Lune de Sang is a unique inter-generational venture that will see a significant former dairying property in Northern NSW transformed into a sustainably harvested forest.
The vision is exceptional in that rather than planting a fast-growing crop, various hardwoods of the region have been chosen to establish a rainforest landscape that will take generations to mature. The hardwoods will be tended to maturity and then selectively harvested, the long lifespan of the trees meaning a wait of between 50 and 300 years before the various species fully mature.
We were captivated by this long term vision, a vision that goes beyond one’s lifetime.
The design is a close collaboration with our client, one bound in the collective understanding of the site, landscape and time. The rainforest timber’s unhurried growth has influenced our approach for inserting architecture in the site with all the buildings being designed to respond to the notion of a 300-year lifecycle.
The structures, both for working and habitation, are endowed with a sense of permanence. They have been conceived as ruins in the landscape; ancient concrete and stone structures that have been unearthed and retrofitted for comfortable habitation with crisp glass and steel details.
Client:
Private
Program:
Shed
Scale:
360 sqm
Year:
2009 - 2011
Scope:
Site Plan, Design, DA, Documentation, Site Services
Team:
DW Knox & Partners, Northrop, Electrolight, BCA Check, Kate Singleton, QS Plus
Location:
Northern NSW
Forestry, Landscape Design & Site Infrastructure:
Tony Kenway
Status:
Built
Photography: Brett Boardman
Professionals used in
Lune de Sang - Shed 2
More projects from
CHROFI
About the
Professional
From practice beginnings with TKTS in Times Square New York in 2000, CHROFI has become renowned for designs that are inventive and responsive to particularities of locality, while meeting the client’s objectives and aspirations. Highlights from our two decades of history include the Maitland Riverlink Building that reconnects the town with its river; Lune de Sang that transforms a former dairy property to a sustainably harvested forest and retreat; Harbord Diggers Redevelopment that nestles a large club and housing development within a sensitive headland; The Goods Line that converts a former rail corridor into a new city destination; and the Ian Potter Conservatory Canberra that reinvents the performance and visitor experience of the traditional glasshouse.
We are one of the most awarded Australian practices of our generation. International recognition includes the New York Art Commission Award, 3 x World Architecture Festival Awards, 5 x Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Awards, and locally, the AIA Jørn Utzon Award, Sulman Medal, Walter Burley Griffin Award and the NSW Architecture Medallion. We are known for our integrated approach that delivers both private and public outcomes, enriching the life of cities. We are passionate about how the design of buildings and the public realm can shape and elevate the human experience. The firm’s work is frequently cited in media and government design guidelines, its design innovation taught through case studies at architecture schools around the world, and its buildings and places loved by clients and the community.
Central to the practice is the growing list of satisfied clients, who hire us for our ability to tackle complex project challenges and bring to life their vision. We work with public agencies, commercial organisations and private individuals across a broad range of project scales and typologies. From master planning and feasibility studies to tendering and construction, CHROFI provides a complete architectural service defined by a clear strategy, imaginative design, technical knowledge, and methodical project management. We make listening and design agility a priority so that our clients can be confident that their objectives will be delivered on time and within budget.