Evelyn Reynolds

Cox Architecture has designed the refurbishment of a 1970s office building that will become the new Sydney headquarters of technology company Canva.
Located 8–24 Kippax Street, near to Sydney’s Central Station and an emerging technology hub, the office building was the original home of Canva when it was founded in 2013. The company acquired the building in 2022.
The proposed redesign aims to retain as much of the existing nine-storey building as possible, with the addition of a new rooftop terrace.
“The proposed additions will offer a benchmark model in the re-use and rejuvenation of an existing tired commercial building,” said Cox Architecture in a development application submitted for the project.
The rooftop will include additional planting to contribute to City of Sydney’s vision for a greener Sydney, as well as a green roof integrated with solar panels. Arcadia is the landscape architect on the project.

View gallery

The project will retain as much as the existing building as possible. Image:

Cox Achitecture

The project also includes a community cafe/restaurant on Sophia Street, laneway upgrades, public art on the northern and eastern facades, and the removal of all car parking to be replaced with a gym, bike parking and end of trip facilities.
The design also proposes to relocate the existing building core to create a floor plan more suited to a single tenancy.
“We’re taking a “do more with less” philosophy to the overall design of this new campus by aiming to reuse the existing building as much as possible, and only rebuild where necessary to meet current standards or optimize sustainability,” said Canva in a statement. “We’re disconnecting gas, powering all energy usage with renewable electricity, and introducing a green roof to foster biodiversity and generate green energy.”
Canva is also collaborating with Indigenous design consultancy Yerrabingin on incorporating First Nations principles to inform the design of the space.
Designs have been submitted to the City of Sydney for assessment. If approved, the project is expected to be completed in 2026. More

The South Australian government has announced the former West End Brewery site in Thebarton, Adelaide, will be redeveloped into a $1-billion mixed-use sustainable community comprising more than 1,000 new homes.
Renewal SA purchased the land from brewing company, Lion, in September 2023. The government department has since initiated an open market tender process to secure the services of an urban design consultant who will be responsible for creating a master plan to transform the site.
Renewal SA’s early concept planning for the community envisions a combination of more than 1,000 homes, comprising a mix of worker apartments, build-to-rent housing, and privately owned medium-to-high density dwellings. Of the total residences, at least 20 percent will be allocated for affordable housing.
Improved connections to public transport services and the Adelaide Riverbank Park Lands, as well as the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings such as the Walkerville Brewery have also been proposed. The proposal will also feature landscaped public open spaces, driven by best practice in sustainability standards, including water and biodiversity-sensitive urban design.
The appointed consultant will be responsible for determining the final land use and configuration of the 8.4-hectare site, in dialogue with the community and stakeholders. Additionally, the consultant will be required to coordinate the input of sub-consultants engaged for the project, including planners, civil engineers, services engineers, cultural heritage advisors, quantity surveyors, and sustainability and heritage advisors.
Renewal SA executive director property and projects, Todd Perry, said the tender was an invitation for the sector to take part in a project that goes beyond construction – one that will help shape the city. “The former West End Brewery site is an unparalleled opportunity, it is a project of immense significance so we are seeking an urban design partner with global thinking and best-in-class capabilities to deliver a vision and a master plan that will benefit generations of South Australians.”
To be appointed as the successful design consortium, the team must include a consultant from South Australia that can provide a comprehensive understanding of the distinct characteristics of the state and its communities.
Renewal SA will be seeking delivery of the master plan by June 2024, enabling construction to begin on schedule in 2025. Tender submissions can be made until 30 January 2024. To find out more visit tenders.sa.gov.au More

The New South Wales government has revealed it will reinstate the North Sydney MLC building on the state heritage register after years of back and forth deliberations.
The building was originally designed in 1956 by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon. Upon its completion, it was Australia’s first large-scale commercial office development, the first free-standing office building, and the first example of a deliberately decorative curtain wall. In 2021, the building was the recipient of the Award for Enduring Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Chapter awards.

View gallery

In 2021, the building, designed in 1956 by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon, was the recipient of the Award for Enduring Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Chapter awards. Image: Supplied

The high-rise has been at the centre of a heated conflict between those who want to see it bulldozed and those who want to preserve it for historical significance. The battle to save the structure has been long-drawn-out, tumultuous and full of twists and turns. Numerous proposals have been submitted by property developer Investa Property Group to have the building demolished and replaced with a new high-rise commercial structure, also designed by Bates Smart.

View gallery

Proposed North Sydney tower designed by Bates Smart. Image:

Bates Smart

When demolition was first proposed in 2020, the property was only listed on the local heritage register. A petition to save the tower from being razed ensued, which ultimately resulted in demolition being denied and the building being added to the state heritage register. Then, in 2022, the dispute was reignited when the state heritage listing was overturned and Investa Property Group submitted a new development application, which the NSW Land and Environment Court rejected in May 2023 – again sparing the building from the wrecking ball.
In the latest chapter of the saga, the NSW Environment and Heritage Minister, Penny Sharpe, announced, in December 2023, that the 14-storey tower would be replaced back on the state’s heritage register. But, according to Docomomo, the battle may not be over yet. The new Victoria Cross Metro Station is situated adjacent to the MLC building, and the NSW government intends to rezone land within 1.2 kilometres of metro stations to increase housing supply, which would effectively switch off heritage provisions within the area.
In September 2023, the proponents submitted a proposal to convert the building into 340 build-to-rent apartments. More

Project entries are now able to be submitted for the 2024 Houses Awards, a residential architecture awards program that celebrates and rewards the creation and understanding of not just beautiful spaces, but functional and liveable Australian homes. Awards categories include: Australian House of the Year; New House under 200 m²; New House over 200 m²; […] More

Carlo Ratti, an esteemed architect, engineer, and academic, has been appointed by La Biennale di Venezia to curate Venice’s International Architecture Exhibition in 2025.
Architects and designers from across the globe will convene once again in Venice, Italy, for the 19th edition of the distinguished architecture event, which is set to take place between 24 May and 23 November, with a pre-opening preview scheduled for 22 May and 23 May.
Ratti has co-written more than 750 publications and is now considered as one of the top ten most-cited urban planning scholars in the world. A presenter for TED Talks, he regularly publishes opinion pieces in international media publications, including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, Project Syndicate, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, and El Pais.
He presently holds professorial teaching positions at two educational institutions: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico di Milano. He is the director of the Senseable City Lab, a research initiative at MIT, which explores and anticipates the rapid transformation of the urban environment. Ratti is also the founder of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, an architecture firm, with offices established in Torino, New York City, and London. He also serves as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization.
Ratti’s curatorial experience is also extensive and wide-ranging. He was assigned the role of program director at the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow, he curated the BMW Guggenheim Pavilion in Berlin, and took on the role of curator at the Future Food District pavilion at Expo 2015 Milan. He was the chief curator of the 8th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen (UABB) in 2019, a co-curator of the second Porto Design Biennale in 2021, and the creative mediator responsible for the award-winning Urban Vision at the European Nomadic Biennale Manifesta 14 Prishtina in 2022.
Ratti’s own designs have been exhibited at eminent galleries and museums around the world, including New York City’s MoMA The Museum of Modern Art, the Venice Architecture Biennale (International Architecture Exhibition), the Design Museum in Barcelona, the Science Museum in London, MAXXI in Rome. Three of Ratti’s projects – the Digital Water Pavilion, the Copenhagen Wheel, and Scribit – have been named in Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of the Year list.
On being appointed curator of the Venice Architecture Biennale, Ratti said, “We architects like to think we are smart, but real intelligence is everywhere. The disembodied ingenuity of evolution, the growing power of computers, and the collective wisdom of the crowd. To face a burning world, architecture must harness all the intelligence around us. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to curate the Biennale Architettura 2025.”
The 2023 Biennale was curated by Ghanaian-Scottish architect and novelist Lesley Lokko. More

New plans for a waterfront precinct in Perth’s CBD have been unveiled, including a proposal to revitalize the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC).
Established in 2004, the centre, designed by Cox Architecture, is the oldest and smallest major convention centre in Australia.
A concept proposal for the site has been lodged by the property’s joint leaseholders, Wyllie Group and Brookfield Properties. The scheme would see the existing 16,500-square-metre PCEC building expand with an additional 4,500 square metres to accommodate larger event capacity. It would also see the facility – which currently has its back turned to the Swan River – open up to face the water and stretch out above it.

Premier Roger Cook, announced on 16 January that negotiations are currently underway between the leaseholders and the state government.
“There is huge potential on our riverfront, and this proposal would deliver an iconic new precinct that opens up major tourism and hospitality opportunities for WA, helping to diversify our economy and create local jobs,” Cook said. “Our city deserves better than a shed on the river.”

View gallery

The project would see the facility – which currently has its back turned to the Swan River – open up to face the water and stretch out above it. Image:

Wyllie Group and Brookfield Properties

In a communique published by the state government, it stated that the project would seek to improve connectivity to Elizabeth Quay via a pedestrian link, as well as activate the overlooked and underused riverfront with an outdoor floating theatre on the Swan River, three new jetties, and new food and beverage venues. To further animate the precinct, the establishment of a hotel, affordable residential apartments and commercial spaces have also been recommended in the proposal.

Minister for Planning, Lands and Housing, John Carey, said the site is “prime riverfront land” that has severely underutilized for far too long. “We can do much better than a box on the river,” he said.
A business case for the redevelopment will now be finalized and presented to the state government for review in mid-2024. The project design team and estimated cost of the project are yet to be disclosed. More

The National Gallery of Victoria have announced the finalists competing in the 2024 Australian Furniture Design Award for a $20,000 prize and product development collaboration with Stylecraft.
After entries closed on October 18, 2023, the five shortlisted contenders have been named: Bala Ga’ Lili (the practice of Bonhula Yunupingu and Damien Wright), Marta Figueiredo, Michael Gittings, Nae Tanakorn, and collaborative duo supermanoeuvre and Tomkins Design.
Since 2015, the biennial award has provided an opportunity for design practitioners to submit new and original furniture or lighting design concepts. The award seeks to recognize outstanding design, critical and creative thinking, sustainability, material development and research that explores innovative production processes. Director of the National Gallery of Victoria, Tony Ellwood, said, “This award celebrates the incredible creativity and innovation empowering this design discipline, as well as its contribution to design discourse and Australian culture.”

View gallery

Standing place from the Other places series by Elliat Rich, winner of the 2017 Australian Furniture Design Award. Image:

elliat rich

The competition runs in two stages, which began with an open call for design submissions and information on the entrant’s professional practice. The shortlisted finalists now proceed to stage two, to present their realized designs for exhibition and judging at the Stylecraft showroom during Melbourne Design Week 2024.
The award offers generous financial support to its shortlisted and winning designers. All shortlisted entrants will receive an honorarium of $2,000 to assist with the realization of their design for exhibition. The winning designer will receive a cash prize of $20,000 and an invitation to develop a commercial range or product in collaboration with Stylecraft.
Stylecraft’s CEO, Anthony Collins, said: “For 70 years, Stylecraft has been guided by the principle of active collaboration with the global and Australian design community. The Australian Furniture Design Award is unique in the national design landscape for its combination of recognition, professional development, financial support and very importantly, a commercial opportunity for an Australian designer. We are excited to build upon the legacy of this important award, founded by Stylecraft and the Jam Factory, in 2015.”
The 2024 Australian Furniture Design Award jury comprises Ewan McEoin, senior curator of contemporary art, design and architecture at the NGV (Chair); Tony Russell, brand director at Stylecraft, Melbourne; Anne-Claire Petre, founder of Anaca Studio, Melbourne; Hamish Guthrie co-director of Hecker Guthrie, Melbourne, and Elliat Rich, Alice Springs-based designer and 2017 AFDA winner. The 2024 competition advisor is Simone LeAmon, curator of contemporary design and architecture at the NGV. More

The Australian Capital Territory government has announced it has wholly adopted the 2022 National Construction Code, which mandates that every new home is now required to meet a minimum energy standard of seven stars. Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction, Rebecca Vassarotti, announced on 15 January that the code would be effective immediately. Under the […] More