Evelyn Reynolds

The transformation of Brisbane’s historic Bulimba Barracks has progressed following Brisbane City Council’s approval of an apartment complex within the 21-hectare riverside precinct.
The Apollo Road Apartments form part of the first stage of the site’s masterplan, designed by Buchan for the Shayer Group. This stage also includes the adaptive reuse of the heritage-listed fabrication shed and the construction of a new riverside pavillion, both of which were approved for development in May this year.
According to a release from Buchan, “The two- and three-storey multi-residential complex … will offer superior amenity with its waterside location, shared recreation spaces and adjacency to the fabrication shed, [which] is set to become a community hub that will put retail and hospitality on the residents’ doorstep.”

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Buchan principal and project lead Lynn Van Dievoort said the design of the two apartment buildings – which are proposed directly to the west of the shed, on the footprint of the former WWII warehouses – speaks to the site’s rich history as well as Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate.
“Planning for the two buildings prioritised fresh air, natural light and green space for residents,” she said. “The design draws on the site’s industrial heritage, with curved forms and brickwork referencing a former soap and candle factory dating back to the 1880s.”
The two apartment buildings together contain 69 one-, two- and three-bed dwellings, and are separated by a communal courtyard.

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“Taking inspiration from the vernacular Queenslander, the communal courtyard acts as a front verandah for residents to gather,” Van Dievoort said. “Residents will also have private outdoor space, with sheltered balconies and terraces on the upper-level and apartments and courtyard gardens at ground level, enabling indoor and outdoor living attuned to the climate.”
The apartment complex will be connected to the riverfront parkland and to the fabrication shed via a landscaped pedestrian laneway, which is designed to host community gardens, play spaces and public art.
Future plans for the precinct include further multi-residential development ranging from two storeys at the site’s edges up to five storeys high in the site’s centre.

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Van Dievoort said the approval of the Apollo Road Apartments marks the start of new era for Bulimba, noting that the project “will set a benchmark for future developments in the Bulimba Barracks precinct as it evolves into a vibrant new neighbourhood.” More

Designers are increasingly turning to strategies of reduce, reuse and recycle in response to the environmental crisis. In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, Emily Wong, editor of Landscape Australia, is joined by landscape architect and creative director of SBLA Studio Simone Bliss to discuss rethinking the design process in the face of the climate crisis.
Drawing on SBLA Studio’s work on the landscape design of Richmond High School – a project that integrated a significant amount of onsite materials – Simone reflects on the value of open-ended design: a process that embraces uncertainty and imperfection.

During the conversation, Simone remarks that built environment professionals need to start integrating reuse into design philosophy more consistently, alongside a willingness to relinquish control over detail. With Richmond High School, she explains, the team explored the idea that not everything has to be perfectly finished or fully resolved. Instead, the design intentionally leaves space for things to evolve through found materials.

Design Speaks Weekly is presented in partnership with the Australian Institute of Architects and with support from Lysaght. A fresh episode will be delivered every Tuesday. You can listen to it on major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. More

A development application has been submitted for the masterplan and first stage of a major mixed-use precinct on a 1.8-hectare site in Canberra’s inner-north.
The site of the proposed development is the Dickson Tradies site in the suburb of Dickson, currently occupied by the Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club building. Established in 1964, the club has long served as a community venue offering hospitality, entertainment and fitness services. The club will continue to operate on site, but will relocate into a newly constructed building as part of the staged redevelopment.
Stewart Architecture was invited to participate in a design competition for the site and was later commissioned to prepare the masterplan and development application design. The broader consultant team includes environmental consultant Finding Infinity, Colliers, Arcadia Landscape Architecture, Neuron and Sellick Consultants. The design was also informed by Connecting with Country workshops, undertaken with Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan.

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The overarching proposal – known as The Green at Dickson – features seven architecturally distinct buildings that will collectively accommodate 645 residential dwellings, 5,000 square metres of commercial, retail and dining spaces, and 4,400 square metres of new club facilities. The proposed buildings are arranged around the Dickson Green, an open green space held at the centre of the site.
In a communique, Stewart Architecture has characterised the design as being “landscape-led,” with a strong focus on public realm and walkability. The masterplan includes a series of laneways and pedestrian streets, along with the naturalisation of Sullivan’s Creek, which currently runs through a concrete stormwater drain on the site. The central green space will be oriented towards the creek, with a public promenade running alongside it.

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The communique outlines the plan’s sustainability ambitions, developed in collaboration with Finding Infinity. These include water neutrality, zero waste to landfill, a potential anaerobic digestor that would allow the site to process more waste than it produces, a zero-waste retail strategy, and buildings powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
Environmental strategies also include high wall-to-window ratios to minimise the need for mechanical heating and cooling, as well as energy-saving measures that encourage social interaction – such as shared laundries with large clotheslines on the buildings’ rooftops.
Stage one of the project will involve the development of Buildings A and B, the demolition of the nursery, gym, squash courts and part of the motel, as well as the naturalisation of Sullivan’s Creek.
The application is on exhibition until 1 October. More

On the New South Wales Central Coast, Gosford’s new regional library has opened to a design by Sydney-based practice Lahznimmo Architects, who were first awarded the project in 2020.
Reflecting on the commission, director of Lahznimmo Andrew Nimmo commented, “We knew that the community had been waiting for this library for a very long time so felt certain that the project would proceed posthaste.” However, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic led to various stumbling blocks, delaying the project’s completion by two years.
“The fact that the library has been built; true to the original vision, without major compromises, and for the funds available is testament to the determination of a lot of people within council to make it happen,” Nimmo observed. More

A plant research facility with expressive brickwork and an expanded interwar brick bungalow have claimed top honours at the 2025 Think Brick Awards.
From a pool of 146 entrants, six projects have won awards and five have received high commendations across six categories. The awards jury comprised Michael Heenan of AJC Architects, Laura McConaghy of Studio Bright, Elizabeth Carpenter of FJC Studio, Tone Wheeler of Environa Studio and Cathy Inglis of Think Brick Australia.
“During the judging process, it was remarkable to witness the quality of submissions across the board. The innovation was undeniable, but more than that, we sensed a shift – a quiet evolution in how projects are conceived and delivered. Year by year, we’re seeing concrete masonry, bricks, pavers and roof tiles being used with greater intent and sophistication. This isn’t just a credit to architects; it reflects a growing collaboration with the manufacturing industry, which is increasingly investing in research, testing and design support,” commented head juror Michael Heenan.
“The awarded projects represent more than just design excellence – they signal an enduring commitment to building with integrity, care and creativity. They remind us that continuity is not about repetition, but about relevance – the ability of a material and a profession to stay meaningful through change.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Think Brick Awards program.
Horbury Hunt Commercial Award
Plant Futures Facility – The University of Queensland – M3 Architecture (PGH Bricks and Pavers, Austral Bricks, Bowral Bricks and Leviat)
High Commendations
Tan Tat – SJB (Robertson’s Building Products)
Yarrila Place – BVN (Austral Bricks)
Crows Nest Sydney Metro Station – Woods Bagot (Namoi Valley Bricks, PGH Bricks and Pavers, Robertson’s Building Products)
Horbury Hunt Residential Award
Hotham – Austin Maynard Architects (Krause Bricks)

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High Commendation
Clique – Wowowa Architecture (Bowral Bricks)
Kevin Borland Masonry Award
Bondi Breeze – Panov Scott (Austral Masonry)

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Bruce Mackenzie Landscape Award
Kalgoorlie City Centre Redevelopment – Aspect Studios (Urbanstone)
Robin Dods Roof Tiles Award
Clubbe Hall – First Class Slate Roofing and TKD Architects (Bristile Roofing)
High Commendation
Green House – R Architecture (Bristile Roofing)

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New Entrant Award
Truganina Community Centre – Jasmax (Daniel Robertson) More

A proposal for a student accommodation tower that would see the demolition of a creative precinct in Adelaide’s city centre, known as The Block, has been approved by the South Australian State Planning Commission.
The local planning and property firm leading the project, Intro, states that while the site was once a hub for industry, manufacturing and craftsmanship, its historical significance “has faded amidst modern developments, leaving a cultural disconnect.”
The 35-storey proposal is set to house 480 student beds above a ground-floor shop and cafe, and mezzanine student library space. The building’s design, which will feature landscaped gardens throughout the podium and ground-floor communal areas, takes cues from Hindmarsh Square opposite.
In its materiality and form, Intro has said that the architectural language of the proposal “draws on familiar inherited materials, forms and rhythms – most notably the use of brick, vaulted soffits and archways – evoking the robust, utilitarian character of the site’s past.”

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While the project was under review from the Office for Design and Architecture SA in July, planning officer Joanne Reid offered her support for the proposal, however, expressed some concerns with “the use of unauthentic and simulated materials” across the building’s envelope.
“I am of the view that the use of simulated materials does not reflect the intent for a high-quality design outcome,” she said. “I recommend consideration of high-quality authentic materials that are compatible with the intended form and function.”
Reid also recommended the resolution of the envelope with operable windows and the mitigation of wind impacts on communal outdoor spaces during the next phases of Intro’s design development.
The proposal is among several student housing towers recently approved for Adelaide’s CBD, including a 33-storey student housing tower on the site of the Duke of York Hotel, designed by Telha Clarke, and a $400 million, 33-storey tower sited on the carpark of the city’s oldest church, designed by Brown Falconer. More

A Melbourne-based architect has been shortlisted within the top 100 entries in a global design competition to reimagine Dubai’s public spaces.
Organised by RTA and Buildner, the Dubai Urban Elements competition brief tasked entrants with developing unique designs for small-scale urban infrastructure, such as pedestrian and cycle bridges, street furniture, shading structures, wayfinding systems, lighting and other amenity elements, across the city’s seven zones.
A registered architect practising at Cox Architecture, Hamza Khan’s proposal aligns itself with the city’s 2040 vision, which prioritises liveability, wellbeing and reduced car dependency. His scheme is centred upon the transformation of the Dubai’s 14-lane highway, the Sheikh Zayed Road, into a “green artery lined with palm trees, flowing water and thriving public spaces.”

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With the highway repositioned underground, the proposal reimagines the city “as a dynamic urban tapestry,” with a central canal providing a new public transport corridor. Alongside the canal, water-fed shading structures are designed to turn canal water into cooling mist for pedestrian walkways, while enclosed expressways elevated above the ground provide passage for electric bikes and scooters. A series of new plazas along the canal corridor are intended to act as social and cultural hubs.
According to Khan, the “vision [is] rooted in small-scale tactical urbanism – cities that are not just seen, but felt.”
The final results of the competition are due to be announced on 4 November, with the winner awarded €250,000. More

Campbelltown City Council in New South Wales has announced the appointment of FJC Studio as principal design consultant on the $85 million expansion of its arts centre, originally opened in 2005 to a design by Tanner Kibble Denton (TKD) Architects.
A media release from the council notes that the firm’s approach will involve extensive stakeholder engagement to inform the concept designs, which will look to the local landscape and culture to strengthen the site’s visual and physical interaction with its surrounds.
“FJC Studio’s vision for Campbelltown Arts Centre expansion will draw inspiration from the Dharawal landscape and culture, with a design that will seek to deepen connection to Country through spaces that foster cultural exchange, storytelling, and shared understanding,” the council’s release notes. “This approach aims to enrich the visitor journey, shaping how people move through and experience the space.”
According to the council’s communique, the redevelopment reflects their vision to secure “Campbelltown Arts Centre’s position as a strong leader in the Western Sydney arts ecology.”
Mayor of Campbelltown Darcy Lound said that the centre’s expansion “will bring a modernised facility that provides more spaces to meet our city’s growing needs, including more space for workshops, exhibitions, performances, and events,” and in doing so, will serve as “a destination to attract new visitors to our city.”

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Adopting an approach toward the adaptive reuse of the existing floor plan and repurposing of existing infrastructure to maximise sustainability, FJC’s design is set to deliver a new theatre space, additional workshop spaces, artwork storage, new and renovated gallery spaces, artist studios, an expanded cafe, function and conference spaces, and improved accessibility.
Design director at FJC Studio Richard Francis-Jones commented, “This project will be more than a sum of its parts – gallery, theatre, conference and workshops. It will be the Campbelltown community’s cultural place, open to everyone to spend time, create and connect.”
“We feel privileged to be appointed as architects for this project, knowing that it has been a place that many people have held dear for decades,” Francis-Jones added. “We will be working with the council and the community to develop a place that instils pride and a true sense of belonging.”
Concept designs are expected to be released later this year, and the project completed in 2029. More