Architecture

The 2022 Australian Institute of Architects Dulux Study Tour was held locally in Australia for the first time in its 14-year history, after two years of stalled tours and the ongoing uncertainty of international borders.
The cohort of promising emerging architects was given the opportunity to explore a curated selection of celebrated sites and practices on their very own doorstep. The two-week tour of Australian destinations covered buildings and landscapes across Tasmania, New South Wales and the Northern Territory.
Below, Madeline Sewall (Breathe Architecture), Tahnee Sullivan (Sullivan Skinner), and Liz Walsh (Cumulus) share their reflections from each section of the tour with ArchitectureAU.

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Madeline Sewall in Captain Kelly’s Cottage by John Wardle. Image:

Rémi Chauvin

Madeline Sewell – Tasmania

Tasmania is a place that has always drawn me in – the pristine wilderness and atmospheric weather combine in an enchanting and amorphous landscape that feels deeply nurturing and almost sacred. The specialness of this place is something inherently felt by the whole group, and a clear point of pride for those who call it home. A deep sense of appreciation for the environment seems to feed into all aspects of life in Tasmania and this was palpable in the projects we visited.
Though diverse in typology and execution, all of the projects visited demonstrated a significant respect and understanding of the landscape and the environment in which they were situated. Sited on some of Australia’s most rugged and exposed coastlines, we saw projects that balanced the capture of views and amenity with resilient design to withstand Tasmania’s harsh conditions.
Core Collective’s Sunnybanks House is a commendable example of this, achieving a 9-star Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating by balancing strategic but generous views of forested surrounds with high-performance triple glazing and thermally broken window detailing. The house demonstrated a sincere commitment to sustainability, to the extent that founding director Ryan Strating collaborated with a European manufacturing company to develop and import an expanded clay aggregate for use as insulative, lightweight growing media for the building’s green roof. Hearing him describe this process of research and development was a powerful reminder that we as architects have the skills and expertise to influence the built environment well beyond individual projects, and arguably have a responsibility to do so.
The tour prompted many conversations and reflections, but for me, one of the biggest takeaways was the importance of resource management in the practice of architecture. At Breathe, we care deeply about the environment and consider the management of embodied and operational energy on each project we work on. But something the tour gave me perspective on is how various architects manage the resources of time and personal energy. We saw some exquisitely executed details on the tour – precision tile set-outs, bespoke door hardware, the perfect custom flush buttons. In seeing these things I have respect for the thought it took to craft them, but for me, it reconfirmed that I want to be an architect that uses my time and personal energy not just to make something beautiful, but to have a real impact. Impact not just on the residents, the visitors, or even the immediate community, but on the planet at large.
To build a better future in the context of climate change, every resource matters. As architects, we are in a powerful position to affect change on one of the largest contributors to global warming if we use our planet’s resources and personal resources thoughtfully. For me, the tour was a reminder of how critical this is and how creatively it can be done. Seeing so many strategic and skilful examples across three very different climate zones was heartening and certainly worth celebrating.

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Tahnee Sullivan on the Dulux Study Tour, Sydney. Image:

Alexander Mayes

Tahnee Sullivan – Sydney

The Sydney leg of the Australian Institute of Architects Dulux Study tour spanned four days, encompassing civic projects, a suite of practice visits, and tours of private residences – the majority of which were architects’ own homes.
The practice visits to Smart Design Studio, Durbach Block Jaggers, Renato D’Ettorre Architects and Welsh and Major Architects afforded a rare insight into the inner workings of small and large practice and allowed us to share in candid conversations with esteemed Australian architects. The convergence of multiple practice visits over such a short period highlighted a range of approaches or positions relating to design process, practice, studio culture, and prompted reflection on the architectural profession more broadly.
The residential project visits offered the opportunity to visit some remarkable homes, typically inaccessible to the public. The homes of architects William Smart, Adam Haddow and Conrad Johnston were each compact and cleverly designed to suit the specific lifestyle of the occupants, demonstrating the wonderful outcomes which result from an open-minded, innovative approach to the resolution of design problems coupled with an unwavering commitment to the architectural intent.
In these architects’ own homes, we see creative liberties taken which may not otherwise be explored in client projects. This is not to diminish the beautifully resolved Glebe House by Chenchow Little, which meets all the descriptors I’ve ascribed to the architect’s homes we visited. It is clear that this home is adored by, and unequivocally designed for, its occupants: a testament to the client-architect relationship, which in Tony Chenchow’s words, is paramount.
There was so much to learn from our time in Sydney, however a primary takeaway from the practice and project visits, and the subsequent conversations amongst ourselves, was the value of building relationships with peers, mentors and clients. Throughout the tour we benefited from an overarching willingness to share knowledge and offer support or guidance when asked. A reminder that those in small practice, such as myself, can still share in the expertise and knowledge of respected senior architects and a greater collective.

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Dulux Study Tour, Darwin. Image:

Bek Verrier

Liz Walsh – Darwin

The last leg of our Dulux Study tour was spent in the Northern Territory: two days in Darwin and two days in the Kakadu National Park. Both experiences were extremely moving – in Darwin we observed a kind of gloves-off approach to architecture, while in the Kakadu we witness Aboriginal community groups continuing to practice their culture on their country as they have done for thousands of years.
I found there was an honesty, a rawness, an acceptance of the human condition that defines the tropical architecture of Beni Burnett and Troppo Architects. Nothing is closeted or hidden away: in fact, even the walls don’t quite go up to the ceiling. Fridges are not concealed in joinery, laundries spill out and over into carports and there isn’t a glimpse of a butler’s pantry, a powder room or a slab of Carrara marble to be seen.
It’s a breath of un-air-conditioned fresh air. The architecture is colourful and quirky; there is something inclusive, flexible, accessible and responsible about Burnett’s and Troppo’s architecture that calls into question every “eco brass tap” I have specified and makes me wonder if, in a time of climate crisis and increasing homelessness, servicing the top five percent of the residential market is enough.
On our last day we visited the Ubirr rock art site in Kakadu National Park. The visit provided the perfect bookend to our first day of the tour which was spent exploring krakani lumi standing camp located in wukalina/Mt William National Park, Tasmania. From the bottom to the top and the start to the finish there was a poetic symmetry to our tour that spoke to a desire for a deeper understanding of place. From the outset, our tour had the unique opportunity to examine how country (land, sea and sky), culture, climate and community can conceptually challenge and perhaps even disrupt architecture. The tour shifted my thinking away from the objectification of architecture, away from buildings, that more often than not, sit intentionally at odds with their context, so desirous is their need to claim the spotlight, towards an architecture that sits quietly often in the background, allowing for, accommodating and sheltering in the most elemental sense of the words.

To read more about the 2022 Dulux Study Tour, visit the blog on the Australian Institute of Architects website.
The 2021 winners were: Carly Martin, Simon Rochowski, Nick Roberts, Madeline Sewall and Elizabeth Walsh. The 2020 winners were: Ksenia Totoeva, Sam McQueeney, Tahnee Sullivan, Keith Westbrook and Bek Verrier. More

Candalepas and Associates has won a design excellence competition for a “slim and elegant” hotel and apartment tower in central Sydney.
To be located at 525 George Street, the tower will comprise 292 hotel rooms, a gymnasium, outdoor pool and 115 residential apartments. It will replace the historic cinema which as occupied the site since 1903.
The proposal includes a six-storey podium that will accommodate a cinema, hotel lobby, conference facilities, a restaurant and retail tenancies.

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Proposed tower at 525 George Street, Sydney, by Candalepas Associates. Image:

Darc Studio

“The proposal is based around a building form with elegant vertical proportions, contextual linkages as well as a number of pleasing aesthetic offerings including atrium voids and striking public street front entrances,” the architects said in a design statement.
“The tower, with its dominant vertical proportions, creates an elegant form on the city skyline. The podium form makes a strong and articulated contextual connection to its adjacent neighbours.
“The material palette […] is formulated around both long lasting and natural materials. This is seen to compliment the adjacent masonry heritage buildings as well as speak to more lasting and substantive human values.”
Candalepas Associates created a stage one concept design for the project, and after its approval, the proponent held a three-way invited competition with the practice along with two others: Andrew Burges Architects and John Wardle Architects.

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Proposed tower at 525 George Street, Sydney, by Candalepas Associates. Image:

Darc Studio

The competition selection panel found the Candalepas Associates scheme “had the ambition of creating a sense of ‘repose’ which was rendered powerfully and appropriately in the reading of the tower as a subtle, elegant presence on the city skyline,” the Competitive Design Alternatives Report reads.
“The tower demonstrated a sophisticated reading over the multiple constraints at play and resolved them in a manner that liberated the architectural form.
“The selection panel found the tower component of this scheme to be the best resolved of the entries and to be the greatest strength of the scheme.”
A development application for the stage two assessment has been submitted to the City of Sydney. More

Royal Oak Floors has opened a showroom in Surry Hills, designed by leading Australian designer We Are Triibe. The Sydney showroom is the second Royal Oak Floors store, supporting the flagship store in South Yarra, Melbourne. Royal Oak Floors by Harper and Sandilands has 40 years’ experience and a wealth of knowledge in design and […] More

The Stratos Series by Austral Bricks is a vibrant new brick collection. Available in six colourways, the range emphasizes natural refinement and a nuanced depiction of the Australian coastal experience. Misty rainfall, expansive skies, moody storms and sparkling ocean reflections are echoed through marbling and subtle colour gradients. Brett Ward, general manager of international marketing […] More

A $460 million, 12-storey tower has started construction after its planning assessment was one of a handful of construction projects across Victoria to be fast-tracked by the state government. The building, located at 480 Swan Street and design by Architectus, will house the new headquarters for Australia Post in a modern, campus-style facility. Australia Post […] More

Hassell has completed the refurbishment of a modernist education building at the Australian National University in Canberra.
The $75 million upgrade to the Birch Building, which now houses the School of Engineering, required an adaptive reuse approach, retaining some of the features of unique heritage value, like the precast facade and atrium stair, while improving the building’s performance and function.
Working within the existing envelope, the modernist expression of the facade has remained intact while new window components have been added to restore the building’s thermal performance. The architect worked closely with the university and the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) to create a more sustainable design outcome with better and more flexible collaboration spaces while still celebrating the building’s history.
The Birch Building was originally designed in 1968 by Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb – a practice responsible for the design of many key early buildings on university campuses across the country.
From the 1960s to the 2000s, Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb’s reputation in educational buildings earnt it commissions at a number of tertiary institutions including the University of Melbourne, Monash University, La Trobe University, University of Newcastle, Caulfield Institution of Technology, Melbourne Teachers’ College, Ballarat TAFE and more.

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The iconic staircase has been retained and modernized. Image:

Mark Syke

Hassell principal Mark Roehrs led the project’s team of architects, interior designers and landscape architects. Roehrs said the team understood the responsibility to “celebrate the unique heritage character of the building by developing a design that was sympathetic to the features and retained its character.”
As part of the refurbishment, the Hassell team restored an historic water fountain, to reinstate the “civic presence” of the building on campus. Inside, the iconic staircase has been modernized along with the Travertine-lined foyers. Partitions have been removed to improve sunlight, views and connections to teaching spaces, laboratories and workspaces.
“New collaboration and kitchen spaces surround and activate the central staircase to encourage students and staff to come together and exchange ideas at the heart of the college,” Roehrs said.
“We ensured essential building services risers and ducting would not detract from the beautiful arched beam structure from 1968. The original structure is expressed and celebrated in the light-filled spaces of the building perimeter.”
The refurbishment has ensured the campus assets can be used in more flexible and collaborative ways into the future. More

A star-studded lineup has been selected to judge the 2022 Eat Drink Design Awards, with five judges across hospitality and design sectors picked to make up the jury for 2022.
The Eat Drink Design Awards recognize excellence and innovation in the design of dining venues across Australia and New Zealand. The awards are judged across eight categories, with prizes for best bar, best restaurant, best cafe, best installation, best hotel, best retail, best identity, and finally, the “Hall of Fame” – an accolade that acknowledges enduring excellence in the design of a hospitality venue that is of more than ten years standing.
The jury for the 2022 awards will comprises Melissa Leong, Shannon Bennett, Fiona Lynch, Rodney Eggleston and Cassie Hansen.
Melissa Leong is a freelance food and travel writer, food media consultant, radio broadcaster, television presenter, MC and cookbook editor, whose face will be familiar to many as a judge on Masterchef Australia. Leong also previously co-hosted the television show The Chefs’ Line alongside fellow chefs Dan Hong and Mark Olive.
Shannon Bennett is a Melbourne-born chef, former restauranteur, TV personality, and author of eight books. In 2015, he founded the Vue Group, encompassing venues across Australia’s cultural capital. Bennett now resides in Byron Bay, working on several projects across hospitality, property development and design, and renewable systems.
Fiona Lynch is an interior designer who founded her practice of the same name in 2013, servicing architectural and interior design projects of all types and scales. Lynch’s artistic instinct guides the studio’s aesthetic, which hinges on the use of natural materials and sculptural elements, the harmony of the raw and the refined, and an inventive use of space.
Rodney Eggleston is an architect and a founding director of March Studio in Melbourne’s north. As a lead architect, Eggleston has been recognised for his work in residential, public, and commercial spheres, and in 2019, he was awarded the National Emerging Architect’s prize for advancing the profession’s role within the public arena.
Finally, Cassie Hansen is the editor of Artichoke magazine who has written extensively on subjects of architecture and design, contributing to publications including Houses, Landscape Architecture Australia and Kitchens + Bathrooms. Hansen is also a skilled ceramicist, creating midfire and stoneware vessels and objects that combine wheel-thrown and hand-built elements.
Entries for the awards are open now until Friday, 15 July. Awards and commendations will be announced on Thursday 10 November. Click here to enter.
Eat Drink Design Awards is organized by Architecture Media, publisher of Artichoke magazine and ArchitectureAU.com. The 2022 awards is supported by Latitude, Roca, and Norock. More

Samantha Peart has been appointed Hassell’s global head of sustainability, working from the company’s headquarters in Melbourne.
Peart has established a career building sustainability strategies and initiatives for businesses, with her work spanning 20 different countries and projects ranging from large-scale infrastructure and high-end commercial, to residential and healthcare buildings.
Previously, Peart worked as a senior director at Development Victoria, where she designed and implemented the organisation’s sustainability strategy. Prior to that, she worked at Arup for over a decade in offices in Sydney, Singapore, Los Angeles and Melbourne.
In her new role, Peart will be leading the drive for innovation in sustainable design, helping to steer Hassell’s mission to become a more sustainable and forward-thinking practice.
“The key to achieving great sustainability outcomes is to ensure that the people within organizations are the drivers of change,” Peart said. “My role at Hassell is about sustainability but it is also about organisational transformation.
“What excites me most about this role is ensuring that sustainability practices are in the DNA of Hassell processes, and building on the great work the firm is already doing — from the way the practice designs to the way it does business.”
Hassell managing director Steve Coster said that Peart was selected for the role following a rigorous international recruitment process. “We believe we have a responsibility to inspire, educate, and demonstrate leadership in sustainable design in partnership with our clients, our community, and our planet,” said Coster.
He added that the board believes Peart has the “vision to inspire our team to be world-class leaders in sustainable design”.
Peart said she looks forward to working closely with the Hassell team to drive progress and deliver a balance of environmental, economic and social sustainability. More