Journal
Short, practical notes for homeowners planning a new custom home or major renovation in Brisbane, looking for a clearer, calmer path through the decisions that shape the final result.
Changing from timber to steel during tender sounds like a simple swap, until it forces a full redraw across architecture, structure, and services, triggers knock-on issues like extra building height for attic plant, and…
Luxury homes in Brisbane are changing. Square meters and high-end finishes are no longer enough: clients now expect their homes to perform just as well as they look. At Wigwam, we believe true luxury means designing for…
A look at Japandi for premium homes: this piece explores how clean massing, durable façades, and passive-climate strategies can be tailored to Brisbane’s subtropical context. You’ll find practical takeaways on roof…
This article explores how the WELL Building Standard has evolved from a niche idea into a global benchmark for health-first design. With over 5 billion square feet now certified worldwide, we look at the market impact…
This article explores how to adapt passive solar design principles, especially thermal mass, for Brisbane’s warm, humid climate (Zone 2). It outlines when mass helps, when it hurts, and how to combine it with shading…
This article explores how data from offices, schools, hotels, and hospitals, showing measurable gains in satisfaction, productivity, learning speed, profitability, and recovery, translate directly to premium home…
Take a moment right now to look outside your window. What would it mean to bring just a little bit of that green inside? A look at biophilic design (connecting people and nature through architecture) and how it’s…
Future-proofing doesn’t mean compromising on style. Universal design principles (grab rails, curbless showers, recessed storage, and accessible basins) can be built into a warm, residential look. Thoughtful contrasts…
If you’re designing or building homes and not thinking about how natural light affects sleep, mood, and wellbeing, it’s time to start. This isn’t just about aesthetics or energy efficiency. It’s about biology, and how…
This piece looks at how passive solar principles like orientation, thermal mass, and seasonal shading contribute to buildings that feel good to live in and perform beautifully over time, and where Passivhaus fits for…
A practical comparison of Passive House and Active House through a Brisbane lens: shading, ventilation strategy, moisture-safe materials, and why prefabrication/MMC is becoming the delivery backbone for high-performance…
Externalization is a design strategy that reconnects people with nature and community. It’s about creating porous boundaries, letting in light, air, and life, while reducing energy use.
Gas isn’t a safe middle step anymore. This is a practical argument for all-electric buildings, driven by methane’s near-term climate punch and the accelerating shift in regulation and expectations across Australia.
Brisbane has lived through what extreme weather can do, and resilience can’t be an afterthought. This piece explores practical design moves: passive comfort, water-sensitive planning, and community-centric spaces, so…
Why architects need maker time: protect uninterrupted design blocks, improve quality, and set clear expectations with clients and consultants.
A well-designed home is not simply a collection of rooms. It is a response to how you live, how you want to feel, and how light, climate, privacy and materials come together over time. When those decisions are rushed or left too late, the process becomes noisier, more stressful and more expensive than it needs to be. This journal exists to help simplify that.
These articles are general guidance only and do not constitute legal, contractual, or financial advice.
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