Evelyn Reynolds

The Design Institute of Australia (DIA) has announced the first nine of 18 jurors invited to judge the 2022 Designers Australia Awards.
The jurors are locally and internationally respected individuals from across all disciplines in the design sector.
They include curator, architect and University of Sydney professor Kate Goodwin; artist, designer and founder of Sheehan Studio Thomas Sheehan; artist, designer and founder of Superlocalstudio Liane Rossler; architecture editor Ellie Stathaki; designer and cofounder of Dowel Jones and Friends and Associates Dale Hardiman; and The Australian’s Wish magazine editor David Meagher.
Launched in 2021, the DIA brings together the broader design community to celebrate good design in all its forms, from architecture, to graphic design, to textiles, to jewellery.
“Now more than ever, our built environment needs to foster a better, more equitable future where we care for the planet and all people,” said juror Kate Goodwin.
She added, “By working together and sharing disciplinary knowledge, the creative industries can forge a better future.”
For the 2022 awards, three new entry categories have been created to reflect the cross-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving in our built environment.
These categories are: Place, which encompasses the spaces in which we live work play; use, defined by the objects we use; and interact, which is how we interact with things.
“As someone who has spent many years avoiding most competitions based on rigid categories, updating the traditional [awards] format and allowing more ambiguity encourages more diverse entries and future speculative and pragmatic outcomes,” said juror Dale Hardiman.
The deadline for entries for the DIA awards has been extended to 12 April, with shortlisting and judging due to take place throughout April and May. The shortlist will be revealed on 15 June, followed by the final awards ceremony on 4 August.
For more information visit the Design Institute of Australia website. More

The New South Wales Government has released the final precinct plan for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. The initial plan for the precinct lays the foundation for the transformation of 6,500 hectares of land, which will feature new homes, open space and public infrastructure, around the proposed Western Sydney International Airport in Badgerys Creek. Minister for […] More

A team led by Aspect Studios has been selected as the winner of a design competition for a cycleway on Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.
The team, which also includes Collins and Turner, Yerrabingin, Design 5 Architects, Eckersley O’Callaghan, JMT Consulting and Electrolight, was shortlisted for the project in December 2021.

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Heritage-listed structures, like the Milsons Point Station entrance, will be retained. Image:

Aspect Studio

The winning design consists of a “serpentine” cycleway that is “light, fluid and transparent,” Aspect director Sacha Coles said.
The design was selected for its sensitive approach to the existing surrounds and infrastructure. Progress on the designs had previously been stalled due to community concerns over the impact of a proposed cycleway on parkland neighbouring the bridge and the potential felling of existing trees.
“The cycleway touches the ground onto an existing path, minimising the requirement for additional hard surfaces and preserving all existing trees,” Aspect Studio said. The ramp alignment is designed to match the viaduct, leaving the parkland free from interference.

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Around 2,000 cyclists use the Harbour Bridge cycleway each weekday. Image:

Aspect Studio

The Sydney Harbour Bridge recently celebrated its 90th anniversary, and Aspect said their design will “retain the legibility” of any heritage-listed structures, like the Milsons Point Station entrance and the Burton Street arch.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway is reportedly the most heavily used in the city, and a new northern onramp will improve access, reduce congestion and improve safety for the 2,000 cyclists that cross the bridge daily. Currently cyclists are forced to dismount and climb 55 steps to get on to the bridge.
The design team will now move to the concept and detailed design stage of project, with construction expected to start in 2023. More

Merging five products in one, the Byne system is a configurable workstation that combines key elements of four of Herman Miller’s other workstations – Imagine, Optimis, Layout and Arras – together with a new wooden leg style, Sylvain. “The Byne system is our response to the realities of the modern workplace, as well as the […] More

Richards and Spence has joined forces with Bates Smart on the design of a 17-storey South Brisbane tower. The proposal, which has been submitted for planning assessment by developer Aria, is the first of three towers for the newly consolidated site across Manning, Edmonstone and Melbourne streets. The new tower has been designed with a […] More

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Architecture practice Common (previously known as NAAU) has completed preliminary concept designs for Australia’s first space vehicle manufacturing facility. The project, initiated by Gilmour Space Technologies, was granted $52 million by the federal government on 29 March for the manufacturing and testing hub on the northern Gold Coast. The $157 million space centre will draw […] More