An exercise in restraint and simplicity How to create a piece of furniture that is functional and not overstated? Chris Elliott recently designed this stand for his own TV in a room with a stunning ocean backdrop. It was important the furniture piece worked with the colours and sensitivities of the room, not detract from the views, be future proof, and be functional for a family to use. The low-profile cabinet is designed for a contemporary interior and was designed to look equally good from the front; or the rear so it can be placed in front of windows or walls. Small castors allow the module to be easily moved. A sliding etched blue glass front hides the equipment, and interior dividers are removable to allow easy access, with holes for TV wiring. The unit can be finished in polyurethane to match different wall colours or other furniture and in timber veneer.

Photos and Images: CEA, 2016

abandoned fragment goes green The concept for this redundant piece of concrete freeway was part landscape, part artwork. It filled The Stub, an abandoned fragment of the roads structure in Sydney’s CBD, with shade-loving rainforest vines whilst commenting on the issue of global warming. "FORM ONE LANE", as seen on our freeway signs, became a bold red sign saying "FORM ONE PLANET". The design also commented on Sydney's regular water shortages, acting as an eco-barometer of the state of our most precious resource. An ingenious system of tanks, pipes and pulleys are connected to a vine-covered wire mesh. Water run-off from the freeway above is collected in a large tank, channelled to fill several large water bags. The weight of the water raises different parts of the mesh as the water level in the main tank rises. In times of heavy rainfall the topography becomes greener. In dry periods it becomes flatter and the vines take on a brownish hue. A salutary reminder of the state of our planet's resources.

Client: City of Sydney Location: Sydney, Australia Partners: Terragram Pty Ltd; Demlakian Associates Images: CEA Status: Invited Design Competition, First Prize, 2006

monument of dirt, palings, lettuce A transient monument to nothing in particular was constructed from dirt, fence palings and iceberg lettuce. The “shrine” lasted briefly during the Mt Penang Garden Festival of 2001. Afterwards, the palings were recycled, the dirt was returned to its hole and the lettuce, which was mostly still edible, was dropped off at an inner Sydney hostel for the homeless.

Client: Festival Development Corporation Location: Kariong, NSW, Australia Photos and Sketches: CEA Status: Landscape Competition First Prize, 2001

a bold intervention The proposal was for a new guesthouse and private gallery, a bold intervention in the landscape that avoided the common notions of the 'country garden' or 'Aussie shed'. Rather it opted for new and less predictable ways of relating to the grandeur of the Australian landscape. The concept involved a strong linear element emerging from the ground. The other end, buried, leads into a series of underground caverns creating a mysterious waterscape as a backdrop for the display of contemporary art.

Client: Undisclosed Location: Southern NSW, Australia Partners: Terragram Pty Ltd  Status: Concept, 2007 Images and Drawings: CEA

light shines on fashion studio Three projects were commissioned by international fashion designer Collette Dinnigan. The first was a shop fit out in Paddington; the second a design studio in Rushcutter's Bay; and the third was this warehouse studio in Surry Hills. The project consisted of two parts - the interior re-furbishing of a large brick warehouse including insertion of a new mezzanine level, and the second part was proposed additions at the rear of the building which did not proceed. A series of watercolour studies for those proposed additions played with colour and form and combined simple forms with a variety of unconventional ways of admitting light.

Client: Collette Dinnigan Location: Sydney, Australia Status: Built 2002 Photos: Richard Glover