Cross Street

Set within the city centre of Brisbane, Cross Street is located in the inner city suburb of Newfarm. A beautiful leafy area, Newfarm is surrounded by the Brisbane River and features a number of Queenslanders and heritage buildings. Through simple design solutions, Andrew Forsyth, Director and Lead Architect of Aphora Architecture, designed two new builds that maintain a connection with this surrounding environment.

“With Australia’s ageing population and ongoing issue of city density, creating buildings that have a sense of flexibility and can be used by multiple people over a long time was extremely important to us,” says Andrew. The dwellings accommodate a variety of inhabitants from young couples to young families and empty nesters. Designing to the sloping nature of the site, the lower levels include a garage, as well as the entryway to the house. The middle floors connect living areas with the natural ground level at the rear to provide a vista over New Farm to the south. The upper levels act as the private wing to the home featuring bedrooms. 

“The GB Masonry blocks from Brickworks give the design a sense of authenticity and robustness, and have a multitude of benefits including high thermal mass.”

From a materiality standpoint, timelessness was key. “We chose elements that would stand the test of time from polished concrete floors, sandblasted stainless steel balustrades, and concrete blocks.” Andrew and his clients visited the Brisbane Design Studio by Brickworks to select their materials. Through expert consultation, they landed on the GB Masonry GB Smooth Porcelain blocks. Requiring little to no upkeep, the blocks are extremely versatile and can be found from the entrance corridor, up the stairwell, and in the fireplace. “The GB Masonry blocks from Brickworks give the design a sense of authenticity and robustness, and have a multitude of benefits including high thermal mass,” says Andrew. The blocks were also made locally at Brickworks’ Gympie factory.

“Reflecting on this project, one of the aspects of the design I am most proud of is the lifestyle that it will afford the people living in it. Particularly through the materiality, the houses truly provide a great living environment for future inhabitants.”

“Reflecting on this project, one of the aspects of the design I am most proud of is the lifestyle that it will afford the people living in it. Particularly through the materiality, the houses truly provide a great living environment for future inhabitants.”