Christian Fisher of Fisher Design + Architecture, and Neil Mackenzie of Mackenzie Pronk Architects jointly accepted an award for architectural design excellence in the Outdoor Timber – Stand Alone Structures category, at the Australian Timber Design awards dinner in Melbourne on 18 October 2011.

Download AIA awards entry board

Article: Bellingen Courier Sun 26/10/2011.

The Education Space, at Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve in Coffs Harbour, attracts over 150,000 visitors every year and has been recognised at the Australian Timber Design Awards.

Christian Fisher of Fisher Design + Architecture, and Neil Mackenzie of Mackenzie Pronk Architects jointly accepted the award for architectural design excellence in the Outdoor Timber – Stand Alone Structures category, at the awards dinner in Melbourne on Tuesday (18/10/2011) night.

Article: Coffs Coast Advocate 22/10/2011

ARCHITECTS from around the state are gathering in Coffs Harbour for Beyond the Prism, the 2011 conference of the Australian Institute of Architects, NSW Country Division, which opens this evening.

Guest speakers at the conference include John Barrow, the senior principal from Populous.

Mr Barrow is the principal master planner for the London Olympics in 2012.

He will be talking mainly about the whole London 2012 experience, with reference to other current Populous projects, with a sustainability agenda throughout.

The four-day conference, the 51st held by the Division and the 10th to be held in Coffs Harbour, has attracted 75 delegates to busy program of talks speakers, presentations, displays and workshops as well as social events.

Among the delegates are Sawtell-based Ann M Gee and her son, graduate architect Oliver Gee, who has just joined his mother’s busy practice.

Mrs Gee said the conference allowed them to pick up on the most relevant and interesting things happening in their field and the product displays by sponsors were always informative.

The formal conference dinner on Thursday will also see the presentation of the division’s annual awards.

Only one Coffs Coast firm is represented on the list of nominations.

Fisher Design + Architecture in association with Mackenzie Pronk Architects have nominated their Muttonbird Island project for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in two categories – projects in non-residential architecture (a new award) and the Termimesh Timber Award.

Giidany Miirlarl (the moon place) is the new outdoor interpretive art and education structure at the base of Muttonbird Island.

The $320,000 project, which was opened to the public in April, showcases the island and its significance to the Gumbaynnggirr people as well as providing an open space for discovery tours, school tours and performances.

Coffs Coast Advocate- Belinda Scott | 4th October 2011

The Bellingen Energy Festival is an annual event aimed at bringing together practitioners from many fields to engage with the public about energy use and sustainable living. The festival is committed to improving and promoting sustainable living practices and design, sustainable energy technology and products, and community education.

Fisher design + Architecture joined the ‘Bellingen Architects Bus’ this year, a sustainable design information stall hosted by six Bellingen architects and building designers, who came together to offer advice and be available to answer questions regarding sustainable design and materials.

The Architects Bus contained a wealth of local experience designing environmentally friendly buildings, and included Steve Gorrell, Guido Eberding (Kalang Design House), Richard Eastman (AURA), Christian and Anna Fisher (Fisher design + Architecture), Tricia Helyar, and Nick Radford (Ecoliving Design).

The team was also joined by Chris Boaz of the newly formed Pressed Earth Brick Co., who exhibited samples of their pressed earth bricks.

Concept designs have been released of some of the key elements of Coffs Harbour Council’s imminent makeover of the Jetty Foreshores.

The mayor, Cr Keith Rhoades, said the $1.1 million facelift of the foreshore reserve and parkland, which was endorsed at Thursday night’s council meeting, will renew and revitalise one of the city’s most popular family and visitor destinations.

“The reserve is one of the best used parts of the Jetty Foreshore and provides a great venue for picnics, birthday parties, sports activities, and as a spot for family and friends to simply catch up over a barbecue,” Cr Rhoades said.

“It’s also a magnet for visitors- by carrying out this major refurbishment we’re going to be able to give the area an update that, I’m sure, will see it become an even more popular place for people of all ages and interests to enjoy.”

The council got a $457,000 grant from the Federal Government’s Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program for the upgrade.

That sum has been matched by the council and increased to $600,000 with funds from the Future Fund Internal Reserve.

A further $50,000 is being provided from the State Parks Trust, taking the total to $1,107,000.

The upgrade, which will begin immediately, will cover the areas east of the Jordan Esplanade and west of the dunal system along the open foreshore parkland.

The works to be carried out include:

• Connection to the city sewerage system.
• Refurbishment of two amenity blocks.
• Upgrading and replacement of 16 barbecues, plus upgraded lighting and power in the shelters.
• Demolition and replacement of a number of picnic shelters.
• Appropriate drainage.
• Upgrades to the showers.
• Grading and turfing.
• Installation of bollards.
• General cleaning and painting.

The installation of a directional sign at the Jordan Esplanade roundabout.

Coffs Coast Advocate- Graeme Singleton | 18th April 2011

Taking on the local Gumbaynggirr name given to the area, the project has seen a significant tourist attraction established at the base of the island. National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) ranger Ann Walton said the facility showcases the island and its significance to the local Gumbaynggirr people.

“The new area will also provide an open space for discovery tours, school tours and live performances,” Ms Walton said.

Renowned Aboriginal language teacher Michael Jarrett of the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Cultural Co-operative Centre at Nambucca Heads has explained the significance of the site to local Aboriginal people.

“Giidnay Miirlarl, at the base of Muttonbird Island, translates to mean the moon place, and refers to the reef that is seen near the island,” Mr Jarrett said. “It was a special site used for hunting expeditions where muttonbirds were gathered as a food source.”

The new facility is located at the base of Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve on the end of the northern break wall of Coffs Harbour Jetty and is now available to the public.

At an official opening on Thursday night, local elders unveiled the facility.

The $320,000 project has been funded by the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ Jobs Fund program.

The funding was awarded to the Arts Mid North Coast in partnership with the Coffs Harbour City Council, the Department of Environment Climate Change and Water through the Coffs Coast Area, Garlambirla Guyuu Girrwaa (Coffs Harbour Elders) and the Coffs Harbour Local Aboriginal Land Council.

The structure’s design was chosen out of 23 submissions with the help of the Garlambirla Guuywa-Girrwa Elders, and consists of a new ramp made of recycled timber and a 4m high timber screen to create a natural amphitheatre.

Aboriginal art, history and the significance of the area to the Gumbaynggirr people will be included in the structure, as will creative approaches to environmental issues.

The project was announced yesterday after $320,000 was secured by Arts Mid North Coast in the second round of the Federal Government’s Jobs Fund, part of the economic stimulus package.

Ann Walton, National Parks and Wildlife Service’s nature reserve range for Muttonbird Island, said a significant amount of planning and development had already been carried out on the project, including $200,000 already raised in resources and materials.

She was thrilled with the funding announcement.

Cherelle Brooke, landscape architect for the Coffs Harbour City Council, said the submission by Fisher Design and Architecture was chosen as it integrated into the natural land forms and was sympathetic to the natural environment.

Hailed as an innovative project and outstanding example of the intersection between the environment and the arts, Richard Holloway from Arts Mid North Coast said the Federal Minister for the Environment Protection Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, had already expressed a desire to visit the site.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, when it will then be used as a creative public performance venue where a variety of training and events can be held.

Coffs Coast Advocate- Clara Smith 01 Apr, 2010

FISHER HOUSE – FERNMOUNT

With the right choice of materials, contemporary homes can look as comfortable and natural in a rural setting as they do by the sea, witnessed at this stunning property.

Designed and built by owner, Christian Fisher, the ‘Fisher House’ is a contemporary pressed earth brick home located on four hectares at Fernmount, a rural residential area between Bellingen and Urunga.

The main 3-bedroom house was completed in 2004, with a separate design studio, 13 metre lap pool and landscaping added this year.

Home to architect Christian and graphic designer Anna, along with their two children Mia and Sam, the couple spent two years searching for the “right block” before finding land with views over a dairy farm, bush and the Dorrigo mountain range in the distance.

With the couple both working from home, the birth of Sam this year necessitated the construction of the separate design studio, with pressed earth brick and eco-ply ensuring the studio complements the structure and materials of the house.

Christian has used a simple linear composition to create the modern design, with the house sited naturally along the crest of a hill.

With a strong focus on the northerly aspect, solar access and natural ventilation have been achieved, as well as rural and mountain views from each room.

Timber decks stretch the full length of the house and provide ample entertaining space, while summer meals are often eaten at the outdoor dining area, complete with barbecue and bench seating built in to the mud brick walls.

Also popular in summer is the private courtyard bathroom, which is accessed from inside the house.

The interior of the home has soaring ceilings, with glass sliding doors connecting the decks to the open plan kitchen, living and dining spaces.

A sandstone fireplace and split level design gives the living room a sense of separation as well as offering a cosy winter area. The ambience is offset by rugs Christian hand-picked in India and a 70s velvet gold lounge – the ultimate retro family hand-me-down.

Contemporary works by Sydney artists and an in-built shelf featuring a collection of travel photographs also add heart to the home.

Christian’s choice of natural materials such as the pressed earth bricks, hardwood timbers, sandstone and slate, has yielded a solid and strong home which maintains a contemporary feel.

The bricks were made locally by Bellingen’s Pressed Earth Bricks, while the hardwood timbers and sandstone came from various suppliers on the Mid North Coast.

Stainless steel kitchen bench tops were sourced from a commercial kitchen manufacturer in Port Macquarie and a paint palette of neutral greys (Namadji, String and Jasper) are all from Dulux, as is the earthy red (Mars Red).

One interior feature wall has been retained as face brick, while the rest have been lightly bagged and painted with Dulux White Swan.

The couple rolled up their sleeves during the construction process which helped to lower the costs – but the end result also demonstrates design expertise can create a great result within a budget.

While their home is stunning, the couple are obviously as enamoured with the local area after leaving Sydney for life on the property.

Anna said: “We’ve always loved the Bellingen area, it’s such a beautiful place to live and bring up kids.

“We’re really lucky that we can both work from home, because we see so much more of the kids than if we were still in Sydney. Having the studio next to the house allows us to enjoy the rural lifestyle, while maintaining a busy design practice. It really is the best of both worlds.”

Coast Living Magazine, Spring 2006. Words: Melissa Ellis Photos: Bob Weekes.