Weave Studio

Weave Studio was established by Digby Hall as an innovative approach to how sustainable architecture is carried out. Rather than ‘architecture as service’ our approach is ‘architecture as a curation‘. We bring together all of the parts; the ideas and the concepts, the character of the site, the environmental conditions, the specific client needs and desires, the budget and the building process, and our own experiences of such places – then we create architecture that responds to that specific context.

Every project becomes tailored, uniquely bespoke to suit the site on which it will live. It will reflect the function and the needs of the end users, and perhaps most importantly it won’t do anything it doesn’t need to.

This approach to architecture is staunchly unpretentious and prefers to be honest and efficient… and in the process becomes elegant, clean and refined. In a sense our work seeks to be ‘quiet’ so that the end users can find a better connection with the site itself.

Our ‘Why’

Our work is wholly focused on restoring human health, wellbeing, happiness and even dignity through the habitats we create. By putting human wellbeing at the centre of our work we must therefor also focus on planetary health, sustainability, functionality and beauty, because all of these aspects combine to have a profound impact on our lives – even if we’re not aware of them.

We are driven therefore to make our designs lean and efficient, highly functional and streamlined, and with as much connection with nature as the program allows. Because of this focus on human health, our approach is applied equally to any project type whether it be through master planning of a campus or community, the design of an office building, or to a single home alteration.

We also devote 20% of our time to ‘giving’ work, whether it be through running courses, teaching, volunteering or pro-bono work. It makes us feel good.

Key Services

• Architectural Master Planning across a range of typologies, including retirement living and aged care, residential, resort and leisure and commercial. Services include feasibility studies and optioneering, collaboration with planning authorities and stakeholders, and facilitation of stakeholder workshops.
• Sustainability Master Plans & Strategies. We provide comprehensive sustainability master plans and strategies at campus scale which focus on all aspects of a long term ‘zero footprint’ future. Our strategies are developed in collaboration with all stakeholders and sponsors and are uniquely tailored to match the nature of the business. We provide staged project plans, facilitate stakeholder workshops and work closely with site facilities management teams to develop strategies that are practical, achievable, affordable and meaningful. Past projects have included strategies for large secondary colleges and schools, primary schools and residential communities.
• Architectural Concept Design through to Planning Approval for most building typologies. We have an exceptional record with successful planning approvals through our collaborative approach. We retain design overview beyond planning approval and hand construction documentation over to documentation firms or D&C builders.
  • Residential – from single home alterations and additions through to master planned communities of 1,000+ dwellings. Our focus remains on connecting people with nature irrespective of the scale.
  • Retirement Living and Aged Care – master plans and concept design. We focus on creating the most desirable environments possible, those where residents can once again connect with gardens and landscape, with community and shared streets and shared food.
  • Commercial Offices – master plans, feasibilities and single building designs. We are highly skilled at developing clean and efficient floor plates with cost-effective and practical outcomes. Past projects include multi-building master plans and developed designs, and single building designs and approvals for the owner-occupier, speculative developer or REIT.
  • Resort and Leisure – master plans and concepts for medium to higher-end resorts. Past projects have included day spas, F&B, hotels and serviced apartments and high-end waterfront resorts.

About Digby Hall

With more than two decades of experience as an architect in the Australian property industry, working on projects ranging from single homes through to multi-dwelling developments and resorts; from creating retirement village master plans in Sydney through to mixed-use city blocks in China and India; and from specialising as a sustainability consultant to the broader industry across dozens of commercial and residential project types, Digby has ‘closed the circle’ to focus on the art of sustainable architecture.

“I was designing and integrating ‘green’ long before the green rating tools came along, so I’ve always designed from first principles. I spent a number of years immersed in an industry where ‘sustainability’ has become a scientific process and where the architect is no longer driving the agenda. Whilst I agree that science has its place, I believe that sustainable design is about a dialogue between people and their environment… where listening to the client and the rhythm of the site can help us develop outcomes that trigger a meaningful emotional response.

Of course things need to be buildable and practical and affordable. Of course they need to conserve resources and energy. But to arrive at a truly sustainable and human response needs the guidance of an architect who cares”