Evelyn Reynolds

Bates Smart and Smart Design Studio have designed the first two towers for a nine-building residential centre planned near the new Norwest Metro Station in Sydney’s Hills Shire.
The masterplan for the development, known as Norwest Quarter, calls for “nine slender residential towers of varying heights and shapes, with large sep­aration distances between buildings and an expansive ground plane for landscaping and amenity.”
Stage 1 of the project will see the delivery of Building B, a 14-storey tower designed by Smart Design Studio containing 81 apartments, and Building C, a 24-storey building designed by Bates Smart with 115 apartments.
Each building will also include retail and hospitality tenancies at the ground level connecting to the public domain.
Aspect Studios is leading the landscape design, while Terroir and environmental sustainability firm Finding Infinity are also working on the project.
Building B by Smart Design Studio will be located on the western-most portion of the site and will act as the gateway building to the precinct. Its overall building mass will be split down the centre to create distinct slender parallel forms connected by a central corridor, providing natural light, views and ventilation.

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Building B by Smart Design Studio

“These parallel forms slide in opposite north-south directions, reducing the building mass, and bringing them into overall alignment with Spurway Drive to the north and Solent Circuit to the south,” the firm notes.
Perimeter balconies with solid horizontal balustrades will provide repetition and modula­tion along the building’s facades.
“Bold angled blades rise vertically up the tower form, articulating the façade whilst managing views, privacy and the sun,” Smart Design Studio notes. “At top, these blades terminate in a series of connected concave roof forms which reach up to the sky.”
Bates Smart’s design for Building C features an open expression of colonnades, expressed frames and external shading, which work to unite the residential tower and podium.
The firm explains that the facade design has been conceived as an abstraction of selected indigenous plant species endemic to the locality. “Subtle shades of green and grey have been selected in reference to the subtly varying colours in the leaves, bark and flowers of local tree species such as the Spotted Gum, Grey Box and Narrow-Leaved Ironbark. Each of these species signifies an adaptation to the climatic conditions of the site, which has also informed technical aspects of the facade design.”
The $1 billion development is intended to be carbon neutral. Developer Mulpha submitted a development application to Hills Shire Council in mid-2021, and updated plans were submitted in October. More

The WA government is seeking an architect to design a $20 million short-stay accommodation facility for Aboriginal visitors to Kununurra in the far north of the state. The facility will provide culturally informed, affordable, safe and secure accommodate for up to 102 visitors to Kununurra, which is the largest regional centre in the Shire of […] More

A Canberra registered training organization has lodged plans for two eight- and nine-storey buildings in Gungahlin that would house a mix of classrooms, apartments, offices and a motel. Designed by Judd Studio with landscape architecture by Space Lab, the Canberra Business and Technology College buildings would sit on the corner of Gungahlin Place and Camilleri […] More

A 17-storey apartment tower proposed for the corner of Chester and Morse streets in Brisbane would be delicately tethered to the ground by “a forest of columns,” according to its architect. To be built between Fortitude Valley, New Farm and Newstead, the development would deliver 142 apartments and 10 three-storey terrace homes. Known as “Chester […] More

Roca Group has launched a corporate venturing fund of 25 million euros. The company will invest in startups and entrepreneurial projects that develop in priority areas for the company, prioritizing those with environmental-friendly practices. Through Roca Group Ventures, the company plans to allocate between 0.5 and 2 million euros per project. Roca Group estimates that […] More

Following its acquisition by the Knauf Group, USG Boral Building Products Pty Limited is now known as Knauf Gypsum Pty Ltd, or simply Knauf in Australia. With transition to the new brand name underway, Tony Charnock, the managing director of Knauf in Australia, reassures existing customers, suppliers and partners: “Now we are part of the […] More

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 10 to 12 February, 2022, Interiors Australia and Denfair was the architecture and design industries’ first trade exhibition in close to three years. With a full program of speaker sessions across three stages and more than 100 brands exhibiting, there was plenty to see for the thousands of attendees. Here, we pick some of our stand highlights from the 2022 Melbourne show.
E&S
Melbourne designers Studio Tate have created a stand for E&S that commands attention. Standing in prime position near the exhibition entry, the ruffled drapes suspended from the ceiling create a spatial and sculptural volume that encourages attendees to explore the stand further. The ethereal space offered champagne, coffee, and a chance to interact with the latest products from E&S.
Acustico Lighting

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Floor to ceiling acoustic panels contribute to the memorable and Instagrammable Acustico Lighting stand.

Floor to ceiling graphic acoustic panels helped to create a memorable and Instagrammable space at Acustico Lighting’s stand. With a small space to work with and a select range of products on show – nothing more nothing less – Acustico’s Musica II and Brutalis Linear pendants shined in the atmospheric space.
Cult Lounge

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The Cult Lounge was the perfect place for “meeting, reflection and conversation.”

The Cult Lounge was the perfect place for “meeting, reflection and conversation,” made even more comfortable by the new Mega Tulip sofa collection by Adam Goodrum for Nau, a stylish modular system suited to commercial settings.
Australia’s Next Top Designers

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The Australia’s Next Top Designers exhibit showed the work of emerging designers, makers and creatives from the Australian Design Centre, Workshopped, Craft ACT, NT-based Tactile Arts, JamFactory and Craft Victoria.

A showcase of Australia’s emerging talent, this gallery-like space took us on a tour around Australia, showcasing the work of emerging designers, makers and creatives from the Australian Design Centre, Workshopped, Craft ACT, NT-based Tactile Arts, JamFactory and Craft Victoria. From ceramics to chairs to lights to plates, the collection on show confirms that the future of Australian design is in safe hands.
Volker Haug

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Volker Haug’s stand was minimal, sophisticated and refined.

Melbourne lighting studio Volker Haug’s stand was minimal, sophisticated and refined. Lined with canvas panels, the stand created a room in which to journey through and explore the Volker Haug lighting collection, including the Anton series re-released in new materials.
Artichoke Lounge

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Artichoke Lounge, designed by Brisbane-based design studio Markian, took cues from Artichoke’s colourful covers.

Maybe I’m a little biased, but our Artichoke Lounge was the best spot to grab a coffee, put your feet up and read some of our fine titles from Architecture Media. The stand, designed by Brisbane-based design studio Markian, took cues from Artichoke’s colourful covers – the russet tan of issue 75, the eucalyptus green of issue 60, and the soft purple of issue 77. Markian collaborated with Dulux, Marblo, Fobro and Laminex to create the stand’s furniture and features – including a circular bench with a central pillar topped with a terrazzo-style finish, a half arch designed to be lounged on and an upholstered half circle for displaying our range of magazines. If the busy crowds hanging around the stand was anything to go by, the Artichoke Lounge was a colourful hit. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has announced that it has entered into a new partnership with the private sector, for-purpose initiative Housing All Australians (HAA), noting that the partnership recognizes the need to do more in the face of Australia’s worsening social and affordable housing crisis. The two organizations have executed a Memorandum of Understanding […] More