Evelyn Reynolds

The $58 million University of Newcastle Central Coast Campus development, designed by Lyons and EJE Architecture, has been given the green light from the New South Wales government.
The new campus, located at 305 Mann Street in Gosford, on the site of a former Mitre 10 store, will feature a three-storey mass timber facility with an innovation hub, meeting and event spaces, a cafe and a commercial retail area. Outdoor spaces will be designed by McGregor Coxall and the campus will be in close proximity to public transport options such as the Gosford Railway Station and a bus terminal.
University of Newcastle vice-chancellor professor Alex Zelinsky said the new Central Aoast campus will act as an anchor in the reinvigoration of the region, as well as deliver a welcome injection into the local economy.
“The campus will provide a new place to work and study that is close to TAFE NSW, government and business. This will help generate new jobs and will also help to bolster the region’s existing workforce and attract more significant investment back to the Central Coast,” Zelinsky said.
“We’re thrilled to have marked this milestone and have a formal green light for this critical project, which will allow students across the region to build their skills and earn a degree without leaving the central coast. We look forward to the project progressing as we work towards welcoming our first students in 2025.”

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The new campus, located at 305 Mann Street in Gosford will feature a three-storey facility, cafe, commercial retail area and communal open space. Image:

Lyons and EJE Architecture.

Construction is planned to commence in late 2023, with the university expected to be operating by mid-2025.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the new campus will make an excellent accompaniment to the already existing clinical school and research institute.
“I had the wonderful opportunity to view the plans for the site and I applaud the design team for bringing the beauty of our Central Coast environment into the built environment of the campus design,” Tesch said.
“I am thrilled to have this hub of innovation and architectural design in our city centre.”
The project is funded through three-way partnership between the state and federal governments and the University of Newcastle. More

The South Australian government has announced plans to update the school curriculum to include more about built environments, as well as planning, design and construction industries.
The state government, in partnership with the SA Department for Education, has outlined the need to adapt the current curriculum to better assist preschool to high school students in learning about career pathways that are critical to addressing the South Australian housing crisis.
The Department for Education will consult with state government built environment professionals to build on relevant curricula through subjects such as geography, history, design and technology, along with exploring ways for students to obtain first-hand industry experience. The modified education system aims to equip students with the necessary skills to become planners, surveyors, architects, property valuers, conveyancers and designers.
The key focuses of the initiative are to develop student understanding of built environment career opportunities and tertiary education requirements, increase access to high-quality built environment-based teaching and learning activities and resources, establish work experience, professional engagement and trainee programs and improve learning environments in schools and preschools by collaborating on well-designed, inclusive education infrastructure.
South Australian government architect Kirsteen Mackay said the new partnership will inspire students to explore careers in the built environment, shaping the next generation of architects and designers.
“Learning more about the places, structures and systems that determine the shape of our built environment will help build students’ understanding of, and investment in, a sustainable and resilient built environment,” Mackay said.
An industry body group has been established to bring together key stakeholders in building study pathways, to undertake government-led research and to facilitate school workshops in an effort to guide implementation.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion said the demand for skills and knowledge in built environment industries is rapidly increasing amidst the national housing crisis.
“This will lay the foundations for young South Australians to take up these professions to shape future communities and support sustainable growth,” Champion said. “We want graduates to work here.” More

Paint manufacturer Dulux has revealed its colour forecast for 2024. The three 2024 palettes mark the 25 year of the forecasts, that have provided valuable inspiration for most of the 21st century. The 2024 palettes reflect an inner desire for positivity and spaces that nurture, with mid-toned colours, warmth, nostalgia and self expression. “Solstice” is […] More

As part of their ongoing commitment to meet high social and environmental performance standards, Australian furniture retailer Living Edge has become a Certified B Corporation. Since its inception in 1998, Living Edge’s commitment to sustainability has been at the forefront with a product portfolio that offers functional design and longevity. The certification follows 15 years […] More

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Sunshine Coast Council has endorsed the masterplan for Sunshine Coast Ecological Park, with 65 hectares of farmland set to become a refuge for wildlife and a place for communities to marvel at the beauty of fauna and flora.
The project, led by Hassell, aims to restore the land to its former glory, revive ecosystems, and provide nature-based recreation and education for communities. The proposed parkland adjoins the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve and incorporates opportunities for nature engagement, with walking trails, nature play areas, treetop boardwalks and a lookout with views of the Glasshouse Mountains. There will also be community areas and facilities for research, education and land stewardship.
Hassell principal Daniel Kallis said that the project will not only provides a green asset for communities to immerse themselves in nature but balances the demand for open space with ecological needs.
“The park concept embraces the notion of co-habitation, shifting away from a ‘human-centric’ approach to establish a space that is shared among all species,” Kallis said. “It will be a place that establishes a genuine balance of human recreation and ecological restoration.”
The masterplan was prepared with community input between 2021 and 2023, where the community indicated that they would like the park to incorporate walking trails, wetlands, a loop path, a forest lookout and a treetop bridge.
Kallis said the masterplan was inspired by the First Nations philosophy of healing Country and developed in consultation with the traditional owners of the land, the Jinibara people, as well as other cultural knowledge holders.
“The Ecological Park will be a story of repair, recreation and education that delivers significant environmental and social benefits that will grow and develop with the Sunshine Coast community,” he said.
“The existing farmland provides an unfettered canvas to realise unique nature-based spaces, amenities, and attractions, allowing for curated community and cultural programming within a restored forest setting that invites native flora and fauna to flourish once more.”
Following the council’s endorsement, the project has now progressed to the next phase, which involves planning for staged design. More

RMIT has partnered with Europe-based not-for-profit Dark Matter Labs to tackle urgent environmental and societal issues such as climate change, artificial intelligence and human development, migration and biodiversity loss.
The project, dubbed the Planetary Civics Initiative, has hit the ground running with two research ventures already in motion, the Planetary Papers and Design Research Studios.
The Planetary Papers series will feature interviews and commentary from interdisciplinary and international experts with diverse professional backgrounds and perspectives, who are all united by the goal of shifting thinking, dialogue, practice and public policy from the national to the planetary. First in the line-up will be the soon-to-be professor of practice at RMIT, architect and founding director of Dark Matter (Dm) Labs, Indy Johar.
The information collated from the Planetary Papers will inform topics of focus for the Design Research Studios project, with each studio providing a site for collaborators from unique disciplines to develop or comment on frameworks for addressing real-world challenges.
The first three studio topics to be covered are: transforming fashion systems, led by RMIT dean of fashion and textiles professor Alice Payne, regenerative design practice led by RMIT dean of design professor Andrea Siodmok OBE, and radical design ecologies with a focus on river networks, led by dean of communication and design at RMIT Vietnam, professor Julia Gaimster.
Deputy vice-chancellor of RMIT’s College of Design and Social Context professor Tim Marshall said adopting a global style of thinking is a vital component of addressing the environmental, societal and technological disruptions of our time.
“Planetary-scale thinking is about acknowledging the mutual reliance and interdependence between humanity and the earth’s living systems, and the artificial intelligence systems that are being rapidly developed,” Marshall said.
“The Planetary Civics Initiative is a call to action in recognition that the current governance systems and policies in place are not sufficient for a sustainable future and require radical yet practical redesign to meet the scale and scope of our challenges.”
Johar reverberated Marshall’s sentiments saying the joint initiative between RMIT and Dm can help address the challenges posed by the “technological revolution and climate breakdown we face.”
“Our aim is to discover, design and develop the institutional ‘dark matter’ that supports a more democratic, distributed and sustainable future. The Planetary Civics Initiative is another step towards spurring the wider societal transition needed,” Johar said.
The Planetary Civics Initiative will be officially launched at a keynote event featuring Indy Johar as part of the City of Melbourne’s Now or Never festival and RMIT’s Wild Hope exhibition and public program series. More