2023 Australian Interior Design Awards: Emerging Interior Design Practice

Award | ArchitectureAU Editorial

2 Jun 2023

J.AR Office

The Disco by J.AR Office.

Image: David Chatfield

Jury comment

J.AR Office’s entries in this year’s Awards program greatly impressed the judges, making the Teneriffe-based practice the worthy Emerging Designer recipient. Established in 2021 by Jared Webb, who graduated with a master’s degree in architectural design from QUT, J.AR Office is committed to sculpting spaces that engage the individual and community alike. The jury applauded Jared’s refreshing approach to creative problems across typologies ranging from retail through to residential, and it noted the resolve of Oxlade Apartment and recently completed hair salon The Disco. J.AR Office displays a detailed capacity and depth of thinking beyond the designer’s years of practice.

Practice profile

Jared Webb established J.AR Office in 2021 at age 33, with the ambition to positively contribute to Brisbane’s built and social environments, one memorable and contextual space at a time.

He conceived the practice on the back of Oxlade Apartment, which presented a valuable opportunity to revitalize apartment living in Brisbane, and to set a precedent for this often-undervalued era of building – a late-1960s apartment block.

Jared has a master’s degree in architectural design from Queensland University of Technology. He honed his craft with Richards and Spence for nearly 10 years and was instrumental in the design and delivery of several acclaimed interior and architectural projects.

J.AR Office has completed three projects. Three more are due for completion in 2023. These primarily commercial projects are united by their spatial innovation and engagement with community. The success of these values is demonstrated in The Disco, which recently featured in Artichoke’s “Emerging Designers” issue.

The Award for Emerging Interior Design Practice is supported by Space. The Australian Interior Design Awards are presented by the Design Institute of Australia and Artichoke magazine. For more images of this project, see the Australian Interior Design Awards gallery.

Products and materials

Walls and ceilings: Ceilings and walls sprayed in vermiculite, painted Dulux ‘Wombat Forest.’ Sonaspray acoustic ceiling painted in Dulux ‘Wombat Forest.’ Walls rendered in Rockcote Cerano. Walls and integrated shelving clad in linished stainless steel.

Doors: All doors integrated with Ezy Jamb.

Flooring: Arrival tunnel flooring is Cocamat in ‘Natural Honey’ from Birrus. Matt sealer on concrete floor from Drytreat Original.

Joinery: Vagli Italian marble island bench and table from Franca Design.

Lighting: Oboe suspended lights by Ambience Lighting.

Furniture: Wash chairs and station chairs from Comfortel.

Other: Custom galvanized steel signage by Autoline and Signs.

Credits

Project: The Disco

Design practice: J.AR Office
Qld, Australia

Project Team: Jared Webb

Consultants: Builder Aussie Fitouts

Aboriginal Nation: Built on the land of the Turrbal and Jagera peoples.

Site Details: Site type Suburban

Project Details: Status Built
Design, documentation 3 months
Construction 2 months
Category Interiors
Type Wellness

Products and materials

Internal walls: Existing vermiculite repaired and painted in Dulux low-sheen in ‘Lexicon Quarter’; existing concrete painted in Dulux low-sheen in ‘Lexicon Quarter’.

Windows: Alspec glazing in ‘Natural Anodized’; Vertilux 50-mm blade venetian blinds in ‘Brushed Aluminium’.

Doors: EZ Concept door jambs and cornices; Frits Jurgens pivot hinges in ‘Stainless Steel’.

Flooring: Mapei poured resin floor in ‘Black’.

Lighting: Palco spotlights and Laser downlights from iGuzzini; concealed strip lighting from IBM; Gubi Semi pendant in ‘White’.

Kitchen: Custom stainless steel benchtop and sink; Laminex Absolute Matte joinery in ‘White’; Bosch integrated dishwasher, oven and induction cooktop; Billi tap.

Bathroom: Astra Walker Icon tapware in ‘Brushed Nickel’; 19-mm Palco lighting from iGuzzini in ‘White’; Classic Ceramics Interni tiles in ‘Perla’ and ‘Cobalto’; walls and ceiling painted in Dulux semi-gloss ‘Master Blue’.