H2o Melbourne are an internationally renowned, widely published and award winning Architecture, Interiors and Urban Design practice in Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia.
The practice was founded by Principals Tim Hurburgh and Mark O’Dwyer in 2000 and operates from a studio in Collingwood. Typically the office employs a core group of up to thirty professional and technical staff utilising predominantly Autocad and Archicad drawing software.
Tim and Mark have concentrated on developing innovative and insightful solutions to the one off characteristics of individual clients, their briefs and unique sites: embracing projects for institutions – both government and private – commercial, interior fit-out and residential, both single family houses and apartments. Mark also acts as an expert urban design witness on selected planning appeal matters.
H2o architects’ work is eco focused and H2o were pioneers of sustainable architecture in Australia. The evolutionary RMIT Textiles all-timber rain screen façade and thermal chimney was the first such use of timber on a large-scale commercial or institutional project in Australia. Similarly Swinburne University ATC was the first institutional project in Australia to achieve a 5 star rating by Green Star. The office fit-out for the Australian Conservation Foundation headquarters in Carlton pioneered an approach to the formal accreditation, by design of interiors projects.
Their work develops through the ‘plan’ from an interpretation of the brief reconciled against development constraints at an urban, site and building level. Projects are characterised by a logical expression of the buildings construction methodology and the use of a consistent palette of ‘natural’ materials refined through long term partnering with selected Melbourne Builders – particularly in the use of timber façade systems and the development of a colour consistent ‘all white’ precast concrete.
H2o projects aspire to a modern Australian architecture distinguished by focused eco design, a respect for ‘place’, landscape and a belief that an interior design generated ‘inside out’ approach will lead to the creation of highly focused individually tailored architecture.