Habitus Issue 64 - The 'Future' Issue - Preview

#64 the future Guest Editor Brahman Perera Exceptional design

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ISSUE FIVE OF SIX COLLECTABLES Winnings x Habitus House of the Year Palinda Kannangara Studio ZAWA SJB Spirit Level STUDIOLIVE Park + Associates Wutopia Lab Yvonne Todd Amy Lawrance Kallie Blauhorn Amy Vidler Antonia Ellis Fred Ganim Streifen ARKO BMDO Snelling Studio Lof. Floria Tosca

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The first word HELLO!

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ABOVE Guest Editor Brahman Perera

lease, call me Brem. As Guest Editor for this issue of Habitus, I’ve taken the opportunity to create a deeply personal exploration of design — how it’s shifting, who’s shaping it, and what’s coming next. For me, design is always about relationships. It’s intuitive, a bit alchemical — understanding needs and desires and quietly nudging them toward enduring beauty.

I approached this issue, number five in this incredible series of six, in much the same way I approach a new project: leaning into what inspires, what stirs curiosity, and what simply feels right.

I’ve looked toward people and practices that make me glad to be a designer. Some have become friends, others collaborators, all of them wildly different — and each possesses a kind of irresistible clarity that stays with you.

Among the most personal inclusions are the portraits (p. 91).

These are people whose work I respect and whose presence in the world feels like a gift. Kallie Blauhorn — an art collector and philanthropist — is a quiet force, unbound by convention. Amy Lawrance, another dear friend, is a divine fashion designer who brings intuition to every seam. Yvonne Todd continues to upend photography and our understanding of representation. And in a nod to my Sri Lankan heritage, I speak with the extraordinary Palinda Kannangara — an architect whose work feels as much like poetry as it does construction.

Designing for the future doesn’t just mean aesthetics — it means feeling, as with the work of artist Floria Tosca.

Sustainability is shaping how we build and how we live. And the future of travel, as covered in the features section (p. 122), is becoming something many now entrust to experts. The choices are vast; the value lies in how we navigate them.

The projects in this issue (p. 142) are as diverse as they are divine. My own project, Ek Onkar, explores the decorative as a language in itself. In Singapore, we celebrate the city’s 60th with its first multi-storey 3D-printed home, courtesy of Park + Associates. In China, Wutopia Lab has created a lakeside sanctuary — beautiful and sustainable — built in just forty days.

Back home, Studio ZAWA has transformed a country house into a retreat for principal Brian Zulaikha and artist Janet Laurence. At STUDIOLIVE, Olivia Shih designs her own space — a rare and revealing undertaking for any designer. In Melbourne, SJB brings colour and form to a home in progress, while in rural NSW, Hugh Main of Spirit Level has crafted a garden for his parents that is full of heart.

No space exists in isolation — it takes artists, furniture makers, craftspeople, and thinkers to shape it. I’ve shared some of my favourites (p. 23). This is also the Winnings x Habitus House of the Year issue (p. 63), showcasing a shortlist of remarkable homes from across the Indo-Pacific.

Thanks for joining me on this little journey. I hope something in these pages stirs a new thought, or invites you to re-see something you already knew.

BRAHMAN PERERA GUEST EDITOR

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Tufty-Time 20 design Patricia Urquiola Two decades of design. One timeless icon.

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Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Singapore, Kuala Lumpur

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DESIGN NEWS A gathering of the most beautiful, interesting and sometimes challenging designs shaping our world.

shortlist #63 64 WINNINGS X HABITUS HOUSE OF THE YEAR The incredible shortlist for 2025 Winnings x Habitus House of the Year.

portrait #91 92

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PALINDA KANNANGARA Sri Lanka’s most extraordinary architect.

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KALLIE BLAUHORN An art collector and philanthropist making her mark in Australia.

104 YVONNE TODD New Zealand-based photographer rethinking perception.

110 AMY LAWRANCE Designing clothes that are part science-fi tion, part memory, and part sculpture.

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#64

the future Taking the lead for this exceptionally personal issue is the divine Brahman Perera.

Calm, poetic, and always reaching for beauty.

features #123

on location #143

124 MY LITTORAL ZONE

144 EK ONKAR

Can the unconscious be glimpsed through the fiery prism of hot glass?

130 THE FUTURE FEELS FABULOUS How a space feels and behaves are driving forces in the new age of design.

136 THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL Putting yourself in someone else’s care may be the way to navigate the future of travel.

With layered pieces, colour, and form, a home is transformed.

154 TREE CHANGE HOUSE Staying attuned to nature, a river of stones runs through this beautiful home.

162 QR3D Singapore’s first multistorey 3D-printed home aligns technology with first principles.

170 IMA

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Deeply personal and sublimely lovely, plants and perception play on every floor.

178 THE LAKE HOUSE Expedited construction saw this lake-side project in Shanghai go from concept to completion in 40 days.

186 CUL DE SAC HOUSE Colour and sculptural form coalesce as a private home of intimate moments and overall grandeur.

194 EULABURY Whimsical and romantic, natural and wild, this is a garden of dreams.

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Habitus takes the conversation to our contributors, discovering their inspiration and design hunter® journeys

BRAHMAN PERERA

ALEESHA CALLAHAN

JAN HENDERSON

HAYLEY TILLETT

Known to all as Brem, Brahman Perera is a delight of creative direction with a portfolio of exquisite projects across residential, retail, and hospitality. Layering his projects with textures and tonal shifts, each is an exploration of nuanced and subtle combinations of harmonious complexity. For Brem, design is a relationship built on an intuitive understanding of needs and desires, coupled with problem solving and a shared pursuit of enduring beauty.

As he explains: “Design can only be made stronger and more compelling when it is made from collective minds, challenged, and forced to reveal its integrity.”

One of the most inspiring and thoughtful writers in the realm of architecture and design, Aleesha has written and commentated on every aspect of the creative world shaping our lives for the past ten years. As the previous Editor of Habitus she introduced Australia to a plethora of architects, interior designers, artists, artisans and the shifts in thinking behind these talented makers.

Having first trained and practised as an interior designer, her passion for mid-century design and architecture began while living and working in Berlin. She continues to enrich our world as a contributing writer, with her extraordinary ability for getting to the heart of the issue always impressing.

One of the best writers in the industry, Jan is currently an Editor and Program Director of the INDE. Awards at Indesign Media Asia Pacific. Her previous roles have included Acting Editor of Indesign magazine, Associate Publisher at Architecture Media, Editor and Co-editor of inside magazine and Interiors Editor of Architel.tv. As Principal of Henderson Media Consultants she contributes to various architecture and design magazines, is a regular speaker at events and has participated as a juror for many industry awards.

Jan is passionate about design and through her different roles supports and contributes to design in Australia.

Naarm / Melbourne-based Hayley Tillett (formerly Curnow), is a dear friend of Brahman Perera and a writer zeroing in on architecture, interiors, and design. She contributes to a range of design titles and holds a role as writer and producer at NHO. As a practicing designer and former Associate Lecturer in interior architecture at Curtin University, Hayley offers valuable insight into the inner workings of the profession.

EK ONKAR #144

THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL #136

KALLIE BLAUHORN # 98

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GILLIAN SERISIER

LILLIE THOMPSON

DR PRUDENCE GIBSON

TOM FERGUSON

In her role as Editor of Habitus Magazine, Gillian brings a twentyyear oeuvre of design writing to the publication. Focusing on architecture, design, art and interior design, her breadth of knowledge is expansive and generous, with all genres and styles regarded for their own merit. For the highly collectable series of Six, Gillian is working with the best designers in the Indo-Pacifi region to create content that is engaged and varied. Moreover, by creating each issue through the lens of her Guest Editors, their unique personality is allowed to shape each issue of Habitus. The result is always surprising.

Lillie’s artful approach to light, mood, and composition has become a signature across her photographic oeuvre in still life, design, travel, and portraiture. Traversing the line between art, editorial, and advertising, Lillie’s appreciation of space and design is illuminated in each image. Curious shadows and thoughtful styling produce subtle twists and generate a sense of intrigue that make her images memorable. Recognised as one of the ‘99 Women Breaking the Bias in Design’, Lillie’s work for clients across design, portraiture, and travel has been featured across many different avenues of media, including Habitus, where her work is regularly featured.

Dr Prudence Gibson is an author and academic at the University of NSW, Sydney. Her field of expertise sits at the intersection between plants, art, magic, and folklore. An active member of the environmental Dirt Witches collective, her work is informed by theoretical concepts of plant humanities, environmental aesthetics, eco-feminism, plant medicine (poisons) history, and post-human theory. Her latest books include Dark Botany (2024), The Plant Thieves (2023), The Plant Contract (2018), and Janet Laurence: The Pharmacy of Plants (2015).

As an architect with his own practice that has flourished since its inception in 2007, Tom brings a level of expertise to his photographic practice, which focuses on architecture and interiors. Based in Sydney, but working both nationally and internationally, Tom has over 15 years’ experience photographing the built environment and is both highly regarded and warmly appreciated for his sharp eye for detail. Indeed, his architectural background gives him the skills to understand and represent the beauty of the built environment through photography, but also to understand the architect’s vision made manifest.

AMY LAWRANCE # 110

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EK ONKAR # 144

EULABURY # 194

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issue #64 habitusliving.com

Exceptional performance Pairing impeccable design with exceptional performance, Wolf M Series ovens suit any design aesthetic.

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elivering spectacular cooking results, Wolf M Series ovens bring a refined aesthetic and design versatility to any project. Ranging from the bold design profile of the Professional, through to the modernity of Transitional and on to the sleek profile of the Contemporary, each M Series oven is intended to effortlessly integrate into any kitchen design. Moreover, the precise temperature control and chef-tested cooking modes ensure an elevated cooking experience.

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CHAIRMAN Raj Nandan raj@indesign.com.au

CEO Kavita Lala kavita@indesign.com.au

GUEST EDITOR Brahman Perera gillian@indesign.com.au

SENIOR BRAND MANAGER Brunetta Stocco brunetta@indesign.com.au

EDITOR Gillian Serisier gillian@indesign.com.au

PARTNERSHIPS AND MEDIA MANAGER Katie Staver katie@indesign.com.au

DIGITAL EDITOR Timothy Alouani-Roby timothy@indesign.com.au

MEDIA EXECUTIVE Avaani Nandan avaani@indesign.com.au

SUB EDITOR Rachel Fieldhouse

GROUP OPERATIONS MANAGER Sheree Bryant sheree@indesign.com.au

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sylvia Weimer sylvia@spacelabdesign.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aleesha Callahan, Kym Elphinstone, Allan Fraser-Rush, Dr Prudence Gibson, Jan Henderson, Sarah Hetherington, Fel Lukins, Saskia Neacsu, Brahman Perera, Georgina Safe, Gillian Serisier, Hayley Tillett.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/ ARTISTS Adaptasi (Ferrian Renaldi), Justin Alexander, Brock Beazley, Tom Blachford, Leandro Bulzzano, Jason Busch, Jenni Carter, Zella Casey Brown, Haydn Cattach, Lisa Cohen, Matteo Dal Vera, Sonja Danilovic, DOF SkyGround, Tom Ferguson, Kōji Fujii, Rory Gardiner, Adam Gibson, Tom Griffiths, Liu Guowei, Tim Hardy, Samuel Hartnett, Benjamin Hosking, Annika Kafcaloudis, Tania Lee, Jovian Lim, Joanne Ly, Fumihiro Matsuo, Trevor Mein, Fujitsuka Mitsumasa, Michael Pham, Edwina Richards, Josh Robenstone, Mickey Ross, Biddi Rowley, Yuya Sekiguchi, Anson Smart, Georgia Smedley, Nayan Soni, Soopakorn Srisakul, Derek Swalwell, Noguchi Takeshi, Alicia Taylor, Barton Taylor, Lillie Thompson, Colby Vexler, Clinton Weaver. ARKO, Antonia Ellis, Yuki Kihara, Juz Kitson, Yona Lee, Monica Rani Rudhar, Yvonne Todd, Floria Tosca.

HEAD OF PRODUCTION Anna Carmody anna@indesign.com.au PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Paul Ayoub print@indesign.com.au FINANCE MANAGER Vivia Felice vivia@indesign.com.au MARKETING EXECUTIVE Nicola Nolan nicola@indesign.com.au EVENT MANAGER Roisin Fagan roisin@indesign.com.au PRODUCT MANAGER Radu Enache radu@indesign.com.au

COVER IMAGE Casa Coa, the home of Kallie Blauhorn and Andy Penn AO in

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Designed by MAYE (Maye Ruiz). Photo, Leandro Bulzzano. Kallie Blauhorn is profiled by Guest Editor Brahman Perera on page 56.

HEAD OFFICE 98 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra NSW 2025 (61 2) 9368 0150 | (61 2) 9368 0289 (fax) www.habitusliving.com

Printed in Singapore. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or any consequences of reliance on this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, the publisher or the publication. Contributions are submitted at the sender’s risk, and Indesign Media Asia Pacific cannot accept any loss or damage. Please retain duplicates of text and images. Habitus magazine is a wholly owned Australian publication, which is designed and published in Australia. Habitus is published quarterly and is available through subscription, at major newsagencies and bookshops throughout Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and the United States of America. This issue of Habitus magazine may contain offers or surveys which may require you to provide information about yourself. If you provide such information to us we may use the information to provide you with products or services we have. We may also provide this information to parties who provide the products or services on our behalf (such as fulfilment organisations). We do not sell your information to third parties under any circumstances, however, these parties may retain the information we provide for future activities of their own, including direct marketing. We may retain your information and use it to inform you of other promotions and publications from time to time. If you would like to know what information Indesign Media Asia Pacific holds about you please contact Nilesh Nandan (61 2) 9368 0150, (61 2) 9368 0289 (fax), info@ indesign.com.au. Habitus magazine is published under licence by Indesign Media Asia Pacifi . ISSN 1836-0556

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issue #64 habitusliving.com

The curated interior Layering with tonal shifts, sculptural form, and interesting pieces, the home interior celebrates art and craftsmanship across all aesthetics.

Completely lovely in stabilised antique bronze, the Kea bathroom collection from PITTELLA reflects the geometric design style of the Roman Doric order. Fusing materiality and craftsmanship to manifest the carefully observed details, Pittella has crafted a distinctive range of bathroom tapware. pittella.com.au

When the massive Monterey pine outside Walsh Street by ROBIN BOYD died in 2019, the home’s custodians, the Robin Boyd Foundation, commissioned furniture maker Alexsandra Pontonio to design Knot Pine, a chair with a massive history. The limited edition of 20 pieces celebrates 20 years of the Foundation, with funds going to its ongoing legacy. Photo, Michael Pham. robinboyd.org.au

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With verve and sculptural finesse, design studio BMDO, led by Fletcher Barns and James L. Marshall, is merging industrial design and fine art to explore playful, sociocultural ideas grounded in their diverse creative backgrounds.

Every piece is a joy. Photo, Annika Kafcaloudis. bmdo.net

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The future of timber veneer.

Eveneer Raw ALPI Maritime Pine by Elton Group Design Alexandra Kidd Photo Dave Wheeler

Exclusive to Elton Group, Maritime Pine by ALPI brings a natural touch to this Sydney apartment.

Designed in collaboration with Kengo Kuma and sourced from agricultural plantation timbers, it’s a standout from the ALPI Designer Collection, ΛǦǓȖǓ ǏǓșǩǠǿ ЙǿǏș ǿǓΛ ǹǓΚǓǹș ȅǟ ǩǿǿȅΚƺȠǩȅǿ and sustainability.