https://www.mikesharp.com/work daily 1.0 2021-04-23 https://www.mikesharp.com/st-claire daily 0.75 2021-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/1612065323421-0TMSH86DL2BOAMDGS5N0/StClaire_1.jpg St Claire - St Claire Mount Waverley, VIC. 2018 Capturing Daylight A welcomed interruption to the ubiquity and artless housing so often associated with the outer suburbs of Melbourne, St Claire House is poised to reintroduce the beauty and detail of Art’s and Crafts era architecture back into residential design. Cleverly situated on a challenging triangular block, the two townhouses are planned to maximise the site and create light filled interiors which cascade onto private garden terraces, creating charm through secluded living spaces. A series of well positioned portals and glazed openings allow views to the sky and a changing theatre of daylight throughout the home as the sun moves across the site from dawn till dusk. With craftsmanship and energy efficiency as the two main priorities of the house, the design features a well detailed carbon neutral brick exterior, European Oak flooring, sustainable timber cladding and decking softened & shaded by timber trellises and wisteria vines for passive cooling. St Claire House is a refuge from the city and reminder that craft and efficiency need not be mutually exclusive. https://www.mikesharp.com/about daily 0.75 2021-08-05 https://www.mikesharp.com/lewis-house daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/1612063735407-YEL3M14W5CQYLC7HKO9Q/Lewis_3.jpg Lewis House - Lewis House Crewe, UK. 2018 Design for Equity Born from an idiosyncratic process, where the design became a testament to the collaboration between architect & occupant, the Lewis House is about creating a wholesome living environment for a special family while empowering the occupant to not only participate in the design but also the build. Through a process of connecting to the family, unearthing their needs and desires, and being mindful of the abilities and limitations of the clients building skills, the design outcome more accurately reflected the families values and way of living. The home was crafted to be an exemplary model of Passive Haus principles, being highly energy efficient, and promoting natural, locally available materials. While maintaining high standards of sustainability and craft, the interior spaces embrace the spirit and playfulness of the young family with a 7m tall bookcase artfully accessed by a mechanised fold down balustrade. Open flexible living spaces with views to the garden, a cargo net play space and soft wood surfaces foster an environment of delight where the family can connect and grow. The exterior was designed by Mike Sharp while working at MEG Architects in Bath, England, with the interior design and joinery fabrication by Mike Sharp Architecture. The house was one of five projects shortlisted for the AJ Small Project of the Year Award in 2018. Link to Award https://www.mikesharp.com/ferntree-gully daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/1612066261491-K97SMB3DVABD8A8F64TT/Ferntree_9.jpg Ferntree Gully - Ferntree Gully Ferntree Gully, VIC. 2020 Form of Life Solving the dilemma of an original house not purpose built, Ferntree Gully is a renovation to a developer led home constructed off a template design lacking in quality, site sensitivity, and care towards how the clients actually want to live. Burdened by excessive energy costs due to the poor quality of the original house and conventional layout, the now retired Korean couple desired an energy efficient home and interior akin to a cultural practice of holistic living. The house underwent a radical thermal upgrade with retrofitted insulation, external sun screening and reorientation of the main living spaces towards the North. The couple, a retired professor and businesswoman respectively, both pursue a lifestyle of ritual, connection to nature and balance, which influenced the reorientation of the home to allow for a meditation space positioned to capture the sun rising over the Dandenong Mountains. The new design creates a separation from traditional western style living on the ground floor to the more private reflective spaces on the upper level. The two typologies of living are united by a bespoke American Oak staircase and library displaying the Professor’s extensive collection of books, many of which self authored. The upper level provides each with their own singular ceremonial spaces - the tea room and meditation room - mediated by the introduction of a traditional courtyard garden which facilitates the penetration of daylight into the ground floor art gallery radiating through a glass floor inlay. https://www.mikesharp.com/forest-bathing daily 0.75 2021-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/1612066769433-DKPFZR3GF6RE6CFKHJQ9/Tub_7.jpg Forest Bathing - Forest Bathing Warburton, VIC. 2019 Supernatural In the spirit of Architect Richard Leplastrier who believes that one must first occupy a site lightly and thoughtfully to truly understand its characteristics - the approach to Wattletree Road is about using built insertions to observe ecology, create a meaningful connection to the landscape and to nurture a practice of empathetic architecture. The site - on the Southern slope of Mount Donna Buang outside Warburton, is in the shadow of ancient towering Mountain Ash and other indigenous species of Wattle, Tree Ferns and Blackwoods, all brought to life with the calls of native birds. As a legacy project, the intention is to strip back many of the invasive species that have overgrown the site and return the land to its indigenous ecology. What is becoming a continually evolving project, began by building a simple tent structure with a wooden platform and polycarb roof adjacent to a timber hot tub made from reclaimed cedar. The hot tub offers ritual to the site and a way to observe and immerse oneself in nature while harnessing the natural spring water which many locals believe to have healing and restorative qualities. The future of the project will endeavour to overlay the site with retreat accommodation, outdoor bathing and wellness spaces that promote a lifestyle in balance with nature. https://www.mikesharp.com/acustico daily 0.75 2021-02-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/1612067309502-FPVUSN648OL6PUPFKSKU/Acustico_6.jpg Acustico - Acustico Brunswick, VIC. Making Something out of Nothing With a nod to the Italian art movement ‘Arte Povera’ - where experimental artists sought to bestow value to the discarded and commonplace, re-purposed timber was used to transform a once derelict location into a European style cafe. Echoing the offer of an artisanal coffee service, the design was motivated not only by the clients desire for craftsmanship but also an ecological approach. Interior finishes are an eclectic mix of salvaged materials creating an assemblage of history through contemporary design. Railway sleepers and packing crates are used for the bench tops and walls, while discarded tiles and restored plumbing and lighting fixtures bring charm and authenticity to the tiny yet efficiently planned space. https://www.mikesharp.com/ploughman daily 0.75 2021-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/1619144464037-O5LQZ5TQP84HHEHJMU9B/Plough_03.jpg Ploughman - Ploughman Bar Brisbane, QLD. Commonplace Identity and interior fitout for a neighbourhood craft bar featuring locally sourced artisanal products and community spirit. Located in what was the original 1880’s timber post office and general store Ploughman Bar seeks to once again become a welcoming and egalitarian gathering place for the community. The fitout design and construct - was constrained by a shoestring budget and a desire to use readily available off-the-shelf materials. Based around the idea of creating a public living room, warm wood tones of plywood and pegboard are contrasted with raw steel and reobar, overlaid with abundance of indoor planting This project was done in collaboration with Larraine Henning & Waxcastle Workshop https://www.mikesharp.com/goat-house daily 0.75 2022-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6003d375e8c063189b67f51f/89f4b7f4-cbfc-49db-872b-43b50e3143b4/GoatHouse_11.jpg Goat House - Goat House Warburton, VIC. Re-Wild A modest goat house built from 100% reclaimed materials on rural mountain property in Warburton, Australia. Butters and Pickles, the two goats, were initially acquired to forage non-indigenous species that have become invasive to the property. The goats are part of a larger project to re-wild the landscape and support the growth of existing and new plants, indigenous to the Warburton and Mount Donna Buang region. The A-Frame structure is a nod to the alpine typology, indicative of the boom era Architecture during the height of Warburton’s ski culture at the turn of the century and more modest pre-war buildings built by migrant workers of the nearby water reservoir. The timber structure and floor boards are all leftovers from past building projects, while the corrugated iron cladding was from a supply abandoned on the site. The house rests lightly atop a steeply sloping site within a pine forest, and has been designed as a sled – anchored to buried posts – to allow the whole structure to be winched up the mountain to fresh pastures. The floor and half walls have been coated in a bright yellow waterproof pool coating - also a leftover material from another building project. And the sub-floor has a gentle slope with a slatted timber floor insert that allows liquid and droppings to fall below and allow for easy cleaning and a dry floor for the goats. The steep slope of the site caters to many of the natural characteristics of the two Toggenburg Goats, a European Alpine variety whose nimble agility can cope with the enormous step between ground and house floor, a favorite activity of theirs to play and chase each other by jumping into and out of the house. The steep cantilever also creates a generous undercroft, which is a cool zone for resting during summer months. Reclaimed poly-carbonate sheets wrap the top of the rounded A-frame to allow light to penetrate the house, while the deep overhangs of the roof cladding protects the goats from rain and wind.