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design
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An unusual precast feature is a 700 mm thick panel with
a semi-circular opening framing the entrance to the
ground floor cafe.This was cast in four sections and
assembled on site.“The solid and robust form of this
concrete element expresses a unique feel to this space,”
says Barry Baltinas.“As they walk through this circular
opening, building occupants and visitors will experience
the sense of its proportions. It also provides a strong
Brutalist expression of concrete building support.”
With Halo on Mount all but complete and pre-sold, Barry
Baltinas is well on the way with his next project.Velo, a
nine-level building that will house 61 apartments and a
bar/cafe, is just coming out of the ground as we write
(although 51of the 61 apartments have been pre-sold). It
shares the sustainability and lifestyle attributes of Halo on
Mount and its precast construction, again by Austral
Precast. However the strongly geometric facade design
makes a very different statement and its inner-city
location in trendy Northbridge squarely targets this
development at a younger demographic.
At the other end of the scale, Baltinas Architecture is well
known for its bar designs. Barry compares this unusual
branch of interior design to fashion “in that you have to
come up with a range for this year and then it’s gone for
next year, it’s not in fashion. It’s a lot of detail and hard
work sourcing the latest, and most people want to have a
bar that is different from everyone else’s.”
As well as being anchored by the needs of his family,
Barry Baltinas also practices yoga and meditation,
following the teachings of an Indian guru.“It’s an
opportunity to be in the present, to be still and not lost in
the busy, hectic world that we live in.”
And here’s that seeming paradox again, as his other
great passion is car racing! He’s been competing since
the early ‘90s and currently runs a 1970 BMW 2002 coupe
in the Group Nc touring car class, racing against vintage
Mustangs, Escort Twin Cams and the like.
“It’s great because you get to rub shoulders with really
great blokes, a lot of old boys who just love their cars,” he
reflects.“When you get out there it’s like meditation, you
are in the moment, you don’t have too much time to think
about anything else but what your racing line is and
what your competitors are doing. It’s a great sport.”
There is no doubt that Barry Baltinas has a deep and
enduring passion for the things that are important in his
life, beginning with his family. Benjamin Franklin got it right
(as he did in so many things) when he said “If passion
drives you, let reason hold the reins.”
It’s safe to say that Barry Baltinas is driven by a number of
passions but he has firm control of the steering, in more
ways than one!
Photography:
Gary Peters