Evelyn Reynolds

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has launched a national competition to select a design team for a 250-bed Indigenous residential college on its Ultimo campus.
The First Nations college will be built on the Gadigal Land of the Eora Nation and will be the first truly comprehensive Indigenous residential college of its kind in Australia, enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to receive a university education in an environment that celebrates and nurtures cultural identity.
The facility will also include communal spaces public art installations; new through-site links from Harris Street to Omnibus Lane; and a new open space in the form of a precinct heart. The design, landscape and public art process should be led by deep consideration of and respect for Aboriginal Country.
UTS special advisors to the vice-chancellor on major Indigenous priorities, Professor Michael McDaniel, said Indigenous education is for all Australians, and it is about building a nation that cherishes and celebrates First Nations peoples.
“Most Indigenous people don’t have a history of participating in university education. By creating a place with Indigenous culture at its heart – not on the periphery – the college will help Indigenous people ‘see’ themselves at university,” said McDaniel.
“For the first time Indigenous people will be the hosts not the guests in a place based around their traditions and identity.”

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Indicative design of the UTS Indigenous college (2018). Image: UTS

The college intends to remove the barriers preventing Indigenous participation in higher education and the broader economy by raising the aspirations of young Indigenous people, maximising opportunities for entry to higher education, and supporting the pursuit of quality employment.
The purpose-built facility will offer a comprehensive range of services beyond accomodation, and will be “defined by its ethos of pride in Indigenous identity and culture,” UTS said.
The project will be funded through a multi-party model between the university, government, the private sector and philanthropic contributions. UTS announced in its initial 2018 plans that it estimates the college will cost around $100 million.
Expressions of interest for stage one of the design competition opened 2 December to eligible design professionals and will close 2 February 2023. An invited design competition for successful contenders will launch in April 2023, with submissions closing in July. Presentations to a jury will then take place within the following weeks, with a winner selected in September.
The college is slated for completion in 2027. For more information, visit the UTS website. More

Two landscape architecture studios have been awarded the contract for the City of Melbourne’s ambitious Greenline Project along the Yarra River. Councillors have unanimously endorsed the appointment of a multidisciplinary design consortium led by TCL and Aspect Studios to design five interconnected precincts making up the new riverside masterplan. The design practices will work closely […] More

Cox Architecture has been awarded a $2.7 million contract for the rejuvenation of the Perth Cultural Centre.
The PCC is part of a wider cultural precinct – intersecting Roe, Beauford, Francis and William streets in Northbridge – and is set to undergo a $35 million revamp, backed by $25 million in state government funding and $10 million from the federal government as part of the $1.5 billion Perth City Deal.
The PCC is home to numerous major cultural institutions, as the state’s primary venue for information, arts and cultural experiences. The government has identified that the PCC is “disconnected” from the city, is lacking identity and difficult navigation, inhibiting visitors from feeling that they can linger or dwell.
A Perth Cultural Centre Taskforce was established in late 2019 to facilitate a masterplan for the redevelopment of the PCC into a vibrant and democratic civic space that celebrates local art, culture, and the “fringe”. The WA government unveiled the masterplan by TRCB and TCL in May 2022.

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Masterplan of Perth Cultural Centre rejuvenation by TRCB and TCL. Image:

TRCB and TCL

WA culture and arts minister David Templeman said the appointment of Cox Architecture as lead consultant was a significant step for the infrastructure project.
“The PCC has the potential to be an iconic culture and arts hub,” said Templeman. “It has a prime location in the City of Perth next to a public transport interchange and is, of course, home to several major cultural institutions such as WA Museum Boola Bardip, Art Gallery of Western Australia, the State Library and the State Theatre Centre.”
The new PCC will be a connected and welcoming precinct, encompassing the Art Gallery of Western Australia; the State Library of WA; the WA Museum Boola Bardip; the State Theatre; the State Records Office; the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art; and the Blue Room Theatre.
Works will include the demolition of the existing amphitheatre and Art Gallery car park at the eastern end of the precinct, which will be used to form better connections to Beaufort Street. The project will activate underutilised spaces, creating new play spaces, improved shading, better lighting and more accessibility.
“The McGowan government has a clear vision for the PCC to attract and retain visitors and meet the aspirations and expectations of Western Australians. I, like so many of you in the community, look forward to a safer, modernised precinct in the heart of the CBD and Northbridge,” said Templeman. More

The New South Wales government has launched a design competition for a new foreshore park at Central Barangaroo. The 1.85-hectare park will be located between Nawi Cove and the Crown Casino tower along the Wulugul Walk. The government’s vision for the Harbour Park has six objectives: to achieve world class design excellence; to acknowledge and […] More

Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower by 3XN and BVN has been named the World Building of the Year in this 15th annual World Architecture Festival (WAF), held in Lisbon.
Program director Paul Finch said the project was an excellent example of adaptive reuse, retaining a huge portion of an existing 50-year-old commercial tower.
“It has an excellent carbon story, and it is an example of anticipatory workspace design produced pre-COVID which nevertheless has provided healthy and attractive space for post-pandemic users,” said Finch.
Philip Oldfield, who reviewed Quay Quarter Tower for Architecture Australia, argued that the building is one of the most important of the 21st century, as a demonstration of how office towers of more than 100 metres could be adapted instead of demolished and replaced.
WAF/Inside World Festival of Interiors is the largest global annual event of architecture and interiors, bringing together members of the international design community in one city to celebrate the most prestigious achievements in architecture and design with the festival and awards ceremony.
The awards culminated in the announcement of World Building of the Year, World Interior of the Year, Future Project of the Year and Landscape of the Year.
Live for the first time in three years, the 2022 WAF/Inside iwas held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 November to 2 December.
Day one winners
Five Australian projects are among the 20 recipients across categories including completed buildings, future projects, interiors and masterplans. The day one Australian winners are as follows:
WAF Completed Buildings: School
Meadowbank Schools – Woods Bagot

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Meadowbank Schools by Woods Bagot. Image:

Trevor Mein

WAF Completed Buildings: Office
Quay Quarter Tower – 3XN and BVN
WAF Future Project: Infrastructure
North East Link – Warren and Mahoney, BKK Architects and Taylor Cullity, Lethlean Greenaway Architects and Greenshoot Consulting
Inside: Workplace (Large)
Yirranma Place – SJB
Inside: Workplace (Small)
Sculptform Design Studio – Woods Bagot
Day Two Winners
The day two winners comprised a diverse array of completed, future and interior projects over 20 categories.
Inside: Public Buildings
Te Ao Marama South Atrium – FJMT Studio, Jasmax and Design Tribe
WAF Completed Buildings: Mixed Use
80 Collins –Woods Bagot
See the full list of winners on the WAF website. More

A nine-storey mixed-use development has been proposed to rise above the future Town Hall metro station in Melbourne’s CBD.
Designed by Hassell, the building will envelop the historic Young and Jackson Hotel, established 1861, and will introduce new commercial office space, retail offerings and eateries to the precinct.
The site is located at a popular inner-city intersection at the convergence of Swanston and Flinders streets, with views of the adjacent Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.

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The Swanston Street shopfront incorporates a canopy made from anodized bronze aluminium. Image: Hassell

In its planning submission to the City of Melbourne, Hassell said, “The intersection of Swanston Street and Flinders Street is an iconic and loved place in Melbourne… The proposal for 25 Swanston completes this intersection by providing a building that is contextually appropriate. The new building creates a beautifully proportioned, disciplined backdrop which will establish an enduring civic counterpoint to the inherently ‘expressive’ characteristics of the surrounding buildings.”
The design proposes a highly contextual response to site and precinct that celebrates the history of the location, while breathing new life into the surrounding area. The proposed “gridded facade [will provide] a holistic and consistent expression to a complex series of building volumes.”

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An internal public courtyard for alfresco use, featuring The Yard Stair as a public meeting space. Image: Hassell

The ground level will feature defined zones with purposeful shifts in material and expression. The Swanston Street building and station entrance will boast a confident and formal frontage that draws inspiration from the street context.
The Arcade will be a contemporary take on the classical Victorian arcade, while Cocker Alley will feature a two-storey glass pavilion inserted into the base of the commercial tower.
Scott Alley will draw on the identity of existing iconic Melbourne laneways, while internal public courtyard called The Yard will provide an alfresco meeting opportunities with kiosks and meeting stairs.
Hassell said the kiosk and meeting stairs will allow for pedestrian movement, while linking to key sight lines and providing moments of “activation and pause”.
The City of Melbourne will consider the proposal for at a meeting of its Future Melbourne Committee on Tuesday 6 December. The planning officers’ report recommends that the proposal be supported for ministerial referral. More

Architecture Media has launched a new and unique award aimed at highlighting the potential of design practice to make difference in the lives of people.
The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact is the only accolade of its kind in Australia and was established to reward practice that prioritizes empathy over aesthetics and empowers its end users.
Rory Hyde, jury convenor and associate professor at Melbourne School of Design, said, “Architecture has always been about social impact, about making change for people and society. And yet this aspect of architecture is too often overshadowed by the aesthetic and the visual. This award is long overdue as a way to recognize and celebrate the outstanding projects that make a difference to the public, to local communities, and underrepresented groups.”
Submission to this award may relate to issues such as social cohesion, racial justice, inclusive housing, accessibility, equity, and social sustainability. The judging criteria will focus on demonstrable social benefit.
“In this way, it is also about celebrating new ways of working and new forms of practice,” Hyde said. “Did the designer help to raise the funds? Did they shape the brief to raise the ambition? Did they work with the community to conceive and construct it? Are they advocating for those voices normally not invited to the table?
“It’s my hope that this award can change the conversation of the role and purpose of the design professions, and to recognize those clients and practitioners who are working hard to create change.”
The inaugural jury comprises Troy Casey (director of Blaklash Creative), Esther Charlesworth AM (co-founder and executive director of Architects Without Frontiers), Ben Gauntlett (disability discrimination commissioner, Australian Human Rights Council), Jeremy McLeod (founder of Breathe), and Katelin Butler (editorial director of Architecture Media).
Entry to the award is open to architects, interior designers, planners, landscape architects, urban designers and other built environment professionals. Only completed, not speculative, projects are elegible for entry.
Entries close 10 March 2023. The winner will be announced on ArchitectureAU.com on 27 June 2023. A cash prize of $5,000 is offered. To enter, click here.
The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact is presented in partnership with the Melbourne School of Design and supported by Latitude, Peptolab, and NHO. More

Day one winners of 2022 World Architecture Festival/Inside Festival have now been announced. Five Australian projects are among the 20 recipients across categories including completed buildings, future projects, interiors and masterplans. WAF/Inside is the largest global annual event of architecture and interiors, bringing together members of the international design community in one city to celebrate […] More