Architecture

A virtual pavilion exhibiting 17 of the world’s greenest buildings, including one from Australia, will be on display concurrently with the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).
The Build Better Now virtual reality exhibition is designed and developed by AECOM in collaboration with exhibition designers Install Archive, as part of a collaborative project of more than 100 organizations, for which the UK Green Building Council acted as a secretariat.
“With COP26 in November, the world is ready to tackle climate change and the built environment has a crucial part to play,” said UKGBC chief executive Julie Hirigoyen. “We know why we must accelerate climate action and Build Better Now shows how we can get there. Everyone on the planet has a stake in our buildings and cities. I invite everyone to take inspiration from Build Better Now as a global showcase of pioneering solutions to climate change and hope that it supports the industry to create more sustainable buildings, places and cities of the future.”
The virtual reality exhibition includes a central pavilion surrounded by pods, each housing one of the 17 sustainable projects selected from a global international open call.
A panel of global industry leaders “selected projects that are making an immediate positive impact on the planet and people’s lives.”

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Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design by Grimshaw in collaboration with Monash University Image:

Michael Kai

The Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design by Grimshaw in collaboration with Monash University is the only Australian project selected for the exhibition. It is the largest Passivhaus certified building in the southern hemisphere. The building consumes 75 percent less energy than a conventional building of the same size and will contribute to carbon reduction over its lifespan.
“There has been a strong growth in the number of large-scale sustainable buildings constructed in Australia with over 3,050 Certified Green Star buildings,” said Grimshaw managing director Andrew Cortese. “The next step is to design and build new and refurbished Net Zero Carbon buildings needed to reduce the impacts of climate change, it is essential that building envelope performance is greatly improved.”

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Sara Cultural Centre, Skellefteå, Sweden, by Skellefteå Municipality, HENT AS, White Arkitekter, Florian Kosche, TK Botnia, WSP, Incoord, Martinssons AB, Derome Image:

Patrick Degerman

Other projects selected for the exhibition include Sara Cultural Centre in Sweden by White Arkitekter, which will be one of the tallest timber buildings in the world, and projects that use locally sourced natural materials such as the University of East Anglia’s The Enterprise Centre, which is made of thatch and reed, and a school in Bali made of Bamboo.

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Fountain of Circular Recovery by Make Architects.

The centrepiece of the exhibition will be a virtual installation designed by Make Architects; the “Fountain of Circular Recovery” highlights opportunities for a circular economy in the built environment, through reuse and recycling.
Alongside the exhibition, there will also be a series of events to showcase the urgent role buildings and cities can play as a solution. Globally, buildings are responsible for 40 percent of energy-related carbon emissions and the built environment will have a dedicated day during COP26.
The Build Better Now virtual pavilion will be online from 31 October to 12 November. More

Miele has partnered with architects and designers on five projects in Australia and New Zealand that demonstrate how Miele appliances can complement any aesthetic – from modern penthouse living to wholesome homestead design. Australia 108 – Carr Australia 108 – Carr. The interiors at Australia 108, the tallest apartment tower in the southern hemisphere, display […] More

Elan Plus is comprised of 17 versatile designs, demonstrating the deep understanding of materiality, design intelligence and precise execution that the Elan team is renowned for.
The furniture selection, specifications and assembly is informed by Elan founder Boris Tosic’s two decades of collaboration on complex commercial projects and luxury residential interiors.
The Elan Plus range evolved through design decisions made in the company’s impressive headquarters; Tosic’s award- winning Paramount building by The Office Space, located in Surry Hills. The boutique, serviced workspace has provided a testing ground for many of the pieces in the Elan Plus collection.
“We know from our work in commercial interiors and high-end residences that the Elan Plus collection bridges the gap between imported designer furniture and mass produced fast furniture,” said Boris Tosic. “This degree of quality and customization is generally only seen in high-end residential projects. We know there is a demand for this level of refinement, and we wanted to make it accessible to those without the budget or patience for bespoke joinery solutions.”
The backbone of the collection comprises three modular shelving systems, in solid timber (Grid) and metal (Gravitas and Morse). While they have distinct personalities, each system can be customized to achieve the desired height, width, and utility. The pieces can rest against a wall or perform as room dividers, providing endless solutions for dividing or anchoring living spaces, and display. Further customization allows customers to choose between single- or double-sided units; cabinets with solid or glass doors, a drawer insert or bar unit, and metal or glass shelves.
Complementing the shelving systems are refined side tables, in solid timber or metal, and other essential pieces for living. These include table-top trays, desk accessories and perfectly weighted exercise clubs, handcrafted from solid timber.
Luke Tosic joined his father in the business as manager of Elan’s Sydney workshop in 2019 after completing his MBA. “The experience, equipment, and capabilities of the Elan team streamlined the development process, making a furniture range a viable and ultimately logical proposition,” explains Luke. “We can have most pieces made and shipped within four weeks from order.”
The narrow production times complete a compelling Australian designed and made proposition for leading local Living Edge, set to introduce the Elan Plus collection in its showrooms in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth from October 2021.
Living Edge CEO Aidan Mawhinney says Elan Plus is a welcome addition to the Living Edge portfolio of authentic furniture, which currently includes big name international brands Herman Miller, Walter Knoll and Muuto.
“I’ve known Boris for a long time. Honesty and the integrity of materials are at the heart of everything Elan does. The brand follows in the tradition of great timber working cultures found in Italy, Brazil, and Denmark. The quality, appearance, and function of the fine details of commercial and home interiors has never been more important to our consumers and the thoughtful solutions provided by the Elan Plus range make it incredibly apparent where the bar has been set in the industry. We are delighted to introduce it to our customers.” More

The University of Tasmania has unveiled plans to transform its existing Sandy Bay campus into a residential and office area, as it prepares to consolidate its Hobart campus within the CBD.
A concept masterplan for the Sandy Bay campus, released for public comment, calls for 2,500 dwellings to be built across the site, along with new sporting facilities, an “innovation precinct” with offices for start-ups, five mixed-use precincts and a new “eco-tourism” attraction on Mt Elson.
The plan is being developed by University of Tasmania Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary of the university.
It divides the campus into five precincts, each designed around a 200-metre walkable radius.
To the north, closest to River Derwent, is a lifestyle and sporting precinct, which will build on the existing cricket oval and rugby ground to deliver a “regionally significant sporting precinct” that will serve the university and community sporting organisations. Apartments would be built along the north-western edge of the sporting fields.
Next to this would be the innovation and civic quarter, described as “an eclectic village where creatives live and work.” The current chemistry, engineering and geology buildings would be re-used for apartments, while the Morris Miller Library would become an “innovation hub” and the Stanley Burbury building would become a community arts centre.
Further to the south would be a peri urban neighbourhood next to a learning precinct. The hillside peri-urban setting would include townhouses, new parks a community garden and potential childcare facilities, while the learning precinct could potentially include a new vertical school at its heart.
The final precinct, nestled within the 50 hectares of retained bushland on Mt Nelson, would include houses along with a hotel, eco-tourism facilities and a children’s nature play area. The masterplan says the tourist attractions could “provide Hobart with an additional drawcard to Mona and the historic Salamanca Waterfront.”
The plan is in its early days, with detailed design and development applications still to come. University of Tasmania Properties engaged with the community through July and September in developing the masterplan. It said that the overall feedback was in support of the “shared vision” statement, which reads: “The Site will be a place that celebrates and enhances its natural assets, honours its social, cultural, and Aboriginal heritage, and looks to create an evolving, vibrant mixed-use precinct to live, work, learn and play. It will set a new standard for urban enewal in Tasmania and nurture a community that is inclusive and accessible to all, leaving a more sustainable legacy for people now and into the future.” More

A proposed six storey commercial office building on the edge of Sydney’s CBD is being spruiked as a “showcase” contemporary workplace that will support the creative and cultural industries on the city fringe.
The building, designed by Grimshaw, will be located at 9-13 Brisbane Street in Surry Hills, and will be composed of more than 2,000 square metres of office space with a cafe on the ground floor.

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9-13 Brisbane Street by Grimshaw.

The building will be arranged vertically in three distinct parts. An opaque core on the southern, “blind” side of the site, which will contain the stairs, lifts and building services, will be made from warm coloured in-situ concrete.
The middle section will be made from transparent glazing fixed to natural anodized steel to form the bulk of the workplaces.
Finally, the northern section will be the translucent edge of the building. It will contain collaborative working spaces and meeting rooms. The translucent glazing is designed to provide maximum daylight while also mediating privacy and providing a canvas for public art.
The three elements will be separated by recessed operable louvres which will promote cross ventilation in the east and west facades.

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9-13 Brisbane Street by Grimshaw.

A 66-square-metre landscaped roof terrace will crown the building and provide outdoor amenities for the building’s occupants.
“The rooftop is envisaged as a place where the building occupants can gather and socialize,” the architects said in a development application.
“Generous access to natural light and passive ventilation ensures these cultures will thrive. The concept of biophilia, which is increasingly recognized as a key consideration in the design and development of 21st century buildings has been incorporated. The idea of including nature into contemporary buildings through biophilic design, is built upon the premise that investing in a person’s health and well-being brings significant benefits in performance and productivity.”
The proposal also aims to be net zero carbon. “9-13 Brisbane Street [will] emerge as the exemplar boutique office building of its neighborhood. Renewing life within the Surry Hills by providing a unique workplace to the creative/tech tenants. [It] forms a vital anchor in the new ecosystem and will be a catalyst for further renewal.” More

Cumulus has unveiled designs for five unique charred timber accommodation pods to be built on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula.
The country retreat, called Ponderosa, will include the five pods nestled among stone outcrops and grazing pastures with views of the Southern Ocean, along with an adapted stone-walled cottage. The pods will be built at Adelaide’s Tonsley Innovation District, before being transported to the site near the coastal towns of Victor Harbour and Port Elliot.
Cumulus associate architect Jet O’Rourke said the firm approached the project as six individual designs to provide a distinct experience for each location.
“Instead of creating a uniform set of cabins, we designed each pod as a different getaway experience for guests, offering a different way of connecting with their surroundings — the views, the flora and fauna — which you can do both from outside and inside of the pods”, he said. “To link the distinct designs, we selected surface charred timbers for the predominant exterior cladding.”
The pod designs include the Eucalyptus Tunnel pod, which takes inspiration from the Hindmarsh Valley vegetation, the In The Round pod, which features concrete culverts jutting out into the landscape, and the larger Split Level, a two-storey pod that can accommodate up to four guests.
The five-bedroom Cottage has been adapted to reference the gabled roof forms of the original structure. More

Shop Architects and BVN’s $1 billion tower for Australian tech company Atlassian has been approved. Billed as the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower when it was first unveiled in 2020, the 39-storey Sydney tower will house Atlassian’s global headquarters from level seven up, while levels one through six will used for the Railway Square YHA […] More

Bates Smart has revised its design for two residential towers at the former Store site at 854 Hunter Street in Newcastle’s west end.
The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society, known colloquially as The Store, was once Australia’s largest and most successful co-operative, with 98,000 members and 1,450 workers across its many retail stores and other services at its peak in 1974.
The co-operative wound up in the early 1980s, squeezed out by suburban shopping malls. The NSW government purchased the site in 2015 “with a view to realising its transport and development potential.”
Following a competitive process, a tender was awarded to developer Doma Group with its plan for twin 90-metre apartment towers, carpark complex, commercial office building, public domain improvements and a new bus interchange.
“Redevelopment of the Store site is a multi-faceted and staged project and includes the already completed Newcastle Bus Interchange and Newcastle’s largest office building,” said Doma’s Newcastle development director, Chris Farrington.

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The Store, 854 Hunter Street by Bates Smart.

“While those works were underway, the architects and the Design Review Panel (DRP), made up of three independent architects, one of which represented the NSW government architect, had an opportunity to concentrate their expertise on development of the design for the residential part of the project.
“The DRP focused on making sure the residential towers are externally aesthetically pleasing and reflect the heritage of the site. This revised design was presented to the City of Newcastle’s Urban Design Consultative Group who have also been very supportive of the design direction.”
Bates Smart’s new designs re-work the two towers to make them different heights. The top of the towers have also been sculpted to ensure they read differently from different angles. “We really wanted to make sure the towers were attractive from every perspective, including ground level,” Farrington said. “By varying their size, making them less identical, they are much more striking, which is consistent with the state government’s vison for design excellence on this significant site.”
In order to gain approval to demolish the former Store buildings, Doma was required to prepare a Heritage Interpretation Strategy and respond to several recommendations made by the Heritage Reference Group.
Bates Smart’s design references the original façade and window shapes of the former Store buildings, while the masonry at the podium level takes it cues from other historical buildings in Newcastle.
“In the first two stages of The Store redevelopment we have interpreted elements of the site’s former history in the ground floor paving, in the bus interchange, and through a light show projected on the underside of the colonnade of the office building that provides a story telling platform for First People’s history,” Farrington said.
“We will extend our heritage interpretation of the site into Stage 3 and continue references to the site’s history consistent with the Heritage Interpretation Strategy.” More