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Cloud Architecture is an architectural practice in Melbourne headed by Brendan Jones. The Studio is based in Fitzroy on Brunswick Street. The practice is not constrained by any building type, but rather traverses residential, civic and commercial arenas and thrives on boundary pushing yet affordable conceptual designs.
Brendan has over 25 years’ experience and is an award winning architect who loves architecture and its related disciplines. During his career, Brendan has worked across many scales and disciplines from modest extensions for private homes to large, complex health projects, and everything in between. Clients have included state, local and commonwealth governments across Australia.
Fleming Park House
Fleming Park House was concieved as a terrace house that accomodates a family of 7, including 5 teenage boys, and overlooks the local football ground and dog park. At its essense, Fleming Park House is an adapatbale, flexible collection of spaces capable of "bending" to the needs of the occupants into the future.
Ferrars House
The owners of this two-storey Victorian terrace wanted a luxury, architecturally striking addition to their home. They needed more living space and a new kitchen. We created a timber clad sculptural extension, wrapping around a feature courtyard. The design draws from the local context: the pitched, jagged roofs, the irregular streetscape. This project received a commendation in the Australian Institute of Architects’ Victorian Architecture Awards (Residential Architecture – Alterations and Additions).
Monbulk House
Before working with sustainability entrepreneur Joost Bakker on Greenhouse, we’d worked with him on this project in Monbulk, Victoria. Joost wanted to create a strawbale home through a unique construction system, clad with a vertical garden featuring over 10,000 pot plants. Our role was to guide the spatial planning, to facilitate the project through council, and to finesse the systems, design and constructions – to bring the idea to life.The result: a light-filled, contemporary, and unique family home.
South House
The owners of this home desired a new sitting room overlooking the garden. We created a variety of design solutions to help define their functional needs and aesthetic preferences.
The final result is a lofty addition capturing northern light through clerestory windows. The double-height space acts as thermal chimney for the rear of the home, venting summer heat through high apertures. It opens onto a new terrace with a feature timber pergola.
The final result is a lofty addition capturing northern light through clerestory windows. The double-height space acts as thermal chimney for the rear of the home, venting summer heat through high apertures. It opens onto a new terrace with a feature timber pergola.
Mona Pavillions
This exhilarating project was a collaboration between David Walsh, owner of MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), and architect Nonda Katsalidis.
The brief: boutique accommodation on the Derwent River, adjacent to MONA, to meet the expectations of high-end travellers. Finding design inspiration for a project where there were few boundaries was both exciting and challenging. Result: four stand-alone pavilions and an indoor lap pool on 3.5 hectares of private peninsula. Each pavilion is built for indulgence, seclusion and escape. Each features kitchen, one or two bedrooms, spa and cellar.
The brief: boutique accommodation on the Derwent River, adjacent to MONA, to meet the expectations of high-end travellers. Finding design inspiration for a project where there were few boundaries was both exciting and challenging. Result: four stand-alone pavilions and an indoor lap pool on 3.5 hectares of private peninsula. Each pavilion is built for indulgence, seclusion and escape. Each features kitchen, one or two bedrooms, spa and cellar.
Kyabram Health
Kyabram & District Health Services (KDHS), in north central Victoria. The facility includes 38 acute and 42 aged care beds, diagnostics, an operating theatre, Urgent Care, a renal dialysis unit and Primary and Allied health facilities.
The brief was to create a new experience in healthcare. Through uniting the community, consultant and acute health care areas, we have made the facility more functional, improving patient flow for better service delivery. We established the existing courtyards as features, introducing open grassed areas and timber decks to improve patient and visitor experience. The design introduces natural light, high ceilings, skylights, colour and material richness.
The brief was to create a new experience in healthcare. Through uniting the community, consultant and acute health care areas, we have made the facility more functional, improving patient flow for better service delivery. We established the existing courtyards as features, introducing open grassed areas and timber decks to improve patient and visitor experience. The design introduces natural light, high ceilings, skylights, colour and material richness.
Clifton Hill Clinic
Clifton Hill Clinic is a local GP clinic that has been careful to retain the beautiful historic features of the heritage listed building, while also exhibiting a unique internal child friendly design playing with light, colour and geometry. Particular focus has been paid to kids and parents, with an outdoor courtyard and playground area. There are significant green design initiatives within the design. Clifton Hill Clinic has substantial solar power and recycled storm water for toilets. On many days most of the Clinic’s power is generated on site.
Green House
Brendan was approached by Joost Bakker, Melbourne-based creative and sustainability pioneer. Joost had developed a concept for a temporary restaurant and bar in Federation Square, Melbourne. He invited Brendan to be on the team. Joost’s idea revolved around a recycled steel-framed structure lined with bagged straw bales. Brendan was to take this building system and make it happen onsite at Fed Square – all in six weeks.
This accelerated exercise in installation architecture challenged concepts of refinement. No time, budget or need for a long serving building. Instead this project required speed, agility, resourcefulness and tact.
This accelerated exercise in installation architecture challenged concepts of refinement. No time, budget or need for a long serving building. Instead this project required speed, agility, resourcefulness and tact.
Birch Street
The brief for this early learning facility was to refurbish an existing, underutilised building in Bayswater Primary School. Regulatory and licencing requirements had to be incorporated in addition to exceptionally affordable design solutions to improve the functionality and amenity of the building.
Our response was to reconfigure the space, to locate a new and secure entry for street access, and to create an engaging outdoor play area with visual connection to the school playground. The project came in well under budget and made significant internal and site improvements to the original building.
Our response was to reconfigure the space, to locate a new and secure entry for street access, and to create an engaging outdoor play area with visual connection to the school playground. The project came in well under budget and made significant internal and site improvements to the original building.
Irymple House
The owners of this Edwardian family home wanted an expansive new living and dining area.
This project proved to be a turning point for how we practise architecture. By assuming responsibility for designing, project managing and building this home we experienced what it’s like to be a builder under pressure and the importance of being on top of a project to keep costs under control. We understood the need to seek competitive pricing, to ensure extensive cost breakdowns and to have a regular onsite presence.
This project proved to be a turning point for how we practise architecture. By assuming responsibility for designing, project managing and building this home we experienced what it’s like to be a builder under pressure and the importance of being on top of a project to keep costs under control. We understood the need to seek competitive pricing, to ensure extensive cost breakdowns and to have a regular onsite presence.
Lakes Entrance Footbridge
This 190 metre long footbridge at Lakes Entrance came about after winning a design competition held by East Gippsland Shire Council.
The winning design referenced its predecessor, an iconic, linear timber jetty, and included a unique sculptural feature platform, which floated pontoon-like on the water’s edge for fishing, swimming and mooring small boats.
The winning design referenced its predecessor, an iconic, linear timber jetty, and included a unique sculptural feature platform, which floated pontoon-like on the water’s edge for fishing, swimming and mooring small boats.
Murindal Centre
This childcare centre in Rowville required a new preschool room and a renovation and update of existing buildings.
Modern childcare design requires the integration of regulatory and licensing requirements, as well as design that supports the early childhood curriculum, the Early Years Learning Framework.
This centre’s design focuses on three key features: a bright palate of colours; a striking feature portico providing an expansive undercover transition space for use through all seasons; and naturally lit, open plan and flexible interiors. A number of practical design considerations such as adequate and safe parking, secure access, and protected and safe play environments have also been implemented.
Modern childcare design requires the integration of regulatory and licensing requirements, as well as design that supports the early childhood curriculum, the Early Years Learning Framework.
This centre’s design focuses on three key features: a bright palate of colours; a striking feature portico providing an expansive undercover transition space for use through all seasons; and naturally lit, open plan and flexible interiors. A number of practical design considerations such as adequate and safe parking, secure access, and protected and safe play environments have also been implemented.
Carrington Pavilion
This cricket and football pavilion for Knox City Council was based on an affordable, robust, and contextually interesting design scheme.
Blue Hills Centre
This childcare centre was designed to replace an existing, ageing facility with an affordable new hub for combined early year education and maternal health services. The scheme focuses around a delightful central courtyard facilitating access from indoor to external play environments. The colourful, engaging and flexible spaces are designed to appeal to the principal users – children.
Gilbert Pavilion
This childcare centre was designed to replace an existing, ageing facility with an affordable new hub for combined early year education and maternal health services. The scheme focuses around a delightful central courtyard facilitating access from indoor to external play environments. The colourful, engaging and flexible spaces are designed to appeal to the principal users – children.
Bright Pavilion
Bright’s sporting pavilion had multiple stakeholders and a challenging brief: to create a pavilion that would pay respect to its existing 1900s predecessor, accommodate the football team on a chilly night training, and expand for public tourism events attended by up to 5000 people. Through extensive community consultation, our concept created a strong horizontal structure with functional areas below and the historical pavilion and a rooftop viewing platform up top.
Projects
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