A private university has plans to establish a campus in a revitalized heritage precinct in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, alongside a 30-storey student accommodation tower. Local firm Arkhefield has prepared designs for the Torrens University campus and tower to be built at the site of the heritage Waltons department store, which closed to the public in […] More
A 17-storey student accommodation tower proposed for Sydney’s Chinatown has been recommended for approval, following some amendments to the design spurred by criticism from the Design Advisory Panel. Designed by PTW Architects, the complex will incorporate the former Kwong War Chong building 82-84 Dixon Street, significant as one of the earliest Chinese-owned buildings in the […] More
Adelaide firm Studio Nine Architects has designed a series of five modular, prefabricated buildings ideal for remote retreats or backyard work-from-home hideaways.
The designs for prefab building company Assembly Three have been conceived for a world in the grips of a pandemic, “where travel has become restricted to within our own state and a need for additional space within our own homes, for work or retreat, has arisen.”
Ranging from a compact 22-square-metre studio to a 82-sqaure-metre suite, the architectural spaces are designed to dissolve into the landscape, with a striking steel exterior encasing restrained interiors.
The buildings are constructed using XFrame, a light-weight flat-pack timber framing system designed in New Zealand and supported by Adelaide research commercialization firm Innovyz. Assembly Three says the system uses 30 percent less material than standard timber wall framing, is carbon negative, rapidly recoverable and makes for designs that are more transportable.
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Assembly Studio by Studio Nine Architects.
“Many similar transportable products (think shipping container design) require transportation via a truck to site before being craned into place,” Assembly Three said in a statement. “By utilising XFrame, Assembly Three products are not constrained by logistics … opening up hard to reach, off-grid locations that traditionally haven’t been suitable for development.”
Studio Nine’s design framework builds off the base footprint of the XFrame, adding or subtracting volumes and floor space to adapt to different briefs.
The 22-sqaure-metre Assembly Studio is designed for a cosy retreat or simple work-from-home set-up. Moving up in size, the 27-square-metre Assembly Office is a flexible one-to-two-person working environment with a standalone kitchenette and breakout space.
Then there are the three tourism accommodation designs — the Assembly Cabin, Assembly Suite and Assembly Suite +. Each sleep two, with a kitchenette, ensuite, fireplace and undercover deck area.
The 45-square-metre Assembly Cabin is conceived of as an “entry level Airbnb, caravan park offering or a small footprint granny flat design.”
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The XFrame system.
The 68-sqaure-metre Assembly Suite is a double-height volume that includes a dedicated lounge and dining area. And the largest option, the 82-suare-metre Assembly Suite+ features a mezzanine-level bedroom.
“Striking a balance between feeling warm and cosy in winter and connected to the outside in summer, the spaces are adaptable to their setting,” said Assembly Three.
Studio Nine has aimed for consistent design language across all five buildings , with typical finishes including timber wall panelling, neutral grey tone flooring and matt black joinery.
“All designs are fully self-contained with integrated services and enclosures screened from view, eliminating a rear-elevation and allowing the products to be viewed from 360 degrees.
“With no reliance on typical timber framing or use of steel in the structure, impacts of current supply shortages and weekly price escalation issues have no effect on the build time or cost.”
A prototype of the framing has been constructed at Adelaide’s Tonsley Innovation District. More
BVN principal Kevin O’Brien has created a series of “ephemeral” light sculptures for the 2021 Bleach Festival on the Gold Coast. The sculptures, designed and constructed in collaboration with Ben Tait from UAP (Urban Art Projects), will be suspended between heritage-listed Norfolk pine trees along the esplanade at Burleigh Heads. The space under the trees […] More
Cox Architecture’s competition-winning design for an office tower at 326-328 Botany Road, Alexandria has been submitted to council for planning approval. The brief called for a building that would contribute to the post-industrial transformation of the Green Square urban renewal area, knitting into the urban fabric of the surrounding area with a fine-grain response. With […] More
The Old School New School conference returns after a two year hiatus with a virtual program that seeks to understand how architectural agency can influence positive learning experiences.
Held over three online sessions, the conference will examine the design of learning environments in early childhood settings, schools and universities.
Architects, educators and research specialists hailing from Australia, Europe, Asia and North America will present their work and interrogate architecture’s role in the future of education.
Session one, Designing for Primary and Secondary Education, will present research and evidence-based studies that explore how design can influence learning experience for diverse individuals across a range of backgrounds, cultures and learning abilities. Speakers Rosan Bosch of Rosan Bosch Studio from Denmark and Rachel Neeson of Neeson Murcutt and Neille from Sydney will present a range of projects, while Meagan Killer from the Queensland Department of Education, along with Bentley Park College principals Bruce Houghton and Adam Catalano, will present a program of inclusive space that seeks to support students who are at risk of disengaging from school.
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KNO Nursery by Youji no Shiro. Image:
Studio Bauhaus
In session two, Designing for Early Learning, speakers will present case studies of educational projects from a variety of pedagogical approaches and examine how the built environment influences developmental outcomes in children. Presenter Sandra Duncan from the USA will examine research on how emotions influence learning in children, and her co-presenter Faith Swickard will examine how this research applies through a spatial analysis of architectural elements. Sydney landscape architect Fiona Robbé will present a range of play spaces in early childhood settings and Japanese architect Taku Hibino of Youji no Shiro will present case studies of early learning centres.
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University of Tasmania’s Teaching and Learning Building at Inveresk by John Wardle Architects. Image:
John Wardle Architects.
The final session, Designing for Tertiary Education, will explore the rise of the city campus and how universities are influencing the transformation of the urban fabric. Canadian architect Shirley Blumberg of KPMB will present her practice’s university projects in Canada and the USA; Hazel Porter of Woods Bagot will speak about one of Australia’s first “innovation precincts,” Melbourne Connect; and the University of Tasmania’s vice-chancellor Rufus Black will speak about the university’s campus development projects.
Each session will be followed by a live panel discussion with all the presenters moderated by industry experts.
Old School New School is a Design Speaks event, organized by Architecture Media (publisher of ArchitectureAU.com) and supported by principal partner Dulux and major partner Planned Cover. Tickets for the conference are on sale now until 24 September. The sessions can be viewed live on 24 and 31 August, and 7 September or on demand until 1 October. More
An entire block in the Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise will be given over to an $800 million three-tower apartment development complete with a suspended glass bottom pool, under plans lodged with the Gold Coast City Council.
Designed by Rothelowman with landscape practice Form, the development will sit between Ferny Avenue and Surfers Paradise Boulevard, at the centre of the Gold Coast’s tourism precinct. The towers will reach 38, 40 and 42 storeys and house 792 apartments and 1,713 square metres of indoor retail space.
The proposal to build a suspended lap pool follows the headline grabbing completion of London’s Embassy Gardens Sky Pool. The pool at the Gold Coast tower will located at the 26th storey – 10 storeys higher the London sky pool.
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The three-tower Ferny Avenue development designed by Rothelowman.
Another pool – a circular infinity lagoon pool at the podium level – will be a focal point of the development available to all residents. Each tower will have its own distinct podium, connected to the others via walkways to create “an upmarket neighbourhood village vibe.”
The towers will each be tailored to slightly different demographics. Tower 1 will be designed to be “dynamic, social and youthful” with the lagoon pool at its base, a barbecue area, gym and yoga garden and a sky lounge featuring co-working spaces,bar, indoor and outdoor seating lounge, and an “interactive sky gym.”
Tower 2 will be designed for families and will have an indoor and outdoor kids’ zone, and a sky lounge with gym, yoga and spa facilities. Tower 3 will be for the “mature lifestyle buyer” with the podium encompassing its own café, breakfast and dining terraces, a library and meeting rooms and a sky lounge featuring the suspended lap pool, a cigar lounge and wine bar.
The developers behind the project are SPG Land and Gordon Corp, in a joint-venture.
SPG Land chairman David Wang described the proposal as a transformational development for the Gold Coast.
“Our development is not only destined to be an exciting new residential address, but a new public space that everyone can enjoy whether they’re taking a shortcut to the beach or settling in with friends in the plaza for a morning coffee or an alfresco lunch,” he said. More
Among the 200 shortlisted entries in the 2020/21 World Architecture Festival Awards, there is again a strong contingent of projects from Australia and by Australian architects.
“We are delighted with both the quantity and quality of this year’s entries,” said festival director Paul Finch. “This promises to be the most competitive awards program we have ever run, and we look forward to meeting the shortlisted architects in Lisbon.”
The festival was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, and will now be held from 1 to 3 December with the theme “Resetting the City: Greening, Health and Urbanism.”
Across the three days of the festival, architects will present their shortlisted projects to more than 100 international jurors.
Category winners will then compete with each other for the titles of World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year and Landscape of the Year.
The Australian shortlisted projects are:
Completed Buildings
Culture
Chau Chak Wing Museum – JPW
Phoenix Central Park – Durback Block Jaggers and John Wardle Architects
Display
Mon Repos Turtle Centre – Kirk
Penguin Parade Visitor Centre – Terroir
Health
Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub Newman – Kaunitz Yeung Architecture
Higher Education and Research
Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design – Grimshaw
UTS Central – FJMT
House and Villa (Rural and Nature)
Coopworth – FMD Architects
House and Villa (Urban/Suburban)
House Taurus – Durbach Block Jaggers
JARtB House – Kavellaris Urban Design
Kew Residence – John Wardle Architects
Nissim House – Studio Milou
North Perth House – Nic Brunsdon
Housing
Collins House – Bates Smart
Holme Apartments – John Wardle Architects
Mixed Use
Collins Arch – Woods Bagot and Shop Architects
Sky Green – Woha Architects
New and Old
2 Ridge Street – Tzannes
Office
9 Cremorne Street – Fieldwork
Daramu House – Tzannes
Olderfleet – Grimshaw
Religion
Punchbowl Mosque – Angelo Candalepas and Associates
School
Fortitude Valley Secondary College – Cox Architecture and Thomson Adsett
Ravenswood Senior Learning Centre – BVN
Sport
Ken Rosewall Arena Redevelopment – Cox Architecture
Rod Laver Arena – Cox Architecture
Transport
Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail – Grimshaw and Aspect Studios in collaboration with the City of Sydney on behalf of Transport for NSW supported by Randwick Council
Landscape (Urban Context)
Prahran Square – Lyons with Aspect Studios
Sydney Park Water Re-use – Turf Design Studio
Future Project
Civic
Rethinking Melbourne’s Carparks – Bates Smart
Culture
Yalingbila Bibula – Cox Architecture
Education
The Kambala Sport, Wellbeing + Senior Learning Precinct – Allen Jack and Cottier
Infrastructure
Sydney Metro – Woods Bagot and John McAslan and Partners
Leisure-led development
Tawarri Hot Springs – Nic Brunsdon
Office
Atlassian Headquarters – Shop Architects and BVN
Residential
Sirius Redevelopment – BVN More
