Evelyn Reynolds

Artist Troy Emery and Cox Architecture have been awarded first prize in the Tapestry Design Prize (TDP), presented by the Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW).
This year’s prize focuses on one of Australia’s most significant modern homes – Boyd House II / Walsh Street designed by Robin Boyd. Since its inception in 2015, the TDP has been a celebration of the meeting point between architecture, design and contemporary textile art – a space where creative disciplines entwine and reimagine how tapestry can transform built environments.
This year’s iteration invited designers and architects to respond to the intimate domestic spaces of Boyd’s Walsh Street residence. From over 150 applications, five finalists were selected, each interpreting a different room within the house. Their proposals were handwoven by ATW’s master weavers, translating digital sketches and architectural concepts into rich, tactile surfaces of wool and cotton.

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The resulting works — five distinct tapestries, totalling 1,487 hours of weaving and over 39 kilometres of yarn — were unveiled during a special exhibition at Walsh Street on 14–16 November 2025.
Troy Emery and Cox Architecture’s tapestry Longing (Camilla) is a two-dimensionalinterpretation of Emery’s 2024 sculpture Lupa, an amorphous animal-like companion. In the domestic site of Walsh Street, Camilla echoes Boyd’s family life with their pet cat of the same name. The excess tendrils of yarn drip down out of the plane of the woven surface towards the floor, stretching the silhouette of the animal figure and evoking emotion and memory.

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Commenting on the winner’s work, the jury – consisting of Kennedy Nolan principal Patrick Kennedy, Nexus Designs director Sally Evans and InteriorsAu editor Cassie Hansen – said the piece was selected for it “authentic innovation and deep resonance with Robin Boyd’s Walsh Street house.”
“The work reimagines the potential of tapestry as an art form: its materiality, tactility and artistic nature. The result is a piece that could only exist as tapestry, not painting or print. Thoughtfully positioned within Walsh Street’s living room, its location, scale and textures harmonise with its architectural context, engaging with the materials and tones of Boyd’s design. Evoking the domestic intimacy of the site, the work draws inspiration from the home’s former resident cat, Camilla. Distinctive, conceptually rich and masterfully realised by weaver Saffron Gordon, this tapestry represents a significant and contemporary evolution of the medium,” said the jury.
The winning team received $5,000, while all finalists receive $1,000, along with a People’s Choice Award to be decided by public vote.
The 2025 finalists were:

Jack MacRae, Wilson Architects

Troy Emery and Cox Architecture

N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM and Greenshoot

Yvette Coppersmith and Anouska Milstein, A.mi

Mouriya Senthilkumar and Ian Tsui More

Australian projects have taken out awards in this year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards, presented live in Miami. Of the 460 projects that made the shortlist, 36 were Australian, and two have been named category winners.
In the Completed Buildings category, Woods Bagot has won the Creative Reuse subcategory for its Younghusband project, which involved the regeneration of over 17,000 square metres of former industrial landscape in inner-west Melbourne into a thriving urban village. Using a “light touch” methodology, the project retains and restores much of the 120-year-old heritage fabric, while new insertions enable functional spaces for retail, fashion, wellness, food and beverage, startups, arts and culture, and temporary events. Younghusband is also shortlisted for the Sustainability Prize.
In the Retrofit subcategory, BVN’s Sirius Redevelopment was named the winner. Originally opened in 1981 as social housing, the Sirius building remains a highly visible landmark within the historic Rocks precinct of Sydney. BVN was part of a consortium that worked to retain the structure when it was slated for demolition, reimagining a new chapter for the building centred around public activation, precinct connectivity and enhanced apartment amenity for contemporary living.

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While three of the four overarching awards categories have been revealed, the winning and highly commended projects in the Landscape category are yet to be announced.
The category winners will be considered for the World Building of the Year, World Landscape of the Year, and Future Project of the Year Awards.
A full list of winners and entrants can be accessed online. More

From 66 entries, 24 have been shortlisted by the jury in the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work, which seeks conceptually rigorous, inventive responses to contemporary architectural issues. The prize promotes debate and to generate ideas about architecture by rewarding compelling work in its conceptual stages.
The shortlisted proposals are:
A New School of Architecture – HSP
Acting in the Meantime – Eliza Ng
Are You Being Served? – Eliza Innes
Asyndeton: Unseen Fantasies of Reality – Pei Kai Tan
Beneath the Shadows of Palm: Blueprints for Rural Palm Oil Territories – Danielle Lee
Biography of Design – Design Foundry
Building Community Resilience in a Disrupted World – IDA Alliance
Built Back Better: Urban Resilience for the Township of Lismore – Carmelo Nastasi
Ex Libris Singapore – Lily Éire Parsons
Flinders Island Community Vet – Bence Mulcahy
Friends of the Void – Jamie Bond
Gutless Wonder – Yasmin Fennessy
Kidscapes – Kali Marnane and Tess Martin in collaboration
NSW Pattern Book – In Common Studio
P2 Contemporary – Cicely Brown, Finn Holle and Sophie Shaw
Patterns of Footscray – Card
Play, Her Way … – Sophia Di Giandomenico
ReVault 2.0 – Supermanoeuvre
Richmond Sportslink – Bates Smart
Roads that Separate, Walls that Connect: Civic Propositions for Parramatta Road – Keita Sugimoto and Thomas Papetti
Spectral Dialogues – Katie Taylor
The Art of Darkness – Scar
The Greater Sydney Building Society – Billy McQueenie
Walyalup/Fremantle – What If – Whadjuk Balardong Elder Robyn Collard with Simon Pendal Architect
The 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work jury comprised Ingrid Bakker of Hassell; Kirsteen Mackay from the Office for Design and Architecture SA; Deo Prasad of the University of New South Wales; Stuart Vokes of Vokes and Peters; and Georgia Birks, associate editor of Architecture Australia, as jury chair.
The winner of the prize will be announced on 2 February 2026 on ArchitectureAu and in the Architecture Australia magazine.
The AA Prize for Unbuilt Work is organised by Architecture Media, and supported by presenting partner Adelaide University. More

The Sydney Fish Market has reached construction completion, with market proprietors now set to complete final fit-outs ahead of its 2026 opening.
Designed by Danish-born, international architecture practice 3XN with Australian practices BVN and Aspect Studios, the project relocates the existing fish market in Blackwattle Bay to an adjacent site. The milestone marks the culmination of nearly a decade of planning, design and construction, with designers first sought in 2016 and development approval granted in 2020.
The new Sydney Fish Market is the largest public market hall in the southern hemisphere and is expected to attract over six million domestic and international visitors each year.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the “milestone is an opportunity to reflect on all the hard work that has gone into completing this magnificent building on Sydney’s harbour foreshore.”

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The new market is supported by 481 marine piles and 6,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement. It comprises more than 400 roof cassettes and 594 glulam timber beams, which were transported by barge from Glebe Island. Beneath the building, seawall tiles, coral panels and hanging fish habitats have been installed to support marine life in Blackwattle Bay.
The defining feature of the project is its distinctive 230-metre-long roof, with panels patterned to resemble fish scales. Designed to harness climatic conditions, the roof collects rainwater for recycling, generates energy through photovoltaic panels and includes skylights that draw natural light through the market. The roof can also be illuminated for special occasions via multi-coloured LED lighting.

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Another notable feature is a glass facade around the building, designed to enable visitors to observe the market in action, including live fish auctions.
According to a NSW government communique, the site accommodates more than 6,000 square metres of public space, and includes five art installations in the Civic Plaza intended to celebrate First Nations heritage and the area’s industrial history.

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Retail space in the new market will be double the capacity of the current market, featuring a mix of local seafood vendors, specialty food shops,and a range of dining options, from casual takeaway to premium waterfront restaurants.
The new Sydney Fish Market is anticipated to open on 19 January 2026, while the existing fish market site is earmarked for a redevelopment that will deliver more than 1,500 homes. More

The winners of the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards have been announced, recognising excellence, ingenuity and innovation across the state’s design community with seven category winners and a student design award.
Taking out the top prize in the Architectural Design category was Woodleigh Futures Studio, a zero-waste building by McIldowie Partners, Joost Bakker and Woodleigh School, which is an independent school on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Northern Memorial Park Depot by Searle x Waldron Architecture, The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Oculus, OPS Engineers, Buro North and Lucid was highly commended in this category.

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The other finalists in the Architectural Design category included:

Assemble, 15 Thompson Street, Kensington – Hayball, Assemble, Hacer Group, Oculus and Atelier Ten
Auburn High School Senior Centre – Wowowa Architecture
Canopi Valley Lake – Niddrie Quarry Housing – Bird de la Coeur Architects, CDA Design Group, RedC and MAB
ECHO.1 – C Street Projects, Neil Architecture, Speckel, Detail Green, Ascot Consulting Engineers and Structplan
Eva and Marc Besen Centre – Kerstin Thompson Architects and Tarrawarra Museum of Art
Gargarro Botanic Garden – TCL, Gargarro Botanic Garden and Brandrick Architects
Kangan Institute Health and Community Centre of Excellence – Architectus and Bendigo Kangan Institute
Melbourne Place – Kennedy Nolan Architects, Longriver, Tracy Atherton (hotel consultant) and ADCO Constructions (builder)
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence – ARM Architecture, Munarra Limited, Department of Premier and Cabinet, First Peoples State Relations, the University of Melbourne and the Victorian School Building Authority
Pakenham Station – Genton, North Western Programme Alliance, John Holland, Metro Trains Melbourne, KBR and Level Crossing Removal Project
Pascoe Vale Primary School Gymnasium and Performance Centre – Kosloff Architecture, GLAS Landscape Architects and Kent Morris (artist)
Quiet Studio – Studiobird, Autex Acoustics and Universal Practice
Templeton Primary School – Kosloff Architecture and GLAS Landscape Architects
Terrain – Terrain
Truganina Community Centre – Wyndham City Council (client), Jasmax (architect), CICG (contractor), Outlines (landscape architect), Lisa Waup (artist) and Lucid Consulting (ESD).

In the Design Strategy category, Plan for Victoria – a youth-led transport and planning design initiative by Y Lab and the Department of Transport and Planning – was named the winner.
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks commented, “These awards showcase the creativity, ingenuity and technical expertise that make our state Australia’s design capital, and demonstrate how design can drive business growth and social change.”
The Victorian Premier’s Design Awards are managed by Good Design Australia on behalf of the Victorian government, with the full list of winners accessible online. More

La Trobe University has unveiled the latest update in a $5 billion masterplan to transform its 225-hectare Bundoora campus in Melbourne’s north, with their aim to provide housing for 15,000 people, including 15 percent affordable housing, and facilities for 40,000 students – a 45 percent increase on current student numbers.
The “University City” project has been ongoing for some time, with a proposal to accommodate 12,000 staff and students, along with a mix of commercial, retail and cultural facilities, in 2018.
Parts of this plan have since been realised, including Jackson Clements Burrows Architects’ design for a pair of student accommodation buildings housing 624 beds in total, and the La Trobe Sports Park – described in a media communique from the university as a “world-class sports precinct for teaching, research, community participation and elite sport” – designed by Warren and Mahoney.

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The updated 30-year vision, as detailed in the media statement, includes three distinct villages and the growth of the campus’s city centre, which is intended to transform the Bundoora site into “a dynamic centre of innovation, knowledge and sustainability.” The project has been developed through consultation with stakeholders, community and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Located adjacent to existing homes, the campus’s north village will have a residential focus, while the east village, the closest to Macleod Train Station, will be a mixed-use neighbourhood built on student accommodation, and the south village will have a research, innovation and commercial focus. At the campus’s core, the existing city centre will grow westward with new commercial, retail and academic developments.
The plans also encompass more than 1 million square metres of “regenerative, climate-resilient open space,” including the enhancement and protection of the Nangak Tamboree eco-corridor, as a way to “[connect] the city to the wider environment and bringing its inhabitants closer to nature.”
An improved transport network with expanded pedestrian and cycling links, new streets, laneways and roads, alongside a proposed Suburban Rail Loop train station, is also part of the masterplan.

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Chancellor John Brumby said University City reimagined La Trobe’s place in the broader community.
“University City could boost Gross Regional Product (GRP) in Melbourne’s north-east by an estimated $440 million each year by the completion of the project, while additional interstate and international students could spend around $202 million per annum in the Victorian economy,” he said.
“La Trobe University City will not only transform our campus, it will create a thriving community that drives innovation and economic prosperity.”
La Trobe vice-chancellor professor Theo Farrell added that the initiative would enhance the quality of life for students and staff, and contribute significantly to the social fabric of Melbourne’s north.
“University City is a bold, purpose-built innovation city where education drives everything – and sparks so much more,” he said, describing the proposal as “a connected ecosystem of industry, health, housing, culture, sport and green space,” and “a new model of how knowledge, place and imagination [can] come together.”
Construction is currently underway on the campus’s $82 million University Health Clinic, designed by Woods Bagot. The building is expected to be complete by mid-2026. More

Houses, buildings and spaces can now be registered to be featured in the Open House Melbourne 2026 line-up, taking place from Friday 24 July to Sunday 26 July 2026.
The theme for the 2026 program, “Generous City,” invites submissions that explore how generosity and a culture of openness can be reflected in design. This may be demonstrated in multigenerational homes, community gardens, cultural hubs, inclusive and accessible environments and other shared or community-focused spaces.
In a statement, Open House Melbourne said: “We’re looking for submissions that consider how design decisions shape the way generosity is expressed in architecture that prioritises inclusion, in infrastructure that supports care and in public projects that strengthen community.”
The 2025 program featured an assortment of residential projects, including Naples Street House by Edition Office, which earned the Australian Institute of Architects 2024 Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New); Echo.1 by C Street Projects with Neil Architecture; No Rezzavations House by Sarah Lake Architects; the Merri House by EME Design; Northcote House by LLDS Architects; and Bills Street Social and Affordable Housing by Hayball in collaboration with Tract Landscape Architects.
Other program highlights included Kangan Institute’s Health and Community Centre of Excellence by Architectus and a tour of Balam Balam Place by Kennedy Nolan, Openwork and Finding Infinity.
The online Expressions of Interest portal will close 22 February 2026. All applications will be reviewed by the Open House Melbourne Building Council together with the programming team. More

A research project into inclusive public toilet design has been awarded more than $700,000 in Australian Research Council (ARC) funding.
The project, led by professor Nicole Kalms from Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA) in collaboration with professor Emily Potter from Deakin University, was awarded a 2026 Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Grant valued at $712,282.
Titled Designing Dignity: Civic equity through public bathroom architecture, the project will examine how Australia’s public toilets can be reimagined as inclusive, multipurpose spaces that meet the needs of diverse communities. The study will consider accessibility, sanitation, and the needs of parents, carers and people experiencing homelessness, as well as cultural, faith-based and transit-related requirements.
The project summary highlights that public toilets in Australia, “once a celebrated public health initiative that promoted civility and mobility, is in disrepair and rapid decline,” with toilets increasingly located only in shopping centres, cafes and other commercial spaces. The summary adds that limited access to public restrooms negatively impacts the health and wellbeing of vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness and people with mobility challenges.
Kalms said the research project will take a place-based, co-designed approach across cities, suburbs and regions. “The project findings will serve as a blueprint for individuals, communities, practitioners and governments to ensure that public bathrooms are valued civic assets which promote diverse and equitable communities,” she said.
Kalms is the associate dean (Research) and founding director of the XYX Lab at Monash University, which leads national and international research in gender and place. She is also the 2025 recipient of the Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize.
Potter is professor of Literary Studies, with a portfolio of work exploring climate change, place-making, urban design, the biopolitics of water and consumption, and settler colonial environments. More