Bower Architecture

Our Story – Meet Chema and Anna

Bower Architecture & Interiors began in 2005 when we realised our dream of opening our own studio. It was the perfect opportunity to blend our complementary skills – Chema’s imagination and creativity and Anna’s warmth, organisation and efficacy – and bring a genuine, empathetic approach to architecture and the client journey.

Being nature lovers, we named our studio after the bowerbird, for its ability to create beautiful, and whimsical homes using simple materials and objects from their environment. Today, Bower is a talented team of nine, dedicated to bringing your beautiful, sustainable and expressive home to life.

Both survivors of breast cancer, we understand the preciousness of everyday moments. Bower proudly supports and raises money for Breast Cancer Network Australia and Breast Cancer Trials through our Bower Studio Sessions.

A special and beautiful place, connected to nature, to inhabit for a very long time

Above all else, clients tell us they approach our studio because they’re looking for a captivating quality home that will be a special and beautiful place for them to enjoy for a very long time. They trust us to create a timeless place that celebrates the joy in everyday moments, connects them to nature,  supports their wellbeing and is unique to the lives they lead.

New clients may have seen or experienced our projects online, in person, via awards programs or in magazines. They get in touch when our architecture and interior design brings them feelings of warmth, joy, calm and peace. Sometimes they are excited by the journey of unique spaces filled with natural light, the whimsical touches, the seamless or surprising connections to landscape and sky, and the way it all flows and functions so well. They are also pleased to see refined detailing and timeless robust materials used throughout.

Our clients are often couples, families or singles who are going through a period change in their life and dreaming of a new home, a major renovation, a beach house or rural retreat.

Significantly, many of our clients are repeat clients or have been referred to us by past clients. We consider our past clients, living in their Bower homes, our ambassadors: Who could be a better at endorsing what we do? There is nothing more rewarding to us than hearing that their home feels a reflection of themselves, born out of a process that they really enjoyed: a high quality service rooted in respect, collaboration, integrity, fun and imagination.

Journeys and moments

We like to think of journeys on both a macro and micro level. The macro journeys are those that make up your whole life experience, including your unique history and what home means to you. Micro journeys are the little things that make up your day and your wellbeing in these moments. Ultimately, we believe that great design will help you cherish the simple moments in life.

We believe there's nothing more authentic than who you are when you are at home (or at your beach house or country getaway). We learn about the special moments throughout each day to ensure the design will elevate and support these moments.

Connection to place and space

We create architecture deeply connected to place. We take the time to understand the size, shape, orientation of your block. We also consider how and where light will be dispersed throughout different times of the day, and what the surrounding environment looks like to ensure we maximise every opportunity. Our architecture sits comfortably in its context: we are about revealing a home that feels meant to be, not creating architectural 'spaceships' without connection to their place.

Continuity and flow

As Architects and Interior Designers we will consider how both these aspects com together for your project This is essential to create a seamless flow of spaces and environments, from indoors to out. We are also keenly interested in landscape and the outdoor rooms or spaces that are essential to part of the designed environment.

Smooth and easy functionality, tailored to your needs, is essential to be a loved and timeless home. It is music to our ears when we hear that our clients use every space in their house daily and that it functions so seamlessly.

Sustainability and timelessness

Many clients are drawn to us because our architecture feels timeless and our approach to sustainability. We deliberately avoid fads and fashions that will date and sustainability is integral to all of our projects and we discuss it from the very beginning with our clients.

For us, a building that is used and loved for over 50 years is a sustainable outcome.

From this foundation, we plan our buildings to make the most of natural light, natural ventilation and passive heating and cooling. Maximising durability and using local, sustainably and ethically sourced materials and products whenever possible is a given.

Most of our projects feature solar power and batteries and if you are keen to go further we can assist you with other choices. All of these steps aim to significantly reduce or even eliminate the long term lifespan energy costs to our clients and the environment. There are other systems and features that can supercharge your sustainable home even further should you desire.

Bower Architecture has been proudly carbon neutral since 2019 and in November 2021 we became Certified Carbon Neutral with Climate Active. You can read more about our certification on the Climate Active website here

We proudly support Greenfleet as our carbon offset provider and you can read more about their work here. As a member of the Climate Active Network, we encourage every business to become carbon neutral and pave the way for a cleaner planet for future generations.

Craft

The details are important and so are the beautiful robust materials we use. Considering scale, proportion, and how elements go together are a passion of ours. We feel there is nothing more luxurious than something well crafted, considered and elegant, with a sense or permanence.

We believe it is our responsibility to look after our environment for the future generations who will live in this world. Bower has been proudly carbon neutral since 2019, with emissions reduction initiatives and certified carbon offsets, and we work hard to ensure our internal practices are as sustainable as possible.

Sustainability is integral to all of Bower’s projects and entrenched in our design process from the beginning. We create long-lasting homes using robust, durable materials and high-quality construction. Buildings and spaces are planned and oriented to harness site-specific natural elements (such as passive solar and ventilation design) for energy efficiency and thermal comfort, and clients are encouraged to use renewable energy sources. We source local, recycled, recyclable and ethical materials, and select products that are healthy for wellbeing. We minimise waste in terms of space and materials, and craft timeless homes that will be loved for generations. All these strategies reduce the embodied emissions generated from building, as well as the operational emissions, ongoing costs and maintenance.