ellivo (Projects)

The Refurbishment of Master Builders Queensland offices was a big step forward for the board and the staff and huge commitment to change. They were very open to what this might be and from the start we were aware of their heritage and importance to members and were determined to get the best result from the opportunity to design their new space.
We took the fitout team on a journey where we explored and filtered who they were, how they wanted to present to their community, and what mattered to them. This journey identified the essence that needed to hold true throughout the whole fitout which included a long proud heritage, craftmanship both now and of the past, quality of workmanship, functionality, connection and remaining modest.
The exploration led us to considering their history and materials they work with. We created subtleties throughout the fitout utilising traditional and raw materials to remind visitors and staff of where they came from, what they work with and what they do. The subtleties extend across the teams and journey within the work spaces where you move from timber through copper, steel and brass details.
We were also very keen to bring staff together as much as possible to create conversations between teams, centralise breakout spaces and create some efficiencies to allow for team meeting rooms, and provide them with a space to congregate casually or retreat from their workspace. As a result, the majority of the lower ground floor is being repurposed as a refreshing outdoor café feeling staff area and extensive end of trip facilities.
The ground floor will also become the dedicated Members area – a space for them to utilise and enjoy. There are a series of multipurpose rooms that can combine to host events of all sizes. This floor displays the history of past Presidents and tools that were used in their craft and plays on their Logo and connection to the built form throughout.
The journey through the fitout moves through a series of palettes driven by materials of the various crafts with detailing playing on the finishing details of the past that created who Master builders are today. Through exploration and understanding of the users this fitout should stand the test of time like the industry they represent.

Photography by Sam Thies & Josh Thies

The building’s form seeks to be bold, minimalistic and timeless – designed to be efficient for both buildability and capacity.

Natural light and landscape is incorporated without comprising floor yield, to ensure a sense of calmness and tranquillity, supportive of the building’s Medical purpose. The building’s open corner addresses the main entry, with well-shaded balconies wrapping the upper floor, allowing for a private retreat for workers without disconnection from the ground plane. Double height atriums open both to sky and planters below seeking to breathe life into the building – trees are able to grow through atrium voids which are decorated with seating plinths at ground level.

The chosen material palette draws inspiration from the surrounding industrial context. It plays with a juxtaposition of textures through raw materials such as brick, concrete, steel and plywood.

We owe the success of the project to the strong support of our open-minded client and supportive builder, who worked with us seamlessly throughout the project to ensure the quality and vision of the project was upheld.

Our brief was therefore twofold, create a sleek commercial podium, and a multi-residential upper that responds to the transitionary nature of the site.

We drew upon early 20th century modernism as inspiration for the simple yet bold forms of the façade. Bands of concrete frame the showroom, which is softened by a double height curved glass façade that is grounded by a garden. The curved glass wall draws residents & visitors into the entry, giving back space and volume to the street and giving a sense of openness to the street.

A simple material pallet of concrete, glass, steel, metal cladding & vegetation create a balance between a commercial aesthetic podium and a human scale level of detail for the residential component above.

We used subtropical design fundamentals including vegetation, flow through ventilation, natural light & solar control to make sure we created a high-quality living environment for the residents & commercial tenants. This includes a communal recreation space on the roof with a pool and steam room to offer a meeting place for residents.

Our brief was therefore twofold, create a sleek commercial podium, and a multi-residential upper that responds to the transitionary nature of the site.

We drew upon early 20th century modernism as inspiration for the simple yet bold forms of the façade. Bands of concrete frame the showroom, which is softened by a double height curved glass façade that is grounded by a garden. The curved glass wall draws residents & visitors into the entry, giving back space and volume to the street and giving a sense of openness to the street.

A simple material pallet of concrete, glass, steel, metal cladding & vegetation create a balance between a commercial aesthetic podium and a human scale level of detail for the residential component above.

We used subtropical design fundamentals including vegetation, flow through ventilation, natural light & solar control to make sure we created a high-quality living environment for the residents & commercial tenants. This includes a communal recreation space on the roof with a pool and steam room to offer a meeting place for residents.

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.

This is the first experience store of its size in Australia which commanded attention from all stakeholders from Australia to Germany.  Miele wanted to envelope their brand in an interior space that complimented the fabric of the building and this is where Ellivo came in.

The existing shell was challenging and exciting and made for a complex design. With such a refined brand and strong graphics we decided to use the angles, voids and existing concrete fabric to act as the stage for the experiences. The customer journey was carefully planned out amongst the architectural elements to create a space that can adapt with product developments into the future.

The Providence Sales and Community Centre embodies the values of a vibrant new neighbourhood precinct located in the Ripley Valley. The Centre serves as a welcoming gateway, reflecting true community living while holding a strong connection to the landscape in which it is sited. Situated amongst vegetated nature reserves, the design seeks to connect and blur boundaries between the inside and outside, unlocking views across the adventure playground and mountain ranges beyond and balancing the requirement of an open accessible ‘pavilion’, while engaging with the landscape. The design is accessible, welcoming and familiar and enhances the existing features of the site for all visitors to share and enjoy.

Fortitude Valley is located on the fringe of Brisbane’s CBD and showcases a mixture of heritage brick buildings, art and nightlife. Fortitude Café embraces the ‘Valley’ vibe with pops of neon, colour and memorable graphics which pay tribute to the locality and history of the area. The café sits on the ground floor of a large office building, and is directly accessible to office workers, passing pedestrians, construction workers and nearby residents. We took our clients on an identity and branding journey, working in partnership to create the logos, graphics and stationery, which has given Fortitude Café a truly unique identity.

The fitout is light filled and open-aired, balancing a refined yet edgy personality. Featuring pops of pink neon lettering (‘The F. Word’) - sitting above a pink velvet banquette in the lounge, hand glazed emerald green tiles, distinctive Patricia Urquiola triangle breeze blocks, herringbone terracotta tiles, the design emphasises our client’s passion for their work and has created a distinctive living and dining area.