When the goal is to develop a residence that doesn't blend into the property norm in Melbourne—a city where every developer is hard pressed to find an original angle or design—collaborating with renowned New Zealand architects Fearon Hay might just do the trick.

The Auckland firm, established two decades ago by Jeff Fearon and Tim Hay, is well-known for creating a sculptural masterpiece at Auckland Airport and their rework of the impressive Imperial Buildings in Auckland. Their work is renowned for combining classic design principles with a fluid approach to the natural world. But what prompted a Melbourne developer to bypass the bountiful local design talent in favour of a foreign firm? 

"They are impressive architects," said Trent Skurrie of Jacmax, a Melbourne developer who enlisted the kiwi firm for his Brighton apartment development Lindsay. "We wanted to achieve a lot with this project, both something quite minimal from an exterior perspective that was still warm and glamorous—that is Fearon Hay.

It was Skurrie's wife who first alerted him to the work of the New Zealand firm. “My wife, who is an architect in her own right, has been a longtime admirer of [their] work. As soon as she showed me some of their work, we knew this is what we wanted for Lindsay Brighton. Their use of natural materials and timeless design really hit the mark," says Skurrie.

Skurrie describes Jacmax and Fearon Hay working together as a "true collaboration."

The practical brief that Jacmax provided was essentially a blank sheet. “This type of brief was important for everyone," he says. "We wanted the living and dining zones on corners to get light from two sides and I was wedded to having light on the long edge. Often you’ll find with apartments, the light is on the short edge and the kitchen ends up being quiet deep but we wanted to flip that to bring in more natural light and volume. Fearon Hay took that and made it their own. Light and volume became a key part of their design.”

Skurrie admires Fearon Hay's strong convictions; for example, the balconies are in-built instead of the traditional way you’d see a balcony, and they were devoted to that style. “There were a lot times when I pushed back thinking this traditional apartment should have a wraparound balcony," he says.

"One thing that was important—often exterior form can be a negative on interior function but that wasn’t the case and they are exceptional at creating really interesting interior forms while still maximizing the functionality of the space—an important part of apartment living.” 

Skurrie says Jacmax plans to transform the conventional concept of apartment living by combining opulence and simplicity; collaborating with Fearon Hay puts them firmly in that race.

By Louise Jeckells