News

At Breathe we want to understand what it means to make respectful buildings on Country.

When we actively engage with individuals regarding decisions that impact their lives, we achieve superior outcomes.

For the last 250 years, there has been a notable lack of meaningful engagement with the people who have called this land home for 65,000 years. It’s high time we rectify this situation. We must prioritise listening to the advice provided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on issues that directly affect their well-being.

Breathe support enshrining the Voice in the constitution. We believe this move will provide the necessary security for the Voice to offer meaningful and honest advice. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community have been carefully developing this proposal over decades and it’s been endorsed by their Indigenous Leaders. Over 80% of their community are in favour and that’s why we’ll be voting YES.

We are 250 years too late, the time is now.

Breathe have joined a cohort of industry leaders who are taking accelerated action to decarbonise the built environment and lead the way in advancing net zero through the World Green Building Councils Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.

Read more about what we have committed to and why it’s so important for the future.

You can find Breathe’s commitment profile here.

While electrification of our building stock continues to take necessary precedence, it’s time we expand our focus toward higher performing and low resource dependent buildings, embodied carbon reduction, circularity and adaptation.

With this in mind, Breathe has launched its Sustainability Action Plan. For all new projects, our pledge is to deliver net zero ready buildings. No new gas — no question. To meet industry leading energy performance targets. To track and to taper upfront carbon toward a climate positive 2040.

We are happy to announce that we have become a certified B Corp and will join a global community of purpose-led businesses who meet high standards of sustainability and social responsibility. This affirms Breathe’s position as a force for good in the creation of spaces where people and the planet can thrive.

Key contributing elements to certification include Breathe’s unique approach to design that prioritises ethics along with aesthetics, and designing without ego, to create the best outcomes for clients and communities.

At Breathe, we’re all about progress over perfection. B Corp Certification does not mean that a company is perfect, nor that it has achieved its highest impact. What B Corp Certification does show is that we are part of a global community of businesses working collectively for economic systems of change, who are committed to this work by continuing to meet the rising standards for social and environmental performance.

View Breathe's B Corp profile here.

Four Pillars Gin Distillery 2.0 has been shortlisted for Best Bar category at this year’s Eat Drink Design Awards.

We’re proud to have helped Four Pillars become Australia’s first carbon-neutral gin business while creating an iconic hospitality destination to complement their incredible spirit.

Nightingale Ballarat has taken home the INDE.Award for best Multi-Res Building at the 2022 awards.⁠ Fossil fuel free, the entire building achieves an 8+ Star NatHERS rating, and every home is cross-ventilated with access to open-air walkways and operable windows. View the project here.

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Breathe has been awarded three accolades at this year’s Better Future Awards Melbourne. Nightingale Ballarat took home Gold in the environmental sustainability category and Silver in the multi-residential category. ANZ Breathe continued its winning streak, taking home Gold in the commercial architecture category.

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Electrifying our future is the key to tackling the climate crisis. Today, we're encouraging everyone to stop burning fossil fuels and get off the gas by creating healthier homes powered by GreenPower and the sun. ⁠⁠Simple steps you can take today:⁠⁠

Call your electricity provider and switch to 100% GreenPower.⁠

If you can, switch your cooktop and heaters to an all electric option. Our pals at Goodbye Gas make it easy to transition to an all-electric home. ⁠

Listen to this inspiring podcast with Saul Griffith about decarbonising our future.

Read about Australian architects coming together to electrify our future on The Design Files.

⁠⁠Because people and the planet matter.⁠⁠⁠

We could not be more delighted to announce the promotion of Bettina Robinson to Director of Interiors at Breathe. Bettina has been part of the fam since 2013, killing it designing incredible interior spaces that are beautiful and liveable. Affectionately known as “Baby B”, Bettina is a force, working tirelessly to achieve meaningful work and encouraging her team of interior architects to deliver exceptional outcomes for all. Bettina also established Breathe’s Family Policy that we’re all super proud of. A natural leader, Bettina wanted Breathe parents to feel supported, encouraged and empowered to return to work on their own terms after the birth or adoption of a child, in whatever way is right for them and their family.

Breathe is thrilled to announce the promotion of Shannon Furness to Associate and Head Of Technology, BIM & Innovation. After completing his studies in Wellington, Shannon joined the Breathe team in our Melbourne office. He broke all our hearts when he decided to move back to his home in NZ but we lured the legend back and Shan’s been knocking it out of the park, working from Wellington, since 2019. His easy nature, excellence in documentation, technology and the way he’s always ten steps ahead make him a natural leader at Breathe. Well deserved Shan! ⁠⁠

Say hello to Breathe’s newest Associate, Simon McDowell! A passionate advocate for the architecture profession, Simon is details-driven and future-focused. With a sense of humour to boot, “Simmo” will stop at nothing to ensure a positive built outcome for people and planet. We're so proud to have him on the team.

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‘ANZ Breathe’ has won The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture at the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards. Huge congratulations to our clients, ANZ, for their commitment to a net-zero economy and for putting their values into action! Thanks also to builders, Lendlease, and collaborating firms, Scatena Clocherty Architects, Greater Group, and i2C for making the rollout happen, nationwide.

We're proud to have delivered a nationwide branch solution that sets a new benchmark for commercial fit-out design that isn’t just about being carbon neutral in operations. ANZ Breathe offers a new approach to branch design that reduces its overall carbon footprint: its kit-based design contributes to a circular economy, with many parts of it being able to be reused and repurposed rather than tossed in landfill when a branch changes over time. View the project here.

We’re proud to be a founding signatory for This is Not Normal. Over the past three years, unprecedented climate disasters have ravaged our country. Climate change is the biggest challenge we face as a community.

The good news is that Australia has an opportunity to be a world leader in the transition to a low carbon future. But our government needs to listen to the science to take meaningful and urgent action now. There is a lot of noise out there right now, but on May 21, we all have an opportunity to make our voices heard on the biggest issue of our time. And we can do that by ensuring our vote aligns with our values. Because we believe when it comes to action on climate, we need a new normal. For more information, visit www.thisisnotnormal.wtf

Congratulations to Fireside House for just having been shortlisted for the 2022 Houses Awards! Fireside House is an elegant renovation in Northcote, VIC, for a busy family of four and their dog, Peppa. Fireside House is just the latest of a range of Breathe projects recently added to award shortlists.

It’s been an absolute joy working with the Four Pillars Gin crew on their new gin haven: a world-class venue that triples capacity and gin-making space while acknowledging the brand’s origin, their history and their deep connection to the place where it all began — beautiful Healesville. ⁠

A sight to behold, the project is carbon neutral in operations, with zero gas being used, including the fully electric commercial kitchen. Just one of many sustainability moves that saw Four Pillars named Australia’s first certified carbon-neutral gin distillery.

Explore more photos of the project here, then go ahead and book a table.

We are proud to announce Nightingale Ballarat has been shortlisted in three categories at this year’s AIA Vic Awards: Multi-Residential, Regional and Sustainability.

ANZ Breathe has been shortlisted in both the Commercial and Sustainability categories.

Stay tuned for the awards being announced on June 17.

Director of Houses, Madeline Sewall, joins host Bec Durous in the latest episode of Open Homes Australia on 9Life to tour Inside Out House — a beautiful, sustainable family home in Melbourne. Catch the episode here.

Huge congratulations to Four Pillars Gin, the first gin distillery in Australia to achieve carbon-neutral status via Climate Active, one of the most stringent carbon-neutral programs worldwide.

From day one, sustainability has been at the heart of Four Pillars Gin’s production and business and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with their team on the creation of Distillery 2.0. The new distillery incorporates new sustainable outcomes, such as saving 29 tonnes of glass per year on-site by piping gin directly from the distillery to the beautiful new bar. And that's just the beginning.

We can't wait to share more detail about this project when the new distillery opens — soon!

Visit the project page.

‘Shape a world where people and communities thrive’ is the driving notion behind ANZ’s nationwide 100% carbon-neutral-in-operation new branch design and rollout known as ANZ Breathe.⁠
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ANZ set out to create a future that’s not just about returning money to stakeholders, but is also based sincerely around three important values: environmental sustainability, secure housing and financial wellbeing for all.⁠
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Breathe delivered on these values by creating an elegant and sustainable branch design solution, demonstrating ANZ’s commitment to doing business responsibly in the 21st century. Importantly, ANZ Breathe has set a bold new benchmark for corporate Australia, one that considers the environmental impacts on community and planet first. ⁠
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Visit the project page.

Sparkkle dives into the creative minds behind architecture, design and social action. This week, Sparkkle chats with Breathe’s wonderful directors, Fairley Batch, Bonnie Herring and Madeline Sewall. These inspiring women discuss their relationship to risk, making change, their favourite projects and their goals for the future. Read the full interviews here.

“It was an honour to be involved in the Interior Design Excellence Awards as the inaugural sustainability judge. Recognising the twin crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss — the sustainability award is future focused and a great opportunity to spotlight impactful ideas that might inspire or shift direction to elevate the built environment. The field of 22 shortlisted projects across most categories were assessed against brief, performance, materials, innovation and performance with special attention given to projects that are fossil fuel free, consider material lifecycle, human, cultural and environmental health. At very different scales, each of the awarded projects demonstrated industry leadership for their aspirational carbon reduction initiatives and powerful connections to the natural environment. They are optimistic, elegant, innovative, inspiring and future focused. Congratulations to all the winners.” — Bonnie Herring, Director of Architecture at Breathe and IDEA’s 2021 Sustainability Judge.⁠

Congratulations Ona Coffee Melbourne, winner of the Editor’s Medal at the 2021 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA)! ⁠

“The decision for this year’s Editor’s Medal was not made on aesthetics alone. For me, 2021 was a year of retrospection. Like a lot of Melburnians, there was plenty of time for reflection on where Australian design stands and where it should be headed if we are to truly be responsible and ethical practitioners. Beauty for beauty’s sake and ostentation at the abandon of everything else are not the only things that should drive us. Which brings me to Breathe.⁠

One of Australia’s first hospitality projects to be completely carbon neutral in operations, Ona is exceptional. The Canberra-based roaster makes its Melbourne debut in an understated Brunswick warehouse conversion that is as inviting, humble and personal as it is beautiful, touching lightly on its site with raw and recycled materials and a multilevel amphitheatre that, in time, will run wild with greenery.”

Thank you, Australian Design Review.

We spent a great day on site at the soon-to-be-completed Four Pillars Distillery 2.0 in Healesville. It was such a wonderful taste of what’s to come. We enjoyed the gin masterclass with Cameron Mackenzie and Stu Gregor, gin snacks by Matt Wilkinson, and a tour of the sparkling new spaces with Breathe Project Lead, Camilla Carmichael. We can’t wait for the official opening! ⁠Visit the project page for more snapshots.

Introducing Fireside House, an elegant renovation in Northcote, personalised for a family of four that enjoys nothing more than to share their love of food, cooking, and entertaining with pride of place being the figurative fireside, created by the open kitchen and dining pergola, centred around the recycled red-brick pizza oven.⁠
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Gas-free and powered by a mix of solar and 100% GreenPower, the front of the house was preserved and celebrated while the extension is an extrusion of the double gable form of the existing roof, bringing light and volume to the new open kitchen, living, and dining spaces.

For the diary: Join Breathe's Head of Interiors, Bettina Robinson, for the ‘Designing Sustainably: acknowledging the challenges of doing the right thing and how we overcome them’ session at this year’s Interiors Australia + DENFAIR on 10–12 February 2022 at MCEC. ⁠Register for free using the code ROBINSON.

The last couple of years have been tough for everyone. At Breathe, we really value the health and wellbeing of our staff and we want our team to thrive in all aspects of their life, not just at work. We’ve partnered with AccessEAP to provide all staff and their families with free, voluntary, confidential, 24-hour access to counselors, guided meditations, readings, apps and a whole community of like-minded caring individuals to support everyday life. We chose AccessEAP as they take a proactive rather than reactive approach to mental health and because of their similar values. AccessEAP is a not-for-profit organisation and the first Employee Assistance Program provider to have a Reconciliation Action Plan. Above all, they love their work and they do it because they care about people.⁠ Find out more about them here.

Make Good is a monthly conversation with Australian artists, designers and entrepreneurs that asks how good design can positively shape society and culture.⁠
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In the latest episode, host Ben Shields from DREAMER sits down with Jeremy McLeod to ask what it takes to deliver ethical housing in a profit-driven market and how every architectural project can have an impact through implementing the fundamentals of sustainability.⁠
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Listen to this episode of Make Good here. ⁠

The latest edition of Green Magazine features the beautiful story of The Cobargo Santa Project, a home we created for the Rugendyke family after their home was destroyed in the black summer bushfires. We provided pro-bono architectural services for the project and engaged with suppliers and collaborators to provide pro-bono material and appliances for the project. Among the many things donated were kitchen and laundry appliances, solar panels, solar installation, heat pump, heating and hot water plant and equipment, lighting, carpet, paint and insulation. ⁠
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Living in temporary structures with their foster children since the fires, we worked very hard to make sure that the Rugendyke family were out of home for as brief a period as possible. At Christmas 2019 their house burned down. At Christmas 2020, they were celebrating in their new home — with their family.⁠⁠

Each year, we work tirelessly to eliminate the carbon we produce at Breathe. We then undertake a rigorous carbon audit via the Carbon Reduction Institute to record any greenhouse gas emissions and offset this by purchasing certified offsets. We are proud to report that in 2021 our emissions offset is equivalent to:⁠

💚 60,927.75 litres of petrol⁠
💚 580,264.30 km off the road⁠
💚 22.53 laps around the Australian coastline⁠
💚 41 cars off the road⁠
💚 64.31 tonnes of coal avoided burning⁠

⁠View a copy of last year’s audit.

Aboriginal Housing Victoria (AHV), a community-led organisation managing over 1,500 rental properties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people in Victoria, embodies the strength and resilience of First Nations People. This strength exists despite inadequate access to affordable and appropriate housing. An issue which is complex and multi-faceted, rooted in dispossession and dislocation and one that requires action beyond architectural intervention alone. First Nations Peoples are disproportionately impacted by: housing market failure; family violence and breakdown; institutionalisation; poverty of household material resources; and a lack of culturally appropriate mainstream housing services. ⁠⁠

Recognising the need to significantly increase the amount of their available housing stock, AHV engaged Breathe to design their first multi-residential social housing project. AHV has been a strong guide throughout this process, providing clear direction on culturally appropriate design. ⁠⁠Find out more.