Your Favourite Stories of 2013

It’s hard to believe the Landscapology blog has been up and running for six months now. In that time the number of people receiving weekly updates has more than doubled - thank-you for your interest and support! So as the year draws to a close, let’s take a look back at the stories that resonated most with our regular readers.

Here’s the Top 10:

10.  A Celebration of Texture: sometimes the bumpy bits are the most interesting - our small selection of beautifully textured pavements, walls, walls, artworks and plants.

9.  Design Class: make analysis your friend - the first of two simple guides to basics to looks out for and understand before you start designing.

8.  Elephants never forget...and they can teach you how to read drawings - Trunky the Elephant's Design 101 guide to understanding plans, elevations and sections.

7.  How I visited a park in Colombia and ended up with a book deal - as Future Park went to print I explained how the whole project came to be.

6.  Visit Landscapology at Brisbane Open House - a sneak peek inviting people to visit the new studio. The follow up story of the day was also popular.

5.  Back of House - celebrating the delights of the tangled, messy, not-for-public-view backs of our city buildings.

4.  Is the frangipani Brisbane’s favourite summer tree? - the answer was a resounding yes! And this story was a tie for fourth place, with...

4.  Landscapology’s 2013 Christmas Book Guide - last week's list of the books that have brought faraway landscapes closer to me this year.

3.  Serenity...in the least likely location - our tour through delightful Newtown Creek Nature Walk, next door to New York's biggest sewage treatment plant.

2. Big Prawn...yawn: THIS sculpture park features the biggest from the world's best - our visit to the amazing Gibbs Farm Sculpture Park outside Auckland.

1.  Confessions of a sell-out: Future Park is launched! - my opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me along the long and sometimes rocky road to bring my book from dream to reality.

But now it’s over to you.

What’s been your favourite story this year and why? What would you like to see more of in 2014?

I’d love to know – please drop me a line in the comments below, or send me an email.

Of course if you know anyone who’d enjoy this article, please feel free to share. And if you've been sent this by a friend, consider signing up to receive a new design tip, feature project or Landscapology update in your inbox each week.

Stop by again next week when there will be more from the wonderful world of landscape, architecture and design.

All images © Amalie Wright, except Future Park launch photo, by Nicole Phillips.

Welcome: A Fun Day at Craigston for Brisbane Open House 2013

What a great day it was!

After months of planning, and some slightly frantic last minute efforts, Craigston opened her doors on Saturday as part of this year's Brisbane Open House.

We showed off our new studio, and two home owners graciously opened their fabulous homes to over 70 lucky people who had been victorious in gaining a place via ballot.

The calm before the storm... and our guests doing the Craigston Time Warp.

Amalie and Richard spruiking the finer points of the studio design.

Chatting with Open House visitors.

It was an honour to host you all here at Craigston, and we hope you enjoyed your day as much as we did.

A huge thanks must go to Charles Rowe, our BOH volunteer, who valiantly manned the welcome desk, and Nicole Phillips, who helped us in the studio whilst also taking these great photos of the day. An even bigger thanks is due to human dynamo Ann Rainbow, who manages Open House so brilliantly on behalf of the Office of the Queensland Government Architect. Days like this would not be possible without the efforts of people like Ann.

Now it's over to you.

Did you manage to get along to Open House? What buildings were stand-outs for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

If you're in Queensland, don't forget that Maryborough Open House is on again next weekend. It was a huge success last year, so get in quick if you want to see some of the beautiful buildings on show.

All images ©Nicole Phillips. 

Visit Landscapology at Brisbane Open House

This week I happily attended the launch of Brisbane Open House 2013.

It's inspiring to see how the event has grown in only four years, now covering a full weekend, with 71 buildings open to the public free of charge.

What's even more exciting is that Landscapology is also throwing open its doors!

Landscapology HQ is tucked into a tiny corner at the bottom of Craigston, in Spring Hill.

Welcome.

The studio design has been a rewarding collaboration between myself and Richard Buchanan,  a crazy-good designer, and (lucky me), my partner. We (well...our great builders, Rob and Chris Hogerheyde of RAM Constructions, actually) have been hard at work transforming this former caretaker's dungeon and then solicitor's office into a cabinet of curiosities, and place for reading, thinking and creating. Here's a sneak peek, just before the books and papers and pens move in...

Shifting planes.

Getting ready to introduce the collection to its new home.

A warm and cavelike space at the bottom of the building.

It's been a fun journey, and now we'd love to share our efforts with you.

Jump on the Brisbane Open House website (updated this year, and looking great) to add your name to the ballot.

Read on for some more information about lovely Craigston, courtesy of the BOH program book:

"A Wickham Terrace landmark since its construction in 1927, Craigston was the city’s first high rise residential building, a symbol of progress in a time of rapid growth and improvement in Brisbane’s CBD.

It was the brainchild of Dr Sydney Fancourt McDonald (the first paediatrician within the UQ Faculty of Medicine), who introduced  to Brisbane the concept of a co-operatively owned, multifunction office and residential block, comprising professional chambers on the ground floor and apartments above. It was built by a group of doctors, who had their consulting rooms on the ground floor, and private residences above.

The building was controlled by a company, Craigston Ltd, of which McDonald was the first chairman. Each owner purchased shares in the company entitling them to ownership of their apartment.

Architect Arnold Conrad of prominent Brisbane firm Atkinson & Conrad designed Craigston in 1926 as the first reinforced concrete framed multi-storeyed building in Brisbane. It was erected in 1927 by builder and engineer Walter Taylor, under the supervision of architect T B F Gargett."

Craigston, the loveliest lady on the Terrace.

"The completed building was eight storeys high with a basement car park and rooftop garden accessible by all tenants. The exterior was designed in a popular contemporary style known as Spanish Mission, with rendered walls, ornamental gables, arches, cordova tiled roof and a corner tower. Floors contained a single large apartment each (except for floor 6 which was divided in two), and featured silky oak paneling and generous sized rooms.

When completed, Craigston was a landmark building with stunning views. Over time most of the floors have been subdivided into smaller apartments and all have undergone renovations. The former balconies were enclosed with windows shortly after the building’s completion. Despite being surrounded by more recent high-rise buildings, Craigston still stands out as an attractive example of elegant 1920s style."

There'll be more updates on the studio in coming months, but if you're in Brisbane on the 12th of October be sure to check out Craigston and all the other delights on offer throughout Brisbane Open House.

ps: know an architecture or design-loving friend? Consider passing this info along to them too, if you think it would be of interest. Looking forward to seeing you at Open House.