Evelyn Reynolds

In the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a newly launched initiative is looking to celebrate Brisbane’s 1959 Centenary Pool, designed by then-city architect James Birrell. The Centenary Pools Project, which is being led by Birrell’s son and director of Place Design Group James Birrell, will bring together public reflections on the pool’s significance in an exhibition and publication.
Created in the wake of Australia’s 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the Centenary Pool complex – home to Brisbane’s first Olympic-standard pool – is now set to become the heart of the forthcoming National Aquatic Centre for the 2032 games.
The heritage-listed pool has been widely recognised as a symbol of Australian modernism and has for decades “played a central role in the city’s social fabric, from swimming lessons to major civic events,” a media communique from the Centenary Pools Project notes.
In response to this context, the project seeks to offer “an opportunity to reflect on the pool’s significance over six decades as a space for learning, competition, recreation and community gatherings” – and to consider its role in the city’s future.

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Submissions are welcome from artists, writers, photographers, architects, historians and community members – the aim being “to contribute … unique perspectives to this collaborative initiative that honours the historical, cultural and architectural legacy of this iconic Brisbane landmark.”
According to the project’s organisers, diverse forms of creative expression that capture the essence of Centenary Pool are encouraged, and may include photography, visual art, personal memoirs and historical accounts.
Public submissions can be made online until 1 December 2025. Once collated, the contributions will be featured in an exhibition and publication, the proceeds of which will support Paralympics Australia. More

The City of Melbourne has released its draft Melbourne 2050 Vision for public comment.
The 25-year vision was shaped by extensive engagement with more than 1,850 community members and stakeholders. It outlines draft principles to guide the city’s future.
Themes that emerged from the engagement process – and which inform the draft vision – reflect a strong desire for a city that is:

Accessible – to affordable housing, services, food systems, transport and education
People-first – prioritising transport and walkability
Country-centred – drawing on First Nations culture, knowledge and systems
Connected and intercultural – fostering inclusive communities
Vibrant and engaging – rich in arts, entertainment and creative opportunities
Full of opportunity – supporting business, innovation and collaboration
Green and environmentally friendly – with strong connections to parks, open spaces and greenery both within buildings and streets
Future-focused – prioritising regeneration and sustainability
Supportive of community health and wellbeing
Safe and welcoming.

In its call for feedback, the City of Melbourne noted that setting a vision for 2050 opens up broader conversations about the city’s future and the planning needed to achieve long-term goals.
“We’re watching what’s changing in the world around us. We know that we must adapt to a changing climate, be ready for rapid digital transformation, keep pushing towards net zero, and improve our economic and social resilience in the years ahead,” said the council.
“When it comes to quality of life today, Melbourne sits in the top five global cities. We feel the world changing around us. We want to make sure that our community and all who have a connection to or an interest in Melbourne can share in the opportunities before us, grow their ideas, work together and be a part of a great future in Melbourne.”
Feedback on the draft documents is being sought until 21 September 2025. Final documents will be presented at a Future Melbourne Committee meeting on 21 October 2025.
To find out more or have your say on the future of Melbourne, visit here. More

The National Capital Authority (NCA) has announced plans to establish a new memorial in Canberra honouring Marion Mahony Griffin and Walter Burley Griffin for their contributions to the city’s design.
The memorial will be located on the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, at the eastern edge of Commonwealth Park. According to the NCA, it will be both visible and accessible from the R. G. Menzies Walk, and will offer views of key sites envisioned by the Griffins – including the lake, the land axis and the backdrop of the Brindabella Range.
The project’s design will be led by Oculus, working with artist Callum Morton of Monash Art Projects and builder Eifer. The team is set to begin work on a preliminary design, while an advisory panel has been established to provide specialist knowledge and guidance to the project.
A communique from the NCA stated that the memorial will honour not only the Griffins’ role in shaping Canberra’s design, but also their broader contributions to city planning, architecture and landscape design.
“A concerted effort will be made to ensure both Marion and Walter are recognised equally for the contribution they made to their professional partnership, and both are given equal prominence in the commemoration,” said the NCA.
The announcement of the new memorial follows the unveiling of a vision for the northern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, prepared by Turf Design Studio and released in April 2025.
The memorial is anticipated to be complete in 2026. More

When done well, competitions can be powerful vehicles for innovation and the creation of exceptional architecture. However, many architects find themselves grappling with opaque processes, disingenuous briefs, limited budgets, onerous deliverables, and little protection against intellectual theft – all for projects that may never be realised.
In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, director of architectural studio Durbach Block Jaggers Camilla Block tackles the state of architecture competitions in Australia, and asks: are they still working as intended? Reflecting on their history, their evolution and their impact on the profession, Camilla considers what an ideal future for the architectural competition system might entail.

Camilla will be addressing the issue at ArchitectureAu Asks in Canberra on Friday 7 November 2025, where she’ll ask a group of industry leaders, including John Wardle, Kerry Clare and Sue Dugdale, to respond to the provocation: “The competition system is under scrutiny – how could it be better?”
Design Speaks Weekly is presented in partnership with the Australian Institute of Architects and with support from Lysaght. A fresh episode will be delivered every Tuesday. You can listen to it on major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts.
To find out more about the upcoming ArchitectureAu Asks event, visit the Design Speaks website. More

The outcomes of the federal government’s recent Economic Reform Roundtable, which aims to tackle Australia’s slump in economic productivity, have been announced by treasurer Jim Chalmers at a press conference in Canberra on Thursday.
Of the ten reform directions agreed at the roundtable, Chalmers noted, “The third one was better regulation and how we cut the clutter when it comes to reg[ulation]. The fourth one was speeding up approvals in national priority areas. The fifth one was building more homes, more quickly.”
Within these focus areas, Chalmers highlighted the opportunity for the government to act with urgency to boost housing – “to see where we can reduce complexity and red tape in the National Construction Code (NCC) – to do that in a balanced way which takes into consideration some of the concerns which were raised [from state regulators],” he said.
The federal government has since taken action on this issue by making the decision to pause residential updates to the NCC, following this year’s scheduled changes, until mid-2029. The next round of code amendments were previously due in 2028.
A joint press release from Minister for Housing, Homelessness and Cities Claire O’Neill and Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt noted that the pause “excludes essential safety and quality changes,” and ensures the NCC “maintains the strong residential standards adopted in 2022, including 7-star energy efficiency.”
While the pause is underway, the government is looking to streamline the useability of the NCC through AI, remove barriers to the uptake of modern methods of construction, improve how code provisions are developed by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and explore an “appropriate” cycle for future NCC amendments.
O’Neill said, “We’re pausing changes to the construction code and speeding up housing approvals – without cutting corners on standards.”
In the leadup to the roundtable, the Australian Institute of Architects warned that pausing the NCC updates would harm, rather than help, construction productivity. Their media release stated:

“The Institute strongly rejects claims that building standards create unnecessary red tape. Evidence shows that robust codes enhance rather than hinder genuine productivity by:
• Preventing costly rectification work
• Reducing insurance claims and legal disputes
• Ensuring buildings perform as designed
• Maintaining Australia’s reputation for quality construction
• Delivering quality homes for our community.”

Institute national president Adam Haddow added, “Building upgrades cost significantly less when the code is updated more frequently. A pause creates costly backlogs of quality and safety improvements that ultimately burden the industry and society.”
In addition, Haddow emphasised that the triennial NCC review is necessary to ensure that buildings meet evolving expectations around health, wellbeing, inclusivity and accessibility.
“Ignoring expert evidence in the built environment is akin to knowing what causes cancer but doing nothing about it,” he said. “Changes to the NCC improve people’s lives – they are essential to delivering better homes for people.”
On the topic of modern methods of construction, Haddow and Chalmers agreed that new and evolving building technologies and methods promised improved efficiency in construction, with Chalmers noting that there’s “a lot of appetite in the room for prefab homes as a way of being more productive in housing and construction and also dealing with costs.”
However, Haddow argued that the NCC’s three-year review cycle ensures a clear framework for the private sector to invest in planned changes, and that “pausing the NCC undermines productivity by creating investment uncertainty and reducing business confidence.”
“A pause in the NCC will not keep up with innovations that help us build better and quicker,” he said. “We’ll be left behind the international market.”
Regarding regulatory approvals, Chalmers pointed out that more work with the states and territories was needed to speed up decisions, “including how we best make use of pre‑approval, conditional pre‑approval, and the planning in advance part of seeing more housing and other kinds of projects underway quicker,” he said.
Chalmers will meet with state and territory treasurers on 5 September. More

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The second instalment of the annual ArchitectureAu Asks symposium, to be held at the Shine Dome in Canberra on Friday 7 November, features a provocation on the future of design competitions from Sydney architect and director of Durbach Block Jaggers Camilla Block.
Block’s provocation asks leading practitioners from across Australia to consider the current state of the architectural competition system, noting that while competitions can be powerful vehicles for experimentation and the creation of exceptional architecture, many architects today find themselves grappling with opaque processes, disingenuous briefs, limited budgets, onerous deliverables and little protection against intellectual theft – all for projects that may never be realised.
Respondents will explore what needs to change to ensure fairness, transparency and value in the competition process, and what an ideal future for architectural competitions might look like.
Speakers to offer their insight include Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medallists John Wardle of Wardle (Melbourne), Kerry Clare of Clare Design (Gold Coast) and Phil Harris of Troppo Architects (Adelaide), alongside Bradley Mapiva Brown of Bagariin Ngunnawal Cultural Consulting (Canberra), Felicity Stewart of Stewart Architecture (Canberra and Sydney), Kevin Lloyd of Hassell (Sydney), Patrick Kosky of Kerry Hill Architects (Perth), and Sue Dugdale of Susan Dugdale and Associates (Alice Springs).
The ArchitectureAu Asks symposium is presented alongside a series of significant events that showcase excellence and innovation in Australian architecture. These include the Institute’s National Architecture Awards ceremony at the National Gallery of Australia on the evening of Thursday 6 November, and the free-to-attend 2025 Griffin Lecture, presented by Gold Medallist Gregory Burgess and moderated by Shaneen Fantin, held immediately after the ArchitectureAu Asks symposium.
Concurrent with these events, the Canberra Museum and Gallery is hosting a series of talks and tours related to the Taglietti: Life In Design exhibition, which explores the work of architect and Gold Medallist Enrico Taglietti.
ArchitectureAu Asks attendees can earn 3.5 formal CPD points. To find out more about the event and opportunity to purchase a ticket bundle with the National Architecture Awards, visit here.
ArchitectureAu Asks is a Design Speaks program organised by Architecture Media and supported by premium partners Bondor Metecno and Planned Cover, and hotel partner Ovolo Nishi. More

An award-winning townhouse by the late Sydney architect Ken Woolley is under consideration for listing on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. Known as Woolley Townhouse or Paddington House, the 1980 home at 8A Cooper St, Paddington, served as the home of Ken Woolley and his wife Virginia Braden Woolley for seven years.
According to the Heritage Council of NSW, the townhouse is the last of three residences Woolley designed for himself, and “is an early demonstration of his capacity to combine postmodern characteristics with Sydney School design.”
In a Revisited article of the house for Houses magazine in 2020, Peter Salhani described the project as a testing ground for Woolley’s new ideas around urban living, and also a homage to Virginia’s love of music due to its grand-piano-shaped form. At the time it was built, the building was recognised as the best new house in NSW, winning the Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture in 1983.

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Along with alterations from a previous custodian, Milenko Mijuskovic of Studio Redux, the home has seen recent alterations and additions, including a basement-level bar and an outdoor terrace designed by Casey Brown Architecture, though the Heritage Council of NSW notes that “much of this work is in line with the original design intent of Ken Woolley.”
The matter of the home’s state heritage significance has been ongoing since 2021, when the building was nominated by Woollahra Municipal Council after being identified as a potential item of state significance in a 2005 heritage study by Clive Lucas, Stapleton and Partners. The dwelling was first identified by the council as an item of high local significance within the Paddington Heritage Conservation Area in 2004.

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In a summary paper last year, the Heritage Council of NSW recommended to Minister for Heritage Penny Sharpe that the Woolley Townhouse be considered for state heritage listing. The state’s independent planning commission has been tasked with reviewing the proposal and receiving public submissions before the minister makes a final decision on the listing.
Further details on the listing and process for public submissions, which are open until Wednesday 10 September 2025, can be found online. More