A $460 million, 12-storey tower has started construction after its planning assessment was one of a handful of construction projects across Victoria to be fast-tracked by the state government. The building, located at 480 Swan Street and design by Architectus, will house the new headquarters for Australia Post in a modern, campus-style facility. Australia Post […] More
Hassell has completed the refurbishment of a modernist education building at the Australian National University in Canberra.
The $75 million upgrade to the Birch Building, which now houses the School of Engineering, required an adaptive reuse approach, retaining some of the features of unique heritage value, like the precast facade and atrium stair, while improving the building’s performance and function.
Working within the existing envelope, the modernist expression of the facade has remained intact while new window components have been added to restore the building’s thermal performance. The architect worked closely with the university and the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) to create a more sustainable design outcome with better and more flexible collaboration spaces while still celebrating the building’s history.
The Birch Building was originally designed in 1968 by Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb – a practice responsible for the design of many key early buildings on university campuses across the country.
From the 1960s to the 2000s, Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb’s reputation in educational buildings earnt it commissions at a number of tertiary institutions including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, La Trobe University, University of Newcastle, Caulfield Institution of Technology, Melbourne Teachers’ College, Ballarat TAFE and more.
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The iconic staircase has been retained and modernized. Image:
Mark Syke
Hassell principal Mark Roehrs led the project’s team of architects, interior designers and landscape architects. Roehrs said the team understood the responsibility to “celebrate the unique heritage character of the building by developing a design that was sympathetic to the features and retained its character.”
As part of the refurbishment, the Hassell team restored an historic water fountain, to reinstate the “civic presence” of the building on campus. Inside, the iconic staircase has been modernized along with the Travertine-lined foyers. Partitions have been removed to improve sunlight, views and connections to teaching spaces, laboratories and workspaces.
“New collaboration and kitchen spaces surround and activate the central staircase to encourage students and staff to come together and exchange ideas at the heart of the college,” Roehrs said.
“We ensured essential building services risers and ducting would not detract from the beautiful arched beam structure from 1968. The original structure is expressed and celebrated in the light-filled spaces of the building perimeter.”
The refurbishment has ensured the campus assets can be used in more flexible and collaborative ways into the future. More
A star-studded lineup has been selected to judge the 2022 Eat Drink Design Awards, with five judges across hospitality and design sectors picked to make up the jury for 2022.
The Eat Drink Design Awards recognize excellence and innovation in the design of dining venues across Australia and New Zealand. The awards are judged across eight categories, with prizes for best bar, best restaurant, best cafe, best installation, best hotel, best retail, best identity, and finally, the “Hall of Fame” – an accolade that acknowledges enduring excellence in the design of a hospitality venue that is of more than ten years standing.
The jury for the 2022 awards will comprises Melissa Leong, Shannon Bennett, Fiona Lynch, Rodney Eggleston and Cassie Hansen.
Melissa Leong is a freelance food and travel writer, food media consultant, radio broadcaster, television presenter, MC and cookbook editor, whose face will be familiar to many as a judge on Masterchef Australia. Leong also previously co-hosted the television show The Chefs’ Line alongside fellow chefs Dan Hong and Mark Olive.
Shannon Bennett is a Melbourne-born chef, former restauranteur, TV personality, and author of eight books. In 2015, he founded the Vue Group, encompassing venues across Australia’s cultural capital. Bennett now resides in Byron Bay, working on several projects across hospitality, property development and design, and renewable systems.
Fiona Lynch is an interior designer who founded her practice of the same name in 2013, servicing architectural and interior design projects of all types and scales. Lynch’s artistic instinct guides the studio’s aesthetic, which hinges on the use of natural materials and sculptural elements, the harmony of the raw and the refined, and an inventive use of space.
Rodney Eggleston is an architect and a founding director of March Studio in Melbourne’s north. As a lead architect, Eggleston has been recognised for his work in residential, public, and commercial spheres, and in 2019, he was awarded the National Emerging Architect’s prize for advancing the profession’s role within the public arena.
Finally, Cassie Hansen is the editor of Artichoke magazine who has written extensively on subjects of architecture and design, contributing to publications including Houses, Landscape Architecture Australia and Kitchens + Bathrooms. Hansen is also a skilled ceramicist, creating midfire and stoneware vessels and objects that combine wheel-thrown and hand-built elements.
Entries for the awards are open now until Friday, 15 July. Awards and commendations will be announced on Thursday 10 November. Click here to enter.
Eat Drink Design Awards is organized by Architecture Media, publisher of Artichoke magazine and ArchitectureAU.com. The 2022 awards is supported by Latitude, Roca, and Norock. More
Samantha Peart has been appointed Hassell’s global head of sustainability, working from the company’s headquarters in Melbourne.
Peart has established a career building sustainability strategies and initiatives for businesses, with her work spanning 20 different countries and projects ranging from large-scale infrastructure and high-end commercial, to residential and healthcare buildings.
Previously, Peart worked as a senior director at Development Victoria, where she designed and implemented the organisation’s sustainability strategy. Prior to that, she worked at Arup for over a decade in offices in Sydney, Singapore, Los Angeles and Melbourne.
In her new role, Peart will be leading the drive for innovation in sustainable design, helping to steer Hassell’s mission to become a more sustainable and forward-thinking practice.
“The key to achieving great sustainability outcomes is to ensure that the people within organizations are the drivers of change,” Peart said. “My role at Hassell is about sustainability but it is also about organisational transformation.
“What excites me most about this role is ensuring that sustainability practices are in the DNA of Hassell processes, and building on the great work the firm is already doing — from the way the practice designs to the way it does business.”
Hassell managing director Steve Coster said that Peart was selected for the role following a rigorous international recruitment process. “We believe we have a responsibility to inspire, educate, and demonstrate leadership in sustainable design in partnership with our clients, our community, and our planet,” said Coster.
He added that the board believes Peart has the “vision to inspire our team to be world-class leaders in sustainable design”.
Peart said she looks forward to working closely with the Hassell team to drive progress and deliver a balance of environmental, economic and social sustainability. More
An architect is among seven recipients to be awarded the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship – a prize that allows young artists for the chance to explore, study and develop their talents interstate and abroad.
Cave Urban co-founder Jed Long was selected for the architecture category of the award, along with six other recipients across the fields of acting, ballet, painting, prose, sculpture and singing.
Long’s practice has created large-scale public works for events and organisations such as the Sydney Biennale, Art and About, and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Cave Urban sits at the intersection of art and architecture, creating civic gestures for the private and public sectors.
The scholarships, administered by the Australia Council for the Arts, are valued at $50,000 each, payable in quarterly instalments over two years, and provide financial support for successful applicants.
Australia Council chief executive Adrian Collette said the scholarships offer “life-changing opportunities for young people to pursue education and training and develop their creative talents.”
Long said he intends to use the scholarship to undertake research, engaging with leading institutions, designers and companies interested in developing laminate bamboo products for architectural application.
Bamboo is a strong, flexible and sustainable material that retains less water than its traditional counterparts, making it both light and durable, and takes only three to six years to reach maturity, making it an extremely sustainable building material. Long is curious about investigating the translation of tranditional bamboo construction into contemporary building practice.
Long is interested in design with an emphasis on sustainability and community engagement, and with his scholarship, he also plans to undertake a series of mentorships in Indonesia.
For more information on the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship, visit the Australia Council website. More
Entries for the 26th Victorian Premier’s Design Awards will open soon, showcasing excellence from talent across the spectrum of design disciplines. Submissions are welcome from applicants across architecture, product design, communications, design strategy, fashion, digital, service design, and as well as tertiary design students. Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson said the awards provide the […] More
First designs have been released for Mandurah Common Ground – a 50-apartment facility designed for members of the community who are sleeping rough, experiencing chronic homelessness or who suffer from financial instability.
The concept design, led by local architect Gresley Abas, has been informed by feedback following targeted stakeholder engagement. Funded by the state government, the $28.1 million facility will provide housing alongside intensive wrap-around supports to assist in sustaining user tenancies and building independence.
Mandurah is located on the southwest coast of Western Australia, and the city has been recognized as an area with a relatively high number of the population experiencing precarious living situations.
Mandurah Common Ground will be situated at 81-87A Allnutt Street, and comprise self-contained apartments with indoor and outdoor communal areas and onsite support services. Evidence from previous Common Ground sites across Australia has shown that proximity to public transport, local amenity and a range of public services is imperative to the success of the initiatives. The Allnutt Street site was selected as the most suitable location based on these factors.
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The proposed facility is designed to be environmentally sustainable and culturally safe, with considered access for people with disability. Image:
Gresley Abas
The proposed facility is designed to be environmentally sustainable and culturally safe, with considered access for people with disability. Homelessness Minister John Carey said the contemporary facility delivers a high priority project and key initiative supporting the state’s dedicated strategy for targeting homelessness.
“The Common Ground facilities are a key pillar of our long-term response to addressing homelessness in Western Australia, and it’s fantastic to be able to unveil the first concept design for the Mandurah facility,” Carey said.
“The design itself looks fantastic and I know the architects have been working with key stakeholders in the development, including those with lived experience of homelessness.”
The state government is investing $2.4 billion in social housing and homelessness services over the next four years. Construction on the Mandurah Common Ground facility is expected to begin in the first half of 2023, with the site ready to welcome residents in 2024.
For more information visit the Western Australian government’s website. More
Aboriginal designer and curator Alison Page, together with Breville, has announced a partnership between First Nations People and the National Museum of Australia to create products that celebrate contemporary design and reflect 65,000 years of ongoing Australian Indigenous culture.
A decade in the making, these products combine ancient stories with contemporary design. Breville’s profits will go towards the National Indigenous Culinary Institute’s work to create employment opportunities for aspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander chefs; the “Indi-Kidi Program” by the Moriarty Foundation to support childhood nutrition and sharing Indigenous Food Culture; and Indigenous scholarships and initiatives at the University of Technology Sydney to create pathways for employment in engineering, technology and design.
The limited series of six Breville products features works by Western Desert artists and members of the original Pintupi Nine, Yalti Napangati, Yukultji Napangati, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri and Sydney-based artist and Yuwaalaraay woman Lucy Simpson.
Curator Alison Page is a Wadi Wadi and Walbanga woman of the Yuin nation. Page is an adjunct associate professor in design at the University of Technology Sydney, founder of the National Aboriginal Design Agency and a member of several cultural boards, including the National Australia Day Council, The Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Australian Maritime Museum.
“An Aboriginal Culinary Journey is an ambitious initiative to tell stories of our country using products as canvas. The artists had the brief of combining ancient artistic techniques with current design acumen and an eye toward the future. Our artists, Yalti, Yukultji, Warlimpirrnga and Lucy, embraced this project so effortlessly and intuitively and imbued so much story and meaning to each piece. I am so proud to be part of this rich and important chapter in Australian design and culinary history,” said Page.
The National Museum of Australia will feature the limited series in an exhibition – An Aboriginal Culinary Journey: Designed for Living – focusing on the continuity of cultural mark-making associated with Indigenous food culture. The exhibition will pair First Nations traditional tools for living alongside the six modern kitchen objects richly marked with signs of Country and culture.
“Living in the heart of people’s homes these once-everyday objects, now wrapped in Country, become cultural ambassadors. This is what makes the Aboriginal Culinary Journey collection so significant – it’s more than just a product, it’s a piece of our culture and Country in the same way we buy art on canvas for our homes. We have always made marks of meaning on our tools for living, so this idea is just keeping up with the times,” added Margo Ngawa Neale, head of the centre for Indigenous knowledge, senior Indigenous curator and advisor, The National Museum of Australia.
To ensure that the project had the highest cultural and legal integrity, Breville partnered with Dr Terri Janke, a Wuthathi/Meriam woman and international authority on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property who is known for innovating pathways between the non-Indigenous business sector and Indigenous people in business.
“As an Australian company, we are proud to share these stories belonging to the world’s oldest living culture and to weave them together with our own 90-year history of innovation,” said Jim Clayton, CEO of Breville Group. “An Aboriginal Culinary Journey is more than just a collection of products; it’s an invitation to immerse yourself in a deep and vibrant culture, and we’re honoured to provide this unique opportunity to bring these art objects into your home.”
The exhibition will run from May 27 to August 7 at the National Museum of Australia – before a global exhibition tour to London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Toronto and Los Angeles.
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