2018: The Year That Was

Open Musings - by Open Journal

With the Christmas lunch gorge settling and 2019 softly beckoning we thought it the perfect time for reflection on the year that was.

So, as we sit on a threshold, cosily sandwiched between 2018 and 2019, and a sense of retrospective contemplation takes hold (fuelled by a healthy dose of holiday sun and lazy late lunches) it feels timely to shine a spotlight on some of the stories we have brought you this year that have resonated so strongly. Mostly, this is a celebration of our collective openness to the many social and cultural evolutions that we are in the midst of. Like anything, immense change comes through a process of denial, defensiveness, enlightenment, acceptance and, finally, collaboration and 2018 has all the indications of being the year that has shifted our ideology on our concept of ‘home’. After a stoic battle to retain the dream of the single-family home, there seems to be an air of acceptance circulating with a huge spike in readership attached to pieces we’ve published this year that explore housing, alternative housing methods, novel solutions to the ever-shrinking urban landscape and, apartment life.

The Commons, Hobart by Small Giants Developments

Early in the year, we wrote about Small Giants Developments plans for The Commons. Hobart. Exploring our ever growing desire for connection, the concept behind developments such as The Commons (both in Brunswick and Hobart), and our embracing of multi-residential, design-focused offerings that provide scope for public and private space within their own communities, has been immense.

In a similar vein, The Rooftop – Developing The Last Urban Frontier, further explored the notion of common, shared space, again within apartment development. The ever-increasing demand for these spaces and the fact that they are becoming an expectation for buyers in urban areas hints at a promising shift in our acceptance of apartment living and the amenities we prioritize both internally, externally, and within the greater community.

Rooftop gardens at 17 Union Street by NEOMETRO.

Moving away from housing models for a moment, it seems that our desire for nostalgic connection extends into many facets. When the Bendigo Art Gallery hosted Marimekko: Design Icon 1951-2018, the continued celebration of the Finnish fashion brand shows that its aesthetic has not dimmed through the decades.

Perhaps because of the hunger we harbour for unique solutions to the housing crisis that has overwhelmed Australia’s major cities (predominantly in Melbourne and Sydney), Neometro’s talk on Buying Off The Plan proved the topic is of huge interest. Exploring the key elements that are essential to reading a floorplan, the engagement of the topic shows that, as a population, we are increasingly seeking more information and further creative methods that ultimately lead to the purchase of a property. Property that will see us through the long-term social, cultural, and economic shifts what we are in in the midst of.

Marimekko: Design Icon 1951-2018 at Bendigo Art Gallery

Buying Off The Plan. How To read A Floorplan.

Finally, as our obsession with Danish lifestyle buzzwords* seems as alive as ever, Tegle House by Inarc Architects was the residence that resonated this year over all the other incredible houses we have had the pleasure to feature. Tegle, Danish for ‘brick’, defines this homes aesthetic properties and heralds the humble material that has brought us full circle in terms of Australian residential design that has forever embraced the brick in all its wonderous forms.