Page 12 - Tropic Magazine Issue 18

TROPIC • UP FRONT
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Delve into the daily habits and happenings in the life of a local.
Alanna Coburn
Director
Coburn Architecture
Juggling early morning
exercise with a two-year-old
son - or both at the same time
- is all part of a typically busy
day for Alanna Coburn from
Coburn Architecture.
12 • Tropic • Issue 18
5:20am I generally only set an alarm for 11:00am Review the formwork set-up
early morning flights and for a 6am yoga and levels with the site manager for a
class. Usually I wake around 5:30-6:00am, complex area where we are connecting
often because my two-year-old or one into the existing building.
of our miniature dachshunds wakes me.
Today, I’m woken by the smoke alarm 12:00pm Back to the office. I usually eat
randomly going off, so I decide I may as a packed lunch at my desk and see if
well go for a bike ride. there’s any updates from daycare on my
phone app. Sometimes I’ll go for a walk
5:35am Ready to head out the door when and reward myself with a caramel slice
my son, Finn, wakes up. We spend a while from Annabel’s Bakery.
looking for the red shirt he wants to wear.
6:30am I get Finn into the bike trailer, and 12:30-5:00pm Spend the afternoon
reviewing/writing reports, checking
ride down to the Esplanade bike path. drawings and responding to builder,
When we are both up early (and it’s not client or consultant queries. We work
raining) I try to get outside and do a bike collaboratively on projects, so there’s
ride or a walk up the Red Arrow (with usually a lot of discussion while we
work, and everyone contributes to design
Finn in the backpack).
decisions and the documentation.
7:20am Back home and have porridge
for breakfast. I get ready for work while 5:30pm Get home. Matt finishes work
Finn watches Peppa Pig and my husband, at 4:30, so he’s picked up Finn and has a
Matt, gets him organised. paella regenerating in the oven. Matt and
Finn are busy riding their scooters around
8:40am Make the short trip from Edge the living room(!) so I take the dogs for a
Hill to our office on Sheridan St. I drop quick walk around Edge Hill.
Finn off at daycare on my way to work.
6:00pm Dinner, bath and story time with
9:00am Get to the office and make a Finn. Our families live away so we often
coffee (using our reusable coffee pods). video call family around this time.
I have a quick chat with Deb, Helen and
Harry about what they are working on. 8:00pm Relax on the couch with Matt
We have a small office, and the three of and the dogs. We usually find something
us have flexible working arrangements, to watch on ABC’s iView or I’ll read a
so it’s important to keep track of where book (I’m currently re-reading a crime
everyone is up to. series written by retired architect, Barry
Maitland).
9:05am Go through my emails and
prioritise items that need to be actioned 9:00pm If I haven’t fallen asleep on the
and try to get a few admin tasks out of couch, I’ll have some ‘me time’ (often
the way before starting the ‘real’ work. spent making a list of things I should do
with this time) or, if we have a deadline,
10:00am Today we have a site meeting at I’ll log-in to get some work done without
St Monica’s College. I have been involved distractions.
in the redevelopment of St Monica’s
College since I first came to Cairns 10:30pm I leave my phone in the kitchen
over ten years ago, and the third stage and read a bit in bed before going to
is now under construction. It’s exciting sleep.
to see the building coming out of the
ground and will be great to see the new MORE: coburnarchitecture.com.au
interactive learning spaces completed.