Evelyn Reynolds

A new platform named Conscious Craft is set to amplify the voices of Australian designers who are developing considered and responsible designs, with the goal to inspire a new wave of practitioners to follow suit.
Initiated by Craft Victoria, the platform will launch in May 2024 with the objective to shine a spotlight on tangible examples of sustainable innovation, ethical materials and responsible means of production.
Four Conscious Craft exhibitions will be held between May and June 2024, showcasing the works of fifteen makers and creators who are prioritising sustainability as they pursue artistic expression.

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Joanne Odisho, Lume (detail), 2024 for the exhibition By Product, 2 May – 15 Jun 2024. Image:

Photography by Sarah Forgie, courtesy Craft Victoria

The first exhibition,By Product, will showcase the works of Australian designers Marlo Lyda, Sarah Nedovic and Joanne Odisho who have each been given the challenge to repurpose discarded materials into handmade luxury goods. Material Provenance, presented by Clay Matters, will celebrate the launch of a gobal open-source material research project. Following these exhibitions, Aluminium will explore the complexities of working with the material in contemporary practice. Cercare/Trovare will then present wearable decorative objectives crafted from melted down glass and reclaimed waste leather by silversmith and jewellery designer Bobby Corica.
Highlights from the Conscious Craft program include Alexander Brown’s transformation of an aluminium can into a wall-mounted artwork, a sculptural cabinet made from discarded aluminium by Annie Paxton and a lamp inspired by 19th century paper observatory domes created by Joanne Odisho from shredded paper and wood shavings.

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Annie Paxton in the studio. Image:

Photography by Sarah Forgie, courtesy Craft Victoria

Executive director of Craft Victoria, Nicole Durling, said the new platform could have profound, positive impacts on the how makers approach the conceptualisation of their designs.
“Beyond the gallery walls, we believe that creativity can influence the world around us. Craft is inspired by the rise of artists who are challenging their production methods, and interrogating every element that makes up the final piece. In Conscious Craft, the parts are indeed as great as the sum of the whole,” Durling said.
By Product and Material Provenance will be held between 2 May and 15 June; Aluminium between 11 May and 22 June; and Cercare/Trovare from 14 May until 15 June.
In addition to the exhibitions, public programs include:
‘Material Provenance & Complexities of Clay’: Wed 15 May, 6–7pm, with speakers Amelia Black (Clay Matters), David Walker (Walker Ceramics) and John Wardle (Wardle Studio).
‘Studio Visit & Talking Creative Commissions with Thomas Lentini’: Sat 25 May, 2–3.30pm
To find out more about the Conscious Craft exhbitions, visit the Craft Victoria website. More

A proposal for a $276 million, 32-storey tower above two heritage listed buildings on Collins Street will be put before the City of Melbourne on 23 April. If approved, the Cox Architecture-designed tower would be erected behind the Winfield building and above the Rialto building at 487–503 Collins Street. The proposed high-rise would be mixed-use, […] More

Several architecture practices have been recognised in the 2024 National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards shortlist for their efforts in preserving history when redeveloping a space.
The annual National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards program is in its 30th year. This year, architect Matthew Devine chaired the jury, alongside jurors Ann Toy, Barrina South, Dr Caitlin Allen, David Burdon, Kathryn Pitkin, Libby Gallagher and Peter John Cantrill.
The judging categories include Aboriginal Heritage; Advocacy; Architecture; Built Conservation; Interiors and Objects; Landscape; Education and Interpretation; Events, Exhibitions and Tours, and Resources and Publications, among other individual and special categories, including: New Young Achiever; Heritage Skills Lifetime Achievement; Cathy Donnelly Memorial; Judges’ Choice, and the President’s Prize.
The finalists include:
Architecture

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Parramatta Town Hall by DesignInc, Lacoste and Stevenson, Manuelle Gautrand Architecture and TKD Architects. Image:

Brett Boardman

119 Redfern Street, Redfern – entered by Aileen Sage Architects
Bellevue Hill House – entered by Tribe Studio Architects
Birchgrove House – entered by Carter Williamson Architects
Central Station, Sydney – entered by Sydney Metro
Making heritage apartments accessible: new lift at Santa Barbara, Point Piper – entered by Orwell and Peter Phillips
Parramatta Town Hall – entered by DesignInc, Lacoste and Stevenson, Manuelle Gautrand Architecture and TKD Architects
The Estate – entered by Luke Moloney Architecture
The Gunnery Transformation, Woolloomooloo – entered by Dunn Hillam Architecture and Urban Design
Built Conservation

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White Bay Power Station by heritage architecture firm Design 5 and FDC Construction and Fitout. Image:

Toby Peet

Albury Railway Station Roof Conservation Works – entered by Transport for NSW
Chullora Heritage Hub – Tank Annex – entered by Arenco (NSW) Pty Ltd
Glass House: Bill and Ruth Lucas, Castlecrag – entered by Cracknell and Lonergan Architects
McKanes Bridge Capacity Upgrade, South Bowenfels – entered by Transport for NSW
Parliament of NSW Facades Restoration Project, Sydney – entered by Department of Parliamentary Services
Preservation, Restoration and Reconstruction of Trim Cottage, Armidale – entered by Jesse Dick and Tahlia Stewart
Refurbishment of the Sawtell Reserve Hall – entered by City of Coffs Harbour
Restoration of Building 10 (Estimating and Drawing Office) at Cockatoo Island / Wareamah – entered by Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
St Vincents College Conservation Works, Potts Point – entered by VS Architecture
The Australian Metal Workers’ Union Building, Surry Hills – entered by Hector Abrahams Architects
The White Bay Power Station, Rozelle – entered by Placemaking NSW, Design 5 Architects, CBRE and FDC
Interiors and Objects
NSW Parliament Chambers Restoration Project, Sydney – entered by Department of Parliamentary Services
Parramatta Town Hall – Restoration and Reproduction of Original Stencilling to Main Hall, Foyer and Stairs – entered by Paintwrights
Restoration of D class Tramcar 117 of 1899, Loftus – entered by Sydney Tramway Museum
The Irving Street Brewery, Chippendale – Objects and Salvaged Machinery – entered by Urbis Ltd
The SSILO project, Coffs Harbour – entered by City of Coffs Harbour and International Conservation Services (ICS)
Landscape
Clontarf Tidal Pool Renewal – entered by Northern Beaches Council
Tomaree Coastal Walk, Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens – entered by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
West Head Lookout, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park – entered by Oculus and Bruce Mackenzie with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Wilson Park Water Feature (Map of Australia), Lawson – entered by Blue Mountains City Council
See the full shortlist for the NSW Heritage Awards on the National Trust’s website.
The winners will be announced at the National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony on 17 May 2024 at Doltone House in Pyrmont. To purchase tickets for the awards ceremony, visit here. More

The City of Sydney has proposed a number of amendments to the Sydney Local Environment Plan that would encourage developers to create more build-to-rent and co-living housing types in central Sydney. Developers would be given 20 to 75 percent more floor space for build-to-rent developments, and 20 percent more floor space for co-living accommodation. “The […] More

Organisers of the Wellbeing of Architects Symposium have unveiled the full program of keynotes and discussions that explore findings from a four-year research project on the wellbeing of architects, built environment professionals, as well as students. The symposium will offer recommendations for change, including knowledge and tools to support mental wellbeing through systems, culture and […] More

Acoufelt has released four new colour variations in their acoustic felt panel range Filasorb, with each new shade inspired by a season. The FilaSorb felt range has been designed to absorb noise within an interior space. The panels work well when integrated into settings where sound travels and reverberates around the space in a way […] More

Arup, Breathe and TCL landscape architects have been selected as the design consortium responsible for delivering the masterplan for a new, mixed-use community comprising 1000 homes in Thebarton, Adelaide.
Under the billion dollar plans, an 8.4-hectare site on Port Road will be redeveloped to include a mixed-use community of 1,000 new homes (20 percent affordable), public green space, as well as commercial, retail, hospitality and government tenancies.
The masterplan will expand on the preliminary vision set out by Renewal SA following its purchase of the former West End Brewery site from Lion Beer Wine and Spirits in September.
The proposed redevelopment will feature biophilic spaces that evoke feelings of tranquillity through the integration of natural materials, visual connections to nature, natural light, vegetation, and other elements inspired by the natural world. The objective of these spaces will be to improve well being, productivity and quality of life.
Arup – the principal urban design consultant on the master plan – and its consortium was selected from a shortlist of local, national and international contenders during an open market tender process.
“We are delighted to be appointed as urban design team to lead this exciting masterplan together with Renewal SA for the rejuvenation of the former West End Brewery site. Collectively, we bring a culture of innovation forged internationally and locally and rising to the challenges of complex urban environments through a collaborative design-led process,” Arup design director Malcolm Smith said.
“Our team will look at the formation of this mixed-use residential community through a triple bottom-line lens, exploring how each element can work in harmony to achieve environmental, financial and social sustainability.
“Our design team is committed to regenerative practices, instilling vitality in urban spaces through sustainable, restorative, and community-centric approaches. We look forward to engaging with the community to inform this masterplan, harnessing local insights for co-creating urban spaces that resonate culturally and respond to community need.”
Renewal SA stated the project will aim to achieve positive community outcomes, such as introducing welcoming public spaces and activated streets that can accommodate a diverse mix of events, supplying increased housing diversity, engaging with the Kaurna community to interweave Culture and Country into the project, raising awareness about the site’s historical buildings and stories, and delivering ecological and community benefits by connecting the site to the Karrawirra Parri/River Torrens.
Work will begin immediately on the development of a master plan for the site. Construction is expected to commence in 2025, with the first residents anticipated to move in in 2027. More

Hobart’s Macquarie Point Stadium proposal faces an uncertain future, following the Tasmanian Heritage Council’s decision to permanently include the Hobart Railway Goods Shed, situated at the stadium’s intended location, on the state heritage register.
The Goods Shed, constructed in 1915 to store items for transportation via the state’s former railway network, was deemed by the heritage council to be “rare.” The shed, located on Evans Street, served the railway system until the 1970s, after which it was transformed into a transit warehouse for road transport. In recent years, the structure has been used to accommodate temporary entertainment and cultural events.
The Tasmanian Heritage Council determined on 17 April to permanently include the structure on the state heritage register, therefore ensuring its protection from demolition.
In its report, the council highlighted that the Goods Shed satisfied two heritage criteria: firstly, the site is important to the course or pattern of Tasmania’s history, and secondly, the site possesses uncommon or rare aspects of Tasmania’s history.
“As a building associated with the state’s former rail transport network, the Hobart Railway Goods Shed is rare in the Tasmanian context. Within its class of place it is an unusually extensive building,” the report states.
“The Goods Shed illustrates a historical function which is no longer practised. It is one of very few comparable places across Tasmania that still demonstrates evidence of the operations of the Tasmanian Government Railways during the 20th century,” the council adds. “The … shed is a notable example of the development of rail transport, and of the development of Sullivans Cove and Hobart as a centre for trade, including the export of fruit, from World War I onwards.”

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In its report, the heritage council highlighted that the goods shed satisfied two heritage criteria. Image:

Hobart Goods Shed website

The single-storey shed is timber-framed and rectangular in shape, with majority of its facade covered in painted corrugated steel sheeting. It measures at approximately 115 metres in length and 24 metres in width.
The shed roof, a pair of side-by-side gabled volumes; interior timber framing and trusses; original openings formerly occupied by timber sliding goods doors, and narrow, textured glass panels within white-painted timber frames were all considered of high heritage significance.
A draft precinct plan for the redevelopment of Macquarie Point, including the introduction of a multi-purpose stadium was released by the Tasmanian government in October 2023. The plans, produced by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation with Cox Architecture, now seemingly hang in the balance.
The shed is currently owned by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation. More