Evelyn Reynolds

A contemporary take on traditional coastal design, Modern Coastal homes blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Crisp white weatherboards, wide stacking doors, and clerestory windows define this style, offering laid-back luxury inspired by Australia’s beach shack history.Cladding manufacturer and supplier James Hardie has released the findings of its first annual research initiative, the Modern Homes Forecast 2024, a study of the trajectory of contemporary home design in Australia.
Facilitated by research experts Fiftyfive5, the study focused on architectural features, as well as exterior and interior design trends. The findings were ascertained from the collation of desktop research, AI insights, and expert interviews with architects, designers, and industry journalists.
Research was gathered from thousands of individual sources, including more than 28,340 posts from more than 200 global designers and influencers. These outcomes were then analysed against more than three million search terms.
In examining the housing design landscape, it was crucial to first understand the external factors driving change — forces that shape the way we want to live, and subsequently steer the direction of residential design.
On a local scale, Australia is experiencing a shift in family dynamics and living arrangements. Couples without children are projected to become the most common family type over the next five years. In addition, the cost of living and cultural influences have prompted people to consider multigenerational living arrangements, with 20 percent of the population now residing in multigenerational households.
Regional migration in Australia has increased by 16 percent from pre-pandemic figures. Simultaneously, there is a rising discontent with urban living – a dissatisfaction that resulted in regional migration upsurging from 10 percent in 2020 to 14 percent in 2023. This migration trend suggests a re-evaluation of lifestyle preferences.
More than 53 percent of Australians are currently working from home, prioritising and upgrading home offices to meet evolving work-from-home needs.
The advent of the digital consumer has resulted in an explosion of design trends and accompanying technologies used to create the ‘dream home’. This technological landscape sees users demanding higher quality products and more customisation in housing design. Climate change is another external factor driving design, partly driven by the 2022 National Construction Code, which mandates that all new homes in Australia must meet a minimum energy efficiency rating.

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James Hardie Fine Texture Axent Trim used in render of Japandi residence. Image: Supplied

In addition to assessing these external factors, the Modern Homes Forecast 2024 revealed seven lasting, popular and emerging residential styles: Modern Farmhouse, Box Modern, Modern Heritage, Mid-Century Modern, Japandi, Barn and Modern Coastal.
Modern Farmhouse: Bringing together traditional and contemporary features, this style prioritises modern functionality combined with comforting, classic features. Neutral colour schemes, open-plan layouts and the frequent integration of black window frames characterise this style.
Box Modern: This style is defined by large blocks or cube-shaped volumes that are stacked, intersecting, or arranged to form compelling, contemporary residences.
Modern Heritage: Characteristed by historical homes sensitively restored, boldly renovated or extended, Modern Heritage balances old and new through contrasting features.
Mid-Century Modern: A juxtaposition of clean, geometric lines with organic shapes and bright accents.
Japandi: Combining Scandinavian functionality with Japanese minimalism, Japandi is reflected by the use of natural materials, neutral and warm colours and indoor/outdoor living.
Barn: Inspired by Nordic minimalism and a desire to connect with nature, this architectural genre emphasises clean lines and craftsmanship. A pitched roof, open-plan living and the use of natural materials define this style.
Modern Coastal: Modern Coastal homes blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Crisp white weatherboards, wide stacking doors and clerestory windows are all features of this style.
Upon completing the study, James Hardie has produced a series of Design Handbooks to offer insights into each of the seven architectural styles. The handbooks demonstrate design features, material textures and colour palettes of each style, along with a selection of James Hardie exterior cladding options to assist with bringing the vision to life.
To find out more about the study, its findings or cladding solutions, visit the James Hardie website. More

The restoration of Sydney’s Parramatta Town Hall is complete, with a new link established to connect the Parramatta Civic Hub and the town hall.
The primary objective of the project was to refurbish the 1883 town hall to better suit contemporary needs as an entertainment venue while preserving the original heritage fabric of the building. The project’s design team included Designinc, Lacoste and Stevenson, MGA, and TKD Architects, in consultation with the City of Parramatta Council.

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Parramatta Town Hall renewal by Designinc, Lacoste and Stevenson, MGA, and TKD Architects, in consultation with the City of Parramatta Council. Image:

Brett Boardman

The town hall is physically joined to the Parramatta Civic Hub – also known as Phive – through a new addition called the Southern Terrace. The facades of Phive and the town hall are juxtaposed against each other, providing a defined distinction between old and new, historical and contemporary.
The multi-purpose terrace was developed in close consultation with the project’s design excellence jury and can be used as a foyer, gathering area or a performance stage. The terrace not only provides linkages between the town hall and Phive but provides access from the town hall to Parramatta Square.

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The Southern Terrace was developed in close consultation with the project’s design excellence jury and can be used as a foyer, gathering area or a performance stage. Image:

Brett Boardman

According to Designinc, sustainability was central to the redesign of town hall. The building is powered completely by renewable energy through a solar PV array on the roof of the Southern Terrace. About 90 percent of the construction waste produced was repurposed, as seen in the application of recycled heritage bricks and timber floors throughout the building.
“Material choices, particularly in the new public spaces facing the public square, prioritise durability to ensure longevity in usage, encapsulating Parramatta Town Hall as a symbol of historical preservation and sustainable evolution,” Designinc stated.
As part of the restorative project, Jubilee Hall was converted to house food and beverage offerings, in a move that sought to activate the Northern Laneway. Additionally, the renewal involved upgrading utilities, services and amenities such as acoustics, audio-visual technology, air conditioning, lift access and fire safety technology.
In the next stage of Parramatta Square’s development, design elements reflecting the site’s historical, cultural and First Nations significance will be integrated by council. More

A state-significant development application has been submitted for a 14-storey affordable housing complex in Sydney’s Macquarie Park.
Designed by SJB with Land and Form Studios, the development at 6 Halifax Street will be part of a masterplanned community at the Lachlan’s Line precinct on Wallumedgal Country. It will comprise 135 affordable housing units across two towers, separated by a large breezeway.
The breezeway is designed to minimise visual bulk by dividing the building’s massing in two, as well as create cross ventilation through the site. As a result, eight of the 12 units on each floor of the development will have dual aspects.
“On the ground plane, the breezeway allows the building to open up and be stitched back into the landscape of the urban context, creating generous community open spaces,” the architects said in a design statement.
“The ground floor breezeway is sheltered, designed with native landscape and multiple gathering opportunities throughout. Places for resting, gathering, listening and sharing, a deliberate and thoughtful extension of the private apartment living spaces.”

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The ground floor breezeway will be sheltered, with native landscape and multiple gathering opportunities throughout. Image:

SJB and Land and Form Studios

The project will also include bike parking, a communal rooftop garden on each of the two towers, and shared car spaces. The building will also be gas free, fully electrical and with provision for solar panels on the roof.
“The project aspires to connect to Country not only through elements of its physical form but through the spaces created and the experience within these spaces,” the proponents said.
“The building will comprise of a variety of materials, textures and colours which draws inspiration from the walk on country where the Angophora tree was identified as a sacred tree to the local Indigenous community. This inspiration is evident within the brick and stone paving selections and the patterns created. Further, the colour selection for the balcony ceilings compliments the pink gum of the Angophora tree and will be visible to pedestrians at street level. The upper levels will be clad with light metal and incorporate sunhoods for increased thermal protection.”
The development will comprise 78 one-bedroom units and 57 two-bedroom units. It will be owned and managed by Link Wentworth.
The state-significant development application is on exhibition until 25 March 2024. More

The 2024 Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) Awards program has launched, with architects and students invited to submit examples of work that address or respond to contemporary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss or rapid urbanisation.
As the world continues to grapple with the combined challenges of climate change and rapid urbanisation and the resulting rise in vulnerability, inequality and biodiversity loss, the 2024 CAA awards program aims to recognise architects and students who have made demonstrable contributions to addressing such issues. The program also honours those aligning with the targets outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The awards categories include the Robert Matthew Lifetime Achievement Award, the Environmental Impact Award, the Social Impact Award, the Student Award and the President’s Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honours an architect or architectural firm, based in the Commonwealth, that has made great contributions to the advancement of architecture in the Commonwealth over many years. The Environmental Impact Award recognises work in any sector that can demonstrate having achieved a significant positive environmental impact in areas such as circular economy, energy and carbon, water, ecology and biodiversity and connectivity and transport. The Social Impact Award will be presented to a professional in any sector who can provide evidence of their work having resulted in significant positive social impacts in areas such as affordability, community development, health and wellbeing and social value.
The jury for these awards includes the CAA chair of professional practice Mina Hasman (United Kingdom); Bryan Bullen (Grenada); Nana Biamah-Ofosu (United Kingdom); Christian Benimana (Rwanda); Rafiq Azam (Bangladesh) and Caroline Pidcock (Australia).
As to the educational awards, the Student Award will recognise the work of students in years one-three at university while the President’s Award will acknowledge the work of students in years four, five and six at university. Both of these awards will presented to students whose work creatively addresses issues associated with social, economic and environmental wellbeing amidst the current biodiversity crisis and climate emergency.
The jury for the educational awards will comprise CAA chair of education, Alex Ndibwami (Kigali Rwanda); Nooshin Esmaeili (Canada); Byron Ioannou (Cyprus); Hermie Delport, (South Africa); Sajida Haider Vandal (Pakistan), and Rachel Hurst (Australia).
Of the previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners, two have been Australian: Philip Cox, who was awarded in 1983 and Gregory Burgess Architects in 1997.
Entries for the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Environmental Impact Award and the Social Impact Award can be submitted until 19 April 2024. Applications for the educational awards must be submitted by 31 May 2024. The awards are free to enter.
To find out more, visit the CAA website. More

Netherlands-based designer Christien Meindertsma is the third recipient of the Mecca x National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Women in Design Commission.
The annual commission, to be held across a period of five years, invites international female designers to create a topical, world-premiere work of international significance for the NGV collection.
Renowned for her investigation and reimagining of materials, Meindertsma hopes to highlight the opportunity to embrace a new material era where waste is treated as a valuable design resource. Over the past two decades, Meindertsma has predominantly produced objects, textile and furniture works crafted from animal by-products, household waste, textile waste and forestry.

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One Sheep Sweater, 2010, Merino flock from the dutch village of Aerle-Rixtel. Image:

Roel van Tour

Meindertsma has won three Dutch Design Awards, as well as has works in permanent collections at MoMA (New York), The Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein, Germany). One of her most notable works, the One Sheep Sweater involved the production of twenty sweaters from the coats of individual merino sheep. Also highly regarded is the multi award-winning, biodegradable Flax Chair, made from a book titled Pig 05049, which documented all of the products made from a single pig.
For the 2024 commission, Meindertsma will use wool as the primary material, in response to vast quantities of coarse wool – traditionally grown in Europe – largely being perceived as unusable and subsequently being discarded. To be unveiled in October 2024, the commission will take the form of a large-scale installation. Using new 3D printing technology, developed in collaboration with Netherlands-based company Tools for Technology, the installation will reimagine wool by creating “a new, dynamic, 3D-printable super-material,” said the NGV.
Director of NGV, Tony Ellwood, said Christien Meindertsma is an “inspiring designer who is developing groundbreaking methods of production to revolutionise the global wool industry,” Ellwood said.

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Portrait of Christien Meindertsma. Image:

Negin Zendegani

Meindertsma said the commission will enable her to further “explore and push the possibilities of wool as a strong and at the same time soft material, in directions it has not gone before.”
In 2023, London-based designer Bethan Laura Wood presented the Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission, an installation titled Kaleidoscope-o-rama.
To celebrate Christien Meindertsma winning the 2024 Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission, the NGV will host a day of free programs on Saturday 9 March. As part of the event, Meindertsma will join in person the founder and co-CEO of Mecca, Jo Horgan, along with the previous recipients Bethan Laura Wood and Tatiana Bilbao via video link for a conversation about the commission. On the same day, the gallery will also host a workshop inspired by Meindertsma’s material practice where visitors can learn to felt their own miniature woollen lamb.
The 2024 Mecca x NGV Women in Design Commission will be on display at the gallery from 4 October 2024 until February 2025. More

Western Sydney University has unveiled the winning design for its proposed Indigenous Centre of Excellence by Sarah Lynn Rees, Jackson Clements Burrows, Peter Stutchbury Architecture, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, Uncle Dean Kelly, Hill Thalis Architecture and Flux Consultant.
The centre is a key part of the university’s Indigenous Strategy 2020-2025, with the aim of sharing and preserving Indigenous cultures.
The building will be community-focused and will integrate Indigenous knowledge into its design.
“Our design engages with the layered physical and experiential histories of the site to create a proposal that is born from the spatial language of Country and healed through the return of waterway, ecology, and home for non-human kin,” said Sarah Lynn Rees.
“Inspired by the form and safety of the mangroves and veiled by a woven like facade, the design acts as a canvas within which human and non-human kin can re-connect. The Indigenous Centre of Excellence will facilitate the practice of caring for Country and the transfer of cultural and academic knowledge, amplifying individual and collective cultural strength for the benefit of all.”
The facility will accommodate a library, an Elders lounge, Indigenous research and student facilities, internal and external gathering spaces, as well as a theatre, cinema, exhibition galleries, teaching facilities and an Indigenous discovery space.
It will be made from mass timber with Country-focused materials and suppliers. The facade will be constructed using clay directly sourced from Country. It will also be landscaped with entirely Indigenous plants, honouring the site’s ecology.
“Deeply connected with Country and Indigenous knowledges, the Indigenous Centre of Excellence will be a transformational space where communities can connect with the university while learning from and celebrating our incredible culture,” said WSU deputy vice-chancellor Indigenous leadership Michelle Trudgett.
Vice-chancellor and president, Barney Glover, added, “This world-class building represents a significant opportunity for us to intensify our engagement with communities and will connect people and place to celebrate tens of thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge and history.” More

In 1934, Robert Sykes founded Laminex with the onjective of producing and supplying Australians with decorative laminates. Now in its 90th year, the company has an extensive product range including modern laminates, acrylic surfaces, wall panelling products and more.
Over nine decades, the company has grown and established several brands under the Laminex umbrella including Formica, Surround by Laminex and Hi-Macs.
Laminex manufactures 97 percent of its products in Australia at seven manufacturing plants across four states – Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), Western Australia (WA) and Queensland (QLD).
The first plant was established in 1952 in Cheltenham, Victoria. Today, the Cheltenham plant produces high-pressure laminate, compact laminate, and wet-area panelling. In Ballarat, Victoria, develop decorated medium density fibreboard (MDF) for cabinetry doors, prefinished doors and benchtops. The Bathurst, NSW, plant produces a range of partitioning and locker systems, while in Dardanup, WA, and Gympie, QLD, raw particleboard and MDF are manufactured.

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Laminex x YSG Studio collaboration. Image: Supplied

“As a proudly Australian-owned and operated company for 90 years, local manufacturing is paramount to us at Laminex,” said Sacha Leagh-Murray, general manager of sales and marketing at Laminex. “It is evident now more than ever that manufacturing in Australia is crucial to the success of our economy, with the added advantage of shorter supply times, greater opportunity for quality control and the ability to support local communities and create more jobs for Australians.”
As Laminex has expanded, its dedication to sustainability and responsible manufacturing practices has also grown. In 2005, the company was the first Australian manufacturer to have products supported by a Green Star rating. The company has made efforts to reduce its energy consumption and environmental footprint by establishing several solar farms at strategic manufacturing sites, including Gympie, Bathurst and Ballarat.
Laminex now also facilitates collaborative projects with design studios, tasking the practices to creatively experiment with Laminex products and incorporate them within various environments. Both YSG Studio and Studio Doherty have collaborated with the company on such projects.
To find out more about Laminex, its evolution and its product range, visit the Laminex website. More