Evelyn Reynolds

The Think Brick Awards for architecture and landscape design were held on 11 August, with winners selected from 150 nominated projects around the country.
This year’s awards followed the theme “A time to build, a time to grow”, with selected works celebrating sustainable design, clean lines, and craftsmanship in brick, blocks, pavers and tiles. Think Brick chief executive Elizabeth McIntyre said this year’s theme “reflects the inherent resilience of our pre-eminent building materials and references the ability of the dedicated project teams who nurture endless creative solution.”
The Horbury Hunt Residential Award went to B. E. Architecture’s Anderson Road house, which the jury described as a “great example of simple form, minimal detail, beautifully curated texture”.
The Horbury Hunt Commercial Award was won by Kiara College by With Architecture Studio. “The building is complemented beautifully by white curved brick, which takes you on a journey to the beautiful landscaping of the grounds,” the jury said.

View gallery

House at Flat Rock by Billy Maynard received the Kevin Borland Masonry Award. Image:

Rory Gardiner

The Kevin Borland Masonry Award also went to a residential house in 2022, with House at Flat Rock by Billy Maynard a “unanimous winner”. The jury said this house demonstrated a “sophisticated use of materials and form, bringing the landscape into the centre of the space”.
The jury gave the Bruce Mackenzie Landscape Award Joyce Chapel Bridge Searle Waldron Architecture, RBA and Claire Martin for its “a high consideration for permeability and detailing.”
“Joyce Chapel Bridge is a wonderful expression of how masonry can co-exist with the landscape environment and embrace it,” the jury said.
Fulton Trotter Architects received the Robin Dods Roof Tile Excellence award for San Damaino College, which the jury described as “a powerful gesture, with the roof being the absolute hero of this project, celebrated on a grand scale.”
Finally, the New Entrant Award went to Stuart Holmes Architect for Wabi Sabi House – a reimagining of a Melbourne duplex channelling traditional and midcentury Japanese architecture. The jury said this home took “the most ordinary, everyday material and transforms it into something very special”. Grey concrete blocks were laid on their side or in stack bond to create screens, veils and walls resulting in a “robust and characterful” space.
Awards recipients of each category received a prize of $10,000.
The jury for the 2022 Think Brick Awards comprised Think Brick chief executive Elizabeth McIntyre, director of Smart Design Studio William Smart, Kerstin Thompson Architects director Kerstin Thompson, Jon Clements of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, and Catherine Rush of Rush Wright Associates. More

New design details have been released for Central Place in Sydney’s “tech central”, cited as the city’s most significant development in over a decade.
Designed by Fender Katsalidis, American practice Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and Edition Office, the $3 billion development proposes to revitalize Sydney’s busiest transport interchange with a “vibrant new business district,” the project vision stated.
The final development application was submitted for the precinct in March this year. A design advisory panel has since issued recommendations for changes to the design.
Responses from the sub-committee included the request for additional public realm and changes to the Lee Street levels to create a “more seamless and active frontage”, while the bulk and scale of the podium elements needed to be reduced.
According to the revised plans, the height of the north and south towers remains unchanged, with each 35 and 37 storeys respectively, while changes requested by the City of Sydney relate to the reduction in bulk of the smaller structures.

View gallery

Amendments to the proposal include reductions to the Connector and Pavilion structures, and greater public activation. Image:

Fender Katsalidis and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

The Connector, designed by Edition Office, has been reduced from 10 storeys to eight, while the linking bridge previously connecting the building to the podium and central atrium have been removed to increase street activation and connectivity. The podium has also been reduced in height by two levels to correspond to the new height of the Connector.
The project team has also integrated an open laneway concept in the urban design to address concerns regarding the public realm. A “lighter, more minimal” approach has been applied to the pavilion and its wind mitigating canopy, with the design simplified while continuing to serve its function.
The Central Place site spans more than 9,600 square metres at 14-30 Lee Street, Haymarket, next to Atlassian’s approved $1.4-billion tower designed by Shop Architects and BVN. The precinct aspires to connect six neighbouring suburbs that are already home to tech startups and innovation institutions: Surry Hills, Haymarket, Camperdown, Ultimo, South Eveleigh and Darlington North Eveleigh.
The revised plans are now on public exhibition until 25 August. More

Architectus and UK firm Wilkinson Eyre have designed an office tower at 600 Collins Street, Melbourne, in the city’s commercial district. The proposed tower will stand at 180 metres tall and cover 70 metres of Collins Street frontage with a “striking curved facade”. The design statement said the contextual tower and podium form “draw the […] More

The Think Brick Awards for architecture and landscape design were held on 11 August, with winners selected from 150 nominated projects around the country. The 2022 awards followed the theme “A time to build, a time to grow”, with selected works celebrating sustainable design, clean lines, and craftsmanship in brick, blocks, pavers and tiles. Think […] More

A replica of an Ancient Greek temple that doubles as a canvas for street art and a performance venue has been selected as the National Gallery of Victoria’s architectural commission for 2022.
Temple of Boom, by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang of Melbourne practice NWMN, is an “evocative reimagining of the Parthenon” on the Acropolis in Athens, a spokesperson for the gallery said.
The commission was selected from a shortlist of five submissions. Its reference to the Parthenon as the “apex symbol of Western civilisation, democracy and perfection” intends to transcend time, using the classical iconography of the 2,000-old structure in a new and surprising context, layered with contemporary significance.
The scale model of the Parthenon will be overlayed with artworks by Melbourne-based street artists.

View gallery

Designs for “Temple of Boom”, recipient of the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission. Image:

Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, NWMN

The purpose of the NGV’s architecture commission is to invite audiences to reflect on the impact of time on architecture, and consider the layers of geographical forces that shape and layer our cities.
Temple of Boom takes its name from vibrations generated from music and is envisioned to become a meeting place and outdoor venue for live performances, programs and music during the summer season.
Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos celebrated the design as a project “close to [his] heart”, as a platform offering a place to meet, connect, reflect and engage, while showcasing “Victorian design excellence”.
NGV director Tony Ellwood said Temple of Boom invites audiences “to consider how we create and imbue architecture with meaning, as well as how this meaning can shift across time periods and cultures.”
The 2022 NGV Architecture Commission will be on display from 16 November at the NGV International. Entry will be free. More

Powerhouse Museum has announced the program for Sydney Design Week 2022: a seven-day program of exhibitions, talks, films and workshops held across the city’s design hubs from 15 until 22 September. Curated by Stephen Todd, the 2022 program themed “Making Now” celebrates designers who are “defining the cultural moment in Sydney and around the world.” […] More

Plans have been submitted to the City of Yarra for a $350 million, 14 storey office project at 484-488 Swan Street, designed by Cox Architecture, in the Melbourne suburb of Burnley. According to the developer, the building will be carbon-neutral once operational, targeting a 5.5 Nabers rating and a 6-Star Greenstar energy rating. “484 Swan […] More

The Design Institute of Australia (DIA) has announced the winners of the Designers Australia Awards and Graduates of the Year Awards for 2022.
The Designers Australia Awards recognized preeminent designers and studios, calling attention to the individuals and their distinguished design processes as much as the outcome. Entries were assessed across three interdisciplinary categories – “place”, “use” and “interact” – and broke away from traditional category distinctions.
The DIA said the awards are an “industry first” in emphasizing the designers and their process as much as the outcome, to recognize the “most nuanced design thinking” across the three categories.
Three national winners were selected from a shortlist of 82 designers along with a president’s award and 45 merit awards. The highest design accolades were awarded to Cobalt Design for the “use” category, Culture as Creative for “interact”, Kennedy Nolan for “place”, and Ros and John Moriarty received the the President’s Award.
Place – category winner
Always ­– Kennedy Nolan
The jury said that this project was identified for its “exemplary approach focusing on sensitive and holistic design methodology that combines the inside and outside seamlessly”. The architects were acknowledged for their “sensitive and reflective” material selection, connecting with landscape, architecture, surrounds and history.
Use – category winner
Cobalt Mag Assist VAD heat pump ­– Cobalt Design
The jury praised this project for its “rigorous, intelligent and valuable interdisciplinary design” and the designers’ exploration of the concept that translated into “life-saving outcomes”. The first of its kind, Cobalt’s device provides blood flow to supplement or replace heart function via surgically inserted inflow and outflow cannulas.
Interact – category winner
Say it Loud – Culture as Creative, Sandra Githinji Studio and Beyond the Built Environment
The Say it Loud exhibition, held in Naarm Melbourne 2022, was recognized for its “circular design approach” informed by investigation, understanding, assessment and interaction. The jury stated the exhibition represented strong cross-disciplinary collaboration through partnerships and society, encouraging design debate and access to vital information.
President’s Award recipient
Ros and John Moriarty, founders of Balarinji, were applauded for their unique approach toward collaboration and inclusivity, respectful design processes, and overall enduring commitment to the profession over the years.
To view the full list of winning recipients and the Awards of Merit, visit the DIA website.

View gallery

The DIA has announced its Graduates of the Year Awards. Image:

Courtesy of the Design Institute of Australia

The DIA also announced the winners for the Graduates of the Year Awards – its flagship program for recognizing emerging designers. From 181 ambitious nominations and 27 state winners, eight young designers have been awarded the prestigious prize, with one student also named the Madeleine Lester Award recipient.
The jury said this critical program brings together Australia’s best emergent designers and connects them to the most respected educators and designers from leading practices. DIA chief executive Jo-Ann Kellock said this years graduates proposed “human-centred design solutions with a focus on wellbeing”, incorporating natural materials with an emphasis on sustainability.
Madeline Lester Award
Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology
Australian Textile Design Graduate of the Year
Emma Daley, North Metropolitan TAFE
Australian Furniture Design Graduate of the Year
Alexei Todd, RMIT University
Australian Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Maddison Robinson, University of Technology Sydney
Australian Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year
Lauren Coleman, TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore
Australian Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology
Australian Jewellery Design Graduate of the Year
Lorissa Toweel, Queensland College of Art Griffith University
Australian Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Dorcas Chu, UNSW
Australian Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year
Michael Smith, Swinburne University of Technology
To view the list of winners for state graduates of the year, visit the DIA website. More