Evelyn Reynolds

The Victorian state government has announced 50 new “train and tram” Activity Centres in an effort to deliver more than 300,000 homes across Melbourne by 2051. The proposal is an expansion of the government’s ten Activity Centres in Broadmeadows, Camberwell, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie, North Essendon, Preston and Ringwood, released in April 2024.
The locations of the proposed centres were recommended by the Department of Transport and Planning based on an analysis of transport capacity, access to jobs and services and environmental considerations. The first 25 centres focus on stations that benefit from the Metro Tunnel and high-frequency Frankston, Sandringham, Belgrave/Lilydale and Glen Waverley Lines. All but one of these is based directly on their proximity to a train station.
Premier Jacinta Allen commented, “Building more homes around 50 inner-suburban train stations means young people have more opportunity to rent or buy a place that’s directly connected to public transport.” In conducting independent analysis, advocacy group YIMBY Melbourne has noted that 23 of the 25 announced centres are in areas of child population decline. According to the organisation, the new centres will “enable more young families to get a foothold in areas where they have been systematically and provably locked out.”

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In terms of their form and structure, the state government has noted that the planning of each Activity Centre will be unique to each community. According to their media communique, the government intends to engage with councils and locals to understand their priorities and help enhance what’s important about their neighbourhood, prior to progressively introducing new planning controls.
“Overall, the vision for train and tram zones is for taller buildings in the immediate ‘core’ at the station, with gentler, scaled height limits and more low-rise apartments and townhouses alongside existing houses in the walkable catchments surrounding,” notes the release. Heritage and landscape overlays will remain in place, and locals residing within 800m of the stations will retain their rights to know, have their say and appeal on new proposals.
The policy has been welcomed by YIMBY Melbourne, whose October 2023 proposal for Melbourne’s Missing Middle outlined a vision for mixed-use density concentrated around fixed rail infrastructure. As of 28 October 2024, they’ve elected another 25 stations that should be prioritised for upzoning, based on their model which favours proximity to the city and potential for new housing adjacent to the station.

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The Next 25 lead researcher Paul Spasojevic argued, “A big part of better, more transparent policy is measurement and visualisation.” Jonathan O’Brien, lead organiser at YIMBY Melbourne, added “The ambition of the Activity Centres Program is admirable. What our research shows is that it could feasibly be doubled—from 50 to 100 stations on the network—in the near future.”
The state government’s remaining 25 “train and tram zone” Activity Centres will be announced in late 2024 with the release of their Plan For Victoria. More

The Western Australian government has announced the opening of the recently completed Ellenbrook Line on Sunday 8 December. Beginning at Bayswater Station, the project includes 21 kilometres of new track and five new stations at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook in Perth’s north-east.
State premier Roger Cook commented that the project “will transform the north-eastern suburbs, providing affordable or free public transport on a […] rail network for tens of thousands of local families.”
Designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with architects Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick and landscape architects TCL and UDLA, designs for the line’s new stations were first unveiled in 2021. The project has been under construction by the Melconnx Consortium led by Laing O’Rourke Australia since early 2022.
Jointly funded by the commonwealth and state governments, the $1.65 billion project is the largest public transport project since the city’s Mandurah Line was completed in 2007. According to Woods Bagot, the new line fills a void in Perth’s north-east – an area with the city’s highest level of car usage and forecasted annual population growth of more than 6.5 percent.

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Woods Bagot principal Kukame McPierzie said, “The train line to Ellenbrook will be transformational for the communities it will serve in this growing part of Perth. We’ve designed the five stations and precincts as a ‘family’, each with common elements and characteristics that are informed by the local context.”
Inspiration for one of the project’s key unifying elements – its folded roof forms – has been drawn from local native flora and surrounding suburban built forms. At each station, the integration of bespoke elements has been driven by a desire to showcase their unique cultural significance and strengthen the sense of local identity.

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Despite having recently completed Sydney’s Central Station renovation (in collaboration with John McAslan Partners) and Crows Nest station, “this project marks a significant milestone for Woods Bagot,” said the firm’s regional transport and project design leader Neil Hill. “It’s our first full rail line project, distinct from our previous work on individual stations and developments. We’re not just building parts of the network – we’re crafting the entire journey.”
McPierzie commented, “We can’t wait to see the community start to embrace and use the stations when the Metronet Ellenbrook Line opens in December.” More

The Western Australian Parliament has passed the Planning and Development Amendment (Metropolitan Region Scheme) Bill 2024, in a move that seeks to expedite housing delivery across metropolitan Perth by removing redundant steps within the planning approval process.
Under the enacted bill, the text within the Metropolitan Region Scheme (MRS) has been updated to better align with the more contemporary Peel and Greater Bunbury region schemes, both of which guide land use and provide the legal basis for planning in their regions.
It is the first time the MRS text has been updated in 60 years.
According to a state government communique, the recently passed bill is anticipated to reduce duplicate steps within the current planning approval process by 80 percent.
The updated MRS also clarifies the Western Australian Planning Commission’s authority to prepare and approve district structure plans and region planning scheme policies, as well as identify areas for regional infrastructure.

Planning Minister John Carey said the passing of the bill marks a major milestone.

“[…] it is the first time the some 60-year-old Metropolitan Region Scheme has had a significant update, with these changes ensuring it remains contemporary and fit-for-purpose,” said Carey.
“We’re modernising the Metropolitan Region Scheme to streamline and simplify approval processes, removing unnecessary red tape and burdensome administrative process from the planning system.
“The changes significantly reduce the paperwork and approvals required for more than 80 per cent of development applications, reducing the burden on homeowners, businesses and local governments.”
The modernised MRS will take effect from 31 March 2025, following a transition period. More information is available on the state government website. More

Noosa Shire Council has given the green light to the final plans for the Calile Noosa development, the second hotel in the Calile collection designed by Richards and Spence.
Following a two-year design process that included community consultations, council recommendations and design iterations, – due to stringent site cover, height and area limitations – town planning approval has been granted. With this approval, the developer anticipates works to begin in early 2025 on the 2.4-hectare site situated at 3–7 Serenity Close, Noosa Heads.
Noosa Shire Council mayor Frank Wilkie said the final plans are one of the best examples of quality-over-quantity design that the council has seen.
“The changes have removed development from the environmental management and conservation zone, increased landscaping setbacks to Serenity Close to reduce the impact on surrounding residents, a reduced number of units, more onsite carparking, more landscaping and retention of more natural vegetation,” said Wilkie, adding that, “the development is now fully sited in the tourist accommodation zone.”
“It shows that when you have a developer that is willing to work with us, we can achieve great quality development outcomes without sacrificing our town plan.”

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Nestled in a bushland setting, the resort will accommodate 153 rooms, 29 suites and four villas, along with a 50-metre swimming pool and a second pool in a private garden setting. Additionally, it will include wellness and exercise facilities, restaurants, retail offerings and a function room.
In their design statement, Richards and Spence noted the resort is strategically situated between existing multi-residential apartments to the north and the Noosa Reserve to the south, “offering a dynamic environment with north-facing pools and south-facing views of lush bushland.”
“The design consists of a series of interconnected buildings that promote outdoor circulation, effectively navigating the steep topography while embracing the ecological richness of the reserve,” the practice added.

The design aims to achieve carbon-neutral operations as a key component of its overall sustainability strategy. The project is expected to be under construction for a duration of three years, starting in early 2025.

The inaugural Calile hotel, situated in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, has gained widespread acclaim since its completion in 2018. More

Joseph Rykwert, the prominent architectural critic, historian and 2014 recipient of the Royal British Institute of Architects (RIBA) Royal Gold Medal, has died aged 98.
He is among the very few non-practicing architects to be awarded a RIBA Royal Gold Medal.
Born in Warsaw in 1926, Rykwert and his family fled to London following the Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939. It was in London that Rykwert embarked on his architectural studies, beginning his education at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London, and later enrolling at the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

Upon concluding his studies, Rykwert briefly worked in practice, however found himself continually drawn back to the field of architectural academia. He began accepting academic teaching positions at various institutions across the UK, such as the Royal College of Art. Since then, he has lectured at some of the most esteemed architecture schools in the world, including Cooper Union (US), Harvard Graduate School of Design (US), the University of Sydney (Australia) and the Institut d’Urbanisme (France).

Over the course of his career, Rykwert authored several influential texts – such as The Necessity of Artifice (1982) and The Seduction of Place (2002) – that are recognised as significantly shaping the way architects and planners perceive and approach urban design. However, it was his 1963 book, The Idea of a Town: The Anthropology of Urban Form in Rome, Italy and the Ancient World, that was regarded as his most pivotal text on city design.
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said Rykwert “reframed the conversation about our environment, sense of place, and society not just once, but throughout his many decades of work.”
“He received the 2014 RIBA Royal Gold Medal in recognition of the enormous and lasting impact of his groundbreaking ideas on architecture and design. As one of few non-practicing architects to receive the honour, it demonstrates the exceptional influence of these ideas, particularly on the role of architects, buildings and cities. I have no doubt they will remain relevant well into the future,” Oki added.
“My thoughts are with his family and friends, and all those whose lives he enriched.” More

The Robin Boyd Foundation has announced the upcoming launch of a residential design competition, inviting architectural students to reinterpret the site of Boyd’s Walsh Street House in Melbourne through a contemporary lens.

The forthcoming Walls Around Us Student Competition builds on the success of the inaugural competition held in 2022/23. The first competition saw James Urlini, a Melbourne School of Design student, win with an entry titled House in a Grassy Plain. The winning scheme was lauded by the jury for its “understanding of the Walsh Street site – its limits and opportunities,” said jury chair Philip Goad.
This year, entrants are required to conceptualise a design that engages with themes of circularity and reuse. According to the competition brief, this could include “adaptive reuse, retrofit, kit-of-parts analysis and reassembly or designing for disassembly.” In keeping with the theme, participants are prompted to think critically about material usage and explore ways to reduce material quantities, and improve the longevity of structures and materials on site.
When developing a concept, students should engage with Boyd – his ideas, interests and approaches to design – for inspiration.
The brief for the competition states, “We ask you to consider this: If Robin Boyd were present today, how would he challenge architects to rethink the way we design and specify buildings? How would he urge us to align with the values of the circular economy – creating systems that not only reduce material consumption but also ensure their ongoing life?”

The 2024/2025 competition will be judged by national business development manager for Brickworks Building Products, Eve Castle; senior lecturer of Architecture and Urban Design at Melbourne’s RMIT University, Dr Christine Phillips, and Gerard Reinmuth, director of Terroir and Professor of practice in the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney.
Students enrolled in an architectural course at an Australian university during 2024 are eligible to apply for the forthcoming competition.
The successful entrant will win a trip to Venice, Italy, to experience the Vernissage of the 2025 Architecture Biennale.
Entries will be accepted from Monday 2 December 2024. The submission portal will close on Monday 3 February 2025. An online information session will be held on Monday 2 December.
For more information regarding the competition, visit the Robin Boyd Foundation website. More

A craft and design festival in Canberra and a symposium about the opportunities and challenges associated with the exhibition of historical houses are among the cultural activities to attend this November.

The tenth Craft and Design Canberra Festival will respond to a theme of regeneration. Connecting Canberra’s community with more than 500 artists, craftspeople, designers and architects, the 2024 festival will promote collaboration and making by hand. This festival will take place between 1–10 November, with a program that includes exhibitions, workshops, talks, open studios, tours and markets.

Australian and international experts from academia, museum and heritage sectors have been invited to partake in a series of themed panels exploring the memories and stories that house museums hold; the innovative ways of interpreting the history of houses and the challenges that come with preserving and maintaining houses for the purpose of exhibition. This one-day symposium – to be held in Melbourne on 6 November – will feature speakers, such as Hannah Lewi of the University of Melbourne, Corbett Lyon of Lyons and Josephine Briginshaw of the Robin Boyd Foundation, among others.

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More than 100 experiences are planned for the 2024 Open House Hobart event. True to tradition, the program will feature tours of captivating houses across nipaluna/Hobart, showcasing homes of various ages and styles, allowing visitors to glimpse different lifestyles. A diverse assortment of new and refurbished residences including Pedder Street by Bence Mulcahy (2023), Bruny Island Cabin by Maguire and Devine Architects (2017), Coopworth by FMD Architects (2020) will be open for inspection across 3, 9 and 10 November.

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Linden New Art presents Design Fringe, Melbourne Fringe Festival’s annual contemporary design exhibition, to be held until 24 November. The 2024 theme is We have shared bread and salt, an ancient greek proverb which celebrates the role of design in fostering togetherness. The proverb highlights the power of the dining table as a gathering place, inspiring new forms of connection and understanding through food. The exhibition will present 65 works – including textiles, jewellery, furniture and ceramics – from 58 creatives across Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and NSW.

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Geelong Design Week is an annual celebration that shines a spotlight on design excellence, innovation, and creative problem-solving, through the presentation of insightful workshops, exhibitions and discussions. The full program will be revealed on 28 October, with the event to be held between 21–30 November.

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