Evelyn Reynolds

The program for the third Perth Design Week has been announced, with the annual public festival once again set to showcase good design and the local design community.
The 2025 program comprises more than 75 events and activities, including exhibitions, films, talks and experiences. Throughout the program, various design disciplines will be showcased, from architecture, urban planning and landscape design to interior design, furniture and graphic design.
Perth Design Week co-founders Sandy Anghie and David Smith described the festival as an annual celebration “of design’s power to drive positive change.”
“Design is all around us – from the homes and suburbs we live in to the clothes we wear and the objects we use every day. Design shapes our lives in countless ways,” they said. “Perth Design Week is about bringing this awareness to the forefront and offering Western Australians the opportunity to engage with the design community in meaningful ways.”

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Program highlights include a conversation between architects Joel Benichou from Spacemrkt and Archive Office, alongside Craig Nener from Grotto Studio. Together, they will explore the evolution of Australian home design, touching on both historical influences and innovative advancements. Titled Pre-Designed Homes: A New Vision Rooted in Tradition, this discussion will additionally introduce Benichou and Nener’s visionary initiative, Project_Home, which aims to redefine housing with a focus on efficiency and creativity.
A panel discussion hosted by Rezen Studio called Design for Wellness will explore the rise of wellness-oriented spaces, as well as how design can be harnessed to promote relaxation, mindfulness and connection.
Rewilding the City: Building a Greener Perth will highlight best-practice approaches to city greening and green infrastructure across Australia. Hosted by Urbis, this discussion will then zero in on Western Australian cities, exploring the opportunities and challenges of achieving greener and more resilient urban landscapes across the state.
A pop-up store tour showcasing restored historical furniture from Cultivated and recycled timber pieces from Mark Tuckey will be presented in a zero-waste retail space designed by Foolscap Studio.
“From the very beginning, we’ve seen incredible enthusiasm from the public to engage directly with design professionals. This year’s program offers even more opportunities for that connection,” said Anghie and Smith.
Perth Design Week 2025 runs between March 20–27. To view the full program and schedule, visit the Perth Design Week website. More

In celebration of 10 years of the European Healthcare Design (EHD) Congress, two Australian projects have claimed victories in the EHD Champions Awards as stand-out projects in international healthcare design. The prized projects were recognised as the most innovative and impactful healthcare projects to have won prizes in the annual EHD Awards over the past decade.
Winners were awarded across the awards’ six categories: Healthcare Design – Over 25,000 square metres, Healthcare Design – Under 25,000 square metres, Mental Health Design, Design for Health and Wellness, Interior Design and Arts, and Design for Adaptation and Transformation. Across each of the categories, three previously awarded winners were shortlisted and invited to present in person to judging panels at the Future Health 2050 International Symposium in London.
The awards juries featured international practitioners from across design and healthcare professions. In each category, jury members were selected for their specialist multidisciplinary expertise relevant to the specific categories they were invited to judge.
For the Healthcare Design – Under 25,000 square metres category, the jury named Yutjuwala Djiwarr Aged Care by Kaunitz Yeung Architecture as winner, making it the Champion of Champions in this regard. In the Interior Design and Arts category, the Campbelltown Hospital Redevelopment in NSW designed by Billard Leece Partnership received a high commendation.
Reflecting on the win, Kaunitz Yeung practice director David Kaunitz commented, “This project was a huge team effort between Yolŋu Elders, communities and Australian Regional and Remote Community Services Ltd and the project team with funding and incredible support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. The project demonstrates the progress that is possible when we work collaboratively and sensitively together.” More

The first building in the new Bradfield City Centre is complete, comprising offices, a manufacturing hall and a multipurpose space.
The completed facility, known as First Building, was designed by Hassell to house stage one of the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF). The new facility is sited adjacent to the proposed Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility, designed by Architectus, Aileen Sage Architects, Jacobs and Tyrell Studio. Together, these buildings will form part of a wider innovation hub within the new city centre.
The First Building accommodates an advanced manufacturing hall encased in glazing so that visitors can witness prototypes and new technologies being tested, offices, a multipurpose space for exhibitions and events, as well as a rooftop viewing platform and a green roof.
According to the architect, the project is largely centred around themes of circularity and regenerative design.

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Liz Westgarth, Hassell managing director and principal in charge of the project, explained the building is “fabricated as a modular kit-of-parts.” This modular construction enables the building to be disassembled, expanded or relocated, in a move that seeks to enhance the resilience and adaptability of the facility as the future city of Bradfield continues to develop.
“A kit-of-parts construction that can be reconfigured and reused ensures the building’s longevity and responsiveness to Bradfield’s future needs,” Westgarth said.

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Another sustainable feature is the large roof structure, which facilitates the generation of solar energy and the collection of water for reuse. Natural materials, such as rammed earth and recycled tiles, have also been integrated throughout the building.
According to a communique from Hassell, First Nations cultural and design agency Djinjama provided guidance on designing for Country. The statement noted that the facility “honours its location on the Cumberland Plain by creating a harmonious connection between built and natural environments” by “sitting softly on the land and using a colour palette and materials that blur the line between built form and nature.”
The landscape design, also by Hassell, is intended to provide green spaces around the building for workers and visitors to gather and socialise.
Bradfield City Centre is part of an approved masterplan that proposes 114 hectares of land nearby the forthcoming Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport be developed into a new city with a residential component, a retail and commercial precinct, open spaces, as well as new and improved streets and roads. In June 2024, the future city’s second building, an Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility, was proposed. In July 2024, the final designs for Bradfield Central Park were unveiled. More

The annual Open House Melbourne Weekend celebrates the value of design by inviting the public into buildings, places and spaces across the city and inspiring conversations about the future of the metropolis.
Founded in 2008, the program takes place annually in the last weekend of July, presenting open buildings, tours, talks and events in collaboration with architects and designers, building custodians, community organisations and creative practitioners. This year’s themed weekend focuses on sharing Stories of the City.
“In Melbourne, every building, street and public place tells a unique story,” the Open House Melbourne website reads. “Shaped by its transformation over time and the diverse communities that live here, the city is more than its bricks and mortar – the city is about people and place. The stories of our city are embedded in its urban landscapes and the people who live, work and play here.”
Open House Melbourne invites submissions from organisations or individuals, including building owners or custodians, design practices, and community groups, who have stories to share from locations across the city and its suburbs. The stories can be personal or collective, look to the past or to the future.
“We want to hear stories that connect people with the city’s past and present, uncovering the narratives that have shaped Melbourne’s identity,” the website reads.
Submissions may take the form of open access to buildings or building tours, walking or site tours, workshops, panel discussions, talks, films or exhibitions. Most programs will operate between 9 am and 6 pm over Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July as open access, however Open House Melbourne offers the option of pre-booked slots for limited capacity spaces or timed tours, as well as partially programming over Friday 25 July.
Applicants need to allow building access for a minimum of six hours across the weekend and/or accommodate a minimum capacity of 50 people.
Expressions of interest are due by Friday 21 February and can be made online. More

The Housing Institute of Australia has released a Housing Policy Scoreboard, ranking each state and territory on the effectiveness of state government policies to reach housing supply targets.
The scoreboard considers ten critical housing supply policies and mechanisms that the Housing Institute of Australia (HIA) has stated would significantly aid governments to achieve their National Housing Accord housing supply targets between 2024–2029. According to the HIA, the policies and mechanisms have either proven to be successful or are very likely to be successful in increasing housing supply.
The ten criteria that each of the states and territories were assessed against include:

New housing targets
First homeowner grant
First home buyer stamp duty exemption
First homebuyer shared equity scheme
Stamp duty exemption on new housing
Fast-tracked housing development approval capability
Fast-tracked land release program
Land supply dashboard
State-based investment in residential building trades
Social housing targets and investment.

South Australia fared best out of all states and territories, scoring a nine out of ten. According to the report, “The state has employed an advantageous blend of planning innovation, skills investment and housing affordability policies to position itself as best as possible to attain its 5-year new housing target” of 83,811 homes. Notable mechanisms implemented by the South Australian government include the ability to lodge planning applications online and the adoption of AI to automate development approvals for simple applications that meet prescriptive criteria. The report explained that these actions “have gone some way in helping to streamline approval pathways, though some further refinements are required.”
Western Australia closely trailed South Australia, achieving a score of eight out of ten. The report stated that the WA government has prioritised planning reform during and after the pandemic, focusing on reducing red tape for building approvals. Additionally, the state is incentivising diverse dwelling options by offering density bonuses and increasing development housing yields, regardless of existing zoning regulations.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Australian Capital Territory received the lowest score of four out of ten. The report noted, “The ACT’s housing roadmap is deficient and looks unlikely to promote sustained strength in new home supply over the next five years. While the territory government states that over the next five years it is planning to release a range of greenfield and infill sites to support the development of 21,059 new homes (its accord target), there is a void of prudent policy to streamline key planning processes.”

Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania each received a score of six out of ten. With regards to Victoria, the report observed that the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, inherited from the Andrews government, remains a commendable initiative aimed at delivering 12,000 new social and affordable homes throughout metropolitan and regional areas. The HIA also commended the government’s “recent announcement of a twelve-month cut to stamp duty for all off-the-plan units and townhouses,” which, the institute said, will be “helpful in boosting supply of the medium to high density homes.” However, despite these long-term measures to promote additional housing supply, the HIA expressed concern that there appears to be a prevailing agenda to raise taxes on housing rather than reduce them, pointing to the state government’s implementation of a land tax surcharge, an absentee owner surcharge, a windfall gains tax and a short stay levy.
The report described NSW as “perennially a one step forward, one step back jurisdiction.” The state is implementing mechanisms to expedite development approvals and has released a new Statement of Expectations Order that establishes timeframes for councils on development assessment, planning proposals and strategic planning. However, the report noted that the state “has also missed opportunities to implement policies targeting the sorely needed boost to greenfield land supply, particularly around the urban fringe of Greater Sydney.”
In Tasmania, the report noted that while the state government has committed extensive policy resources to its social housing agenda, it is simultaneously lacking initiatives for non-subsidised private rental and home ownership markets. The report highlighted the necessity for additional initiatives to expedite the release of greenfield land accross the state. A $30 million headworks holiday land release grant program has been established to incentivise private landowners to release lots by assisting with the cost of installing the headworks. However, the report stated that such a program is not a substitute for the expedited release of more greenfield land for residential development.
Queensland and the Northern Territory both scored five. Regarding Queensland, the report stated, “Clearer strategic direction and the right statutory tools that cut red tape and enable faster decisions so higher density housing can be approved in a timely manner must be implemented. Urgent planning reform is needed, requiring Brisbane and other major cities to identify and facilitate appropriate infill locations. The state has proposed a new state-facilitated development team [which] intends to streamline decisions and quickly resolve planning and infrastructure issues that are delaying new homes. In principle, this is a step in the right direction, however development approvals continue to resemble a timeframe of 75 days which is not conducive to the low-cost expedient delivery of new homes.”

According to the report, the Northern Territory offers the most affordable first home owner grant in the nation, providing $50,000 to first-time buyers for allocation towards the purchase or construction of their first home. While this is a commendable initiative, the report noted that the “NT planning system lacks strong strategic direction and objectives to guide residential development. Concerted action is needed, such as improved implementation of planning assessment guidance documents, such as Designing Better, to better facilitate streamlined approvals.” The report recommended that the territory could also “benefit from a land development strategy that adequately identifies future land supply.”
To read the full report, visit the Housing Institute of Australia website. More

Based in regional NSW, the Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) organisation has unveiled plans for a new facility in the historic heart of Lismore. The design aims to create a new cultural hub for performing arts within a historic timber factory, known as The Joinery.
Since losing their previous base at the town’s city hall in the region’s 2022 floods, NORPA has worked with Sydney-based architect Chrofi to develop a vision for the new facility. The initiative seeks to transform the 3,000-square-metre timber factory into a flood-resistant and flexible community space.

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Director at Chrofi John Choi commented, “The Joinery project is an opportunity to embrace creativity and innovation in flood resilience. Rather than resisting the elements, we see this as a chance to work with them – designing spaces that not only provide shelter during flood events but also invite and engage the Lismore arts community.”
Chrofi maintain that the heart of the vision is the existing building itself, whose “bones and fabric hold a beauty that makes it an inspiring backdrop for creative expression,” said Choi. Adapting the current fabric, their renovation proposal includes new elements that allow the free passage of floodwater and debris, along with robust and hard-wearing materials that can withstand inundation – the objective being to maximise the building’s capacity to dry out quickly.

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Inside, the project is designed to host large, versatile spaces supporting live performances, workshops and rehearsal spaces for professional artists. According to a media communique from NORPA, “The Joinery can accommodate multiple resident companies and also attract national and international visiting artists.”
NORPA’s artistic director Julian Louis shared, “This is much more than a building; it’s a commitment to our region, fuelling new opportunities for the role of the arts in disaster recovery and forging partnerships beyond the arts – with community, social and commercial organisations. Our long-term vision involves adapting it into a contemporary cultural facility that is nationally recognised and reflects the bold creativity of our region.”

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“The Joinery location places us at the heart of town, directly contributing to its energy and economy,” explained NORPA executive director Libby Lincoln. “This new home for NORPA will be a creative catalyst for the region’s many artists, for First Nations perspectives and for community-driven projects that celebrate the region’s unique identity and collective healing journey.”
NORPA are currently seeking funding to purchase the Hampton and Larsson timber factory site in order to realise the vision. According to a communique from the organisation, NORPA believes the project represents “a powerful precedent for how the arts can drive community renewal in the face of climate disasters.” More

Sydney architect and former City of Sydney councillor HY William Chan has been awarded the 2024 Obel Award Teaching Fellowship, an international award that recognises architectural contributions to social and ecological development.
The Obel Award Teaching Fellowship, created by the Henrik F. Obel Foundation in Denmark, celebrates forward-thinking practitioners who are redefining architecture’s role in society.
The fellowship will enable Chan to join the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2025. There, he will lead postgraduate design studios that encourage students to “balance long-term public needs with evidence-based aspirations in creating civic projects that serve the public interest,” the foundation noted in its winners announcement.
In 2021, Chan was elected to the City of Sydney as the youngest-ever councillor in the council’s 180-year history. During his tenure, he contributed to policymaking and provided guidance on significant urban renewal, infrastructure and social housing projects across Sydney. In 2022, he was elected as chair of the City of Sydney’s Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Committee and deputy chair of the Transport, Heritage, Environment and Planning Committee.
In 2024, Chan ran for a second term on council; however, was not re-elected.
The foundation lauded Chan’s skill in merging architectural expertise with civic leadership, stating that his contributions to city-making aligned with the 2024 fellowship theme: Seminal Solutions to the Challenges Facing Cities.
Chan stated that he views the fellowship as an opportunity to democratise city-making.
“Urban development in Australia has traditionally been shaped by systems that exclude marginalised voices. I am passionate about working with emerging designers to make these processes more inclusive, ensuring that younger and more diverse people have a meaningful role in shaping the future of our cities,” he said.
The executive director of the Obel Award, Jesper Eis Eriksen, said the foundation looks forward to supporting HY William Chan as he shares his expertise and passion for sustainable city-making with the UTS School of Architecture student cohort.
“The Obel Award and its supporting programmes are dedicated to addressing the challenges of our built environment by contributing new ideas and knowledge. Sharing this with the next generation of changemakers is what the teaching fellowship programme is all about.”
Alongside Chan, Sandhya Naidu Janardhan of India and Dele Adeyemo of Africa also received the fellowship. Janardhan will join the School of Environment and Architecture at the University of Mumbai, while Adeyemo will join the Department of Architecture and the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development at the University of Lagos. More

Melissa Ivelja, a recent Master of Architecture graduate from the University of Melbourne, has been awarded the 2024 NATSPEC Student Prize for a proposal that investigates the use of oyster shells as a sustainable construction material.
The competition challenged Australian students to propose innovative and compelling ways of applying new or existing materials, products or systems in design and construction.
The judges were unanimous in awarding this year’s prize to Ivelja for her proposal titled Shellshocked, which examines the potential of using oyster shell by-product across a range of material applications in construction.
The jury – comprising Anthony Burke, Rebecca Moore, Kathlyn Loseby and Tony Kemeny – commended Ivelja for her creative reclaimed shells, including as gravel, concrete aggregate and terrazzo, or as whole-shell decorative downpipes. These application ideas were demonstrated in an accompanying scheme called the Point Lonsdale Oyster Pavilion and several material prototypes.
In her proposal, Ivelja stated that mollusc shells have become a major global pollutant, with “an estimated 10 million tonnes” discarded each year, “most of which end up in landfill.” She added that oyster shells were historically used in construction but have mostly disappeared from contemporary building practices, despite their promise as “a low-embodied-energy material.”
The jury commented that Ivelja’s proposal not only demonstrated “imagination in application,” but was “exceptionally researched and well communicated.”
Adele Mancini, Matthew Sabransky, Dominic Randall, Luke McKee of Deakin University were commended for a proposal that explored the use of disposable vapes as a building material.
NATSPEC Student Prize-winners were awarded AUD $8,000 and commended entries received $1,500. More