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    Home for dinner: Features for enhancing the home cooking and dining experience

    From benchtops to joinery pulls, these final touches and appliance must-haves will elevate the at-home cooking and dining experience. Wolf induction range For the serious home cooks, the Wolf induction range pairs a ceramic glass cooktop with a 10-mode Dual VertiFlow convection electric oven. Available in widths of 76 centimetres or 91 centimetres, the range’s […] More

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    Meet Sofia – the new culinary appliance from Fulgor Milano

    A newly launched Italian cooking surface combines functionality and style, allowing every level of chef to infuse a touch of Italy into their home. On the gas stove, six burner positions are protected by heavy-duty cast iron grates. The grates have been designed to be completely flush against one another to ensure safety and efficiency […] More

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    Cox Architecture to lead design of Macquarie Point stadium

    Cox Architecture has been selected as the lead design consultant for the $715 million multipurpose stadium in Hobart’s Macquarie Point, following a market testing process.
    The firm’s history in designing Australian and international stadia – including the Adelaide Oval, Perth’s Optus Stadium and the Allianz Stadium in Sydney – was seen as complementary and advantageous to the project, stated the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC).
    The MPDC CEO Anne Beach said the design team also includes Tasmanian architecture practice Cumulus Studio, along with specialist engineers and technicians AECOM, Cova, Aldanmark, and Pitt and Sherry, as well as international partner Schlaich Bergermann Partners (SBP).
    “This partnership brings national and international expertise and excellence, which will not only deliver this exciting development, but leave a lasting legacy in our local industry,” Beach said. She added Cumulus’s local knowledge will greatly benefit the project, with the practice able to lean into its understanding of Tasmanian services and materials.
    Cox designed the preliminary draft precinct plan, however, a stadium concept design is yet to be finalised. It is expected the stadium concept design will be released in mid-2024. The design team has stated that the concept designs will be different to the initial designs published by the government.
    In addition to the consultancy appointment, four internships will be available for architecture students to work with Cox Architecture in the Hobart project office, four undergraduate placements will also be offered through AECOM, among other internships offered through SBP in Germany.
    The proposed stadium will be covered, with capacity for 23,000 seats and will be the home ground of a future Tasmanian AFL team. In addition to being a live sporting arena, it will also be used for arts and entertainment performances.
    The proposal was in the spotlight recently, following a ruling by the Tasmanian Heritage Council to permanently include the Hobart Railway Goods Shed – situated at the intended location of the stadium – on the state heritage register. The MPDC said they would be proceeding with the project, adjusting the plans to accommodate the historically significant structure. More

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    Australia’s largest hospital project axed

    The proposed site of Australia’s largest hospital project is no longer feasible, the 2024-25 Victorian budget has revealed. The proposal to relocate the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s hospitals into one consolidated medical precinct in Arden was announced in 2022, with the masterplan designed by Hassell and McBride Charles Ryan. At the time it was […] More

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    International competition opens, inviting architects to design Kenyan conservation centre

    The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has initiated an international open design competition for a new conservation centre in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.
    The proposed site for the Maasai Mara Conservation Centre is at Oloololo Gate – the north-eastern section of the reserve.
    The project vision is to create an innovative tourist facility that can be used to accommodate education about conservation, the balance of delicate ecosystems, the traditions of the Maasai people, and the natural and cultural significance of the region. The purpose of the centre is to deepen visitors’ knowledge of the profound importance of the Maasai Mara region – as the site where millions of animals journey to during the Great Migration that occurs annually.
    The competition brief outlines that the proposed centre should be designed with sustainable principles in mind, using eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy sources. The design should also be respectful to the Maasai people and the landscape by incorporating features of local culture and heritage and by being sympathetic to the landscape.
    The competition will follow the open design process with the first stage seeking anonymous concept designs. Following an assessment of the entries, a shortlist of up to five designs will be selected to proceed to the second phase of the competition.
    The competition is being held on behalf of Abercrombie and Kent Philanthropy, the philanthropic arm of travel company Abercrombie and Kent. Cristina Levis, chief executive officer at Abercrombie and Kent Travel Group, said, the new conservation centre is more than just a building; “it’s a symbol of sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship, aiming to protect the Maasai Mara’s natural beauty and cultural legacy. It reflects our vision of a sustainable future through eco-friendly design and education.”
    The competition is open internationally to registered architects. Architects should be registered with the Architects Registration Board in the UK, or an equivalent, recognised overseas regulatory authority. Since May 2023, Australia and the UK have had a mutual recognition agreement for architects’ registrations. Collaboration is encouraged between individuals and organisations of different sizes and different areas of expertise.
    View the full competition brief and for details on how to register here. The closing date for submission of design proposals is Tuesday 18 June 2024 at 12.00 pm. More

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    Two Institute chapters welcome new presidents

    The South Australian and Tasmanian chapters of the Australian Institute of Architects have introduced new presidents. To lead the South Australian chapter will be Kirstie Coultas, in replacement of former president Chris Morley. Coultas has practised as an architect for more than 15 years and has served as a SA Chapter councillor for seven years. […] More

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    Waterfront precinct proposed for Melbourne’s Docklands

    A proposal seeking the development of three towers at two waterfront sites in the Docklands will be presented before the City of Melbourne on 7 May 2024. The towers – to be located at 140 and 160 Harbour Esplanade – form part of a wider proposal aimed at activating the area and improving connections to […] More

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    $900 million precinct approved at former Sydney quarry

    A $900 million BVN-designed, mixed-use precinct in Sydney’s Pyrmont has been approved for development by the City of Sydney. The four-building hub, to be known as Fig and Wattle, will be sited at 14-26 Wattle Street – formerly the Saunders Quarry. It will accommodate 237 single and multi-bedroom apartments, a childcare facility, an indoor recreational […] More