Architecture

How public places are funded, designed and delivered continues to be a complex and often polarizing conversation. It’s a topic close to the hearts of urban practitioners, who wish to contribute to cities that are equitable, inspiring and inclusive. The narrative of “public versus private” has been perpetuated over time by a globalized property market, contributing to a perception that the public good is almost always exclusive to private interests. However, we are increasingly recognizing that the interconnectedness between policy, finance, markets, capability, ecologies, community and design requires a nuanced and integrated approach to funding and designing future places, whether public or private.
As organizations and investors lean further into their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals, there is growing impetus to take new learnings and holistic strategies into the real world. This embedding of more refined design, regenerative urbanism and a willingness to demonstrate responsible approaches beyond the built form is not only good for people and planet, but it will position companies to deliver long-term value to stakeholders who are calling for more action on climate and social benefit. Plus, it will help to satisfy the growing number of citizens who are seeking to move away from mass consumption toward ecologically conscious behaviours, creating a wave of sentiment that is shifting investment decision-making at the largest scale. Designers have the capacity to shape this trajectory, and deliver interconnected public benefit through urban projects, working at every scale.

View gallery

On Brooklyn’s waterfront in New York City, Domino Park, by James Corner Field Operations, is an example of a privately underwritten public space. Image:

Barrett Doherty

Investment in public urban places – the city’s social and ecological connective tissue – has never been more critical. Post-pandemic, and alongside the rapid growth of our major cities, issues of social isolation and physical and mental health have come into sharp focus. Research by the World Economic Forum suggests that overcrowded environments can increase loneliness by up to 38 percent; in contrast, the feeling of being with people who share our values and who make us feel welcome was associated with a 21 percent decrease in loneliness. Further, people were 28 percent less likely to feel lonely when their urban settings included natural features such as trees and softscapes.1
In addition, our regions face ongoing environmental and economic disruption. These complex challenges can only be effectively tackled collectively. A collaborative approach across industry, investment and knowledge bases will be critical to supporting the future resilience of places and economies. This is a technical, financial, cultural and experiential design brief. It is also an opportunity to further engage in the Indigenizing of design in our cities, creating policy and places in collaboration with First Peoples.
There are well established formats for the funding and delivery of major public infrastructure. These can be simplified into three categories: 100-percent government-funded and owned projects, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and privately owned public space (POPS). Government-funded projects, inclusive of all citizens and managed in perpetuity, have consistently presented a compelling opportunity to create civic outcomes at scale. However, Australian private urban development projects far outweigh their public counter-parts. Land development and subdivision in Australia was worth $32 billion in 2022 alone – more than three times its value 10 years ago.2 Instead of privatizing public spaces, then, is there potential in making private projects more public?
There is merit in exploring more granular incentives and co-funding models to create new “public living rooms” at this financial and urban interface, particularly in times where public funding is prioritized to maximize long-term benefit, and in a context of increasing government debt3 and a less predictable economic climate. These models, which demonstrate a form of “tactical financing” whereby government and developer collaborate on a project-specific basis to invest in public benefit, might reinforce rather than detract from the public experience provided by government-owned and -managed projects. They are predominantly situated at the ground plane – the horizontal continuum of open space, streetscapes, mixed-use tenancies, commercial and fine-grain interfaces. They constitute potential “third places,”4 with a broad spectrum of uses relative to their local context and culture, where people are free to socialize, engage in free programs, enjoy hospitality, retail, entertainment and learning experiences, or simply be themselves in the public realm.

View gallery

Riverwalk, by Ross Barney Architects and Sasaki, was funded by a federal transportation loan that is being repaid by revenues from the project. Image:

Courtesy of Ross Barney Architects

There are many global precedents where industry and authorities have convened to deliver public amenity in various policy contexts, to the benefit of both the local neighbourhood and the city. New York City Planning Commission’s 1961 Zoning Resolution laid the foundations for controls “aimed at substance and not form … [which] offer greater freedom to the architect and give the builder added incentives through bonuses to provide structures with clean lines, open plazas and attractive arcades.”5 This substance is reflected at Domino Park on Brooklyn’s waterfront, which is certified under the Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines, a ratings system designed to make waterfronts “more resilient, environmentally healthy, accessible, and equitable.”6 Through this mechanism, authorities permit a proportionately larger developed floor area ratio or building height in return for significant investment in public benefit. The five-acre Domino Park was designed by James Corner Field Operations (JCFO)and built by developer Two Trees for US$50 million. To be maintained by the developer, as part of Shop Architects’ masterplan for the Domino Sugar Refinery mega-redevelopment, its landscape includes oyster restoration research stations, and native planting to reduce stormwater runoff and act as a “sponge” against major flood events. It has had more than four million visitors since its opening in mid-2018.7 “While public-private partnerships have become more common in New York City, Domino Park remains a marvel,” said JCFO senior principal Lisa Tziona Switkin in a press release. “The developer surpassed mandated minimum requirements for public waterfront access and open space; built the park first; paid for all of the capital costs and pays for all the ongoing park maintenance, operations and programming; and cares deeply about quality and character of the open space and that it be welcoming for all.”
A US project with a different funding model is Riverwalk on Chicago’s CBD waterfront, a design led by Carol Ross Barney of Ross Barney Architects and Sasaki. Here, local government used a US$100-million federal loan to build a 400-metre-long civic space, opting to repay the loan by developing commercial retail tenancies that it owns, curates and manages. This direct revenue stream, which has enabled an iconic city-making project with clear definition between retail and public zones, is paying back the build and maintenance costs faster than originally expected.8 The Riverwalk incorporates urban innovations sensitive to riparian ecologies and climate risks alongside large-scale art, entertainment and water recreation.
Closer to home, Australian cities have been prototyping models of their own in the delivery of “public living rooms” through private funding, often in what could almost be described as infill projects between major public works. These projects have a “stitching” effect and add to local amenity, safety, economies, identity and design quality. In every case, investment is underpinned by private developers who understand that uplifting the public realm is critical to the success of their precincts. At the centre of this is an investment in design, materials and attention to detail across all scales and disciplines, from masterplan through to the human scale. Key to each project’s success is a strategy for uses at the ground plane, and a commitment to the design intent that ensures it is not squeezed into oblivion through value management.
On the land of the Turrbal and Jagera peoples, Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves, with architecture by Woods Bagot completed in 2018, is a $110-million, three-hectare development occupying a historic site beneath Story Bridge and against a cliff. With buildings covering less than 10 percent of the site, the project is an urban knuckle connecting Brisbane’s City Reach Boardwalk to the New Farm Riverwalk pedestrian bridge. This “hybrid park,” as the architects call it, is also an entertainment precinct that plays a role in vitalizing a part of the river edge that was otherwise dormant, unsafe and cut off from its context. Similarly, Fish Lane, a formerly inconsequential through-link just off Brisbane’s South Bank and arts precinct, has been transformed by Richards and Spence with RPS Group from a dark undercroft into a verdant public square, flanked by open-edged hospitality and other small-business activity.9
In Sydney, a number of large urban regeneration projects, including public spaces, mixed-use developments and cultural destinations, are being built along the harbour on Gadigal land. Considering how we not only physically stitch these private-to-public interfaces together, but connect them through learning about and caring for Country, is an important way to transcend their funding models. The City of Sydney has launched Yananurala (Walking on Country), a walk aided by wayfinding, installations and a digital app that connects Pirrama (Pyrmont) to Woolloomooloo. This approach to respecting and learning about Aboriginal culture, language and resilience is, according to curator Emily McDaniel, “an Acknowledgement of Country in its truest, most ancient form.”10 It reinforces a deeper understanding that public places are owned by Traditional Custodians who have and always will have a continuing connection to Country.
Also on Gadigal land, George Street Plaza – the first plaza to be built on George Street in more than 50 years – is a public space recently delivered by the private sector in conjunction with the City of Sydney, at the Circular Quay end of Sydney’s CBD. The plaza is part of Sydney Place, a commercial mixed-use precinct being developed by Lendlease.11 Approximately half of this precinct will be dedicated to the public realm and, sitting above the city’s first public cycling facility, the plaza will be transferred into the ownership of the City of Sydney once completed. The project is an example of a successful collaboration between industry and local government in the delivery of public and community infrastructure. Concurrently, this model has enabled a co-design process in the form of a community building within the plaza, designed by David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates in partnership with leading Australian artist and Kudjila/Gangalu man Daniel Boyd. The way in which public experience has been prioritized in this project exemplifies the balancing of public and private within a context of high land value and recognition of significant cultural significance.
A common thread runs through the projects discussed above, from their inception: a sense of leadership and shared intent between government and private organizations to deliver a project firmly on the spectrum of “publicness” that contributes in an ongoing way to the city and its cultural identity. Design in all its forms is at the centre of this process, from policy and urban design, to funding, ownership, curation and governance models, to the design of architecture, public realm, art and programming. There is no single recipe here – only a consistent and holistic approach underpinned by responsiveness to the cultural, ecological and sociopolitical dynamics that define our cities at this time. This approach characterizes the emergent role of design today. More

Dulux has announced the judging panel for its 2023 Dulux Colour Awards, comprising five eminent architects and designers from Australia and New Zealand. The judges include Andrew Piva, director of B. E. Architecture; Brahman Perera, designer and director of his eponymous practice; Lisa Lee, designer at Snøhetta; Sarah Carney, director of CTRL Space; and Byron […] More

To celebrate our 150th issue, we sifted through the archives to reminisce about how Houses has evolved in its 34-year history – because it’s not a proper milestone birthday without a “when they were young” flick through the photo album.

View gallery

The first issue of Houses – or Architect Designed Houses, as it was then known – was published in 1989 and cost readers $5.90. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

The first issue of Houses – or Architect Designed Houses , as it was then known – was published in 1989 and cost readers $5.90. The publication offered a rare insight into contemporary residential design, complete with plans and product information. The introduction to issue 2 declared: “Architecture is about more than just building – it’s about the quality of living.” Initially an annual publication, its frequency increased gradually and, by 1998, Houses was published quarterly.

View gallery

Cover of issue 34 (2003): John Wardle Architects, Anglesea Residence. Photograph: Shannon McGrath. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

As the magazine evolved, its title became simply Houses and, in 2001, its tagline was “the residential architecture magazine.” The content was also evolving: articles increased in length; “In Focus” features offered detailed coverage of specialist areas, from flooring and glazing to kitchen and bathroom design; and the “In Profile” series gave readers insight into practice life, featuring candid conversations with leading residential architects.

View gallery

Cover of issue 74 (2010): BKK Architects, Beached House. Photograph: Peter Bennetts. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

A 2010 update revealed a new tagline: “Australian residential architecture and design.” This refresh coincided with new art direction by Ken Leung, who had previously worked on Monocle and Vanity Fair , and a reinvigorated content focus. The editorial team initiated new sections including the First House and Revisited series, both of which continue today.

View gallery

Fern Tree House, Hobart by McGlashan and Everist (1969). Published in issue 92 (2013). Image:

Jonathan Wherrett.

Acknowledging the enduring appeal of architect-designed houses from past eras, Revisited recounts personal stories of the architects and clients behind these celebrated homes. The series has included houses from the 1950s to the 1980s, including work by Bill and Ruth Lucas, Roy Grounds, Robin Boyd, Harry Seidler, and Edmond and Corrigan, among many others. Revisited is a tribute to the rich legacy of residential architecture in Australia, and to the dedicated custodians who are committed to its preservation.

View gallery

Image: Katelin Butler introduces Poppy Taylor, Mat Hinds and their clients James and Cassandra Stoddart at Our Houses Hobart (2017), hosted at Brickworks Design Studio. Image:

Nina Hamilton

The conversations came off the pages of the magazine and into a live event when Houses launched a talk series in 2010, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the architect–client relationship. The Our Houses series continues around the country today, with architects and clients sharing stories of their collaboration with honesty, humility and humour.

View gallery

Houses Awards 2015 at NGV International. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

Houses honours the pinnacle of Australian residential design through the Houses Awards, an annual program that recognizes and celebrates the extraordinary work produced by the country’s leading architects. Held since 2011, the awards are an integral part of Houses’ commitment to bringing great residential architecture to the attention of a wide audience.

View gallery

Cover of issue 1 (1989): Overman and Zuideveld, Mosman Park House. Photograph: Richard Woldendorp. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

The first commissions for young practices are often residential projects – and a story in Houses can be the first time their work is published. Many architects who have experienced this have gone on to direct widely respected and awarded practices, and to feature regularly in the pages of Houses.

View gallery

Cover of issue 124 (2018): Clare Cousins Architects, Garden Room House. Photograph: Tess Kelly. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

A fresh-faced Houses was unveiled in issue 124, with a subtle and elegant design by Janine Wurfel of Studio Metrik, who has been carefully guiding the magazine’s art direction since 2018. The refresh ensured the layers of detail in every story were legible, and its refined aesthetic emphasized the print magazine’s longevity in a fast-moving world of digital and social media.

View gallery

Image: May’s Point by Tanner Architects. Photograph: Adam Gibson. Image:

Image courtesy Architecture Media

A dedicated Houses newsletter delivers a weekly dose of curated, inspiring residential design to readers’ inboxes. The newsletter includes additional, digital-only content that has not been published in print, enriching the breadth of residential design covered across the Houses brand. More

The NSW government has allocated $78.5 million to establish an Indigenous Centre of Excellence at Western Sydney University.
Slated to be built at the university’s Parramatta South campus on Darug land, the centre will be a place for research and inquiry, forming and key part of the university’s ambitions to become a national leader in Indigenous education.
The university plans to conduct a national design competition for the building, which will have purpose-built facilities and spaces to support the sharing and preservation of Indigenous Australian culture. The centre will celebrate the Indigenous culture and heritage of the region, with arts and cultural collections, performances, talks and screenings, which will be accessible to local residents, schools and businesses.
“Western Sydney is home to the largest Indigenous population in the country, so it is only fitting that we create a place for Indigenous people to celebrate culture and connection to Country,” said professor Michelle Trudgett, deputy vice-chancellor for Indigenous leadership.
“It will be an iconic destination where the community can come together to acknowledge the region’s deep connection with Indigenous people as well as lead global discourse on Indigenous knowledges steeped in the principles of reciprocity, generosity, and respect.”
The university is seeking a design that emphasises environmental sustainability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ connection to country.

View gallery

Reference design for Western Sydney University’s proposed Indigenous Centre of Excellence by Allen, Jack and Cottier. Image:

Allen, Jack and Cottier

“The University has always been located on Aboriginal land. As an anchor institution serving Western Sydney we value and nurture our relationships with the Indigenous community,” Trudgett said.
“By working together, we will increase Indigenous participation in higher education, pay tribute to the deep learning that has existed on these lands for tens of thousands of years, position Indigenous knowledge at the core of the University and strive towards a sustainable future that nurtures emerging generations for decades to come.”
Vice-chancellor and president of Western Sydney University, Barney Glover, said, “This is a generational opportunity for us to intensify our engagement with the community, at such a critical time for Indigenous Australians.”
The NSW government’s latest round of West Invest funding allocations also included $40 million for the redevelopment of Riverside Theatre, $52.4 million for the redevelopment of Enfield Aquatic Centre, and $20.3 million for Burwood Urban Park and Arts and Cultural Centre and $17.7 million to upgrade Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink. More

City of Kingston Council in Melbourne’s south-east has appointed a principal consultant architect to lead the design of a new local aquatic and leisure centre. Melbourne-based Co.Op Studio has been selected by council from a two-stage tender process and will lead the project from concept design phase through to detailed design and construction. The new […] More

A Melbourne submission has been selected as the overall winner of the Architectural Drawing Prize by the World Architecture Festival (WAF). The Architecture Drawing prize was established in 2017 to celebrate the art and skill of architectural drawing, awarding prizes in three categories: hand-drawn, hybrid and digital. “Fitzroy Food Institute”, by Samuel Wen and Michael […] More

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has unveiled the second round of murals adorning the 2022/23 architecture commission, a Parthenon look-alike structure by NWMN.
This most recent round of flourishes includes five new murals by Melbourne-based contemporary artists Aretha Brown, Creature Creature, Manda Lane, Chuck Mayfield, and Resio. Artworks have been inspired by “Greek mythology and diverse connections to culture and nature,” the NGV said.
For the installation, Brown, a Gumbaynggirr artist and screenwriter, created a monochromatic mural depicting young Aboriginal people imploring their Elders for guidance. Artistic duo Creature Creature have depicted five figures from Ancient Greek mythology, including Pegasus the winged horse and the serpent Amphisbaena.
Resio’s contribution celebrates the vibrancy of Mediterranean culture, evoking Greek food, dance and song. Mayfield invites audiences to consider the effect that individual and collective perceptions have on the experience of the commission structure. Finally, Lane continues her work from phase one of the murals, portraying the growth behaviours of plants and their interactions with human interventions.

View gallery

2022 NGV Architecture Commission: Temple of Boom, designed by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, on display at NGV. Image:

Sean Fennessy

NGV director Tony Elwood said the second stage of paintings “honour” the architects’ vision to create a work of architecture that evolves over time.
“In dialogue with the existing murals, these five works invite visitors to discover some of the visual languages shared through Melbourne’s diverse contemporary art scene,” said Elwood.
The first round of artworks, debuted at the commission’s opening in November 2022, included murals by Melbourne street artists Drez, Manda Lane and David Lee Pereira, exploring themes of gender and sexuality, and the interactions of the natural and manmade worlds.
Temple of Boom is on display until August 2023, and the third and final phase of artworks to adorn the structure will be revealed in May. More

A new building on the Campbelltown Hospital campus opened in February 2023 as part of the stage two $632 hospital redevelopment designed by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP).
The 12-storey, 450-bed project involves the refurbishment of the existing building and the addition of new facilities including an emergency department; an intensive care unit; women’s health services and maternity suites; a paediatric wing; operating theatres; and a mental health unit.
The redevelopments effectively double the size of the existing Campbelltown Hospital campus. The project has been instigated to suit the needs of Western Sydney’s growing population and increased need for more holistic health care.
BLP said the architectural response to the redevelopment involved creating a “calm and welcoming” atmosphere, making ready use of natural light, comfortable furnishings and designated recreation zones.
The new mental health unit covers seven storeys, providing care for patients of all ages, with sensory rooms, de-escalation spaces, and light-filled courtyards. In addition to the introduction of new facilities, the upgrades were designed to improve patient flow with intuitive wayfinding and navigation devices.
One key addition was the introduction of “Hospital Street” – a lofty indoor avenue lined with artworks, connecting the new and existing hospital facilities.

View gallery

Image:

Brett Boardman

BLP principal and health lead Tara Veldman said the height of Hospital Street helped to negotiate the level changes between the new and existing sites. Moreover, future additions can be plugged in along the spine, future-proofing the building to service generations to come.
“The central walkway scales three levels and it travels all the way through the centre of the site. This spine provides connection to future buildings so that you can extend the facilities in the coming decades,” said Veldman.
Hospital Street also serves as an “uplifting arrival point”, filled with considered design choices and artwork selections. BLP used organic materials, such as the timber cladding defining the main reception desk, and soothing colours to engender a sense of calm. Nature-inspired illustrations by Erica Seccombe depict native flora and fauna on the walls of Hospital Street, and a feather-like sculptural work by Indigenous artist Nicole Monks hangs suspended from the ceiling.

View gallery

Erica Seccombe’s drawings of Australian flora and fauna line the walls of the hospital. Image:

Anson Smart

“We did a lot of work with the local Indigenous Elders, going for walks in the bushland of Cumberland Plains,” said Veldman. “With Erica Seccombe, we worked with the community, the design team and the hospital, drawing flora and fauna from the Cumberland Plains that we’d seen and picked. Erica then used those images in the artworks through the building.”
“Art has a healing benefit of helping people to feel calmer when going into medical treatments,” she continued.
BLP worked extensively with local Elder and 2021 Campbelltown Citizen of the Year Uncle Ivan Wellington to help design a space that was culturally sensitive to Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients alike. A Welcoming Stone was included in the outdoor space, “a beacon of safety for First Nations People,” inspired by the sacred birthing stone, and a yarning circle has also been integrated into the landscape, said Veldman.
“It’s really important that people feel comfortable and included in the building,” said Veldman. The Campbelltown Art Centre was also instrumental in engaging the local Dharawal People, facilitated and initiated some the community workshops.
Stage one of the hospital redevelopment, which cost $134 million, was completed in 2016. Stage two will consolidate stage one developments, with completion expected late 2023. More