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    JCB-designed social housing complex approved

    Wangaratta council in Victoria’s north-east has approved a 44-unit social housing complex designed Jackson Clements Burrows. The development located just outside the town centre will replace 16 dilapidated single storey units that are existing on the site. Uniting Care Vic/Tas will be the owner and operator of the complex. The design for the proposed complex […] More

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    The Chairity Project 2022

    The fourth edition of Cult’s esteemed Chairity Project invites leading Australian creatives to reinterpret an iconic chair design. The final pieces will be exhibited nationwide and sold at auction, with all proceeds donated to a selection of charities.
    After a five-year hiatus, Cult is thrilled to re-introduce the Chairity project, partnering with one of the fastest growing Danish design brands in the world – Hay.
    From 2014 to 2016, Cult invited creatives to reinterpret the CH33 by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen and Son, the Series 7 by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, and the Officina chair by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis.
    For Chairity Project 2022, Cult has invited 18 creatives from industrial design, architecture, interior, art, scent, ceramics and graphic design backgrounds to reimagine Hay’s iconic Result Chair – a 1950s design by Friso Kramer and Wim Rietveld.
    With Melbourne Design Week as the launchpad for Chairity Project 2022, the creative brief has been aligned with Melbourne Design Week’s theme of “Design the world you want,” which prompts the question: “How can we collectively work towards a better, healthier future?”
    Cult is pleased to welcome back two creatives who have participated in previous editions of the Chairity Project – industrial designer Adam Goodrum and graphic design duo Design by Toko – along with 16 new contributors – Arnsdorf, Yasmine Ghoniem, Kelvin Ho, Claire Delmar, Craig Andrade, Retallack Thompson, Anna Carin, Tom Fereday, Zachary Hanna, Alexandra Donohoe Church, Pattern Studio, Shelley Simpson, Use Daily, Heather Nette King, Evi-O and William Smart.
    The diversity of creatives taking part in the project will result in a wide range of chair reinventions and an enticing auction, which will take place online between 17 March and 3 April.
    To mark the online auction opening, the final designs will be exhibited at Cult Design Melbourne during Melbourne Design Week, from 17 to 20 March. The exhibition will then be displayed at the new Hay Sydney store from 28 March to 3 April, with the online auction closing Sunday 3 April at 7 pm AEST.
    “After what has been a challenging two years, we can think of no better initiative to re-instate after a five-year hiatus, than one that is centred around collaboration, creativity and a charitable cause,” said Richard Munao, Cult founder and director.
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    Kingspan funds Seabin's clean-up of Australian waterways

    Kingspan has agreed to fund a clean-up mission by Australian clean-tech start-up Seabin, using Seabin’s pioneering technology to collect microplastics and other ocean debris from the water.
    Kingspan provides energy-efficient building envelope solutions and high-performance insulation products for buildings, as well as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and energy storage. The partnership with Seabin is the result of Kingspan’s 10-year Planet Passionate global sustainability program, which includes a commitment to supporting five ocean clean-up projects around the world by 2025.
    Seabin has classified Jones Bay Wharf, located in Sydney, as a high-volume marine litter accumulation point. Seabin recently conducted a pilot program in Sydney that collected more than 16 tonnes of marine debris and filtered more than 3.2 billion litres of water for microplastics, plastic, fibres, oil and other contaminants. The partnership with Kingspan will result in almost 1.3 tonnes of marine debris, the equivalentof 31,000 plastic straws, being collected from the Kingspan sponsored Seabin unit at Jones Bay Marina, as part of Seabin’s Sydney Smart City Program.
    Seabin is now replicating its model around the world, with the goal of reaching 100 cities by 2050. Commercial partnerships, such as the one with Kingspan, will help Seabin achieve its aims by providing funding for environmental technicians to service and maintain the units, collect data, engage with local communities, and facilitate educational events. Kingspan plans to support a second Seabin unit in Los Angeles in 2022.
    Seabin’s 100 Smart Cities Program – Sydney is the second ocean clean-up project to receive support as part of Kingspan’s Planet Passionate commitment. In 2019, Kingspan began a three-year partnership with the ECOALF Foundation to remove up to 150 tonnes of waste from the Mediterranean each year through the foundation’s network of fishermen. Kingspan is using as much of the ocean plastic recovered as possible in its production.
    Pete Ceglinski, CEO and co-founder of Seabin, said, “Having a multi-national like Kingspan come on board and support our mission of cleaner oceans is nothing short of inspiring and an example for others to follow. The team and I look forward to working with Kingspan here in Sydney, and over in LA as we scale our operations to increase our positive impact across the globe.”
    Bianca Wong, global head of sustainability at Kingspan, said, “Kingspan is delighted to partner with Seabin as part of our Planet Passionate program. Protecting the natural environment is a key focus of this program, and Kingspan is excited to work with Seabin to help improve ocean health and remove pollutants from waterways around the world.”
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    Brickworks opens new flagship design studio in New York

    Quality building products supplier Brickworks has opened a global flagship design studio on New York’s iconic 5th Avenue. Measuring 1,500 m², the Brickworks New York Design Studio provides architects, designers and homeowners with an upscale, stylish space to collaborate on projects, explore premium products and attend industry-leading events. The state-of-the-art studio offers the architecture and […] More

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    Lumiere Cosmetics Clinic incorporates Corian White Onyx

    Corian White Onyx was used for curved elements in the recent clinic expansion of Lumiere Cosmetic Clinic. The medical aesthetic institution is one of the largest in Sydney thanks to the Level 3 addition. Level 3 has inherited some of the original design style – such as the use of timber, white and grey colours, […] More

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    Chairity Project to relaunch during Melbourne Design Week 2022

    Chairity Project to relaunch during Melbourne Design Week 2022 Cult’s Chairity Project will return to Melbourne Design Week, with 18 creatives from multiple design disciplines reimagining Hay’s Result chair for two nationwide exhibits and one “chair”-ity auction. Cult founder and director Richard Munao sees the project as a positive step forward from a challenging two […] More

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    NGV launches major commission championing women designers

    The National Gallery of Victoria has announced a new series of major commissions that will showcase significant work of internationally renowned female designers and architects.
    The five-year series, made possible through a significant contribution from cosmetics retailer Mecca, aims to champions and elevate women in art and design.
    The gallery made the announcement on International Women’s Day in 2022 and also revealed Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao has been commissioned for the inaugural exhibition, which will be be unveiled in September. The gallery intends to reveal commissioned designers each year coinciding with International Women’s Day.
    “Tatiana Bilbao’s is a compelling voice from outside of the traditional canon of architecture, offering a unique perspective on both its history and its future. A woman from North America, an advocate and a spokesperson for change, Bilbao creates work that is as intellectually rigorous as it is visually dynamic,” said Tony Ellwood, director of the NGV.
    Bilbao established Tatiana Bilbao Studio in 2004, based in Mexico City. Her work spans a number of typologies from institutional to residential and low-cost housing, as well as urban planning and landscape design. She has been an advisor in the Ministry of Development and Housing of the Government of the Federal District of Mexico City.
    Her studio focuses on challenging historical conventions and making spaces more inclusive and people-oriented. She often collaborates with other architects, artists, communities, as well as business people to enrich the culture and built landscape of Mexico.
    She presented at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale and her has also been collected by the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Art Institute of Chicago.

    View gallery

    Collage by Tatiana Bilbao.

    Bilbao often uses collage, drawing and model-making in her work and her commission for the NGV will create a large-scale installation that will combine textiles and architectural structure.
    “I am deeply honoured and grateful to have been chosen for the Women in Design Commission by the NGV and Mecca. This is contributing in many ways to advance the discourse of the importance of opening channels for people that have been left out of opportunities. When chosen, I took this responsibility very seriously and I am truly thankful for the opportunity.”
    The Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission will provide a platform for topical and world-premiere works. “The ongoing Women in Design Commission will highlight the ground-breaking work of women in this field from Australia and around the world, as well as strengthening the NGV Collection for future generations,” Ellwood said.
    The contribution from Mecca is the biggest the company has made to any Australian cultural institution.
    The 2022 Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission will open in September 2022 and close in March 2023. More

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    Key bathroom trends in 2022

    Methven predicts that in 2022 the focus for the bathroom, more than any other room in the home, will incorporate key wellness and self-care trends, with an emphasis on the importance of creating harmony. Focusing on quality items that last and provide comfort above all else will be the priority. Trends for 2022 dictate that […] More