons this ingenuity may just help the next generation of homebuyers during the housing crisis. Throughout the Sunshine State people are living in planes, trains, space station-like bubbles, war bunkers and even a Barbie dream house, with their creations driven by budget constraints, inventiveness and a desire to standout. But where some may view these quirky residences as oversized curios, Grand Designs Australia and Restoration Australia host Anthony Burke sees them as the work of trailblazers. The professor of architecture said experimenting with home designs could lead to more affordable homes for Australians. 'We're going to have to invent our way out of this (housing) problem,' he said. 'Australia is very risk adverse when it comes to our houses and that hasn't budged much since the 1950s 'We need Australians to engage with a bit more risk-taking with our architecture. 'And while (quirky homes) aren't necessarily the answer to the housing crisis, they are a good step towards breaking us out of business as usual.' Mr Burke said he was seeing an increase in Australians willing to experiment with home building and renovation, particularly younger people. 'There's a new generation of Australians who can't afford a new home,' he said. 'They are the group that is going to reinvent what a house looks like because they can't afford a house like it has looked for the past 70 years. '(Quirky homes) are necessary to change our thinking. 'I think we're going to see more of them is the next 20 years, the way we haven't in the past 40 years.' Buyer's agent and managing director of Cohen Handler, Jordan Navybox said while 'quirky' homes were once the purview of eccentrics, unique luxury homes were growing in popularity in South East Queensland. 'Prestige buyers do want a level of exclusivity and uniqueness,' he said. 'They want a home that is one-of-one. 'Brisbane is finally seeing this fashion and lifestyle movement and there are more architects pushing the boundaries in Brisbane. 'Rob Mills is a Melbourne architect doing a lot in Brisbane right now and so is Luigi Rosselli from Sydney. 'It's super fashionable now to have a really beautiful and unique house and the more fashionable that becomes, the more boundary pushing we will see.' Lynn Malone of Queensland Sotheby's, who is selling 'Alkira', a futuristic concrete residence built above a lake in Cape Tribulation, said it was more difficult to sell a quirky home but the trick was to know the buyers to target. 'Buyers' reactions are often polarised — some are captivated by the unexpected and folly, while others have concerns about comparable property sales and valuations,' she said. 'The objective is to identify and reach the niche audience that aspires to acquire a property such as 'Alkira Resort House' and has the financial capability to purchase. 'Too much uniqueness, such as a remote location in Far North Queensland, can be a drawback for a traditional buyer. 'However, most prospective buyers for 'Alkira' view remoteness, privacy, and exclusivity as compelling attributes.' Ms Malone said truly unique homes attracted strong interest when they hit the market. 'The challenge lies in translating that tremendous interest into genuine buyer inquiries,' she said. Ms Malone said she had seen an increase in buyers willing to consider more quirky homes. 'Especially in the luxury real estate sector, buyers seek properties that offer authenticity, design innovation, and a connection with nature, particularly when buying a second or third residence,' she said. Mr Burke said in general, owners of quirky homes could be broken down into two groups – those looking to experiment and those looking to express their personality. 'Some are inventions by necessity, such as inhabiting a train carriage because that's all they could afford,' he said. 'Some, like the Bubble House (in Ipswich), are a labour of love and an experimental thesis. 'There's also the really formally flamboyant house, which are more about puffing up and saying 'I'm here, I'm doing something different'. 'It's not an idea, it's a power play. 'But the person with the lifelong thesis they've had in sustainable housing, that's a labour of love and that comes from a strength of idea.' Mr Burke said Aussies tended to appreciate the passion builds. 'There is an army of good taste cops out there that shake their but most people see something usual like the Bubble house and say 'good on you for having a crack',' he said. 'Australians, we love the underdog, the renegade, the brave eccentric.' Mr Burke said most who set out to build a unique home were the type to care little about the opinions of others. 'These are kind of places that stay in a family for as long as someone can live independently and, by that time, they've become landmarks,' he said. 'They become a bit precious, think mid-century Seidler homes and Robin Boyd homes.' Mr Burke said he appreciated those homeowners, builders and architects ready to take the risk and do something outside the box. 'New materials, new technology, new processes – they will take a while to land in meaningful ways, but we need early adopters,' he said. 'Things like rammed earth are already coming back into play, which is good to see.' Mr Burke said he hoped to see the experimentation occurring overseas start to influence Australians homeowners. 'They are 3D printing houses in Texas, mushroom houses grown and built out of mushroom are happening in the US and Europe, and we're even seeing architectural structures made by silkworms.' SOME OF QUEENSLAND'S QUIRKIEST HOMES 1. Bubble House – Karalee Built by architect owner Graham Birchall, this home took a decade to complete and is made from 11 intersecting circular domes. The house began as a thesis idea more than 40 years ago and ended up a 20-room family home with 1050 sqm of floor space. 2. Alkira Resort House – Cape Tribulation This remote concrete masterpiece was designed by visionary architect Charles Wright and is positioned over a man-made lake and surrounded by 30ha of wilderness including a beach. It took the original owner, stamp collector and property developer Rob Perry, five years to design and build the six bedroom, seven bathroom house. The unusual swimming pool shape and surrounding roofline is based on the silhouette of the head on the 'One Pound Jimmy' postage stamp issued in Australia in the 1950s. 3. Barbie Dream House – Agnes Waters This eye-catching home is spread across four levels with a party zone that includes a built-in bar, space for a pool table and guest bedrooms. Like any good dream house, it has a bright colour scheme, a pool and plenty of space to entertain or just relax. You can even see the ocean from the decks. 4. Train carriage home – Booie Marketed as one of a kind and currently for sale, this 2.67ha property comes with a home created from a Melbourne train carriage. The stainless steel carriage, measuring around 23m long and 2.9m wide, has a kitchen, dining, and lounge area, complete with original train handrails, a bathroom and a bedroom. There is also an added second bedroom and deck plus the block has a big shed and dam. 5. Silo house – Kairi This two-bedroom, one bathroom home is built into the side of historic grain silos that were bought for just $5000 in 2010. The home sits in what was originally the office and weigh station, but all the machinery from the silos has been kept on site. The silos themselves are accessed from inside the home, with a door opening to the first two silos and a shaft that runs underneath all four. 6. Gill House – Norman Park Designed to look like the gills of a shark, this modern riverside home is spread across four levels and has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Inside there is a 6.3m high void, marble-clad fireplace, a master suite that takes up an entire level, a round bathtub sitting under a skylight and a four-car stacker in the garage. The property looks out over the Brisbane River and is currently for sale. 7. Chateau sur-Ciel – Willow Vale The name of this Gold Coast property aptly translates to 'castle in the sky'. Designed and built over a period of ten years by the original owners, the home has medieval-themed games room, a moat, a chapel and horse stables. The six-bedroom home was inspired by a love of European art and architecture. 8. Bunker house – Miles The couple behind Possum Park Caravan Park, 20km north of Miles, turned a WWII bunker into their home after buying an abandoned air force base in 1986. The 12m-long ammunition bunker, made from 10-inch thick concrete and covered with 1m of dirt, contains a bedroom, bathroom, office and open plan kitchen and living room. The couple have also converted more bunkers, an army igloo, a plane and train carriages into guest accommodation. 9. Elysian Falls dome house – Flaxton Artist Cath Wild designed and built this aircrete dome house on her property in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The four-dome structure is the first aircrete dome to have council build approval and covers just under 90 sqm. Ms Wild made about 6000 aircrete blocks to complete the home and the build took about three years. 10. Renovated church – Innisfail The former St Andrew's Presbyterian Memorial Church in Innisfail isn't your typical church – it was designed by architect Eddie Oribin in the modernist organic style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Now converted to a private residence, the home has triangular brickwork, patterned screen walls with green glass inserts, tulip oak walls, polished timber floors, original diamond shaped leadlight windows, a burning tree motif and a copper flower bowl. There are three levels with open plan living, dining and kitchen, and a bedroom on a mezzanine level.
The Guardian
26-01-2025
- The Guardian
Away with Anthony Burke: ‘We did yoga twice a day and listened to the monkeys and elephants at night'
Whichever destination he's travelling to, Anthony Burke makes a point of seeking out the best local architecture. As the host of Grand Designs Australia and an architecture professor at University of Technology Sydney, it's a holiday ritual he says is 'pretty obvious'. 'I can't think of a place where I didn't visit at least one building of note, to ground my thinking in the culture and design of that place,' he says. 'It's the way I tune into where I am.' And Burke has logged a lot of overseas trips. His travel resume ranges from treks in Nepal to backpacking in South America. Here, he shares the highlights and lowlights of his time on the road, and the story of the unexpected meal he'll never forget. What makes an excellent travel companion? Curiosity and a comfort level with serendipity. One thing I always say to myself with travel is: you can't get stressed about things not working out – flight changes, missed connections, etcetera – it's all part of the journey. Once you leave home, you have to be alright with giving yourself over to the travel gods. My wife and I more and more find ourselves saying, if you are there, and you can take up an unexpected opportunity, you have to do it. It's all about banking those experiences, even if they weren't part of the plan. Especially if they weren't part of the plan. What's your earliest childhood holiday memory? A very hot un-air conditioned Datsun 120B (mustard colour) in the vinyl backseat with my brother at about age six, driving from Sydney to Broadbeach in Queensland with Mum and Dad to visit my grandma every summer. Sweaty, hot and such a long, long drive. Describe your most memorable travel meal – good, bad or just surprising. My best meal ever was a small restaurant I visited with my wife (girlfriend at the time) when we were travelling in Europe. I was about 28, and I went to London to check out graduate schools for my master's and we tagged on a drive for a week from Paris through the Loire Valley and Bordeaux to Barcelona in the dead of winter in a rental. We pulled into a farmhouse late one afternoon, just outside Saint-Émilion. We took a stroll through town at about 6pm to see what was open for dinner. No reservation, no internet, no idea! We came across the only place that seemed to be serving dinner. It was empty, the staff weren't rude but [they weren't] overly friendly either and we thought we were in for something pretty ordinary. But it was the best meal we've possibly ever had. Unpretentious, straight-up provincial French cooking at its very best, a great (cheap) wine and a cheese cart with about 40 options in the middle of one of what is now one of our favourite wine regions in the world. Discovering this unexpected local restaurant blew our minds. What's the most relaxing place you've ever visited? I went to a yoga retreat in Sri Lanka for a week called Ulpotha. No electricity, no internet, earth floors, no hot water, only vegan food grown on site by the locals who live there – you get the idea. Not even any walls, just mosquito nets in our hut. We did yoga twice a day, listened to the monkeys and elephants outside our hut at night and swam in the reservoir, built by the Portuguese back in the day, which served the whole village. A total disconnect from the world in an otherworldly beautiful location. And the most stressful? After backpacking through South America, which was amazing and hard work, we pulled up to a hostel in Santa Monica, California that felt like the dodgiest place on the planet. It felt as if I was going to die there. Everyone was looking to get you or your stuff and there was no place to get secure. What's one item you always put in your suitcase? I've always got a sketchbook and a couple of pens and pencils with me. I used to use it to sketch a lot, but more recently I use it to keep a journal of where I'm travelling. If I'm on my own, this is perfect for after dinner instead of scrolling. Or on a plane, I make up plans of houses I'd like to build one day. I did an illustrated diary last year when I went to Nepal to trek the Manaslu circuit. What's your strategy for enduring long-haul flights? Set your watch to the time of where you're heading as soon as you get on the flight. It resets your whole attitude. Don't drink (OK, maybe one before dinner) and use the eye masks – it makes all the difference. Grand Designs Australia, hosted by Anthony Burke, is on ABC iView
