Architecture

A Melbourne studio has won the $20,000 first prize in an ideas competition to design affordable and sustainable housing in South Australia.
The Living Village Design Competition was a partnership between the South Australian Housing Authority, CityLab, the Australian Institute of Architects and the City of Unley. Submissions for the competition closed in December 2021, with the winner announced at the Institute’s Lost Opportunities Symposium in March 2022.
The brief called for designs that showcased high-quality and affordable residential housing that built upon the principles of energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, cultural sustainability and community building. The brief also specified that designs incorporate an existing building – the Mornington House – into the plans as a potential community hub.
The competition provided an opportunity for emerging architects to showcase their ideas in the affordable housing space, with the eligibility criteria specifying that entrants had to have graduated within no more than 15 years at the time of submission, and to have been registered for no more than 10 years.

View gallery

Inclu Design Architects’ site plan for the Living Village. Image:

Inclu Design Architects

Inclu Design, formally established in 2020, submitted the winning proposal, which applied the principles of regenerative design and championed the tenets of affordability and ecological integration.
“The design celebrates existing place assets, transforms the site into a network of shared spaces and creates comfortable and sustainable homes for diverse and growing communities,” said Angelica Rojas, co-director of Inclu Design.
“Cost-effective strategies include carefully considering the size of the dwelling, rationalized structure and form and standardisation of services. Our proposal was also to integrate each design element so that it serves multiple purposes.”
Co-director Marco Cubillos, added, “When people talk about what is great about living in a ‘village’, the most common words used to describe this experience are community, relationships and safety. Our proposal does not take these three words for granted and combines spatial elements that enable these qualities in the site.”

View gallery

IncluDesign Architects design director Marco Cubillos and creative director Angelica Rojas. Image:

IncluDesign Architects

The jury said the winning proposal was a “highly considered submission” that offered a nuanced sense of community through a variety of shared and opened spaces.
The jury was made up of a panel of six industry experts from a variety of backgrounds including housing authorities, architectural practices, councils and industry publications. They were: Andrew Atkinson (SA Housing Authority), Shannon Battisson (Australian Institute of Architects President-Elect), Erin Crowden (EmAGN), Julie Eizenberg (Koning Eizenberg), Laura Harding (Hill Thalis Architects and architectural writer), Jeremy McLeod (Breathe Architecture), and Peter Tsokas (City of Unley).
The second place prize was awarded to WW and P and David Parsons Architects received third place. The competition entitles the winner to $20,000, with second and third prizes receiving $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.
More information about the Living Village Design Competition is available on the CityLab website. More

“Up to Us” is a multidisciplinary, mixed media, collaborative exhibition produced by art director Sally Piskuric and creative partner Alison Lasek.
The exhibition brings together 22 all-female Australian creatives to generate a creative response to the question: “What if it is up to us?”

View gallery

Creator Sally Piskuric and creative partner Alison Lasek. Image:

Ying Ang

Lending from the Melbourne Design Week pillar, “Design the world you want,” this exhibition explores the link between idealism and tangible social change.
Exhibiting designers have partnered with female practitioners from other creative disciplines to provide a uniquely female perspective on issues from disability through to motherhood, and everything in between.
Piskuric believes utopianism can be a powerful catalyst for transformation, and the exhibition explores the nirvana of a world of equal pay, founded on a level playing field and free from sexual and physical violence.

View gallery

Piskuric believes that dreams are an important vehicle for social change. Image:

Ying Ang

“At a time like this, with extreme social, political and ecological uncertainty, it’s instinctive for designers to dream of utopian solutions,” said Piskuric.
“We know, because we see it time and time again, that by dreaming big and working together, we shift radical ideas into the mainstream and create movements for change.”
Inspired by historic milestones including women’s right to vote and marriage equality, “Up To Us” demonstrates how dreams can help materialize the version of the world we want.
The exhibition is an achievement in female solidarity, a celebration of diversity and an exercise in social optimism that is not only thought provoking, but visually spectacular.

View gallery

HERS by Evi O. Image:

Ying Ang

There is a mixed media installation by Pascale Gomes-McNabb and Tai Snaith; a stacked glass light installation by Amanda Dziedzic and Kate Stokes; a collection of dishes from Beci Orpin and Ella Reweti; and more.
Proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise will be donated to two charities supporting women’s wellbeing: Djirra, which supports Aboriginal women experiencing violence, and Safe Steps, Victoria’s family violence response centre.
“Up to Us” is showing for ten days from 17 March until 27 March at Le Space Gallery for Melbourne Design Week. Click here to view the exhibition details. ArchitectureAU is a media part of Melbourne Design Week. Artichoke magazine is a media partner of Up To Us. More

A major survey of the Australian architecture profession has found that personal wellbeing among the profession is “an urgent area of concern.”
A comprehensive report of the survey results was launched at the Australian Institute of Architects Lost Opportunities Symposium in Melbourne on 20 March.
More than 2,000 individuals responded to the survey, which is part of a longitudinal study undertaken by Monash University academics Naomi Stead, Julie Wolfram Cox, Maryam Gusheh and Brian Cooper, and Kirsten Orr, Registrar of the NSW Architects Registration Board. The majority of respondents were registered architects or those in the process of registration.

View gallery

The survey found architects scored lower than average on every measure of personal wellbeing.

The survey found that people working in architecture have lower than average quality of life than Australian norms, scoring lower than average on all measures of personal wellbeing with the lowest being “future security.”
Architects also scored higher than average on measures of psychological distress, including anxiety and depression and have higher than average levels of burnout.

View gallery

The survey found architects have higher than average levels of psychological distress.

Of the survey respondents, 42 percent reported that their career had a generally negative impact on their wellbeing and a large proportion also reported that their education also had an overall negative effect on wellbeing.
The survey report states that a number of factors are contributing to the poor wellbeing of architects, including compressed timelines, unrealistic deadlines and inadequate fees.
Working more than contracted hours was also found to be rife within the industry.
Dissatisfaction with remuneration was also a contributor to poor wellbeing; however, satisfaction increased with age with older respondents more likely to be satisfied with their remuneration than younger respondents.
The survey results will ultimately contribute to creating resources for workplaces and education providers to help improve wellbeing and change the culture within the industry.
The researchers have also launched a website of resources where the full report of survey results can be downloaded. More

Construction is scheduled to resume on Probuild project Uno Melbourne after it stalled following the company’s untimely collapse in February 2022.
The major Australian construction company fell into administration after its South African parent company WBHO pulled financial support.
The Australian Financial Review reports that Uno’s developer, SP Sepia, will directly fund the Probuild team to finish the project.
Probuild had 15 projects active projects across the nation at the time of its collapse, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed and $5 billion worth of projects grinding to a halt.
Designed by Elenberg Fraser, Uno Melbourne is planned to be a 65-level residential tower at 111 A’Beckett Street and was scheduled for completion in 2023.

View gallery

Uno Melbourne is planned to be a 65-level residential tower commissioned by Malaysian developer SP Setia Image:

Elenberg Fraser

The majority of Probuild’s incomplete projects are in Victoria, with others in New South Wales, Queensland. They include ‘The Ribbon’ – a $1 billion accommodation and entertainment complex designed by Hassell in Sydney’s Darling Harbour, and the corporate headquarters for pharmaceutical giant CSL, designed by Jacobs Group.
Uno is the third project to resume since the Probuild’s collapse. Two more are also being directly funded by their developers, including the second stage of the $1.2 billion Caulfield Village project.
Builder Roberts Co is reportedly considering the takeover of Probuild’s Melbourne projects, according to the Australian Financial Review.
However, it appears Roberts Co is nearing the end of its 10-day due diligence period without coming to a decision.
The AFR anticipates that it and Probuild’s administrator, Deloitte, are likely to agree to an extension to the due diligence period before coming to conclusion.
The fate of the five remaining Melbourne projects is still uncertain, while in Sydney, Roberts is also bidding to take over The Ribbon project. More

The Queensland government has released preliminary designs for a youth housing facility in Townsville.
Designed by local architects Counterpoint Architecture for the Gulliver Youth Foyer, the facility will be a mix of flexible shared living spaces that support recreation, social connection and educational activities.
The design includes 40 self-contained units alongside a communal kitchen and living area, as well as meeting spaces, training rooms, outdoor dining spaces and more.
Townsville was selected for the project for its high demand for independent and supportive housing for young people wanting to pursue education and employment opportunities.
The Townsville Youth Foyer will be located on the Pimlico TAFE site, chosen for its direct access to study and training facilities.
Once completed, the facility will provide housing for 40 young people aged 16 to 25 who are in need of safe, stable and affordable housing.

View gallery

The design includes 40 self-contained units alongside a communal kitchen and living area, as well as meeting spaces, training rooms, outdoor dining spaces and more . Image:

Counterpoint Architecture

Minister for Communities and Housing Leeanne Enoch said the plans have been based on similar initiatives in place in Logan and the Gold Coast.
Conditions of residence include that tenants must be undertaking study or training for work, and antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated.
Youth foyers are recognized as a vital resource to help young people to access education, training and employment through housing and support.
Townsville’s Youth Foyer in Gulliver will be managed by not-for-profit Mission Australia, who will provide onsite mentoring and support so that residents can access further training and employment pathways.
“Many of these young people come from backgrounds where their home life may not have been safe, so to have a facility like this gives them the opportunity to have a stable home where they can commit to studying or a job, and to have positive mentors in their life,” said Mission Australia leader for the region, Phil Flint.
The facility will to help young adults learn practical life skills to enable them to eventually transition into longer-term private rental housing.
Tenants will receive coaching and mentoring to learn basic skills including budgeting, financial management, cooking and how to be a good tenant.
The model provides young people with stable accommodation for up to two years in a supported living environment.
The project is expected to commence construction in late 2022, with completion anticipated for late 2023.
The preliminary designs are available for public comment via the Queensland government’s website until 7 April. More

FJMT has created a concept proposal for a mixed-use development on Williams Street in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo. The building will contain predominantly residential apartments but also retail, food and beverage outlets. The proposal also calls for two large communal courtyards with solar access, terraced roof gardens, and a publicly accessible through-site link between Dowling and Forbes […] More

Revival Project’s Zero Footprint Repurposing Hub has been awarded the 2022 Melbourne Design Week Award for best event.
The hub is a dedicated space for repurposing waste from construction and demolition. In line with one of Design Week’s pillars, Revival is exercising the credo of “making good,” salvaging and reusing building materials on a scale that hasn’t previously been achieved.

View gallery

The Zero Footprint Repurposing Hub is located in a 150-year-old warehouse in Collingwood that previously housed textiles. Image:

Sean Fennessy

Founder Robbie Neville started Revival in 2016 after he was confronted by the lack of sustainable construction practices Australia – in particular, the failure to incorporate perfectly good existing materials in new projects.
“When I took on my own projects as a building practitioner, it was so frustrating how challenging it was to incorporate recycled materials into my work,” said Neville. “I wanted to make repurposing fundamental to new design and construction, but our industry is not set up whatsoever to incorporate alternative recycled materials at an elemental level.”

View gallery

Robbie Neville (pictured) started Revival in 2016 after he was confronted by the lack of sustainable construction practices Australia. Image:

Sean Fennessy

Despite the impacts of the global pandemic, Australia’s construction industry remains prolific, with government investment in public infrastructure contributing to many states’ economic recovery plans. But with this growth comes an enormous amount of waste. Neville sees it as his responsibility to normalize responsible handling as standard practice.
“This industry’s been predicated on 200 years of reckless consumption. The paradigm is: harvest, fabricate, consume, dispose – it’s a legacy of the industrial revolution,” Neville explained.
In the current paradigm, almost half of waste worldwide comes from construction and demolition. In Australia, this accounts for a total of 44 per cent of all managed waste.

View gallery

Revival is working with Grimshaw Architects to put 100 per cent of the materials from the existing warehouse back into the new build. Image:

Sean Fennessy

Neville’s mission is to redefine our understanding of “waste.” He and the team want to work with architects and developers to help them to understand the value of what they already have. He wants to encourage a reappraisal of what the industry determines as “waste.”
When something is nominated in drawings for demolition, “there’s an abdication of responsibility in that moment when a council or architect or builder deems those materials irrelevant,” he said.
The Islington Street Zero Footprint Repurposing Hub came to life when Neville teamed with Grimshaw Architects, who were designing a multi-storey building out of a former textile warehouse in Islington Street, Collingwood. The 100-year-old warehouse has become a temporary home for salvaged materials before its own demolition in 2024. For the duration of its tenancy, Revival is working with Grimshaw to put 100 per cent of the materials back into the new build.

View gallery

Neville said 20-metre timber trusses in the original warehouse are undoubtably old growth most likely from North America, and could be thousands of years old. Image:

Sean Fennessy

Occupying an enormous 1,000 square metres, Revival’s Collingwood hub offers a free storage space for architects and builders to keep salvaged materials before they can go back into the new project.
“There is such a time gap between demolition and the project coming to life,” Neville said. “We’ve offered this free space to try and solve that last major barrier preventing people from using what they already have.” No one who uses the hub will be obliged to use Revival’s services, so long as they’re making use of the salvaged materials they keep on the site.
The Zero Footprint Repurposing Hub houses six years’ worth of Neville’s projects that each help prove the viability of his solutions. Neville is chipping away at reservations, debunking the myth that recycled timber always has to be rustic with beautifully refined case studies and bespoke furniture pieces. “Every shopfront of an R.M. Williams store across the country has been made from a building that was demolished in Fitzroy,” said Neville.
He’s also debunking the myth that sustainable methods are more costly than traditional builds with a project by Assemble, where there is a clear commercial upside of working within a circular system. “Every single one of the installations represents the ideas we’re putting forward and proposing,” he said.

View gallery

Standing at an enormous 1000 square metres, Revival’s Collingwood hub offers a free storage space for architects and builders to keep salvaged materials before they can go back into the new project. Image:

Sean Fennessy

“The fruit couldn’t be hanging any lower,” said Neville. “The city is built out of old growth timber and brick. We’re still demolishing first-round developments that are a couple of hundred years old, so the scope of opportunity is palpable.”
Neville hopes to harness the momentum, energy and exposure brought about by Melbourne Design Week to drive the mission forward. “The city is full of vacant buildings; there is no reason why with more cohesion between the different players, this couldn’t be transferrable on a larger scale.”
Revival Projects’ repurposing hub is open on Friday 25 March for Melbourne Design Week. Click here to view the exhibition details. ArchitectureAU is a media part of Melbourne Design Week. More

Kerstin Thompson Architects and Bloxas have “invented” a new health care typology in their design for a children’s mental health facility in Melbourne’s north.
The $7.3 million Statewide Child and Family Centre in Macleod will provide mental health services for children aged up to 11 who have experienced negative or traumatic events. The 12-bed facility will accommodate up to three families on site in a residential setting, as they receive family-focused therapy and support for issues such as medication management, dispute resolution, school refusal and challenging behaviour.
The facility will include private rooms with shared living space, which include a kitchen, dining, lounge and laundry, family activity areas, outdoor garden areas and clinical consulting areas.
The centre will be the first in Victoria to provide live-in services for children and their families. Part of the therapy service that the centre will provide will involve observing family dynamics.

View gallery

The Statewide Child and Family Centre by Kerstin Thompson Architects and Bloxas is designed to have a residential feel.

Kerstin Thompson and Bloxas principal Anthony Clarke said their design emerged from the innovative model of care devised by the clinicians at Austin Health, which will be operating the service.
“The most interesting thing to us about this project was their model of care. It was innovative and, as yet, they didn’t have the typology to fit,” Thompson said. “We saw our role as developing a spatial typology that would support them and what they were wanting to deliver. It was really fascinating to see this synergy with what architecture can do and help them visualize it and apply it through space in ways that met their needs and didn’t feel institutional.”
Creating a residential atsmosphere, and also an environment where children could feel they have instrumentality and choice, as well as breaking down the dichotomous patient-clinical dynamic of the setting was a challenge for the architects. They explored a number of different types of children’s spaces, such as childcare centres, libraries for children, and Maggies Centres which provide support for cancer patients. “We had to pull many different types of programs as reference points for this because we were inventing a type,” Thompson said.

View gallery

In the Statewide Child and Family Centre by Kerstin Thompson Architects and Bloxas, activity areas for children are separated from therapy focused areas.

The architects also consulted with a group of former patients who gave insights about their lived experiences receiving treatment.
“”There’s been a lot of care involved in the overall planning and consideration for children in this project,” said Anthony Clarke, who is also undertaking PhD research into how architects can create spaces for people with unique neurological and mental conditions.
“A lot of [our ideas] focused on offering children choice, privacy, physical and psychological transparency, autonomy, and a sense of empowerment. The project offers young individuals the ability to self-regulate through a diverse spectrum of highly considered internal and external settings.
“One example is the ability to independently control lighting with dimmers. It seems like a very minor component however it offers a strong, and important sense of personal control.”
The project also separates the therapy-focused areas from other areas where the children might be undertaking other activities. “It was important to appreciate and comprehend the concept of ‘dual purpose’ spaces. Where the children watch movies, or free play for example, are not the same environments where the more formal therapy may take place.” Clarke explains “This assists to reduce any confusion between positive and negative spatial association. In addition to this, the introduction of transition zones was critical, offering the opportunity for individual decision making to occur.”

View gallery

The Statewide Child and Family Centre by Kerstin Thompson Architects and Bloxas is embedded into its neighbourhood with its landscape.

Thompson added that the landscape also contributes creating a residential feel for the project. The key spaces all have garden spaces “because of the therapeutic possibilities of gardens, the prospect of gardens, and also the sense of relief and not feeling trapped.” The gardens serve as spaces for children to undertake activities in and also as visual outlooks.
The proposed facility responds to key recommendations from Victoria’s royal commission into mental health. Construction is underway and is due to be completed in late 2022. More