At Home with Joe Adsett
On the eve of Joe and his family moving into their new Ascot abode, Boomerang – a future Brisbane landmark (in our humble opinion!), we sat down and asked Joe a few questions about what drives him, where the inspiration for Botanic come from and how having a family has changed his work . . .
H & H: Thanks for your time today Joe, let’s get straight into it . . . What was the moment you realised you would be an architect?
Joe: Luckily, I had a father who was an architect who recognised an early talent and took me to his office as a work experience kid in my later years of high school. This was an era where Architecture was produced the old-fashioned way with drawing boards and physical models. I loved the idea of creating something in miniature that would eventually rise from the ground and be constructed.
H & H: What values underpin your work? Family influences?
Joe: We like to produce architecture that’s timeless and has a focus upon creating a lifestyle for its occupants. Living in spaces which make the spirit soar can do profound things for the soul. I’m a firm believer in the power of good architecture and its life changing benefits.
H & H: What drives you?
Joe: Professionally I love to help people and find so much meaning in helping anyone whether it be staff, clients or customers achieve incredible outcomes. Personally, I love a challenge and to always be putting myself under significant pressure to perform at my best.
H & H: Has having a family changed your practice of architecture?
Joe: Having a family has made me a better architect. Creating designs which responds to the dynamic of family life will always create the most meaningful architecture. There also so many pragmatic considerations that come with raising children and how this dynamic changes as the family gets older.
H & H: How do you start a sketch?
Joe: Sketches can only start with a thought. Often something I have imagined will then be loosely drawn as a three-dimensional sketch or a representation of the idea in a very crude plan sketch.
H & H: How long did ‘Boomerang’ take to form in your mind?
Joe: Boomerang was a gut feel response to the place and the idea came immediately. I tend to walk through the idea in my mind and plan it all out mentally before committing to sketching it out on paper. Sometimes it helps to doodle a few sketches and then reflect on it back in my mind for a few days before going back to the sketch pad.
H & H: What was the inspiration/process behind the creation of Botanic?
Joe: The natural setting of New Farm Park was the inspiration for a natural theme but many of the actual ideas came on long bush walks with the family through the rainforest at Mt Nebo. Something about a mountainside saturated in fog and moss growing up strangler figs really piqued the imagination. Many of the finishes I chose for my own home have been used in Botanic – the Dolomite, fluted details, marble mosaic tiles, timber flooring and curved, formed concrete to name a few.
H & H: What’s next for Joe Adsett?
Joe: We’re turning up the volume with our residential portfolio. There are some incredible private commissions on the drawing board at the moment and we’ll continue to take on some of these amazing projects both here and abroad. With our own projects we’ll be launching a stunning ocean front residential community on the Sunshine Coast next year alongside another opportunity in Byron Bay.
