Evelyn Reynolds

The proposed transformation of the former Perth Girls’ School into Western Australia’s largest build-to-rent development has been given the green light by the DevelopmentWA.
The masterplan for the precinct by MJA Studio and Nic Brunsdon, includes 742 new apartments, 500 of which will follow the build-to-rent housing model. This model is intended to alleviate pressure on private and social rental sectors while providing a viable solution to housing affordability and supply.
This project will be one of the first to benefit from the government’s new 50 percent land tax concessions for new build-to-rent developments – a reform introduced by the WA government in its 2022 budget to remove barriers to investment in the future supply of rental properties.

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The redevelopment of the former Perth Girls’ School site designed by MJA Studio and Nic Brunsdon.

Aspects of the existing heritage-listed school buildings will be preserved and redeployed as creative mixed-use spaces. Plans also include a supermarket, microbrewery, restaurants and cafes, an art gallery, yoga studio and performance spaces.
Located on the corner of Wellington and Bronte streets, the development has been designed as two sister buildings, using a stepped design to provide residents with views across the city, Swan River and Matagarup Bridge. The precinct will also include the creation of two parks, each connecting to adjacent existing public parks, under the guidance of landscape architects Mala Studio.
WA lands minister John Carey said the revitalization will showcase best-practice urban design, breathing new life into an important heritage site.
“This is a fantastic redevelopment project that preserves some of the great aspects of the historic former girls’ school, while delivering an injection of new social and affordable rentals, and providing a new cultural hub that will attract people from across Perth,” said Minister Carey.
“As part of the state government’s commitment to building more social and affordable housing, my hope is this iconic development will act as a blueprint for industry to deliver more affordable housing through clever and sustainable urban revitalization.” More

The Design Institute of Australia (DIA) released the shortlist for the Designers Australia Awards 2022 on 15 June. Entries are assessed across three cross-disciplinary categories – “place”, “use” and “interact” – and break away from traditional category distinctions towards a more multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving.
A shortlist of 82 designers and design teams have made the cut. The DIA said the awards are an industry first in emphasising the designers and their process as much as the outcome, to recognise the “most nuanced design thinking” across the three categories.
“The DIA’s awards value the designer’s influence over process and purchasing, which is integral to quality design outcomes that shape a better world,” said the Design Institute president Gavin Campbell. “We strive to highlight a designer/s ethics, conduct and capabilities, and processes. We believe that successful design outcomes embrace the circular economy and diversity and positively impact the environment and society.”
The jury for the 2022 Designers Australia Awards is made up of 18 jurors, including design experts, academics, writers and editors. The 2022 jurors are Cameron Bruhn, Gavin Campbell, Nathan James Crane, Penny Craswell, Adam de Guara, Emma Elizabeth, Kate Goodwin, Dale Hardiman, Tuba Kocaturk, Laura Kostanski, Shay McMahon, David Meagher, Liane Rossler, Andrew Scott, Tom Skeehan, Ellie Stathaki, Abdullah M I Syed and Karen Webster.
Winners will be announced at simultaneous events across five states in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, on Wednesday, 3 August. Tickets are available here.

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Cumulus for Goulburn Street Housing was nominated for the “place” category. Image:

Courtesy of the Design Institute of Australia

The award for “place” recognises designers whose projects expertly address the spaces in which we live, work and play. The nominees for this category are:

Anthology for Smith Street Bistrot

APS Design for Lucky Kwong

Architectus for Macquarie University 1 Central Courtyard

Bates Smart for Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street

Brahman Perera for Entrecôte Prahran

Carole Whiting for Calabash Bay Lodge

Cox Architecture for Midtown Workplace

Cumulus for Goulburn Street Housing

Das Studio for Esca Blewitt Springs

de Fiddes for St Bernadette’s. Specialist Dementia Care Unit

Design Paper for South32 Singapore

Design Theory for Indigo Oscar

Design Theory for Level 23, Exchange Tower

Design Theory for Parley Bar

DesignOffice for The Grosvenor Business Lounge

Diadem for 180 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Dot Dash for Logan Village to Yarrabilba Rail Trail

Edmiston Jones for Henry Brooks Estate Kanahooka

Foolscap Studio for The Commons South Yarra

Gensler for EY Melbourne Reimagined

Hither Consulting for Vermont Terrace

Hames Sharley for Hames Sharley studio WA

Kennedy Nolan for Always

Luchetti Krelle for Jane

Map Studio and Naomi Milgrom Foundation for MPavilion 2021, The Lightcatcher

Mata Design Studio Pty Ltd for Gage Roads Freo Brewery

Milieu Creative for Andrews Place II

Milieu Creative for Mineral Resources Headquarters, Osborne Park

Monash Urban Lab for RetroFit Kit: design tools for making our homes accessible

Neil Cownie Architect for 123 House

Plus Architecture for Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA)

RADS for Gladstone – The Cycad House

Rezen for IGO

Richards Stanisich for 9-15 Young Street

Richards Stanisich for The Woollahra Hotel

Russell & George for Society

Russell & George for Yakimono,

Simon Modra Design for Nihon Black

Simone Haag for Bassano

Simone Haag for The Whiskey Room

SITE Architecture Studio for Rockingham Youth Centre

SJB for Powerhouse Museum and Eucalyptusdom

Studio aem and Studio Gestalt for Harbour View House

Studio Nine Architects for The Calyx Project by Forage Built

Studio Quarters for Bondi Terrace

The Design Cupboard for King Tide Brewing

United Studio for St John Urgent Care Wayfinding

Whistle Design Group for Hemmings Street Dandenong Public Art Installation

Woods Bagot for ABN Group HQ Leederville

Woods Bagot for BDO Perth

Woods Bagot for Curtin Co-Working Space

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Breville for ‘an Aboriginal Culinary Journey’ was nominated for the “use” category. Image:

Courtesy of the Design Institute of Australia

The award for “use” acknowledges designers whose projects concern the objects we engage with in our daily lives. The nominees for this category are:

Advanced Navigation for Hydrus

Blackmagic Design for Blackmagic ATEM Mini Extreme

Blackmagic Design for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

Blackmagic Design for Blackmagic Studio Camera

Blundstone Australia and Monash University (SensiLab and Design Health Collab) for Blundstone Intelligent Footwear

Breville for ‘an Aboriginal Culinary Journey’ by Breville

Charlwood Design for Dsmile

Cobalt Design for Cobalt – magAssist VAD Heart Pump

DesignByThem for Olio Armchair, design collaboration by Christina Bricknell, Sarah Gibson & Nicholas Karlovasitis

Edward Linacre Studio and Danielle Brustman for Meteorite

Foolscap Studio for Soufflé

grazia&co for Catch Light

JamFactory for Heli Pendant Light

Monash University for miEye – Wearable Light Sensor

Nüüd studio and Naomi Milgrom Foundation for MPavilion 2021 Dancer Chair

Returnr / Cumulo Group for Returnr Marketplace

David Kay for Roman Shower

Russell & George for Lil Chair

Simon Modra Design for Hexadeca

Sans-Arc for Bankston Architectural x Sans Arc: Super Collection

Street and Garden Furniture Co. For Street + Garden Studio

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Monash University for Victorian Premier’s Design Awards Showcase was nominated for the “interact” category. Image:

Courtesy of the Design Institute of Australia

The award for “interact” is given to projects that depict what or who we engage with. The nominees for this category are:

Balarinji for Nation Brand Mark

CO-architecture for CO-architecture & Australian Architecture Job Board

Culture as Creative for Say It Loud Naarm Melbourne 2022

Design IS: Port Melbourne Secondary School brand strategy and design

Ellis Jones for Worth Holding Onto

Exhibition Studios for Underground

Grumpy Sailor Creative for How To Move a Zoo

Ian Wong and Monash University for Victorian Premier’s Design Awards Showcase – celebrating 25 years of design excellence

Monash University XYX Lab for Keep Running

Monash University XYX Lab for YourGround

For more information visit the Design Institute of Australia’s website. More

Regional Development Victoria will soon be seeking public feedback on a concept design for the proposed Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre – part of a $108.15 million project to redevelop the a section of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, home to the popular tourism destination. The visitor centre is intended to be a gateway to the […] More

Following its enforced closure after damage inflicted by severe hailstorms in January 2020, the Shine Dome, orignally designed by Roy Grounds, has been restored and is reopen.
In 2020, a catastrophic hailstorm dented the copper roof tiles and smashed several skylights, exposing the scientific archives to the elements. Significant works have taken place to restore the heritage-listed building to its former glory, including recladding the signature copper roof, which has been redesigned to deliver greater energy efficiency.

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The bright copper sheathing is intended to oxidise and gather a green-brown patina over time. Image:

Martin Ollman for the Australian Academy of Science.

As per the original construction, the concrete roof of the dome is sheathed in copper, under which is a layer of vermiculite that serves to insulate the interiors from outside temperatures. During the restoration, a second layer of copper was applied over the original, with a new waterproof material placed between the two layers. The new dual layer will create a ventilated roof, with airflow between the copper sheets providing insulation and improving the building’s energy efficiency. The bright copper sheathing is intended to oxidise and gather a green-brown patina over time.
Built in 1958 for the Australian Academy of Science, the Shine Dome quickly became a Canberra landmark of architectural and historical significance. It has received numerous awards and various recognition, including being named one of only seven projects the Australian Institute of Architects has nominated to the World Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture.

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Copper shingles being attached to Shine Dome, circa 1958. Image:

Courtesy of the Australian Academy of Science.

Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said that when the Shine Dome was first built, its design was described as “unconventional and futuristic”, creating significant challenges for the architects and engineers that still applied in the 21st century restoration.
A 100-year time capsule was placed inside the roof of the Shine Dome before the completion of the restoration, containing messages from the academy fellows to the scientists of the future, as well as newspaper headlines from 2020, a printout of the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome, and landmark academy reports on the issues faced in our contemporary time. More

State significant development approval has been granted to the new Lang Walker AO Medical Research Building in Western Sydney. Designed by a BVN-led team, the $47.5 million medical education and research facility will consist of a “series of twisted boxes” that break down the mass of the five-storey building to create an “undulating form”. The […] More

The NSW government is inviting Australian architects to participate in a “city-shaping opportunity” to reimagine the revered Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo. Registrations of interest have opened in a national design competition for the $450–500 million project. A concept proposal prepared by John Wardle Architects and Aspect Studio provides a first glimpse at what proponents are […] More

The WA government has released the final designs for the $40 million redevelopment of a TAFE campus in Perth’s northern suburbs. A new three-storey training facility designed by Hassell will replace 22 tired modular classrooms originally built in the 1970s for North Metropolitan TAFE’s Balga campus. The new facility will be used to deliver training […] More

A $180 million office tower in Perth’s City Link Precinct has received approval from DevelopmentWA after plans were submitted late last year. Designed by Architectus, the 27-storey tower will be a commercial space at 580 Wellington Street, designed with a careful balance of context and scale as a “commercial building in harmony with the city […] More