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    Studio: James Walsh

    Since James Walsh won the 2020 Australian Furniture Design Award, the spotlight has been shining brightly on his studio practice. The Sydney-based furniture and industrial designer, who graduated from RMIT University in 2017, is daring in his materials-focused approach and commitment to process-driven outcomes. “It’s about finding a clean balance between natural materials and old and new processes to produce original, exciting objects,” he says. “And while testing ideas and learning by doing is often the most unpredictable part of the design process, it’s also the most thrilling.”

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    For the legs of the Anthropic Bench, James modified the raw materials used in rammed earth to incorporate recycled glass. Image:

    Courtesy James Walsh

    His award-winning Anthropic Bench not only blew the judges away with its intelligent assembly, it also stands as testament to his mastery. Using a combination of rammed earth and recycled glass filings, James handmade the robust form’s legs and finished it off with a solid timber top that sits in place without fasteners or adhesive. It’s an exquisite study in refined detailing and perfectly highlights his rigorous approach, which in this case reimagines an ancient technique with sustainability front of mind.
    The bench may be one of his more ambitious pieces, but his smaller objects are no less adventurous. Spaghetti Bowl, for example, is handmade using a grout-based caulking gun, lending each finished vessel a unique appearance, while the Igneous Wall Light (in collaboration with designer Ash Allen) was developed through the re-forming of volcanic rock. James didn’t even do an initial sketch, let alone try to predict how the light would turn out. Rather, he allowed the material to guide the outcome: a slim, circular form with striking natural patterning.

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    The Igneous Wall Light, designed in collaboration with Ash Allen, is made from waste material generated in bluestone re-forming. Image:

    Courtesy James Walsh

    Every one of James’s designs, regardless of scale, has a distinct architectural sensibility to it. Strong angles, curves and lines characterize his portfolio and imbue his pieces with a conceptual resolve that acknowledges past traditions, while revelling in a very contemporary aesthetic. Unsurprisingly, James finds inspiration in nature too. As he explains, “So much can be learnt and so much enjoyment can be felt from simply sitting in a natural environment and reflecting.” In regard to other designers, he’s inspired by those with an arts-based approach, such as Max Lamb, Formafantasma and Maarten De Ceulaer, and admires the work of studios like Form Us With Love.
    As part of his Australian Furniture Design Award win, James is currently developing a new design for production and distribution. He continues to work as an industrial designer at Vert Design and is participating in upcoming group exhibitions as well. If his recent success is any indication of what the next year holds, then James is in for quite a ride and all expectations surrounding his new work are entirely justified. More

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    Bates Smart wins competition for Parramatta tower

    Bates Smart has won a design excellence competition for a 57-storey commercial tower in Parramatta. To be named Burramatta Place, the proposed tower at 87-91 George Street will take its cues from designing with Country principles as well as the colonial architecture of a neighbouring building. “Our design for Burramatta Place carefully considers its place […] More

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    Design update to $541m Ballarat hospital redevelopment

    The Ballarat Base Hospital will be getting two new entrances as part of its $541.6 million redevelopment, with the main entryway relocating from its former Drummond Street position. State MP Jaala Pulford just released designs for a new main entry on 13 April, which will relocate from Drummond Street to a new Sturt Street location. […] More

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    NGV Contemporary receives $100m donation

    The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has received a donation of $100 million from trucking magnate Lindsay Fox and his wife Paula towards the construction of the new NGV Contemporary. The winning design for the new landmark, by a team led by Candalepas Associates, was released in March following a national competition. The new gallery […] More

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    UQ opens net-zero emissions research building

    The University of Queensland (UQ) has opened a new building at its St Lucia campus that could harbour the key to Australia’s net zero emissions potential. The Andrew N. Liveris Building is 11 storeys high, covering 2,000 square metres of teaching space and 480 square metres of laboratory space within the university’s School of Chemical […] More

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    Architectus designs WA’s first centre for domestic violence refugees

    Western Australia’s first purpose-built centre of women and children escaping domestic violence has been approved by the City of Perth.
    Designed by Architectus, the Ruah Centre for Women and Children will be a $20 million seven-storey building to be located on Shelton Street in Northbridge, replacing Ruah’s existing building.
    The centre will provide a safe and welcoming place with short-term accommodation for more than 300 women and children annually.
    The centre will also house a comprehensive range of services, including physical and mental health support, counselling, support for addressing alcohol and drug issues, legal services and employment and life skills education.
    “Western Australia has one of the worst rates of family violence related assaults in the country, and there is a critical shortage of safe, secure accommodation for women and children escaping violence,” said Ruah CEO Debra Zanella.
    “There is currently nowhere in Perth that combines accommodation with the kind of comprehensive support we will be providing. We believe all women and children experiencing trauma from abuse deserve a place where they can be safe, and where their total needs can be met.”
    The design of the building takes a trauma-informed approach that acknowledges how the physical environment can significantly impacts a person’s moods, sense of identity and wellbeing. It integrates the principles of trauma-informed care to create spaces that will promote a sense of calmn, safety, wellbeing and healing, as well as a sense of belonging and support, particularly for Aboriginal women and those from diverse backgrounds.
    The centre will also support collaborative research into the social issues related to domestic violence and contribute a body of knowledge to the community services sector.
    “This new centre will be a place where women and children can create a new and much brighter future,” Zanella said. “Importantly, it will also be a place where we build sector capacity through collaborations and research, and where we also work to shift community attitudes that allow family violence to continue.” More

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    Rooftop ‘nest’ designed for proposed Brisbane tower

    Woods Bagot has designed an intriguing ellipsoid pergola to sit atop a proposed 18-storey building in Brisbane’s South City Square. The design comes as a response to market feedback from an original proposal by developers, with changes predominantly relating to improved functionality and occupancy in the building, as well as the provision of greater open […] More

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    Green light for biomedical engineering research centre

    A biomedical research centre has been approved for construction by the Victorian government . Denton Corker Marshall unveiled plans for the designs in January 2021, with Minister for Medical Research Jaala Pulford officially announcing receipt of planning approval on 11 April 2022. The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) will be the country’s first hospital-based […] More