Having spent the past 12 months designing and building our house, my interest in and passion for architecture and design has steadily increased.
Adelaide has some of the most beautiful and historical architecture in the country, particularly our heritage stone villas. We also have some exciting new modern developments, like the amazing new SAHMRI??? and Royal Adelaide Hospital buildings.
So what are the current trends in residential homes in South Australia and how do they differ from the other states? I asked Adelaide architect Greg Bond, from Atelier Bond, and Francesco Bonato, Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Adelaide and director for design firm Tectvs, to give us their thoughts. 

What are the current residential architectural trends in Adelaide?
South Australians are growing hungry for apartments, with new developments Parkland Vista, 138 South Terrace, Adelaide catering to their desires of living in the city.
Bond: The trend I've seen emerge in the past few years is the idea of the "new Australian lifestyle". This can best be described as the ability to have the key living areas of a home - indoors, out or preferably both - light and bright, relaxed, social, unfussy and low maintenance. It's all the characteristics you would use to describe the typical Australian personality and what one of my clients once said summed up an idyllic Sunday afternoon. A well-designed floor plan is key to achieving this lifestyle and also a palette of natural materials such as timber and stone, and simple, neutral finishes such as a polish or a coat of white paint.

Bonato: It would appear there is an emerging appetite for apartment living, particular in the city, in part due to the rise of "street life" through such things as small bars, brought about by changes in liquor licensing legislation. This is bringing people from the suburbs and into apartments. They are more affordable, require less maintenance (and the impost on private time) and relieve us of a reliance on the car. It now seems people are drawn to "groovy" buildings in the city. So the race is on to create the "coolest" and "hippest" apartment building around. And in doing so, there is a shift from architecture to interiors as well.

Are there certain looks that are particular to, or more prevalent in South Australia?
Architect Greg Bond says "South Aussies love a good stone wall".
Bond: There is a real authenticity to South Australian architecture because we want our homes to be a reflection of our lives and personalities. We also appreciate "good bones" of old houses and are more likely to renovate and extend, rather than knock down and start again. While there are a few notable flashier look-at-me properties, the majority of us don't want or need or see the value in extravagance. We simply appreciate smart, affordable design that allows us to live well. That, and stone - South Aussies love a good stone wall.

Bonato: I have long championed a regional aesthetic for Adelaide, but I take the view we are still in a formative period, still struggling to break away from our dependence on "heritage". Adelaide is obsessed with its Victorian past and finds itself sometimes blind to ideas and trends. Adelaide needs to be more adventurous. There can be more to our architecture than bluestone, red brick and lacework! That is not to devalue Adelaide's heritage, but rather leverage from it and not imitate it. 

Do you have any predictions of design and building trends we'll be seeing in 2016?
Bonato: I would like to see an emergence of this regional aesthetic, unique to Adelaide and not reliant on a "grab bag" of international trends.   Maybe the current (because like all things, it's not that new) small-bar trend can lead the way from within. This informality is uplifting, relaxing and not so rigid. An example might be those quintessentially modern and ubiquitous "groovy" additions at the back of many suburban homes. They allow freedom of expression, without offending the street and are looser in their programme, combining living/dining/kitchen et al into a single space looking out to the north (if you're lucky). 
Bond: I don't think that I'm going too far out on a limb by saying black window frames are on a number of architects' drawing boards right now. They have an elegance lacking in silver or white and seem to evoke notions of sophistication and urban style.