Fisher & Buttrose Architects
Architecture in Cairns

Fisher Buttrose Architects is a progressive, uniquely Northern Australian practice, with a commitment for lofty quality, environmentally responsive design to community, institutional and educational projects. Principals Deborah Fisher and Mark Buttrose have lived and worked in the tropics for over 15 years, and building an intrinsic knowledge of the opportunities and challenges of tropical design. Mark and Deborah are backed by a team of young Cairns architects and designers who share their optimism for practice in the tropical north of Australia and who have the capacity to deliver quality, good design, backed by concise and perfect contract documentation. Fisher Buttrose Architects is a progressive, uniquely Northern Australian practice, with a commitment to high quality, environmentally responsive design in all its community, institutional and educational projects. Principals Deborah Fisher and Mark Buttrose have lived and worked in the tropics for over 15 years, and they bring to all their projects an intrinsic knowledge of the opportunities and challenges of tropical design. Deb's buildings reflect an accepting and sensitivity to the concise requirements, a love of landscape and a commitment to consultative design processes. Fisher Buttrose have extensive experience of Indigenous housing design and remote area project management. The center has been planned around a large rain forest tree which forms a social space and now also marks the visitor's entry into the artist's studio. Local artwork has been incorporated into the texture of the building, which features gallery, studio, administrative and retail spaces. The result is a cleverly 'informal' design that incorporates public and private spaces definite inner and outer site lines acoustic separation and informal and formal agency spaces. Busy closely with Yarrabah art workers this art center is designed as a low cost space that marries the needs of active artists with those of visiting tourists. The gallery and formal visitor entry is directly off the originate plan studio labor space, giving the opportunity to study the artists 'in action', while quiet achieving a relaxed, informal and open quality that reflects how the Yarrabah artists like to work. The building reinforces the identity of the community and its arts traditions, while providing a sound and cordial gallery and retail space. The lightweight structure is plain and elegant, creating rhythms through the building and providing a cost effective building. A combination of fresh and renovated boarding accommodation in light colors and airy tropical design provide privacy and security ultimately for 154 residential students. State of the art low line equipment maximizes view lines for teachers and students. Flow through design joins the kitchen onto the dining area which has glass bi fold doors opening onto the outdoor veranda area. Block D represents a important shift for the campus structure via the relocation of inpatient services to the north final of the site. Outdoor undercover entry areas provide sheltered connectivity between the esplanade, foreshore and the fresh block E car park. This project represents Stage 1 of the hospital redevelopment program, allowing the existing vehicle park to be demolished, freeing up space adjacent the existing hospital for the fresh Acute Concern Services block. As a welcoming, close and tropically responsive building, this facility provides an easily identifiable home for a range of public health services. The breezeway entry spine provides an elegant and intuitive public entry point, as healthy as capturing light and breezes for public waiting areas. Eleven consulting rooms, as well as clinical areas, waiting rooms and retail tenancies are incorporated into two partition buildings, which allows light, space and rain forest landscaping to dilute the formality of the clinical environment. Features of the center celebrate the spontaneous wonders of the rain forest with rainwater cascading from the roof into a sparkling spoon drain, leaf cutouts in the ceiling dapple automatic light into timber deck breeze way, 1700 plants cultivated for the landscape, and a color handle inspired by the surrounds.