By Brother Nature
An architectural response to Sydney’s housing crisis, Locale is an elegant and inventive 11-studio Boarding House situated in North Manly.
Underpinned by a highly collaborative construction system and receptive to the changing needs of the site’s environment, Locale (2017) is an intelligent expression of contemporary communal living. The medium density residence features 11 freestanding townhouses, affording inhabitants a sense of space and privacy in the urban Northern Beaches setting, and are connected by a communal timber ramp that runs through the property’s centre. Harnessing resilient design methodologies, Brother Nature enriches each townhouse’s compact size through a neutral colour palette, expert manipulation of space for open-plan living, quality finishes and fixtures, exposed timber materials and discrete storage functionality accessible through a trap-door in the porch.
Brother Nature provides a holistic design, drafting, interiors and build service in Sydney and beyond. We are mass timber enthusiasts!
Established in 2014 by siblings Andy and Annalise Knight, Brother Nature’s founding mission was simple: craft high-quality, resident-driven spaces that are beautiful, compassionate to the planet, and work better for its people.
The pair’s country upbringing instilled in them early a desire to reduce their ecological footprint and, literally, build a world they could be proud of. The result is Brother Nature’s symbiotic Design and Build functionalities, providing a streamlined end-to-end architecture, interior design and construction service that fulfils the long-term practical, emotional and ethical needs of our clients.
People drive our business forward – Brother Nature’s team and customers alike – so we’ve made it a priority to surround ourselves with likeminded, curious, future-focused individuals who embody our ambition to do better. Each project becomes a shared success; all the more rewarding because we’re in it together.
And we’re working towards sustainable, though we’re the first to admit we’re not there yet.
Brother Nature is in a state of constant recalibration, committed to revising our solutions to the needs of our people and environment, and searching relentlessly for better ways of working. All in service of one goal: delivering meticulously constructed, aesthetically striking spaces that honour and live in rhythm with our clients and the landscape.