LIFE Architecture and Urban Design

18/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday at Craftworks in our rooftop theatre for our Hotel Industry Event, From Feasibility to Delivery: Unlocking Viability in Hotel Projects.

It was a fantastic afternoon of discussion, bringing together developers, hotel operators, consultants and industry professionals to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping hotel development today.

Throughout the event, we explored the key forces shaping hotel development today, including Melbourne's evolving hotel market, investment trends, financing challenges, project feasibility, risk management, and the role of design in delivering commercially successful hotel projects, while also highlighting the importance of construction viability and the value of engaging project partners and consultants early to improve cost certainty, manage risk and support better project outcomes.

A special thank you to our presenters and panellists for sharing their insights and experience:

• Damien Little, Director, Hotel Planning & Development | Horwath HTL
• Karen Wales, Head of Hotels, Australia | Transaction Services | Colliers
• Jan-David Storm, Director | Hamilton Marino
• David Carabott, Founding Director | LiFE Architecture and Urban Design

We appreciate everyone who took the time to attend and contribute to the discussion. The strong turnout and engagement reinforced the value of bringing industry leaders together to share knowledge and ideas.

14/05/2026

Melbourne Design Week officially begins today and we’re excited to be part of Taking Shape - a multidisciplinary exhibition bringing together artists, designers and makers exploring how design is something we live with, inhabit and experience.

Presented in collaboration with Weston Rumbold Art Projects (WRAP) and , SORA Interiors and LiFE Architecture have contributed to the exhibition design, creating a spatial framework for ideas, materials and stories to unfold throughout the program.

A huge acknowledgement to the team, who have put an incredible amount of work into bringing the multiple events at The Park House to life - from the exhibition itself to opening night, workshops, dining experiences and conversations across the week.

Opening Night takes place tomorrow night, Friday 15 May - bookings via link in profile. Or visit the Exhibition 10am-5pm now until 24 May.

The broader program at The Park House also includes:
• Make Your Own Monster: Kids Weaving with the Australian Tapestry Workshop
• Illuminated Stories: Kids Lantern Painting Workshop with First Nations Artist Peter Hood
• Root to Stem: A Zero-Waste Dining Experience with Chef Johnny Hasan
• Artist talks, creative conversations and public programs throughout the week

And while already booked out, we’re also looking forward to being involved in Speed Networking: Public Art Edition, with Sora's Emma Riquelme and LiFE's Mark Spraggon joining the session alongside Est and WRAP.

Melbourne Design Week is Australia’s largest and leading annual design festival, taking place from 14–24 May 2026, with more than 400 events, exhibitions, talks and installations presented across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

Artist credit -

31/03/2026

Permit secured. Jenkins House is on its way.⁠
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This one has been a long time coming.⁠
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The site at 205-215 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North has been in the Jenkins family for generations. It carries history, it carries obligation, and now it carries a name that will stay on the building long after we are done.⁠
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Getting here wasn't straightforward. Approval came through two distinct and demanding pathways: the Department of Transport and Planning's Development Facilitation Program (DFP), reserved for projects of state significance, and a separate permit through Heritage Victoria. The complexity of that process reflects the weight of what is on this site.⁠
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At the heart of it is the 1938 Clifton Hill Motor Garage, reworked by architect J.H. Wardrop into a Jazz Moderne frontage that has defined this stretch of Queens Parade for nearly 90 years. Our response to it is the whole story.⁠
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The new podium is split at its centre, deliberately. Not to step around the heritage building, but to frame it. That gap celebrates Wardrop's original vertical pilasters over the entry, letting the composition read clearly beneath everything we have added above. The deep north-facing balconies do more than offer generous amenity. They provide privacy, passive solar shading, and a strong horizontal line that holds the podium in conversation with the heritage fabric below.⁠
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From Dummett Crescent, the tower speaks differently. A red oxide structural grid wraps the facade, its concave column panels catching and releasing light across the day - shadow and highlight doing the work that Art Deco always understood ornament should do. Curved balconies rise up the southern flank. A lighter glazed volume sits alongside. The building has presence from every direction.⁠
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Three layers. Three eras. One coherent building.⁠
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Congratulations to the full team who brought the care and expertise this project deserved.⁠
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Client: CBE Asia Pacific Pty Ltd⁠
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Heritage Consultant: Bryce Raworth⁠
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Wind: Vipac⁠
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23/12/2025

Our LiFE, This Year

As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the progress made across the practice - settling into our identity as LiFE Architecture, welcoming 17 new voices into the studio, and advancing diverse projects that respond thoughtfully to context, community and ambition.

Across the year, our work has been marked by meaningful milestones - including award recognition, key planning approvals, the continued growth of our hospitality portfolio (more to share on this in early 2026), and the strengthening of our international presence as our Hong Kong studio took on more projects. Throughout it all, our focus has remained on delivering outcomes that support our clients and positively contribute to the communities and places our work helps shape. Read more on these milestones in our recent newsletter via LinkIn.bio 👆

As the year comes to a close, we’d like to thank you all for the shared commitment that shaped our work throughout 2025. The studio will close from the 23 December and reopen on the 12 January. We wish you a restful festive season and look forward to reconnecting in the new year - refreshed, inspired and ready for an exciting year ahead.

02/12/2025

11/11/2025

Introducing mecwacare John Hood Terrace - a new residential aged care home in Richmon designed to feel calm, warm and welcoming.

The redevelopment preserves the character of the original 1850s façade while introducing contemporary, purpose-built spaces that support comfort, dignity and community connection.

Alongside 77 private ensuite bedrooms, residents can enjoy inviting communal spaces:
• Hairdresser
• Private dining room for family visits
• Allied health therapy rooms
• Multiple lounges, reading nooks and quiet retreat spaces
• Light-filled dining areas that open to landscaped terraces

A place designed for comfort, connection and everyday joy.

Interiors:
Client:
Construction: .au
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02/10/2025

Recently completed, Elara is a private residence in North West Melbourne where the exterior sets the tone. A confident street presence is defined by textured concrete and vertical screening — a façade of rhythm, depth, and privacy that anchors the home in its suburban setting with timeless urban character.⁠
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Inside, this clarity continues. Natural stone, sculptural fireplaces, curved timber panelling, and a floating stair echo the exterior’s precision while softening it with warmth and tactility. Every element is considered, creating a residence that feels grounded in place yet elevated in experience — a crafted sanctuary, from the outside in.⁠
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Project team⁠
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See more on this project via LinkIn.bio 👆🏼⁠
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01/10/2025

Project Update - Rising 18 storeys above La Trobe Street, the new Mercure Hotel Flagstaff is taking shape in Melbourne’s CBD.⁠
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Designed by LiFE Architecture and Interiors by SORA Interiors, the hotel will bring 350 rooms to the city within a sleek, high-density footprint.⁠
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The façade is bold and vertical, balancing durability with refined detail — while the podium opens to a vibrant hub featuring an indoor pool, gym, and the Foundry Kitchen & Bar.⁠
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More than just a hotel, it’s a new destination enhancing the street experience along one of Melbourne’s busiest CBD corridors.⁠
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See more on this project at https://lifearchitecture.com.au/project/mercure-hotel-flagstaff/
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12/09/2025

Last night, LiFE Architecture and Sora Interior Architecture & Design were proud to be on display at Radical Belonging—an exhibition hosted by Cera Stribley in partnership with Architecture With Pride.⁠
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The event celebrated diverse perspectives in architecture and design, highlighting how inclusivity and community can be embedded in the built environment.⁠
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We were honoured to showcase LifeView Marigold, our Prahran aged care project designed to foster dignity, connection, and a sense of belonging for LGBTIQ+ seniors. Featuring hotel-style amenity, curated interiors, and spaces that encourage community interaction, Marigold represents a progressive model of seniors living that embraces individuality while cultivating collective wellbeing.⁠
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The evening brought together design leaders, advocates, and community voices to reflect on how architecture can champion visibility and belonging—an ethos at the heart of Creating Architecture for LiFE.⁠
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13/06/2025

We’re thrilled to share that Fellowship is a finalist in the 2025 INDE.Awards – Multi-Residential Building category!

This project was conceived as a sophisticated alternative to conventional single dwellings, with a focus on timeless design, material honesty, and deep sensitivity to its Studley Park surroundings.

The INDE.Awards celebrate the best architecture and design from across the Indo-Pacific, and we’re honoured to be recognised among this year’s finalists — an impressive group of studios and projects redefining contemporary residential living.

Congratulations to our incredible team — and in particular Mark Spraggon and Mark Gifford for their leadership, creativity, and care that brought this project to life.

Congratulations also to all the Project Teams involved






Photography -

Project: Fellowship
Category: Multi-Residential Building
Awards: INDE.Awards 2025