Designing homes for the Australian landscape — In conversation with Chris Freeburn from Ironbark Architecture.
At Cronulla Pools we are pretty proud of the people we work with. We love nothing more than partnering with like-minded people who just do really great work – professionals we know and trust, who care about each and every project just as much as we do.
Chris Freeburn is an architect working in a contemporary Australian style, who created Ironbark Architecture to improve people’s lives one awesome building – and pool! – at a time. For Chris, designing a home is all about opening it up to the beauty that is the Australian outdoors. Chris has designed three of the projects we are currently working on and we can’t get enough of his divine designs.
“We all know the good that comes from being with nature,” Chris says. “Unfortunately this is often forgotten when we lock ourselves up in air conditioned boxes. So I try to design homes that encourage the doors to be opened, for life to spill from indoors to out and to enjoy nature as part of our daily experience.”
Chris developed Ironbark to design homes that speak to the Australian landscape. He works closely with his clients and always prioritises quality over quantity. Like us, he loves to meet with his client to work out if he’s a good fit for them as much as they are a good fit for him, and ensure the project will be a win for all involved.
“That’s why I like working with Cronulla Pools,” Chris says. “We’ve got this in common – that above all we are interested in creating beautiful, purpose-built, responsible designs that will add real value to our client’s lives.”
As an architect, Chris’s major influences include Richard Leplastrier and Glenn Murcutt, who have defined a distinctly Australian aesthetic, emphasising an appreciation of our unique landscape and climate.
“There are certain aspects of design that underpin every one of our projects,” he says. “Orienting towards North to admit natural light throughout the day, shading harsh Western sun, establishing a connection with the landscape, capturing breezes – incorporating all these natural elements into the design in this way means that any style of house will stand the test of time. Good design is more important than what is ‘in vogue’ or ‘trendy’.”
At Cronulla Pool’s, we love surrounding ourselves with people we can learn from. People who value quality and have an appreciation for each and every project, ensuring you have the best building experience possible. We know it’s as much about the process as it is about the end result, whatever your budget might be.
“People sometimes think it’s about how much money you’ve got,” Chris says. “But good design should be available to everyone, it’s just about understanding your priorities. The most important thing is to work with a team who can see the opportunities as well as the constraints, who can ask the right questions, and who can craft a tailor made response. Every site is different and the design has to respond to that. It’s not always about a stunning view. It could be something as simple as a beautiful tree that can be a wonderful driver for the design of a home.”
Chris is all about responsiveness – about drawing inspiration from the site and from you.
He’s interested in creating livable homes before anything else – he wants to know what you want from the space, how you want to live, love and grow in it.
“I try to create a variety of spaces in the houses I design. Places to be together, places to play, places to work, but also places for solitude, spaces to rest and take a breath. That’s especially important at a time like this I think.”
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves!
So go on, contact us to talk pools and contact Chris to talk buildings.
