TasTAFE Agricultural Centre of Excellence prioritises practical education, adaptability, and connection to land. It is positioned on the rolling hills above the city of Burnie and is a meeting point of the outer suburbs and lush agricultural farmland.

The student-centric design emphasises flexibility to evolve alongside technology and teaching methods, integrating elements of the landscape and the integration of artwork to engage students and teachers in both classroom education and practical studies.

The Centre’s contemporary form symbolises progressive farming techniques, featuring a ‘cattle grid’ facade for privacy and solar control and rammed earth walls, depicting the red hues of the north-west farming landscape.  Local artists Edge Atelier was engaged and worked alongside the rammed earth contractor to create the layering of the different pigmented earth and the rebated portions within the wall providing the backdrop for the artist to affix the timber and Corten Steele components.

Sustainability measures include natural light, passive solar heating, and thermal mass walls made of rammed red earth to minimise energy consumption and regulate indoor temperatures effectively.

The redevelopment of MyState Bank Arena, previously known as the Derwent Entertainment Centre, has created a dynamic and exciting venue for Tasmania and provides a new home for the JackJumpers in a distinctively Tasmanian boutique sports stadium. 

March with the passionate JackJumper supporters into the redeveloped stadium beneath the glowing entrance canopy, music pumping, grab a cold drink and a bucket of the best hot chips in town and find your seat ready for tip off. 

The redeveloped stadium and multi-use function centre has a distinctively Tasmanian feel. The overlapping arches and shadows of the façade are inspired by the rolling hills and mountains surrounding Hobart. The spaces are light, open and generously decorated with local Tasmanian timbers. 

New lighting and AV equipment bring the stadium in line with exemplar standards for international broadcasting of sporting and entertainment events and the improved amenities and accessibility features create the best possible experience for patrons. 

This project exemplifies a university campus consolidated into one finely detailed building, providing a beautiful learning environment that responds directly to its natural coastal environment.

Philp Lighton Architects in partnership with Wardle developed the University of Tasmania’s Cradle Coast Campus building to respond to the University’s design requirements of Community, Aesthetics, Functional, Technology and Distinctively Tasmanian.

The 5500 square meter two level building contains multiple informal and formal learning environments, as well as other specialist spaces including a 12-bed nursing simulation ward.

Sustainability was a core driver of the project and is represented through the Tasmanian decorative and structural timber elements that act as carbon storage, rainwater harvesting, low energy consumption, and a green roof containing 10,000 native plants.

Through a landscape rejuvenation project, the entire foreshore of West Park is being returned to a natural setting exhibiting water sensitive design and the encouragement of the local penguin colony to re populate the headland.

Creating an environment that was conductive to community engagement and social interaction was essential to the design of this new residential lifestyle village for the elderly. Philp Lighton Architects were commissioned as the master planners, architects, interior design consultants and landscape designers for this active community.

Comprising 85 two to three-bedroom independent living units and a Village clubhouse – as well as landscaping, roadworks and siteworks – the overall design created a contemporary yet familiar environment. A restrained palette of colours and materials were employed throughout, forming the framework for comfortable, safe living. The development has proven so popular that a year after opening, over 200 people were on the prospective resident register.

The design of the new Silverdome entry and concourse is a vibrant meshing of the bright excitement of the high-speed velodrome held within the warm timbers and natural materials of the surrounding environment.  

The centrifugal forces generated through cycle track racing have influenced the form of the concourse roof and in periodic places along the façade the envelope is broken and light and colour is spun out of the building. 

The striking front entrance was conceived during master planning considerations when it was identified that it was unclear to first time users of the site where the arrivals precinct was. The entrance presents to these users arriving by vehicle a colourful way finding element which leans out and away from the existing velodrome in a dramatic departure from the existing architectural language. For the users approaching from the reserve either on bike or walking the entrance is far more reserved and presents the warm welcoming tones of timber, light and shelter. 

The Launceston General Hospital Paediatric Inpatient Unit project was a redevelopment and expansion of the existing Children’s Ward to expand patient capacity and bring the ward in line with current Australasian Health Facility Guidelines.

The development of the Paediatric Inpatient Unit project provides an expanded footprint in excess of 2000m2, providing the Hospital with more single occupancy rooms.

The development incorporates a dedicated adolescent mental health unit, providing six dedicated mental health bedrooms and separate lounge / activity room and secure courtyard facilities.

The theme adopted for the ward was derived from the Australian Native Landscape, with art works commissioned to complement the development. The palette of colours was selected in collaboration with the Users and Hospital Management to complement their cleaning regime while acknowledging the uniqueness of the Children’s Ward environment.

Externally the building makes reference to the 1940’s addition to the original Hospital located on the opposite side of Charles Street.

Scotch Oakburn College’s new Middle School is an open collaborative learning environment providing flexibility and innovation to support the ever-evolving school curriculum.

Scotch Oakburn College commissioned the design of its new Middle School to complement its current junior and senior campuses and continue to be at the forefront of 21st century curriculum and teaching spaces. In partnership with Fielding Nair, Philp Lighton Architects were responsible for the design development, documentation and contract administration of the project.

PLA worked closely with staff from the college to detail every space, service, material and colour to maximize the potential for an effective and contemporary learning environment. The building is divided into year groups with dedicated collaborative spaces serving as a hub for each grade with separate home base rooms off these. Large operable walls and extensive glazing allow the rooms to be opened up, combined and remotely supervised offering flexibility and collaborative opportunities.

Clean modern lines and an innovative photovoltaic façade are hallmarks of this critical health redevelopment.

Situated in Kelham Street Launceston, the Oral Health Northern Education Centre project scope was for the refurbishment and extension to existing facilities. The project brief was for a dedicated clerical placement facility, with the design intervention looking to expand on the current services and respond to the present and future needs.

At the core of the project was the functionally of not only the new spaces independently, but also how the new insertions integrate with the existing building occupation to form a cohesive operation.

The design language itself is modest and responsive. As a juxtaposition to the clean, simple aesthetic of the horizontal datum, the flooring becomes a canvas of playful shapes and movements, offering a more organic and subtle expression of placemaking and wayfinding.

The new entry gate building at the University of Tasmania Stadium is thoughtfully designed, utilising repurposed steel roof trusses to form the unique cantilevered structure that extends around the large existing tree, forming a sheltered entryway for patrons. 

The design of the new entry gates at the University of Tasmania Stadium responds to the client’s desire to provide a safe, managed undercover entry and exit for patrons attending the stadium from Invermay Road, an arterial traffic route. 

The cantilevered truss arrangement allows the footing to be installed beyond the major tree root lines allowing the structure to co-exist with established trees, extending the natural canopy provided to patrons. 

The design solution re-purposes three pre-existing 19-meter-long roof trusses previously used to support terrace roofing. The trusses have been flipped through 180 degrees and set out in a partial conoid shape. The repurposed trusses reinforce the architectural language common to site and introduces a new form & architectural expression. 

A bespoke intimate wine bar, Havilah offers a uniquely Tasmanian Experience, with an emphasis on natural materials and a refined experience.

Located on Charles Street, Havilah wine bar embeds wine tasting and local produce at the heart of the visitor experience. It is a destination for all, encompassed within the Northern Tasmania Wine region. 

Havilah is a compact and serenely contemporary wine bar, curated with bespoke local furniture to offer various modes of dining experience. The polished concrete servery plays a feature against the existing hard plaster walls. The tan leather banquette seating nestles in one corner, with the Havilah label and Two Tonne Tasmania referenced on the print hanging on the back wall. 

The idea formation came from identifying the core value of the original condition and refining this to serve a different purpose. Embracing materials that nurture a sense of mood and place whilst also creating a lasting sense of experience, proving memorable to visitors.