Evelyn Reynolds

The 2024 Australian Architecture Conference is drawing close and the Australian Institute of Architects has revealed the full line up of fringe events, alongside the two-day conference.
Diversity in Architecture Brunch
10:30am–12:00pm, Thursday 9 May
Rob Henry, executive director of the Institute’s ACT chapter will lead a panel discussion with Gunjan Shah and Jamileh Jahangiri on the importance of diversity in creating an equal playing field in architecture.
Generation Exchange Brunch
10:30am–12:00pm, Thursday 9 May

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A Generation Exchange panel discussion in 2021. Image:

Australian Institute of Architects

The Institute 2022 Gold Medallist Sean Godsell will be joined by a panel of speakers who will share the unexpected twists and hurdles in their professionals journeys and how they’ve become catalysts for professional and personal growth. Speakers include Hamish Lyon and Emily Von More (NH Architecture), Hudson Smith (Phorm Architecture and Design), and Elizabeth Watson Brown (Greens Member for Ryan).
Architecture tours
12:30–2:30pm, Thursday 9 May
These four tours of Melbourne architecture will run concurrently across the city.
Join Open House Melbourne executive director Tania Davidge to explore the history of Melbourne’s public spaces. The tour takes in the State Library of Victoria, City Square, Federation Square, Collins Arch and the future Melbourne Arts Precinct and Greenline.

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City of Melbourne’s Greenline project by Aspect Studios and TCL. Image:

Apsect Studios and TCL

The architects own homes walking tour will involve traversing the banks of Birrarung/Yarra River in Kew to the private homes of some of Australia’s most celebrated architects.
The Open Firm walking tour focuses on a cluster of architecture studios around Flinders Lane in central Melbourne who will open their doors to curious visitors.
The Robin Boyd Foundation will also open the Walsh Street House, home to seminal architect Robin Boyd.
Return to the Centre: the Future of Australian CBD
4:30–6:30pm, Thursday 9 May
This panel discussion will explore the future of city centres in the aftermath of the pandemic, as well as how rapid adaptations, climate change, significant rises in living costs have also had impacts on CBDs around the country. Speakers include deputy lord mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece, Kellie Payne, director of Bates Smart, Katrina Sedgewick, director and CEO of Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, Mark Tait, group executive and head of developments at Investa, and Philip Oldfield, University of New South Wales.
Speculative Futures with Liam Young
6:00–7:00pm Friday 10 May

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Liam Young. Image: Supplied

Explore the fields of design fiction and critical design in this in depth conversation between architect and film director Liam Young and architecture critic, writer and educator Naomi Stead.
Bondor Metecno Gala Dinner
7:00–10:00pm, 10 May
Following the announcement of the 2024 Gold Medallist at the Australian Architecture Conference, the gala dinner will be in celebration of their achievements, alongside past gold medallists Maggie Edmond and Ian McDougall. Hosted by NSW chapter president Adam Haddow and moderated by Justine Clark, the three visionaries will share their insights in the future of architectural innovation.
The 2024 Australian Architecture Conference takes place in Melbourne from 8 to 11 May. Registrations close 29 April.
See also the full program of speakers and program for the Wellbeing of Architects Symposium. More

A proposal has been submitted for the construction of a 19-storey student accommodation building in Adelaide on the site of a 171-year-old locally heritage-listed pub Crown and Anchor.
Designed by Brown Falconer, the proposed building would supply more than 700 beds to tertiary students.
Plans show the facade of the Grenfell Street pub would remain relatively intact, however, the interior would be gutted and replaced with a lobby, a gym, a laundry, a bike storage area and retail offerings. The proposal has received some backlash, including from Adelaide’s lord mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith, who, in an interview with ABC Radio Adelaide on 22 April described the project as “hideous […] facadism.”
Dash Architects prepared the heritage impact statement, submitted as part of the development application. The report confirms the Crown and Anchor is a local heritage place and therefore the site is subject to a local heritage places overlay, however, it also noted, “the building interiors, and parts of the building not visible from the street, were not considered to be of heritage value.”
Additionally, the heritage impact statement mentions the City of Adelaide conducted a local heritage survey in 2012 but they did not revise the heritage listing to include the interior.

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Plans show the facade of the Grenfell Street pub would remain relatively intact, however, the interior would be gutted and replaced with amenities. Image:

Brown Falconer

The planned accommodation block is approximately 63 metres in height. A recessed separation has been proposed on the Grenfell Street exterior, forming a gap between the original facade and a new podium. On Union Street, restoration works would be undertaken to restore the remaining facade to its original 1920s form.
The planned material palette for the tower’s exterior includes precast panels, curtain glazing and aluminium panels. If constructed, the building would be within close proximity to the University of Adelaide, Flinders University, the University of South Australia and Adelaide University.
The plans are on exhibition until 10 May. More

From Melbourne Design Week and the Australian Architecture Conference to a birthday bash celebrating the Australian Design Centre, there is no shortage of powerful and compelling design-focused events this month.
Australian Architecture Conference

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Yasmeen Lari, Heritage Foundation Pakistan and Chair of INTBAU. Image: Supplied

The national architecture conference provides the setting for architects to network with industry, debate issues and consider the impact of architecture. Taking place in Melbourne from 8–11 May, the program features a two-day symposium on the wellbeing of architects in education and professional practice, followed by the two-day conference. Among the presenting international and national conference speakers are: Barbara Bestor (Bestor Architecture, USA), Paul Monaghan (Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), UK), Nigel Bertram (NMBW, Australia), Dana Cuff (University of California, USA), Alberto Veiga (Barozzi Veiga, Spain), Louise Wright and Mauro Baracco (Baracco and Wright, Australia), and Yasmeen Lari (Heritage Foundation Pakistan and Chair of INTBAU, Pakistan) in conversation with Esther Charlesworth (Architects without Frontiers, Australia).
Melbourne Design Week

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DAAR’s Concrete Tent for the Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023, curated by Tosin Oshiwono. Image:

Edmund Sumner

Commencing on 23 May, Melbourne Design Week returns to celebrate all things design through a series of discussions, tours, exhibitions, installations and workshops. Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo will be headlining the 2024 program with a keynote lecture on architecture and urbanism in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and the diverse design approaches to meet cultural and climatic needs. Open House Melbourne will present its annual satellite program, with this year’s program titled Design and Death, Time Immemorial to explore the relationship between design and death and how spaces of burial can provide insights on how we live. Open House Melbourne will also host a Design and Death Symposium to further explore this theme.
Making Place: 100 Views of Brisbane

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The Making Place exhibition presents more than 100 historical and contemporary depictions of the Brisbane region from the Museum of Brisbane’s archive. Image:

Brisbane Local Marketing/Unsplash

The Making Place exhibition presents historical and contemporary depictions of the Brisbane region from the Museum of Brisbane’s archive. More than 100 artworks will be displayed, with each work prompting visitors to consider questions, such as: what makes a place? Which sites are significant for individuals and communities and why? Are the landmarks we recognise as characterising the city today the same landmarks we’ll see in the future? Can memories make a place? Judy Watson, Richard Randall, Noel McKenna, Vida Lahey, Ruth Cho and Lloyd Rees are some of the artists to have works featured in the exhibition.
Australian Design Centre turns 60

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Australian Design Centre, Beyond Design As Usual exhibition, 2022-2023. Image:

Amy Piddington, courtesy of Australian Design Centre

Established in 1964, the Australian Design Centre is celebrating its 60th year by throwing a birthday bash to mark the milestone. To be held at the Australian Design Centre’s (ADC) Sydney headquarters, the evening will provide an opportunity for those within the design community to mingle and reflect on the achievements of the ADC over the past six decades. Speeches and an exhibition called Treasures will be presented during the evening to honour the occasion. The special guest MC will be professor Anthony Burke, the former ADC chair and current host of ABC television programs such as Restoration Australia, Grand Design Transformations and Grand Designs Australia. More

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