ellivo (Places to Live & Stay)

Located between two streets - Simpsons Road and Rosewood Street, Holm makes the most of the steep site to provide amenable, self-contained residences with views down into the valley.

The townhouses vary between 3 and 4 bedrooms, and all have North-facing living spaces and balconies to take advantage of the site’s favourable aspect. The Simpsons Rd frontage comprises six townhouses; however, they present as three residential-scale homes complete with face brick fencing, articulated awnings and screens. In contrast, the townhouses fronting Rosewood Street follow a similar character to other residences in the street – recessed into to the side of the hill, they have front entries at the Rosewood St Level, and access their backyards from the first level above ground.

Renders by Binyan Studios

Located in the highly sought after area of Kangaroo Point, the development sets out to showcase the heritage significance of the existing residence, Thornclyffe.  The tower form curves around the house, and makes use of large screen elements to create a backdrop to the heritage setting. The screens help to produce an aesthetic quality that blurs the line between background and foreground, inspired by the Bokeh photography style.

The development comprises of the existing heritage house and 20 luxury apartments, including two sub penthouses and two penthouse apartments that feature spacious, private rooftop gardens. The location and design of the tower captures a range of outlooks, from the Brisbane CBD, to stretches of the Brisbane River.  Each apartment maximises its unique view with open-plan layouts and generous glazing.

The Ronald McDonald House charity provides a home away from home for seriously ill children and their families. In South Brisbane they have built a 10-storey complex adjacent the Mater Children’s Hospital, which is slowly being fitted out floor by floor as they get funding. Ellivo was commissioned to design the fitout for Level 9, which was destined to become a home for the families that need to stay longer.

The project consists of nine accommodation rooms – some with interconnecting doors to house larger families – as well as communal kitchen facilities and a dining area, a large fenced play area, and a private function room which can be booked for family functions.

The project received funding from various charities and fundraising efforts – among them, the annual Chain Reaction Challenge Foundation bike ride contributed a large amount. Two of the riders and fundraisers for this were Ellivians Mason and Jen, who rode 1000 km from Sydney to Brisbane in 2017.

Photographed by Mindi Cooke

Nero Apartments offers a high-quality living environment within the rapidly evolving Newstead neighbourhood. Located within close proximity to the newly developed and growing Gasometer retail precinct, the development benefits from an abundance of recreation and amenity options for its residents. Positioned amongst a multitude of high-density apartment buildings, Nero seeks to stand out from the crowd and strives to offer something a little different. Residents are offered concierge type facilities to welcome them home, as well as apartment technologies more akin to hotel accommodation.

Nero, meaning black in Italian, inspires the dark personality of the building’s overall expression and resulting material palette. The external form of the building creates a homogeneous façade that conceals the apartment balconies behind it. This is a direct response to the due west orientation of the apartments, balancing solar protection without limiting access to light and views.

Clad in black tile, aluminium cladding and screening, the development has a sleek and timeless appearance. The folded gold screening to the lower podium levels has many roles; it provides solar protection towards the west while folding open towards the north, it provides privacy up to the balustrade height, creates foreground interest where there are no views, and forms a sculptural contribution to the streetscape.

Photography by Scott Burrows

Rainbow Bay is an evolving beachfront boulevard of Coolangatta. We partnered with our long-term client Aspect Property Group, to deliver a catalyst of exclusive living which reflects the unique assets of the site, in particular the direct proximity to Rainbow Bay beach. Our client sought to deliver to a niche of down-sizing owner-occupiers looking for a premium product. We focused on creating a timeless built form, minimising the amount of rendered surfaces was important in delivering a building that aims to look admirable long into the future.

Photographed by Andy MacPherson Studio

Arena is a collective response to the context of the people, the site, views, orientation and ground level activation. We partnered with Galileo, to deliver something unlike anything else is South Brisbane and its strong bold form makes a real statement in the vibrant South Brisbane community. The central courtyard defined by the expression of the podium form, is the heart of Arena and is host to active public gathering areas, and private retreat and refection nooks.  The rotated podium and tower form takes advantage of the expansive view lines, allow views for neighbouring buildings and creates an urban courtyard that contributes to both the public and private amenity.

Drawing inspiration from nearby natural attractions such as Mt Cootha, and taking cues from the values and attitudes of the local community of residents within The Gap, we partnered with Lantona group to create a unique development in the heart of The Gap with a focus on community and the natural surrounds.

Hive aims to create an idyllic lifestyle providing refuge and a sense of belonging as a retreat from the pressures of modern life. The homes seek to strike a balance between a sense of privacy and a sense of community, taking advantage of the leafy surrounds and native plant life.

Petrie Terrace, wedged between the CBD, Milton and Paddington, is rapidly becoming a hot spot for after-work drinks, evening dining and weekend catch-ups from young professionals to inner-city workers. Growing tired of the existing ordinary hotel offerings, visitors seek a dynamic, elegant yet acquainted answer to their short-stay accommodation. We felt it only fitting to pay homage to the cultural background of Petrie Terrace. The articulated building form and selection of materials including white tiled archways and classic red brick, nod at Petrie Terrace’s industrial past and highlights the elegance of the surrounding heritage brick and stone buildings.

In this generous family home, we were able to celebrate our client’s connection with this eternal material but also making sure that the other needs of the family were catered for.

A simple crucifix form created four courtyards for different outdoor activities. In the centre of the cross is the kitchen-the “command centre” of the modern family unit. Everything radiates out from the kitchen hub to the more private spaces within the home. Kids have their own wing to run wild in, but are never too far from the kitchen for mum to keep an eye on things.

The four courtyards defined by the plan created different activity zones- a car court, pool zone, tennis court and a green space for the kids and dogs. The home flows out through a generous double height terrace that is the summertime focus for outdoor living. Like all our projects for individual clients, the real pleasure is seeing how the family makes the spaces their own and really engage with the architecture.

Newstead a suburb in transformation – converting from a warehouse district into a hip, inner city hub with no shortage of shopping, dining and nightlife options. With Brisbane CBD, New Farm’s James Street and Fortitude Valley just a short stroll away, the site is at the heart of the entertainment and lifestyle precinct. La Vida is an extension to this energetic community. Together with Bekaa group, we sought to deliver a sleek and contemporary expression of the suburb, providing residents with resort living amenities with a luxury touch with views to the edges of Brisbane. These large, open, spacious apartments are designed with luxury in mind while still being an entertainer’s dream.

Photographer: Scott Shirley

Vantage is located in the Royal Pines Gold Precinct known for its PGA Quality Golf Course and Carrara Stadium. Nestled between Southport and Nerang, residents enjoy the close proximity to major Gold Coast hot spots and major golf courses, while also having a peaceful buffer away from the hustle and bustle. Ellivo partnered with the Rayjon Property Group, to maximise the potential area’s nature assets and create a rich community for people to live in.

Photography by Andy Macpherson

Less than five kilometres from Brisbane CBD, Stones Corner is a well-connected inner south-eastern suburb of the city nestled between Greenslopes and Woolloongabba. With a strong history, this gazetted nook is growing as a cultural and lifestyle precinct. Being a major residential destination for Brisbane’s young professionals, Stones Corner residents seek a dynamic home which enhance the existing offerings of the area including its connections to Hanlon Park and Bikeway, and the active Stones Corner retail strip.

In Partnership with Lantona, the design of Oxy aims to be complementary to its context by using a material palette that is sympathetic to its surroundings, while providing a high level of private and social amenity. Materials such as weatherboard, timber palings and brickwork provide a sense of familiarly. The weatherboard façade pattern represents the roof form of the traditional Queensland Cottage – a nod to the historical vernacular.

Photographed by Andy MacPherson Studio

Jade is one of our most iconic and memorable projects. Everything about the project was exemplary. The vision for the project was to attract an international clientele who would be using these for permanent residences or for holidays. This understanding informed the project at every level, from the flow of the floor plan to the detailing of the understated but opulent finishes. The result is pure luxury but with genuinely Queensland sense of relaxed living.

Timeless architecture is difficult to achieve, but there is no doubt that this project still remains one of our most recognised and enduring projects.

Designing for the specific characteristics of a place and its people is a mantra in our studio. Enclave at is a great example of how an understanding of these elements can make a great place. Our client recognised the limited offerings for medium density options in the Wynnum Manly area. Our brief was born out of the area, its residents and the characteristics that define bayside living. Three buildings offer three types of living, from townhomes to generous apartments. The key elements of the design are views, bay breezes, and a level of accommodation that appeals to owner occupiers. It also has to “fit“ in the local area. The materials and scale were driven by the desire to embrace and reflect the scale and feel of the neighbourhood. The central timber boardwalk reflects the nearby mangrove boardwalks. But the most important ingredient is to create the spaces that reinforce community. This is not a gated community, it provides security but contributes to the streetscape and provides great communal spaces for the owners.

What is the appropriate response when designing a contemporary family home in a sensitive and historical setting? Minimal and raw yet textured and welcoming, the Paddington Residence is an exploration of space and materials for a rigorously contemporary family home in a historical setting. Beyond simply satisfying the client’s spatial requirements, the design explores how to create layered spaces with edges that offer privacy and flexibility.

The challenge within this brief was to deliver their spatial requirements on a small 400 square metre site with heritage neighbours, a very steep slope and ensuring protection of the significant tree. The design response has been to imagine the home as a procession of 5 distinct spaces, each with their own function, transitioning from the historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree to the west and the views to the city to the east.