KIRSTEN JOHNSTONE
Kirsten Johnstone Architecture
SAY IT LOUD - Naarm Melbourne Exhibitor
MELBOURNE/AUSTRALIA Designer
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Pursuing a highly sustainable home with opportunities for the occupants to engage with the site in meaningful ways and using intelligent design to provide ‘long life, loose fit’ homes that provide adaptability in use of the life of the home.
KIRSTEN JOHNSTONE
Bio:
Kirsten Johnstone Architecture specialises in thoughtful and enriched residential design, with a focus on contextually and sustainably considered designs including an intrinsic connection with the landscape and the use of local materials. This crafted biophilic design sensitivity results in highly detailed tactile homes that exceed expectations. Kirsten’s dedicated team offers holistic design services; from pre-design through to project completion including a cohesive interior design service.
How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?
I grew up on an isolated farm in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains with minimal formal architecture available. As a young child, I decided that designing homes would allow me to unite all my creative passions into a built form.
What do you do?
As a farmer’s daughter, my understanding of the land deeply informs my design response. I seek to craft intelligent design solutions with an appreciation for place using local materials to create adaptable homes suited to each Client’s life story.
What excites you in the work you do?
The importance of biophilia stems from my childhood connection to the landscape. Utilising robust and local materials in finely resolved details speaks to my craft and passion to create sustainably informed, high performing, high quality homes.
Who or what inspires you professionally?
Pursuing a highly sustainable home with opportunities for the occupants to engage with the site in meaningful ways and using intelligent design to provide ‘long life, loose fit’ homes that provide adaptability in use of the life of the home.
What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?
Receiving industry recognition for our modest Laurel Grove project which embodies so much of my design ethos is encouraging as we seek to demonstrate high quality, sensitively designed homes that connect people to place, homes to environment.
Featured Project Name:
Komorebi House
Featured Project Location:
Mont Albert North, Naarm
Featured Project Completion Date:
Unbuilt Work 2022
Role in Featured Project:
Architect
Featured Project Description:
Drawing inspiration from the majestic lemon scented gum tree in the rear yard and the Client’s Japanese heritage, Komorebi House forges a close relationship with the landscape emphasising the movement of water and framed views in a breathtaking architectural residence. The courtyard with engawa provides reflective pause, filtering light and views through the home to the site beyond. Rammed earth and local timbers provide a sensitive stewardship of locally available materials.
Photography Credit:
Artistic Illustrations by Kirsten Johnstone Architecture
Featured Project Name:
Laurel Grove
Featured Project Location:
Blackburn, Naarm
Featured Project Completion Date:
2020
Role in Featured Project:
Architect
Featured Project Description:
Laurel Grove responds to an irregular site within a Significant Landscape Overlay in a unique suburban pocket. The home is embedded within the bush environs via the fashioning of raw materials to sensitively connect the dwelling to the landscape. The design of Laurel Grove house was initiated by forward-thinking Clients, eager to live in a home utilising the best energy-efficient design principles. The result is a tightly resolved and carefully curated floor plan suitable for a family of three.
