Third Wave Kiosk, Torquay

About an hour south of the bustling Melbourne streets is the pristine shoreline of Torquay, a small surfing town know for their appreciation of the arts. Home to the Australian Surfing Industry, the town attracts a fleet of laid back do-gooders (it's common for the locals act voluntarily as custodians) who have an eye for creative, yet authentic architecture and design. It's here that local Architect Tony Hobba of Tony Hobba Architects created a seaside shack called Third Wave Kiosk for surfers to grab a morning coffee before they hit the water.

The kiosk gets its mantra from the Third Wave of Coffee, which refers to a current movement to produce high-quality coffee, and consider coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, like wine, rather than a commodity, like wheat.

The coffee shop was constructed on a tight budget. To work within the monetary constraints, Hobba proposed the use of recycled sheet piles, often used as formwork for seawalls, in which he create a sculptural envelope around a standard concrete block building.

These particular sheet piles were originally used during the 2010 floods in Victoria as temporary formwork for sandbanking overflowing rivers. Bonus points for up-cycling. The sheeting wraps around the structure, created a wave like effect that adds interest and architectural relevance to the location.

Because the Kiosk is royally situated on top the cliff, Hobba created an outdoor bar where patrons can grub on their meal while enjoying the stellar view ocean view. The wavy kiosk has now become a staple landmark for the town, and its visibility has made it a meeting point for walkers, surf schools and the nearby camp site.

Photography Courtesy of Rory Gardiner