after and care for our buildings, which ones were the ones that we wanted to then progress. “The plan was always to build these buildings on the site of Silver Sands, but rather than move forward straight ahead and build all 14 in one hit, we decided that we were best off, because we couldn’t sort of finalise the design, that we would actually just build those on the site at Douglas River and use that as a prototype, and a trial to make sure that what we were doing was right. “Doing it in smaller scales, it is a lot easier to build three buildings than it is to build 14 and realise at the end that you’ve made a mistake. But the response was incredibly personal. People didn’t just like them, they had a real emotional reaction to the spaces. There’s something about the attention to detail, the craftsmanship and the pared-back interiors that really resonates. It’s very much grounded in that Danish hygge philosophy, warm, calm and understated, without being overdone.” That feedback loop became the foundation for what would follow. Over the next several years, designs were refined, lessons applied and a final concept emerged in 2020. Then, like so many long-
term projects, progress was abruptly halted by the arrival of Covid. Rather than derail the vision, the pause became an unexpected advantage. It allowed for further refinement, iteration and, ultimately, a stronger outcome. “It’s not just about putting some solar panels on the roof and putting a tank in, it is really living and breathing sustainability from the ground up.” - Sue Gilbert Now, more than a decade after the idea first took shape, Sea Stacks Bicheno is open to the public. The development comprises 12 buildings housing 14 luxury, self-contained accommodations, positioned carefully across the former Silver Sands site at 80 Burgess Street. What makes the project distinctive is not just its design, but its philosophy. At every stage, decisions have been guided by a commitment to
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Tasmanian Hospitality Review August/September Edition
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