Architects:Fieldwork

Year :2020

Photographs :Peter Clarke

Builder :Cobild

Heritage Consultant : Bryce Raworth Heritage

City : Cremorne

Country : Australia

Dynamically shaped by Melbourne’s changeable climate, 9 Cremorne St by Fieldwork binds a historically significant factory site with a new, sustainably designed office building, accommodating builder, Cobild’s, headquarters. Built on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and situated on a tight city fringe corner site, the new addition is thoughtfully designed for Australian conditions. The building dynamically responds to the changing environment, while playing the role of a corner ‘bookend’, marking the gateway to the Cremorne precinct.

As ‘big-picture’ builders with an eye for detail, the client sought a home base that would showcase their brand and capabilities. Fieldwork’s familiarity with Cobild, established over years of project collaborations, allowed the design team to develop a responsive solution that pushed the boundaries of the brief. “We wanted the building to be a living, breathing expression of what Cobild stand for, their skillset and high level of craft,” says Joachim ‘Quino’ Holland, Co-Director of Fieldwork. To this end, Fieldwork sought to challenge the status quo of ‘glass box’ office buildings, by introducing an innovative ‘second skin’ of operable screens. Constructed from bespoke, expanded aluminum mesh, this skin significantly reduces heat load and glare on the building’s slab-to-slab glass façade and enables occupants to customize the building envelope in response to sunlight, natural ventilation, views, glare, and temperature.