An artist's leisurely exercise regime walking and cycling around the Gold Coast has led to a renewed call to save endangered mid-century homes on the tourist strip.
Artist Rosi Griffin was so inspired by the architectural gems she came across that an exhibition featuring her paintings and sculptures of 1950's and 60's houses will be launched later this week at Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah.
But it is already too late for some of the houses she captured on canvas.
"Some of them are not there anymore — they have been demolished," Rosi said.
"They're part of our history on the Gold Coast."
Rosi spent five years taking photos and sketching the buildings, mainly around Mermaid Beach and Palm Beach.
Now the pastime has become her passion.
"I'm not an activist as such," she said.
"Hopefully with what I have done it might trigger something else."
'Gone forever'?
Architect Philip Follent, the inaugural Gold Coast City Architect and the first head of the Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University, says Rosi has already made an impact.
"If we don't have people like Rosi documenting this work, it will be gone forever," Mr Follent said.
"The ones of most architectural interest — most have gone."
Mr Follent is hopes the new exhibition will stir the community out of complacency.
"I hope public sentiment picks up to preserve some of these, but it really comes back to property owners valuing those buildings" he said.
Gold Coast City Council has been lobbied on the issue previously but policy changes never eventuated.
"They tend to be in the path of development," Mr Follent said.
"They're close to the ocean in many cases and the site value exceeds the value of the building fabric itself."
Incentives could include rate relief, design services and design transferable rights, Mr Follent said.
"Something creative to make property owners feel like they can hold onto their property rather than just see them demolished," he said.
Part of Rosi Griffin's inspiration for the exhibition came from the besser brick, which has experienced a revival in popularity.
"It becomes a little bit of an obsession," she said.
"Every time a see a new design I get very excited."
The Modern Beloved exhibition will run at Tweed Regional Gallery from Friday September 23 until November 27.
