'Micro Hotel'         

PART A + PART B

2018

*Selected to present to Lendlease

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The agricultural and livestock industry is deeply intertwined with the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). The site is located at the RNA showgrounds, home to the Royal QLD Show (EKKA) which brings both country and city together. The Homestead is a luxury boutique hotel with adjoining art gallery that keeps the above ethos in mind. The commercial spaces have been designed with a concept of cattle farming, recreating a rustic, warm atmosphere of country life in an urban setting.

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A sense of curiosity is created as guests wander from the street to the entry of the site as a large vertical garden spanning the entire boundary on King Street hides the building itself. As guests walk down the steps towards the main entry, they see a beautiful landscaped garden to the left with acacia wattle trees, Australian native plants and the existing fig tree. The commercial areas of the site showcase Lendlease’s pillars of “modern history” and “hyper local” through the use of recycled materials local to the site and Brisbane. This sustainbility aspect also coincides with exemplar architect Rael San Fratello.

 

As guests enter the hotel, immediately, they experience being “herded” into the space through the reception and down the hallway with the rooms reminiscent of cattle stalls. The hotel rooms consist of a lounge area, bathroom and lofted bedroom. These areas showcase Lendlease’s pillars of “modern history” and “hyper local” through the use of recycled materials local to the site and to Brisbane. The rooms itself are constructed using hay bales framed with recycled copper allowing for a sustainable means of insulation from heat, cold, as well as noise. The use of this material allows guests to experience a homely atmosphere and as guests enter, the aroma of the hay transports them to the countryside, a nostalgic essence lingering with them. Flexibility is also guaranteed with the bales being able to be unstacked and formed into different shapes if needed. These sustainable, functional and flexible elements were derived from exemplar architects Rael San Fratello, a studio “that disrupts the conventions of architecture”.

The Homestead hotel and art gallery is intended as a respite from the demands of urban life, bringing country into the cityscape through the concept of cattle farming, and connecting people back to the simple and unassuming country lifestyle.

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