design
mag |
83
The mainly brick extension doubles the floor
area of the Blight’s 1890’s timber house.
Hit-and-miss brickwork enables the extension
to be built to the boundary while allowing light
and ventilation.“Some of the brickwork we are
doing is incredibly light and delicate, the way
it works as a screen,” Jayson explains. He
found the collaboration with Shane and Rese
to be an unexpected reward.“They are
fantastic guys and their knowledge of
brickwork is just amazing. It’s opened my eyes
for sure and you don’t get that often in
architect-builder relationships.”
Shane and Rese consider that the concept
of “touching the earth lightly” popularised by
Glenn Murcutt has had an inordinate
influence on contemporary architecture in
Australia and the proliferation of steel, timber
and glass structures.While both endorse
respect for the land, they feel it is also
important to consider a building’s legacy
and to take a whole-of-life approach to its
occupancy.
Both consider there are challenges in the
industry, especially a loss of skills and a lack of
knowledge about the potential of masonry.
They have encountered risk-averse engineers
who resist opportunities to exploit the
material’s strength in load-bearing situations
or try new things with bonds.They also believe
that student architects are not learning how to
detail in masonry, a contention supported by
Jayson Blight who says “the only thing that I
was taught in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s was
how to detail a brick fireplace!”
Both Shane and Rese would like to see
suppliers do more to support up-and-coming
designers with incentives and study bursaries
to inspire them to rethink what they know to be
a versatile and character-rich material.They
believe there is a hierarchy in trades, with wet
trades in particular being looked down upon
– “The dirtier you get, the less respect you are
shown” – and believe more needs to be done
to up-skill and enable more young bricklayers
to have conversations that result in great
design outcomes.
For brickwork in Australia to be the showcase it
often is overseas, Shane and Rese suggest two
things need to happen: professionalism needs
to be brought back to the bricklaying trade
and more people need to understand the
way thermal mass works.They are firm
believers in the natural thermal comfort
well-designed brickwork can offer in warm
climates as well as cold.
Living and working together does not always
result in a picture of harmony and domestic
bliss.They acknowledge they have very
different personalities while sharing similar
interests.When things are almost at boil-over
point, they have learned to take a break. Rese
is a talented cook, Shane is happy to read a
book for relaxation or go fishing.They are both
happiest near the ocean and are keen surfers.
One can picture them retiring somewhere in
the vicinity of Byron Bay, where they can
combine their love of the water with gourmet
produce and creative pursuits ... in a full-brick
house of course.
