Evelyn Reynolds

A group of South Australian architects, builders, academics and regulators have united to call for a national policy shift that makes adaptive reuse the default approach, requiring it to be fully considered before allowing redevelopment.
The group gathered in May at Hames Sharley’s Adelaide office to identify industry challenges that are hindering building reuse in Australia, highlighting international exemplars and formulating recommendations for progressing the uptake of adaptation. As a result of these discussions, the consortium has now released 24 recommendations for prioritising the retention, retrofitting and reuse of existing buildings.
Co-hosted by the University of South Australia and Hames Sharley – with support from the City of Adelaide, the University of Adelaide and the Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) – the workshop involved sharing reuse policies and initiatives currently being undertaken in France, including the concept of “sufficiency,” a strategic approach focused on reducing overall resource consumption that is enshrined in French legislation.
The recommendations were developed by representatives from the Australian Institute of Architects, Arup, ARCHI, Built Australia, City of Adelaide, Forum, Future Urban, Heritage South Australia, Hames Sharley, Lendlease, Les Moore Projects, the South Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport, the South Australia Planning Commission, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, among others.
Some of the key recommendations include:

Establishing a centralised database of vacant precincts, buildings and land to identify opportunities for adaptive reuse
Updating building policy to recognise embodied carbon saved by reuse rather than demolition and rebuild
Financial incentives, such as tax breaks and reduced fees, be introduced to make adaptive reuse economically feasible and to encourage and reward adaptive reuse projects.

The recommendations also urged governments to lead by example, by revising building policies to prioritise adaptive reuse and by initiating their own adaptive reuse projects.
Professor David Ness, from the University of South Australia’s Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management and the co-founder of the World Sufficiency Lab in Paris, highlighted the tendency to praise and celebrate new builds for their sustainability and energy performance, sometimes overlooking the broader environmental impact of building new.
“The building industry represents around a third of global carbon emissions, yet we’re seeing more and bigger builds by default [in Australia]. This seems far out of step with EU countries such as France and Denmark, where attention is focused on making better use of existing space,” said Ness. “It’s therefore critical that our policy settings prioritise building retention, retrofit and reuse – instead of new builds.”
The recommendations from the workshop will be presented to policy-makers in South Australia.
Hames Sharley associate director Yaara Plaves reflected on the group’s collective call to action, emphasising the need for built environment professionals and cross-sector stakeholders to collaborate on initiatives that work towards minimising the built environment’s contributions to carbon emissions.
“In any field where complex, systemic challenges resist straightforward solutions, siloed expertise creates blind spots and biases,” said Plaves. “Addressing these through a community of practice model that brings participants together cultivates learning and mutual trust, and is essential to bring about sustainable, demonstrable solutions.”
The University of South Australia stated that plans are being explored to develop an “Australian Sufficiency Lab” at the University of Adelaide, through a potential partnership between Australia and France. More

Brisbane City Council has unveiled a masterplan for the Mount Coot-tha bushland west of the city centre that seeks to transform the precinct into an ecotourism destination ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
According to a release from Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, the plan to revitalise Mount Coot-tha includes “a 170-kilometre wilderness walking trail with overnight huts, glamping, a botanic gardens night-time lights show and a reimagined tropical dome.” In addition to their communique, the council has released concept imagery developed by Grimshaw Architects and Archipelago.
“Brisbane is riding a wave of international popularity as a tourism destination and with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games coming, now is the time to start planning more to see and do in our city,” Schrinner said.
“We have South Bank, the city, Howard Smith Wharves, and Fortitude Valley for locals to enjoy and visitors to explore. I believe Mount Coot-tha presents an incredible opportunity for nature-based destinations and attractions, which is exactly what international visitors are looking for.”
According to the council’s communique, Mount Coot-tha already draws more than one million visitors a year. The masterplan is aimed at developing a long-term strategy to protect the precinct’s native bushland while exploring opportunities for establishing new attractions and enhancing existing sites across the precinct.

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In addition to the proposed renovation of the fifty-year-old Brisbane Botanic Gardens Tropical Dome, potential upgrades include the revitalisation of the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, an accessible tree-top walk at The Summit, reconfiguration of Sir Samuel Griffith Drive into a one-way loop road with a dedicated lane for cyclists, new and improved picnic areas with pop-up cafes, a mountain bike skills development track, and revegetation across the precinct to support wildlife and provide shade.
The masterplan will also envision the transformation of the 130-year-old Mount Coot-tha Quarry, which supplies 96 percent of asphalt aggregate for Brisbane’s roads, once it ceases operation during the next decade.
As part of the masterplan, the council’s proposal for the wilderness walk is intended to echo the “state government’s recent ecotourism push [which] shows a clear appetite for nature-based experiences,” the council’s release noted. The concept is modelled on a similar trail in Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, and the West Coast Wilderness Trail in New Zealand.

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The Brisbane City Council has appointed the Brisbane Sustainability Agency to lead the project, leveraging their past experience. The agency, along with multidisciplinary design studio Lat 27, previously transformed the polluted Oxley Creek into a lifestyle and leisure destination.
The council has noted that the masterplan will draw inspiration from other award-winning nature and park precincts, including Kings Park in Western Australia, Butchart Gardens in British Columbia and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.
Brisbane Sustainability Agency chair Nigel Chamier commented, “This initiative will go beyond rehabilitation as it is about establishing a lasting legacy that enhances the Mt Coot-tha experience for residents and visitors.” More

Construction has commenced on a housing project aimed at supporting hospital workers in the regional Victorian city of Shepparton.
The project, designed by Antarctica Architects, is intended to provide short- and long-term accommodation for doctors via 18 self-contained units, 15 single-room flats and three double flats across three storeys. The project responds to an urgent housing shortage for doctors in the area by delivering modern accommodation close to the Goulburn Valley Health hospital.
A direct connection to the hospital is aimed at improving safety for staff commuting to and from the hospital after hours, while external landscaped walkways within the housing complex are designed to promote passive security between residents.
A communique from the architects stated that the design intends to positively contribute to the wellbeing of residents by maximising natural light in the interiors, incorporating natural ventilation systems and introducing native plants to the landscape.

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The design prioritises sustainability through features such as natural ventilation, solar power, double glazed windows, sustainably sourced timber and recycled glass materials, as well as on-site options for bicycle storage. The project is targeting a NatHERS rating of 8.4 stars.
The apartments are expected to be complete in July 2026. More

The City of Melbourne has elected to retain MPavilion 10, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and executed by Sean Godsell, in the city’s Queen Victoria Gardens until 2030. The much-anticipated decision comes as the pavilion was slated for removal at the end of this month.
A recent campaign to “Preserve the Pavilion” received over 2,500 signatures from members of the public, including from Pritzker Prize-winning architects Álvaro Siza (1992 laureate), Jean Nouvel (2008 laureate), Eduardo Souto de Moura (2011 laureate), and Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA (2010 laureates).
Foundation founder Naomi Milgrom commented, “We would like to thank the thousands from across Australia and globally who added their name in support to keep this pavilion in the gardens for longer.”
A release from the pavilion’s commissioner, the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, noted that since opening in November 2023, Ando’s pavilion has become the most visited MPavilion to date – welcoming over 300,000 visitors and hundreds of events.
“MPavilion will continue to be a place for the architecture, design, arts and creative communities and all Melburnians,” Milgrom said.
The terms of the extension granted by the City of Melbourne requires that the foundation retain ownership of the pavilion, continue to maintain the structure and deliver cultural programming at no cost to the public until 30 June 2030. In their proposal to the council’s Future Melbourne Committee, the foundation noted they are “proposing to offer cultural grants to enable artists and cultural organisations to use the MPavilion to present free events.”
Reflecting on the approved extension, Tadao Ando noted, “I am honoured that MPavilion will remain in Queen Victoria Gardens as a place for the community to gather and reflect. Architecture is not only about buildings, it is about creating places for people and nature to coexist.”
The pavilion will reopen to the public soon. More

Development approval has been granted by the City of Ryde for two residential towers comprising 255 units in Macquarie Park, northern Sydney.
The towers, designed by AJC Architects and landscape architects Place Design Group, will be established at 88 Waterloo Road. The two towers are connected by a two- and three-storey brick podium, which wraps around the building’s street frontages. The podium accommodates a mix of retail, commercial and residential spaces, while the towers are primarily residential.
According to a communique from AJC Architects, the design integrates bioclimatic strategies to optimise natural light, ventilation and thermal comfort. The release noted that naturally ventilated circulation spaces have been integrated throughout the building. Open balconies positioned on the north-facing sides of the towers capture sunlight, while enclosed balconies on the south side help to retain heat during cooler months.

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The landscape design features a large communal space that provides direct access to adjacent parks and the street.
AJC director Brian Mariotti stated, “The 88 Waterloo Development redefines urban living in Macquarie Park by blending high-quality residences with natural beauty, sustainability, and comfort.” More

Construction is now underway to convert a former women’s psychiatric hospital in Jacksons Hill, Sunbury, into a dedicated community arts and cultural precinct.
The project involves the adaptive reuse of a heritage-listed former female refractory ward building (1879) and a 1960s outbuilding into a precinct that accommodates an art gallery and community theatre along with various studios and workspaces for creatives. Designed by Architecture Associates and Openwork, the precinct will be unified by a vast public landscape, featuring a network of paths and community gathering spaces.
According to a communique from Architecture Associates, the design team worked closely with heritage advisors, Heritage Victoria and the community to design a precinct that was “sensitive” to the history of the site, which was originally developed as an industrial school in 1864, redeveloped in 1879 as a psychiatric hospital and later used as a training centre for people with disabilities between 1962–1992.

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The design team described their approach to the adaptive reuse elements of the project as “light touch.” The former female refractory ward building, known as Building 22, is anchored by large corner rooms and an axial plan that pivots around four large courtyards. As part of the project, these corner rooms will be adapted into large public spaces, such as a new art gallery and potters’ workshop, while smaller rooms will be converted into studios and workspaces.
The communique noted that the light-touch approach enables upgrades to be undertaken “without obscuring prior usage histories, and [while] maintaining structural, material and formal qualities throughout.”
The original central dining hall will be converted into a flexible performance space, providing a 100-seat venue for community use. The release noted that this space will feature stage curtains, tiered seating, new lighting equipment with audio-visual capabilities, and window coverings designed to deliver full blackout and improved acoustic performance.
A new annexe building will connect with the central hall, creating a flexible event space. This proposed annexe features two inverted skillion roofs that extend outward from the original verandah roof, preserving the existing structure entirely. On both sides of the theatre annexe, two large platforms are designed for events to spill out onto.
Architecture Associates co-director Sam Hunter said the upper facade of the annexe will be clad in textural terracotta, panels and custom ceramic tiles produced by the local arts community. Hunter noted that the design aims to embrace “making” and craft wherever possible to reflect the precinct’s role as a hub for the arts.
The 1960s outbuilding will be used as a community worker’s shed.

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The landscape design, developed in consultation with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung, includes new garden beds, gathering spaces, a lookout and opportunities for First Nations artworks to be embedded. A strategic network of paths intend to improve pedestrian flow and accessibility throughout the precinct.
Mark Jacques of Openwork stated, “We hope that the landscape of the Sunbury Community Arts and Cultural Precinct creates a destination that preserves and celebrates Sunbury’s significant cultural heritage while for the first time acknowledging Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung ways of living on Country.”
The precinct is anticipated to open in late 2025. More

A 38-storey tower has received approval for development in Adelaide’s Festival Plaza, in what will stand as the tallest commercial building in Adelaide and the tallest tower in the plaza.
The proposal, developed by Walker Corporation with architecture firm Johnson Pilton Walker, has undergone multiple revisions following receiving feedback from the Design Review Panel and the Office for Design and Architecture SA. Initially envisioned as a three-storey retail centre, the proposal was later abandoned after Walker indicated that a 38-storey tower would deliver a better heritage outcome. Since then, the tower has been further updated, with changes to the facade and a stronger emphasis on the plaza’s role as a community hub.
The approved proposal includes nearly 50,000 square metres of floor space, a rooftop bar and restaurant, and thirty levels dedicated to commercial offices. At its base, the tower design features a podium with a raised outdoor space, lower-floor restaurants, cafes and bars, and access to end-of-trip facilities and parking within the multi-storey basement.

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According to a communique published by the South Australian government on 12 June, the building “will become the largest all-electric commercial building in Adelaide, with the largest solar array of any commercial building in the city and will be carbon neutral by 2028.”
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion stated that the tower will “set a new benchmark for sustainable, world-class development in Adelaide.”
The approval comes after a planning code amendment, allowing new towers in Festival Plaza to reach up to 40 storeys, was approved. A total of 87 submissions were received during the consultation period for this amendment, with the majority – 62 respondents – unsupportive of the change. Elsewhere in the submissions, 16 were supportive, five were supportive with concerns, three were impartial and one didn’t specify whether it was for or against.
“This project is the result of careful collaboration with the community, expert design panels and heritage advisors. I thank the State Commission Assessment Panel for their thoughtful consideration and the important role they play in the planning process,” Champion said.
“The refined plans ensure that we preserve the visual integrity and heritage of Parliament House while delivering a vibrant, activated public space that all South Australians can enjoy.” More

Construction of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport is now complete, establishing it as Sydney’s second airport for both international and domestic flights.
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) CEO Simon Hickey was joined by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King on site today to celebrate the milestone.
Zaha Hadid Architects and Cox Architecture won a 2019 design competition for the project, which attracted more than 40 national and international competitors. 360 Degrees Landscape Architects was engaged for the landscape design of the project. A competitive tender process led to construction company Multiplex being awarded the contract to deliver the project from initial concept through to final design and construction, with Woods Bagot appointed as the lead design and delivery architect on Multiplex’s design and construction team.
The final design was shaped by consultation with Dharug Custodians, in collaboration with First Nations consultant Murrawin, who provided guidance on embedding local narratives into the architecture.

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The new airport terminal features domestic and international departure gates under one roof, a landscaped forecourt and a 3.7 kilometre runway. According to the WSI Airport website, the airport is predicted to service 10 million passengers a year after opening.
A joint communique from Cox Architecture, Zaha Hadid Architects and Woods Bagot stated that the terminal design prioritises sustainability and regenerative design principles through natural ventilation, water recycling and energy-efficient systems. The terminal features more than 6,000 rooftop solar panels to generate renewable energy and reduce environmental impact. Rainwater will be collected and recycled for airport operations such as bathroom facilities, irrigation and cooling towers. The modular design of the terminal also allows for flexible future expansion.

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The statement noted that the design draws inspiration from Western Sydney’s Cumberland Plain, reflected in the terminal’s horizontal form and the undulating interior ceiling. Open sightlines, warm materiality and seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces are key features of the design.
Cristiano Ceccato, a director at Zaha Hadid Architects, stated: “what makes this terminal extraordinary is its blend of human-scaled design and international ambition. It is grounded in its setting – and yet globally competitive,” said Ceccato.

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Principal and design and delivery lead at Woods Bagot Neil Hill emphasised that the design harnesses light as a way to create “a constantly evolving visual experience.”
“The interplay of natural light through strategic openings, soft undulating curves, thoughtful colour selection and varied materials creates a different perspective from every vantage point.”
While major construction of the terminal is complete, the fit-out of the terminal’s retail precinct and airline lounges is ongoing as tenancy agreements continue to be finalised. The airport is on track for domestic, international and air cargo services to commence operation in late 2026. More