User:Nrc 02/Cassandra Fahey

Cassandra Fahey is an award winning Melbourne based, Australian architect and practice director of Cassandra Complex, best known for designing the Newman House (also known as the "Pamela House").

Career and Personal Life
Cassandra completed the bachelor of Architecture at RMIT University 1998. She then travelled to the USA where she visited Richard Serra’s sculpture in its original setting a converted New York City garage which influenced the later design of her own house.

On returning she soon commenced her career under the mentorship of Tom Kovac and soon registered her own practice which she named Cassandra complex due to its highly collaborative nature. Cassandra’s partner Dr. Micheal Ben-Meir the Clinical Director at Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne.

Quotes
Fahey stated architecture is about “pushing the human body in space and no other medium can do that.” On Sam Newman project. “[It] intensifies and highlights the public’s obsession with celebrity.” On her House: “Giant red glowing lolly in the middle of the space glowing like a heart from the street at night” She admits she is “a well composed super-fiery who has done well for herself”, “Who has done well for herself because she is “smart, talented and ballsy.” “I think Melbourne is an excellent petrii dish for young architects. There is opportunity here. We have land. Lots of land.”, “you still have to be good though.” “I wanted architecture to be opened up, taken out of its myopic little discussion with itself and brought to the public sphere”

Awards
2003 RAIA award for best new building for the Sam Newman House 2004 National award for interior architecture for Chameleon 2004 Residential architecture award for Chameleon (vic) 2006 Institutional architecture award for the Healsville Platypusary (vic) 2006 Commercial architecture award for the Husk Store (vic) 2007 National commendation for interior architecture for The Smith Great Aussie Home

Selected Projects
2001 Sam Newman House – St. Kilda West, Melbourne, Australia. Sam Newman House was designed by Melbournian architect Cassandra Fahey, finished in 2001. It was nominated for RAIA award for the best New Building in 2003 .

Fahey was given an open brief by her client; a rare luxury, considering it was her first commission.

The Exterior design of the house was unsurprisingly controversial and was dogged by objections and incorrect planning applications. It is called the house that Melbournians love to hate.

It has a 9m by 8m Façade made of patterned glass designed by Cassandra and features a mural of Pamela Anderson.

The garage door is designed to open at Pamela’s mouth.

The house which is actually named ‘White Noise’ is inspired from Robert Venturis Term ‘Billboard Façade’. Is is actually a most subtle and sophisticated design for a first work, in which post-modernism co-habits seamlessly with minimalism.

The house has been dubbed by Juliana Engber, curator of Melbourne Festival’s Visual art’s to fit within australias fixation on ‘the gigantic’ as in the big pineapple, big banana and now the ‘big pammy’. It is also regarded as pop art and public art by Norman Day, Adjunt professor of Architecture at RMIT university.

2003 Husk Store Melbourne, Australia 2005 BHP Billiton Platypusary – Hillsville Sanctuary, Australia.

Platypusary at Healsville sanctuary also known as BHP Billiton Platypusary was designed by Melbourne architect Cassandra Fahey. It Opened to the public on the May 12, 2005.

Visualised as a huge platypus egg in bright gold pipes, the platypusary’s façade is made up of gold panels with inscribed leaf shapes. It encloses a ponds of water running like a native creek. The passing of sun over these leaves casts complex shadows and reflections onto the marble ground of the platypusary. The movement of the water through the pools provides different refractions cast upon the gold panels, reiterating the constant connection and reflection. When asked about influences she cites the work of aboriginal painter Emily kame kngwarrey among her key influences. The viewer is encapsulated within the ovuloid, under the exoskeleton, ensuring they too become part of the sparkle motion so that in some strange way they are part of this “awelye”. Awelye represents ceremony in aboriginal culture of Australia. . Kame Kngwarrey also labeled her work as “awelye”, “the lot” ,”the whole bang lot”.

2005 Crowning Glory (installation), Monash University, Australia. 2006 The Smith Great Aussie Home – Black Rock, Melbourne, Australia.

The Smith Great Aussie Home was designed for the self-made businessman Darren Smith. The $1.6 million “trophy home” is located at Black Rock, Melbourne, Victoria.

The family home located on Beach Road, is a homage to all things Australian and features a surreal montage of Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe. The digi-glass window at the top of the stairs is one of the Australian icons celebrated in the Smith Home. The suggestive artwork also features a mermaid and merman appearing as a single figure. The entire residence is completely designed by Fehey herself and was awarded a National Commendation for Interior Architecture, the house is part theatre, part celebration of all things specific to the resident family. is located at Black Rock, Melbourne, Victoria.

2006 Bathroom renovation – St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. 2007 New Gold Mountain interior – Melbourne, Australia. 2008 Domestic renovation, Hawthorn, Australia.