Evelyn Reynolds

Melbourne-based practice Kennedy Nolan has been appointed to progress the evolution of a masterplan for the historic Abbotsford Convent precinct in the city’s inner north-east.
The 16-acre convent site has been a place of enduring historical significance, currently serving as a multi-arts precinct.
From 1863 until 1974, the site was home to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd – at the time, “one of the largest charitable institutions in the southern hemisphere,” a communique from the convent notes.

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In 2017, the complex was added to the national heritage list in recognition of its historical and architectural significance. A year later, in 2018, Kerstin Thompson Architects completed an adaptive re-use of the convent’s Sacred Heart building, which won a National Commendation for Heritage at the Australian Institute of Architects 2019 Architecture Awards.
In collaboration with specialist consultants, architecture practice Hassell were appointed to update the masterplan for the site, then 15 years old, in 2022.
According to the convent’s communique, the appointment of Kennedy Nolan to assist in the realisation of the masterplan marks a significant milestone in the site’s journey of renewal.

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CEO of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation Justine Hyde said, “Abbotsford Convent has always been a place where heritage and creativity converge – partnering with Kennedy Nolan ensures that our built and natural environment will continue to inspire and serve the community while respecting the unique character of our beloved precinct.”
“As a values-aligned local practice known for its sensitive, human-centred approach, Kennedy Nolan was a natural choice to progress this next phase of work,” Hyde added. “Their appointment underscores the convent’s commitment to design that is both forward-thinking and deeply grounded in place to create spaces that invite creativity, inclusivity and sustainability.”
Kennedy Nolan principal Rachel Nolan said the studio was honoured with the appointment. “Our partnership with Abbotsford Convent is enormously satisfying to us, bringing together so many elements of intrinsic importance to our practice: First Nations priorities, repair of ecology, growing infrastructure for creative production, inclusivity and placemaking for Melbourne and its many visitors,” she said.

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The convent’s communique notes that over the next six months, Kennedy Nolan “will scope and prioritise key projects for development in realising the 2022 convent masterplan vision to protect and enhance the precinct for future generations.”
In June this year, Hyde expressed opposition to plans for the four-storey redevelopment of an aged-care facility designed by Life Architecture and Urban Design (formerly CHT Architects) for Mercy Health, located adjacent to the heritage-listed Good Shepherd Chapel. The application is currently under assessment from Heritage Victoria. More

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games – an event remembered as “the green games” for its environmental legacy. In preparation for this global spectacle, a team of built environment professionals came together to deliver an ambitious and lasting urban masterplan – among them, architects Lawrence Nield and Philip Thalis.

In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, Lawrence and Philip draw on this experience to consider the opportunities for city-making in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Lawrence, a founding principal and director of BVN and recipient of the 2012 Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal, was head of masterplanning for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He has since been involved with the delivery of Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. Philip is a founding principal of Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects, who, working with several collaborators, won a national competition for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Athlete’s Village at Homebush Bay. Philip is also a former City of Sydney councillor and the recipient of the 2024 Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal.
During the conversation, Lawrence remarked that the goal of Olympic masterplanning should be to create “a piece of the city, not a sporting park.” He points out that while many Olympic parks around the world fall into disuse, those that are well integrated into the urban fabric tend to thrive long after the games.
Philip reflected that at Homebush, the real opportunity was the scale of the site – more than 800 hectares of publicly owned land – but the missed opportunity was not properly connecting the precinct to the broader city’s transport network. He recalled meeting with government departments to propose a through rail line, but there were no plans, so they ended up repurposing existing lines to make a loop to handle the crowds of more than 300,000 people a day. Now, decades later, they’re adding metro and light rail to the precinct – infrastructure that was proposed in the 1992 Olympic Village scheme developed by Hill Thalis and collaborators.
“I think when you talk about legacy, you really need to talk about increasing the capability for city-making. This is the challenge for Brisbane and this is where Sydney could have done much better,” said Philip.
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.
For more reflections on Sydney 2000, read the archival article Identity and the Olympics by Harry Margait, published in Architecture Australia (Sep/Oct 2000), and an article by architectural photographers Patrick Bingham-Hall and John Gollings, who were each commissioned to document the games in progress, published in Architecture Australia (Jan/Feb 2001).
For current thinking on Brisbane 2032, explore our recent dossier. Read Catherin Bull’s introduction here, Malcolm Middleton’s article on the complicated Olympics planning process here, a roundtable on legacy pathways here, Richard Kirk’s take on the history and opportunities for Woolloongabba here, Michael Keniger on the potential of design review here, and Helen Lochhead’s comparison of lessons from Sydney 2000 and London 2012 here. Tickets are also now on sale for The Architecture Symposium: All eyes on Brisbane, a Design Speaks program organised by Architecture Media, which will be held on 17 October 2025. More

Designs have been unveiled for a $150 million revitalisation of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory site in Claremont, Hobart, which would see the factory’s waterfront parklands transformed into a “chocolate experience.”
According to a media communique, the vision from tourism entrepreneur Simon Currant and Associates is to “combine wonder, indulgence and Tasmania’s rich provenance into a global benchmark attraction – a celebration of chocolate on a scale never before seen.”
Together with Art Processors – an experience design enterprise from David Walsh, founder of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) – Tasmanian architecture firm Cumulus Studio has shaped the creative direction of the project.

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The communique notes that their “design takes cues from the adjacent Cadbury Factory, reimagining its pipes, machines and conveyor belts into a hyperreal chocolate world.”
Centred around the factory-like “chocolate central” space, the project is set to feature a masterclass space, chocolate emporium and chocolate lounge.
According to the communique, visitors will be able to journey through an “immersive chocolate tour” designed to “celebrate Tasmania’s past, present and future” and bring “Cadbury’s 100-year Tasmanian heritage to life.”
The tour will include a cacao forest, a chocolate lab, a taste kitchen,a factory control space and a build-your-own bar, among other experience-oriented spaces.

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Founding principal of Art Processors Tony Holzner said that the project is “built on curiosity, invention and joy” and “an active sensorial experience that brings the wonder of chocolate to life, inspiring discovery and connection through generosity and hands-on fun for all ages.”
Director at Cumulus Studio Peter Walker added that the design “is an architectural embodiment of chocolate itself – rich, layered and unforgettable. It is a place where magic is not just seen, but felt, tasted and experienced in every detail.”
Each year, the attraction is forecast to welcome 550,000 visitors – the equivalent of $120 million into Tasmania’s visitor economy. Ninety-five percent of the funding for the project is intended to be secured from private investors, with the remaining “government support providing confidence for future success,” the media release notes.
The project will also include the redevelopment of the Claremont waterfront with landscaped walkways and a new ferry terminal.

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An article in The Mercury reported that plans for the development have been lodged with Glenorchy City Council and noted that Currant “is hopeful a decision on the project will be made by the end of January with construction starting next year.”
Currant commented, “Cadbury’s story runs deep in Tasmania, and by pairing that heritage with the best local produce, we will create a destination that locals are proud of and visitors will love.”
The project is slated to open in 2027. More

A new viewing platform with a distinctive curved tubular form has opened at the Loch Ard Gorge Blowhole in Port Campbell National Park in Victoria’s south-west.
According to a release from the Victorian government, the project draws upon the story of Koontapool, the Southern Right Whale, and as such is named Poombeeyt Koontapool – ‘breath of the whale’ in the Keerray Wooroong language.
Led by Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) with landscape design by McGregor Coxall and engineering by Arup, the design for the lookout was borne of a collaboration with traditional owners of the Eastern Maar Country, including artist Vicki Couzens.
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A communique from DCM notes that Couzens’s “integrated artwork embodies the breath of the Southern Right Whale, a creature central to Eastern Maar spiritual beliefs, where the blowhole itself is interpreted as the whale’s blowhole.”
At the opening of the lookout, Couzens reflected, “It’s an amazing work that incorporates our cultural songlines and stories with the principles of biomorphic design, which is designing with nature and environment.”
“The design avoids projecting over the edge, preserving the sanctity of this culturally and environmentally sensitive location,” DCM’s communique states. “The lookout embeds storytelling, ecology and equity of experience, ensuring all visitors – regardless of physical ability or cultural background — can engage meaningfully with the site.”
Director at DCM and design team lead Neil Bourne reflected, “We are proud to have led the design team on this remarkable project, in collaboration with the Eastern Maar people, to deliver an outcome that is culturally expressive yet sits comfortably in Country.”

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Described by the practice as “a sculptural insertion into the landscape,” the platform curves organically into the landscape and coastal vegetation with a shell-like form. The tubular form is sliced open at either end, meaning that the view – like the shelter itself – is revealed only upon approach.
This response to the site is intended to amplify the sensory experience of the blowhole through the sound of the waves and movement of sea spray, while also “evoking imagery of cresting waves, seashells, geological formations or a breaching whale,” DCM’s communique notes. Custom seating, inspired by whale-like barnacles, is intended to provide places of rest and yarning.
Due to the unstable geology and remoteness of the site, the lookout was constructed from fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) – a lightweight and durable material which allowed for precision prefabrication of the lookout in modules, which were assembled together off-site, disassembled and then reassembled into the finished project on site.

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The Poombeeyt Koontapool Lookout is the third and final intervention funded under the first stage of the Shipwreck Coast masterplan, each designed by DCM. At the Twelve Apostles, the firm’s design for a cantilevered lookout developed in collaboration with the Eastern Maar Aborigional Corporation was opened in 2024. In Port Campbell, a new pedestrian bridge over Campbell’s Creek completed in 2020 adopts the principle of “treading lightly” to connect the town and national park.
According to DCM, the three projects are linked by the symbolic motif of the black and white cockatoos – the Poombeeyt Koontapool Lookout adopting a recessive, black exterior in contrast to a light interior – however, Bourne noted that they each respond “in very different ways to unique environmental and cultural qualities of their locations.”
The trilogy of projects originated from an invited design competition in 2018, with concepts shaped by guidance from Parks Victoria following engagement with traditional owners. The design team were also the proponents of the 2015 Shipwreck Coast masterplan – a strategic framework for integrating architecture that honours cultural narratives and ecological integrity across the 28 kilometres of natural coastline and hinterland surrounding the Twelve Apostles.

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The Poombeeyt Koontapool Lookout officially opened to the public on Friday 12 September. Nearby, construction is currently underway on the Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre, designed by Grimshaw Architects and Aspect Studios. More

Concept images have been unveiled for a masterplanned 330-home residential neighbourhood in the regional city of Orange, New South Wales.
Named Redleaf, the project is proposed by Orange City Council and Landcom to unlock 25 hectares of council-owned land at 154 Lone Pine Avenue and 5255 Mitchell Highway for a mixed housing neighbourhood. The proposed development includes single dwellings, duplexes, townhouses and flats, as well as 20 percent affordable housing.
The proposal also accommodates shared community facilities and more than five hectares of open space and parkland.
The masterplan, designed by Oculus in collaboration with Oz Ark, Sala 4D, Mecone, Balarinji, Colliers, GHD and Cultural Capital, is centred around a blue-green corridor for recreational and ecological amenity. The masterplan report outlines three key project principles: providing housing choice, including medium-density housing as a proof of concept for regional areas; creating safe, walkable and attractive streets that connect people to homes, open spaces and public transport; and designing with nature by working with natural systems to manage water and conserve biodiversity through new parks, wetlands and tree-lined streets.
Mayor of Orange Tony Mileto said, “Redleaf is more than just a housing development – it’s a commitment to the future of Orange. This project reflects our city’s values and is something our community should be proud of.”
The proposed site – which is currently vacant aside from a structure that previously housed an emergency services helicopter hangar – sits adjacent to the suburb of Glenroi, approximately 4.4 kilometres from the Orange city centre and 3.2 kilometres from Orange Station.
According to a communique from Orange City Council, the proposal was the first to complete the rezoning process under the NSW government’s Social and Affordable Housing Rezoning Pathway, which seeks to accelerate rezoning approvals in communities with housing need.
A masterplan development application was on public exhibition until 10 September. Pending approvals, construction is expected to commence in mid-2026. More

Global architecture firm Populous, known for sports infrastructure projects, has been recognised in India by the Queensland Premier for its ongoing contribution to developing the state’s export success.
Populous has been operating in Brisbane – a city that’s also home to several stadia designed by the practice – for more than 20 years. In 2021, the firm named its Brisbane office as its Asia-Pacific headquarters.
For the last decade, Populous has also been operating in India, with 22 staff in New Delhi currently working with the Brisbane studio and the Indian government on its bid for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The firm’s flagship Indian design project to date is the world’s largest cricket stadium, Narendra Modi Stadium, which has a 110,000-seat capacity.
A certificate of recognition for outstanding contribution to Queensland’s export success was presented to Populous director Chris Paterson by the Queensland Premier David Crisafulli at a ceremony in New Delhi earlier this month.

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“India’s love of sport and Populous’ expertise in designing the world’s best stadia and arenas mean we are a natural fit,” Paterson said. “This recognition represents more than 25 years of working across the Asia Pacific region by our team of designers, and specifically more than 10 years of collaboration between our highly skilled architects in Brisbane and India.”
Populous’ global director and co-founder, Paul Henry, added, “Our India and Brisbane offices are supporting Ahmedabad in its Olympic journey, a significant development given Brisbane’s own preparation to host the 2032 Olympics.” More

A First Nations arts and culture centre on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island in Queensland has opened to the public, envisioned as a space for sharing Quandamooka culture through various art forms.
Co-designed by Cox Architecture and Quandamooka people, with project inception and community engagement realised in collaboration with The Fulcrum Agency, the centre accommodates exhibition and workshop spaces, an open foyer, a yarning circle, a community Elders’ space, a cafe and a gallery shop. The client for the project is the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC).
A communique from Cox Architecture noted that the Quandamooka Arts and Culture Centre (also known as QUAMPI) is “a key project of the Queensland Government’s Minjerribah Futures program,” which supports the transition of Minjerribah “from its past economic reliance on sand mining to a new future as a leading destination for cultural and ecotourism.”
A project timeline from Cox notes that “the project has had a long gestation period, commencing in 2017” with a consultation and engagement period that spanned more than two years. In 2019, the Queensland government announced it would commit $4.5 million to the construction of the centre – then known as the Quandamooka Art, Museum and Performance Institute.
Associate director at Cox Ali Farmer stated, “Quandamooka Elders and community members have been incredibly generous in sharing their knowledge of people, place and culture with us over the last eight years.”

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According to the architectural design statement, the name QUAMPI is derived from the name of a local pearl oyster, fragments of which are embedded into walls of the centre to represent the Quandamooka people’s seagoing heritage. The centre incorporates other culturally emblematic materials, such as local timbers and rammed earth. The statement notes that rammed earth is made from layers of sand recycled from now-ceased mining operations.
The statement highlights that external spaces have been designed to support a wide range of programmed and informal activities and performances. Among them is a woven timber community Elders’ space, intended for storytelling and sharing of knowledge to small gatherings. It notes that the woven timber screen is visible from within and outside the space, ensuring light filters throughout the space across the day.

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Landscape design for the project was undertaken by RPS Landscape Architects. Documents state that the centre has two wings that frame a central performance lawn which opens to Deanbilla Bay. Additionally, planted berms conceal key public spaces from street view.
The new centre has opened to the public for the 2025 Quandamooka Festival, taking place across 13–14 September.
Read an earlier discussion piece about QUAMPI, written by Kieran Wong of The Fulcrum Agency, here. More