A house of bricks. Bricks laid in the patterns of kilims and rugs. Texture upon texture, rough against smooth. A modern interpretation of warehouse living, a striking contemporary home. A considered sense of place. Then at its core, rising like a tabernacle, an altar to the written word, the avid reader’s fantasy, the tower of books. Reaching through to the second floor it is accessible by ladder or from a second floor walk way. Book storage brilliance from Melbourne based architects Jolson.

Nestled in the green hills of the Byron Bay hinterland, Northern New South Wales is a special place. A getaway, a retreat from the everyday, an events venue, a beautiful old home and its refurbished rustic shed. Stay a while, team build or get married. Such a lovely spot in a lovely part of the world. Gurragawee.

New against old. Blocks of concrete and narrow recessed glass. Outward and in and the relationship between the two. Open plan extension to a Victorian era house where the new contrasts against the old. Internal walls of concrete are warmed by wood. It’s a restrained palette of concrete, black aluminium, stainless steel and oak. Glebe House by Nobbs Radford Architects.

Escape within the pages of a book and reality is suspended. The hours pass but you won’t notice. You’ll be in another time, another world, another body and if you are very, very lucky you’ll be in your own special reading nook. By Nobbs Radford Architects.

Is it possible not to want to leave the office when it is time to go home? Can you like a workspace so much that you just want to move in a bed and call it home? If my work environment looked like the Pensar offices designed by Brisbane architects Marc&Co I’d be one happy camper… or should that be resident.