Hey Everyone,
Dreamer began winding down in 2023 and officially ceased trading in 2024.
I want to thank everyone who was part of the journey — our incredible clients who placed their trust in us, the collaborators who shaped and elevated the work every day, and the builders, consultants and fabricators who helped bring our projects to life. I also want to thank the broader design community in Melbourne who supported us and believed in what we were doing.
Most of all though, I want to thank the talented, creative and dedicated team members who made Dreamer what it was — who believed in the mission to deliver architecture that was sustainable, thoughtful and helped to strengthen the vital connections between people and the environments we inhabit.
In particular, heartfelt thanks to Piers, Alex and Anna and Doug and Cathy.
It was a privilege to contribute to the built environment in Melbourne and Victoria, and to explore how design can shape kinder, smarter, more beautiful, and more sensible cities.
All the best,
Benny
Project: Two Sheds
Image: @arorygardiner
We are very pleased to announce that 388 Barkly Street has been been shortlisted in the multiple housing category of the AIA Victorian Architecture Awards 2023.
We are honoured that the project has been recognised in this way amongst a very strong field of entries. It is heartening to see so many meaningful contributions to this category and thoughtfully designed apartment buildings, which offer so much to residents, the community and Melbourne.
Thanks to everyone who worked on and contributed to the project. This project was led by DREAMER in collaboration with @breathearchitecture and was created for @outsidein95 .
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
Rainbench : @_bmdo
Styling Credits:
Breeze Coffee Table by Ross Gardam from @stylecraftfurniture
Sesann Lounge by Tacchini from @stylecraftfurniture
Eduard & Ottilie Vases by Bloc Studios from @bachlifurniture
Mantiqueira Vases by Tacchini from @stylecraftfurniture
Artworks by Hannah Nowlan @hannahnowlan
Heavy Visions by Ria Green from @moderntimesau
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
Working within the existing heritage brick building at 388 Barkly Street limited the locations and size of windows we could use to naturally light the apartments. Our solution was to include a series of voids and skylights at different scales that bring light deep into the plan. The largest internal voids and skylights sit above the kitchen spaces in the two storey apartments and provide soft ambient natural light for the cooking areas and island benches. Smaller skylights are placed precisely in bathrooms of all apartments, as well as above the kitchens in the single storey apartments.
Spaces show are the bathrooms, kitchen of apartment 102-103 and, staircase voids to apartments 106-108.
Consultants + Collaborators:
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
388 Barkly Street has been included in a feature on biophilic design in the recent issue of The Commercial Project.
Thanks to Millie and the team at Local Project for the thoughtful words.
388 Barkly Street was led by DREAMER in collaboration with @breathearchitecture and was created with our partners @outsidein95 .
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
Rainbench : @_bmdo
#biophilicdesign #dreamer #ethicalarchitecture #melbournearchitecture #interiordesign #sustainable design
Beautiful motion by @gavin__green capturing a collection of moments at 388 Barkly Street.
Spaces shown are the heritage brick warehouse facade, the internal planted atrium space, the rain bench (by @_bmdo ) and central galvanised stair, the bike garage, the timber fins and the living space within apartment 103.
This project is led by DREAMER in collaboration with @breathearchitecture and was created with our partners @outsidein95 .
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
Rainbench : @_bmdo
Styling Credits:
Breeze Coffee Table by Ross Gardam from @stylecraftfurniture
Sesann Lounge by Tacchini from @stylecraftfurniture
Eduard & Ottilie Vases by Bloc Studios from @bachlifurniture
Triangolo Chair by Frama from @designstuff
Volley Chairs & Dining Table by @madebytait
Mantiqueira Vases by Tacchini from @stylecraftfurniture
Artworks by Hannah Nowlan @hannahnowlan
Heavy Visions by Ria Green from @moderntimesau
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
Materials study for a new beach house in Lorne.
Our new Lorne beach house is a sequence of curated moments within 3 gable roofed volumes. The house provides a collection of diverse spaces for multiple families and age groups, to hang out and eat, play, rest and recharge.
#lorne #beachhouse #dreamer #charredtimber #coastalarchitecture
The planted open air Atrium at 388 Barkly Street, with galvanised steel stair, native frangipanis and bike parking (through the window to the left).
The new part of the building at 388 Barkly Street is composed of two volumes separated by a landscaped external atrium with native planting that includes 3 lovely frangipanis's. The atrium helps to naturally light and ventilate the dwellings and creates a sequence of open air, planted spaces that connect all the apartment entries. This provides meaningful contact with gardens for occupants as they come and go or generally move through the building to apartment storage rooms, bike parking or recycling room.
This project is led by DREAMER in collaboration with @breathearchitecture and was created with our partners @outsidein95 .
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
Rainbench : @_bmdo
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
388 Barkly Street kitchen in apartment 103 with double height void above.
The double height void spaces above the island benches give a sense of play, drama and diffused natural light to the kitchen spaces.
This project is led by DREAMER in collaboration with @breathearchitecture and was created with our partners @outsidein95 .
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
Rainbench : @_bmdo
Furniture and styling credits
Sedis Stool by acp atelier from @stylecraftfurniture
Flow Form Vessel 17 by Ferro Forma from @moderntimesau
Companion Vases I by Mali Taylor from @moderntimesau
Chess Cutting Board by Ferm Living from @designstuff
Sori Yanagi Salad Server Set L
Sori Yanagi Kettle (Matte)
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture #apartment #interiordesign
View from living space through to terrace and street beyond at 388 Barkly Street, apartment 103.
One of the ambitions for Barkly Street was to create apartments that were an attractive alternative to the suburban home.
The design was informed from the outset by details found in nearby historic housing, including timber windows, french doors and exposed floor joists in the ceiling. The internal material palette is restrained with muted tones and expanses of timber (FSC certified) offset against the characterful existing c1930 brick shell. We worked to keep the warehouse facade intact, with existing window and door openings providing charming views through to street trees and neighbouring houses.
This project is led by DREAMER in collaboration with @breathearchitecture and was created with our partners @outsidein95 .
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Styling: @jesskneebone
Rainbench : @_bmdo
Styling Credits:
Breeze Coffee Table by Ross Gardam from @stylecraftfurniture
Sesann Lounge by Tacchini from @stylecraftfurniture
Volley Chairs & Dining Table by @madebytait
Neil Leather Chairs by MDF Italia from @bachlifurniture
Eduard & Ottilie Vases by Bloc Studios from @bachlifurniture
Atticus Dining Table by Lowe from @bachlifurniture
Triangolo Chair by Frama from @designstuff
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
Two Yards house concept model.
Two Yards House is crafted around two sheltered terraces—one an outdoor living space, the other a luxurious, private outdoor bathing area—that connect to the internal living and sleeping areas respectively.
Enriching the relationship to the natural surroundings and the outdoors, all rooms connect to verandas that envelop the home to create varied outdoor areas suitable for all weather conditions, unified by a pitched roof with a distinctive and elegant sweeping form.
The house is designed to Passiv Haus standards with a high performing external envelope and a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system.
Two Yards is part of a new venture that we have been working on for a little while that delivers sustainable prefabricated housing. We are extremely excited to give you this sneak peak and share more of it with you in the coming year.
#ruralhousing #yonder #prefabricatedhousing #sustainability
Barkly Street open air atrium and sunken court.
Barkly Street is composed of 11 sustainable townhomes in Brunswick. The development is centred around a sunken court and open air atrium helping to naturally light and ventilate the dwellings. The space is landscaped to grow into a lush but shady garden, occupied and overrun by native plants.
This project was created with our partners @outsidein95 and in collaboration with @breathearchitecture
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Rainbench : @_bmdo
Custom door pulls : @rowsaan
Styling : @jesskneebone
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
Our Barkly Street project is now complete! Congratulations and thanks to all involved. We look forward to sharing more of it with you in the new year. We hope you enjoy a well earned break over the summer holidays and we wish you all the best for 2023.
Barkly Street is composed of 11 sustainable townhomes in Brunswick. The development is nestled within the shell of a c1930 brick warehouse, originally a textile factory. We worked with the existing facade to preserve it with minimal changes and allow the building to continue to contribute to the urban fabric of Brunswick. The existing facade and brick shell provides privacy and charming views from living spaces through the existing windows to the street. Internally remnants of the original timber roof structure and a fire in the 1980s are still embedded in the interior face of the brick walls, adding texture and narrative to the dwellings.
This project was created with our partners @outsidein95 and in collaboration with @breathearchitecture
Consultants + Collaborators
Builder : @koorool_constructions
Landscape : @robertbodendesign
Photos : @gavin__green
Rainbench : @_bmdo
Custom door pulls : @rowsaan
#ethicalarchitecture #388barklystreet #dreamer #melbournearchitecture
