Emma Butterworth Architects

Emma Butterworth Architects New Farm architect exploring stories through design.

One thing I learnt last year was that it takes time to build a relationship with a hairdresser. I would dread sitting do...
27/01/2026

One thing I learnt last year was that it takes time to build a relationship with a hairdresser. I would dread sitting down in the chair and hearing the question ‘so, what are we doing today?’. Such a simple question, but one that drove fear into my heart. I felt put on the spot, like I had to whip out a presentation, filled with concept sketches and reference materials that would somehow convey the fact that all I really wanted was long layers and curtain bangs. I sat through the discomfort and over the course of a year, I got the haircut I wanted.
 
Hairdresser and architect are different services in scale, but at the heart of it they are the same. When you take on a building project, you take a seat in the same chair. You’re headed somewhere new and it feels uncomfortable and uncertain. It can feel daunting to have someone come into your home and analyse the way you live.  
 
When we’re feeling discomfort that means we’re usually getting to the right answer. It would be easier for me to simply draw exactly what you want, but this creates less impact, less change. A good architect will challenge you, guide you and help you through this transition. Just like choosing the right hair stylist, it can take some time to choose the right architect, one who will help you translate the vision in your head.

Have you ever seen a Queenslander being moved? It is a sight that is relatively common in Queensland, where weatherboard...
26/01/2026

Have you ever seen a Queenslander being moved? It is a sight that is relatively common in Queensland, where weatherboard houses are placed onto the back of trucks and moved to more convenient locations. The story of this house began a few streets away from where it lives now. Knowing that it had been moved, the new owner of this house searched Google Street view, travelling from street to street, until finally, she found its original location.

There it had sat, a pre 1946 Queenslander, until it was moved in 2016 to make way for new apartments. The story of this house is long, and many people had called it home. Now, lovingly painted a sparking sapphire blue, all it was missing was a back deck.   

At this house lives a couple, their playful dog and a very sleepy cat. Their journey had led them to a bayside location where their Queenslander house was making the most of the cooling sea breeze. The backyard is bookmarked by the house and a large Poinciana tree that provide privacy and shade to the cuttings and newly potted plants underneath. The new deck will sit to the north-east of the yard, capturing the morning sun.

As a first-year architecture student, one of my jobs was to deliver the Christmas presents to clients. Like Santa, I tra...
20/01/2026

As a first-year architecture student, one of my jobs was to deliver the Christmas presents to clients. Like Santa, I traipsed all over Brisbane carrying my goodies. My sleigh? Our Honda CRV, the trusty work car. My gifts? Not personalised wine bottles or boxes of chocolates, no, the gifts I carried were wheels of cheese, the signature Christmas gift at the firm I worked at. Back in the office, the venetian blinds would start to grow heavy with Christmas cards, and a silent competition began brewing over which director received the most. The steady march of Christmas hampers filled the reception as we haggled over who would get what.

See link in bio to read more about the things I learnt while making Christmas Cards.

Finishing touches at Camp Hill
20/01/2026

Finishing touches at Camp Hill

Briefing notes from a few days spent west of Ballarat last week - now moving into Concept DesignThis is a house that loo...
18/01/2026

Briefing notes from a few days spent west of Ballarat last week - now moving into Concept Design

This is a house that looks in on itself, it’s closed off to the beauty surrounding it

It wants to be opened up to the big great gums in the sheltered front lawn where rose garden remnants show the promise of what’s to come

It wants to be opened up to the old water tank, waiting to become a plunge pool, sheltered by the cypress wind break

It wants to be opened up to the eastern sun and views over the valley, and to the north where a sea of grass draws your eye up the endless hill

But it also wants to be warm and cosy, a refuge from the cold

Brick set out on site at Camp Hill ☀️
10/01/2026

Brick set out on site at Camp Hill ☀️

Site visits at Camp Hill
10/12/2025

Site visits at Camp Hill

New Farm shadows
03/12/2025

New Farm shadows

The challenge for this house is one of levels. A disjointed granny flat offers the promise of more space but there are t...
28/11/2025

The challenge for this house is one of levels. A disjointed granny flat offers the promise of more space but there are two problems; no internal access and a difference between floor levels of just over 1m.

The first stage of your project is Pre-design and if your house is existing, one of the first steps is a measure up.

I’ve often felt like the measure up is one of the most important parts of the project, because in the hours that it takes to complete, I get to know the house. I find the quirks, locate the secret cupboards, notice things that will need repairing, and for a few hours, I understand what it’s like to live in the house.

Read more about my services at ebarchitects.com.au/services

What’s in a gate house?Some have crowns of gardens, while others are mere post and beam. It cries ‘enter here’ but only ...
03/09/2025

What’s in a gate house?
Some have crowns of gardens, while others are mere post and beam. It cries ‘enter here’ but only if you have the secret passwrod. Some, like a car, have all the bells and whistles, with enough lights and microphones to stage a tiny play. While others are merely metaphorical wisteria portals that say now you’re here, instead of there.

What do you need from your gatehouse?

A drawbridge and moat or an arbour of wisteria?

When I moved to New Farm I quickly identified the Village Voice as a means of connection. It’s the connecting thread tha...
28/08/2025

When I moved to New Farm I quickly identified the Village Voice as a means of connection. It’s the connecting thread that binds everyone together. You’ll find it at the doctors surgery and on the kitchen island bench tops of some of New Farm’s most impressive homes. I had a goal as a business owner and resident to find my place in the community, and now, as I flip through the latest VV, I see so many familiar faces of people I call friends. It started with the and it continues through , , various Networking groups, the mentoring program at FVSSC. The best moments are when I run into someone at the supermarket or out on a walk. If I haven’t met you yet, I’m likely just a short walk away, so don’t be shy!

EBA Margin Notes A new series about things I’ve been meaning to write about.The allure of a private garden seen from the...
22/08/2025

EBA Margin Notes
A new series about things I’ve been meaning to write about.

The allure of a private garden seen from the street, but unable to be entered. There are many that I pass here in New Farm. The foreground is always lit with diffuse light, while beyond, bright sunlight whispers stories of secret gardens and promises tales of the unknown.

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