Brother Nature was founded in 2014 by siblings Andy and Annalise Knight, who grew up in regional NSW watching their parents raise a family on a one-man building business. That upbringing shaped the way they see the industry: if a building isn’t designed well, built well and cared for, it simply won’t work – not for the people living in it, and not for the future we’re building toward.
What started as a small family venture has grown into a design-and-build practice known for taking on complex, high-performance buildings – especially those involving mass timber and modern methods of construction. Our experience spans design, documentation, construction management, installation and systemisation, and we’ve worked hard to bring all of that knowledge together under one roof. The result is an end-to-end approach that pairs technical capability with a genuine commitment to beautiful, well-resolved architecture.
We’re driven by a simple idea: better buildings make better communities. A good building meets its brief; a great one outperforms it. For us, that means structures that optimise their site, perform efficiently, use fewer toxic materials, generate less waste, go together cleanly, and serve their users for decades – not just the warranty period. It also means sharing what we learn, upskilling regional partners and creating opportunities in the places we work.
Our team is small and hands-on (and unusually invested). We choose collaboration over competition, and we’re proud of the recognition this approach has earned – from industry awards to national features. But the real measure is the work itself: buildings that are accurate, durable, low-impact and built with care.
As the industry shifts toward industrialised construction, Brother Nature is shaping what that future looks like in practice – through our projects, our systems, and through Building Elements, our platform for sharing proven solutions with others.
Carruthers Chalet sits high on Front Valley at Perisher as one of – if not the – highest mass timber buildings in Australia.
Perched at roughly 1,798 metres above sea level, Carruthers Chalet – a new ski-in, ski-out accommodation within Kosciuszko National Park – sits high on Front Valley at Perisher Ski Resort, where construction faces some of the harshest weather and access conditions in the country. Inside, the building opens up into a warm, light-filled alpine interior: generous volumes, exposed timber features and expansive views across the snowfields facilitate a space designed for both energy and rest after a day on the mountain.
Despite the altitude, logistics and a tight winter deadline, the project (one of only a handful of developments approved in the area) evolved from blockwork to a warm, light-filled, fully finished building in just 19 weeks.
Delivering a Class 3 building here meant navigating rapidly shifting alpine conditions, limited access and a firm opening date tied to the start of the ski season. What made that timeline possible? Mass timber. Components were manufactured in Austria and delivered to site well ahead of the winter shutdown, allowing the structure to come together quickly once installation began.
The project was completed in time for opening weekend – the same date a compulsory stop-work period began as snowfall and resort operations took over. Delivering a complex fire solution at altitude added another layer of technical challenge, but the result is an accessible alpine retreat that feels both robust and welcoming – a building designed to perform in one of Australia’s most demanding environments.
Designed for adventure, built to last. Mountains (2022) is a home away from home in Australia’s high country.
Building on the work of Architect Nikki Quittner and local Draftsman Daniel Kroenert, Brother Nature came on board Mountains to help resolve some tricky planning and design problems, convert the design to suit CLT, achieve Development Approval, and to build.
Cross Laminated Timber was chosen as the construction methodology due to it’s impressive thermal properties, excellent weight/strength ratio, speed, and alignment with Brother Nature’s philosophy. The construction materiality is celebrated by exposing the CLT for the feature timber raked ceiling and exposed CLT walls.
Brother Nature also introduced modular bathroom pods to further increase the speed of construction. The interiors carry the rugged landscape home with Mountains’ intrepid visitors, with warmth and comfort artfully integrated via finishes, fixtures and product choices. The quintessential Snowy Mountains views are maximised by a 3 degree splay in the structure, ensuring every serviced apartment stares right down the barrel of everything you travelled to the region for.
Head over to www.kunamatownhouses.com.au to book your stay now.
