Rifugio
Brand Identity & Creative Direction
Nestled within the landscape at the upper reaches of Falls Creek in Victoria’s High Country, Rifugio is a speculative, year-round alpine retreat overlooking the Bogong High Plains. With a name borne from the mountain huts of the Italian Dolomites and Alps, Rifugio reimagines what premium alpine accommodation could be within an Australian context – one grounded in restraint, slowness, and with a deep connection to place. Conceived as a complete experience all within a single setting, the project brings together accommodation, hydro wellness, and dining to form an ecosystem shaped by landscape, rhythm, and care.
Architecture
Art Direction
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Digital
Film Photography
Menu Design
Photography
Speculative Design
Signage & Wayfinding
Social Media
Strategy
Website Design & UI
Rifugio envisions a new benchmark for premium accommodation in Australia’s High Country – one that moves beyond seasonal tourism and activity-led travel, instead towards a slower, more intentional model of retreat.
The brief called for the creation of a complete hospitality brand identity, including naming, narrative, visual language, and experiential direction. The central challenge was attracting a new kind of visitor to the Bogong High Plains – guests drawn by atmosphere and experience rather than adrenaline and performance. The identity needed to feel confident yet understated, premium and refined yet accessible, international in sensibility while remaining deeply connected to place.
Rifugio was conceived as a contemporary alpine refuge – a single, considered structure housing multiple interconnected spaces, all guided by a shared philosophy of restraint, and care. The brand language is intentionally simple, with references that are intrinsically connected to the Bogong High Plains. Typography, colour, and material choices were chosen to allow the use of space, visual pacing, and the vastness of the high plains to take centre stage.
The brief called for the creation of a complete hospitality brand identity, including naming, narrative, visual language, and experiential direction. The central challenge was attracting a new kind of visitor to the Bogong High Plains – guests drawn by atmosphere and experience rather than adrenaline and performance. The identity needed to feel confident yet understated, premium and refined yet accessible, international in sensibility while remaining deeply connected to place.
Rifugio was conceived as a contemporary alpine refuge – a single, considered structure housing multiple interconnected spaces, all guided by a shared philosophy of restraint, and care. The brand language is intentionally simple, with references that are intrinsically connected to the Bogong High Plains. Typography, colour, and material choices were chosen to allow the use of space, visual pacing, and the vastness of the high plains to take centre stage.
The experience exists through distinct but connected pillars of stay, spa, and table. Waarrin, the hydro-wellness concept, anchors the project in the cultural and environmental significance of water within the region, while Alta, the in-house restaurant, celebrates hyper-seasonal local produce and shared dining. Together, they form a complete, immersive stay that encourages slowing down, connection to nature, and connection to self.
The result is a fully realised speculative hospitality brand that spans strategy, narrative, visual identity, and experiential design, positioning Rifugio as a new model for alpine retreat in Australia. Rather than competing through scale or spectacle, it differentiates itself through clarity of purpose, and bringing real depth to experience. Rifugio demonstrates how contemporary hospitality can feel luxurious without excess, grounded without being rustic, and aspirational without being exclusive.
As a speculative project, Rifugio serves as both a conceptual benchmark and a practical demonstration of how brand, place, and experience can come together into a cohesive, enduring outcome.