Architecture

Founded by leading appliance brand Gaggenau in October 2020, the Kitchen of the Year Design Contest was created to honour truly unique and outstanding kitchen design. Open to industry professionals across Australia, the contest sought designs defined by a pursuit of excellence.
Gaggenau appliances adorn the most luxurious kitchens worldwide and the contest offered the German brand an opportunity to recognize the design trailblazers behind some of the most spectacular interiors.
The winners were:

Best of the Best and Winner for Southern region – Fitzroy Project by Robert Nichols and Sons.
Winner for Northern region – Hall 20 by Smart Design Studio.
Runner-up for Southern region – St Huberts by Robson Rak.
Runner-up for Northern region – Penthouse II by Lawless and Meyerson.
Commendations – 97 Mathoura Road Toorak by Carr and Habitus Townhomes by DKO Architecture.

Best of the Best and Winner for Southern region – Fitzroy Project by Robert Nichol and Sons
Fitzroy Project by Robert Nichol and Sons was not only named the Winner for the Southern region but also took the Best of the Best award, coming through as the contest’s overall winner.
“This competition is a great opportunity to showcase and reward excellence in kitchen design. It is heightened by the fact it is hosted by a brand regarded as an industry-leading producer of premium kitchen appliances,” says David Nicholson, Director of Robert Nichol and Sons.
“Kitchen design is often the most challenging of all the rooms of a home, so any opportunity to showcase and promote what we have achieved next to our peers is valuable and rewarding. We are very proud of this kitchen and feel honoured to be considered among so many strong contenders.”
David thinks that texture is one of the elements that made their design stand out. “It’s interesting that of the 12 finalists, we were the only entry to feature a wall tile. This is a feature that we consider a hallmark of our projects, and we love the opportunities they present, in this case, the strong vertical lines and rich colour,” he explains.
“Texture is something we love. We recognize it’s not just a tactile experience, but a visual one too. In a project such as a kitchen where there are so many disparate elements, we see texture as an opportunity to introduce a mix of finishes, creating strong surface variations and producing a focal point within the home.”
“Winning is amazing, not only as recognition for our design but also against the calibre of the fellow finalists,” David adds. “What we are seeing in this selection is just how far kitchen design has progressed, where kitchens have now become the statement piece for house design.”
Winner for Northern region – Hall 20 by Smart Design Studio
Smart Design Studio’s striking, monolithic kitchen was named the Winner for the Northern region. “Given the depth and strength of the Australian design industry, it was humbling to be shortlisted,” says Aaron Wooster, Smart Design Studio’s head of interiors.
Runner-ups – St Huberts by Robson Rak and Penthouse II by Lawless and Meyerson
With sweeping harbour views and a robust kitchen island grounding the space, the refined Penthouse II design by Lawless and Meyerson was selected as the Runner-up for the Northern region.
In reflecting the materiality of a period home, St Hubert’s elegant kitchen space by Robson Rak is the Runner-up for the Southern region.
The sleek kitchen of the innovative Habitus Townhomes by DKO Architecture and the sophisticated space of Mathoura Road by Carr were both also recognized as the Commendations of this year’s contest.
Prizes and jury
The Best of the Best National winner will receive an exclusive trip to Europe, including two return business airfares, seven days in Europe – including one Gaggenau factory tour at Lipsheim, France – one culinary experience for two people, six nights of accommodation in a five-star hotel and hotel transfers.
The winner and runner up for each region will both receive one culinary experience for two people within Australia, the prize includes: two domestic return economy airfares, two nights of accommodation in a five-star hotel and hotel transfers.
The winners were selected by an esteemed jury comprising six design industry experts, each lending their knowledge and expertise.
The jury included:

Sue Carr (principal and founder, Carr).
Clement Lee (founder, Riverlee).
Miriam Fanning (founder, Mim Design).
Damian Hannah (German Kitchens NZ).
Raj Nandan (founder, CEO and publisher, Indesign Media Asia Pacific).
Neil Burley (founder, Anibou).
Rob Warner (general manager, Gaggenau). More

Boldly innovative and created using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, Brickworks’ new clay bricks, pavers and feature stone ranges will inspire your next project. Brickworks’ new arrivals offer an extraordinarily wide choice for your next project – especially where design really matters. There are over 80 new products and countless colours to choose from. View the collection […] More

The Design Institute of Australia announced the national winners in the Graduate of the Year Awards for 2021.
From 173 impressive nominations and 27 state winners, seven designers have been awarded, while the winner of the Australian Interior Design Graduate of the Year, Isabelle Kleijn of UNSW, has taken out the overall Madeline Lester Award.
Running since 2005, the GOTYA program aims to support and celebrate exceptional designers from around Australia in the early stages of their careers. This year the graduates were asked to develop “a responsibility to the industry,” focusing especially on sustainability and repurposing and designing and create products that benefit people and the planet.
There were 24 leading jurors taking part in the judging process, including Mark Berlangieri, Jane Valentine, Dave Bickmore, Tim Phillips, Gustavo Ruckman and Nancy Beka. The jury noted that the winners, by presenting a mix of concept developments, technical drawings and prototypes, displayed a clear understanding of the skills required in the commercial marketplace.
Jo-Ann Kellock, juror and DIA CEO, said, “GOTYA is a critical program as it brings together Australia’s emerging designers and connects them to our most respected educators and designers from leading design practices. This year, we had a remarkable 173 nominations and worked closely with over 40 university design departments—the graduates’ proposed human-centred design solutions like never before. Using innovative ways to utilize natural materials, they promoted sustainable development. It was wonderful to also see design and technology delivering thoughtful solutions to affect social and environmental causes.”

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Isabelle Kleijn, UNSW.

The winners are:
Madeline Lester Award
Isabelle Kleijn, UNSW
Australian Textile Design Graduate of the Year
Sophie Yencken, RMIT University
Australian Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Gisella Candi, University of Technology Sydney
Australia Furniture Design Graduate of the Year
Bolaji Teniola, RMIT University
Australian Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year
Joanne Odisho, RMIT University
Australian Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Isabelle Kleijn, UNSW
Australian Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Tim Lutton, RMIT University
Australian Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year
Madison Chan, University of Technology Sydney (Joint Winner)
Erin McConnell, Swinburne University of Technology (Joint Winner) More

Three Indigenous textile artists from the Northern Territory have teamed up with South Australian furniture and product designers to produce a series of chairs that offer a new way of engaging with Indigenous material culture and storytelling.
Showing at the Jam Factory in Adelaide from 9 October to 28 November, the Rekkan / Tamuwu / Nyinakati: Sit/Sit Down exhibition features contemporary furniture upholstered in textiles designed by the artists. But this isn’t about simply draping textiles onto existing furniture forms; instead, an iterative design process saw the symbolic textile designs shape and inform the structure of the chairs, complementing and continuing the artists’ traditional stories.

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Raylene Bonson X Daniel Emma.

One of the pairings is Ndjébbana–Kuninjku textile artist Raylene Bonson from the Bábbarra Women’s Centre in Maningrida with Daniel To and Emma Aiston of the design studio Daniel Emma. Bonson specializes in the linocut printing technique and is known for her designs depicting ancestral stories and ceremonial objects, particularly the lorrkkon (hollow log for burial ceremony), the kunmadj (dillybag) and the mandjabu (conical fishtrap). She was mentored by her late mother, Nancy Gununwanga, a senior textile artist at Bábbarra Designs and a founding member of the Bábbarra Women’s Centre. Bonson’s silkscreened wubbunj (paperbark canoe/makassan boat) fabric design was inspired by the story of her partner’s father, who travelled with other men from Nakalarramba across the river to Djomi and, upon finding fresh water, settled on the land that became Maningrida. Inspired by and keen to reflect life in and around Maningrida, Emma Aiston and Daniel To have designed foldable utilitarian loveseats that celebrate “the transportable nature of wubbunj and the thought that this is something that can be moved around and used with relative ease.”

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Keturah Nangala Zimran X Caren Elliss.

Another creative pair is Luritja–Pintupi artist Keturah Nangala Zimran from Ikuntji Artists in Haasts Bluff and designer Caren Elliss. Nangala Zimran creates bold, strong and bright textile designs and the fabric she has selected for this project features contrasting colours that depict sand hills and puli puli (rocks) in the landscape. In designing the form of the armchair, Elliss was attracted to the bold, strong and bright graphical nature of the textile design. Resonating with the intergenerational stories of Keturah, her mother and grandmother, Elliss responded the fabric by focusing on curves, particularly those found in the movement of the wind in the sand hills and the shape of the rocks in the landscape. The circular form of the armchair and footrest enclose the sitter in a way that suggests being enveloped by Country/. “I wanted the furniture to act as a visual anchor, a boulder-like form on which to wrap Keturah’s work and story around, providing a 3D interpretation and a continuance of the visual cues and movement found in Keturah’s work,” Elliss says.

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Roslyn Orsto X Dean Toepfer.

Finally, Roslyn Orsto from Tiwi Designs in Wurrumiyanga teamed up with furniture and lighting designer Dean Toepfer. Orsto is known for her ochre paintings on canvas and paper which she creates using the wooden comb technique. Her punarika (waterlily) textile design celebrates the presence of waterlilies in the lakes ponds, rivers and running streams of her homeland as well as the integral role that the plants play in her community as both bush medicines and sources of nourishment. Toepfer has created two armchairs with a minimalist aesthetic that depict Tiwi lore relating to the use and stories of punarika. “The first chair represents the calm and nurturing lakes and ponds where waterlilies provide bush medicines and food, while the second depicts the fire that the elders and traditional owners create to calm the Rainbow Serpent that rises if the waterlilies are taken without her permission”, he says. “Both chairs depict the balance and harmony that the Traditional Owners managed for millennia.” More

Cult presents Nau 2021 – the newest collection from its Australian design brand Nau. Comprising furniture and lighting by a collective of Australia’s most renowned designers, Nau 2021 features a comprehensive outdoor range, a locally crafted flat-pack furniture series and an edit of functional, refined designs for both the home and the workplace. Designed and […] More

BQE Software Inc., which provides management software for architecture and engineering firms, has announced the appointment of Victor Limongelli as its new chief executive officer. Victor joins BQE after a 20 year career managing technology and SaaS companies. “I am thrilled to be joining BQE as it builds upon an impressive foundation of serving architecture […] More

Sydney could follow cities such as Paris, Copenhagen and New York that are reclaiming polluted urban waterways as swimming spots.
The City of Sydney has set out a vision for a “swimmable harbour,” releasing speculative designs by Andrew Burges Architects for swimming spots at Beare Park, Pirrama Park and Glebe foreshore. The tantalizing renders show a number of options to get people swimming in the city’s famous harbour, including a floating platform pool reminiscent of New York’s long-mooted Plus Pool, a pontoon design similar to one placed in a Paris canal, and a simple roped-off area. The council commissioned Andrew Burges Architects – one of the designers of Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre – in 2019 to develop some options for urban swimming infrastructure, as a way of showing off what could be possible in “iconic parts of Sydney Harbour.” But these swimming opportunities could only be realized if the water quality of the harbour is improved.
“Greater Sydney Harbour is one of the world’s greatest harbours and is a state, national and global asset,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who spoke on the topic at Sydney Water’s Innovation Festival on 18 October.

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The Beare Park proposal by Andrew Burges Architects.

“However, its waters have also been home to industry and pollution – most sediment contaminants entered the Harbour prior to 1970, when industry practices were poorly regulated. While we have seen some improvement, our harbour is continually threatened by possible adverse impacts of population growth and development. It is also susceptible to the impacts of climate change including high rainfall intensity and resulting catchment runoff.”
Moore said it would take a whole-of-government effort to clean up the waterways so they could be used for recreation, but that council would play its part to make it happen through stormwater management initiatives, and through its collaboration with Sydney Water.
“Our focus on water recycling and stormwater management is a key ingredient in improving the quality of water in the Harbour,” she said. “The city is reducing stormwater pollution entering into the harbour by installing and maintaining stormwater treatment systems such as Gross Pollutant Traps (GPT), raingardens, wetlands and swales in our stormwater network. The City’s 250 raingardens and 47 GPTs prevent hundreds of tonnes of litter from entering our waterways.”
The potential swimming spots are all at sites where the council has led harbourside renewal projects that have protected access to the water.
At Pirrama Park, the council said, a pool would require only minimal infrastructure along the existing harbour edge to allow for swimming, while at Beare Park, there wouldn’t be much need for infrastructure to be built at all.
“Swimming in the harbour is no pipe dream,” said Moore. “Cities around the world are turning to their natural harbour assets rather than building more infrastructure. Copenhagen spent 15 years transforming its harbour from a highly polluted waterway to a swimmer’s paradise where wildlife is thriving. Once a polluted industrial port, Copenhagen city now invites people to swim in its waterways and enjoy a clean and thriving aquatic environment.” More

The $2.2 billion, 3,000-home Ivanhoe housing estate in Macquarie Park, north-west Sydney is taking shape, with a development application for the next stage of development on public exhibit.
Stage two of the massive development, masterplanned by Bates Smart and Hassell, involves three distinct lots, with buildings in each of them designed by different architects.
Designed by Cox Architecture with landscape by Hassell, Lot C4 will feature a 17-storey social housing tower with 216 social units, a 24-storey market tower with 268 units, and four market townhouses of three storeys each. Cox explains that the buildings play an important role in the transition from the urban character of the housing estate to the natural Shrimptons Creek nature corridor.
“The tower massing has been crafted to respond to two separate conditions, the north-western most tower responds to its more urban context and is more orthogonal in nature, while the south-eastern tower responds to Shrimptons Creek and is more organic in nature,” the firm says in planning documents.
Lot C3 comprises a 16-storey residential tower designed by Fox Johnston with McGregor Coxall. It sits closer to the centre of the masterplan, looking over the central village green. Fox Johnston describes how the tower is split into two distinct forms to break up the bulk and allow for the inclusion of communal landscaped spaces dubbed “forest rooms.”
The village green sits within Lot C2, along with a community centre with a “social enterprise cafe,” a pool and a gym. Chrofi and McGregor Coxall were recently announced as the winners of a design competition for this lot, which will sit at the heart of the estate. The various uses occupy a single-storey, linear built form that wraps around the central park and creates an active relationship with the village green.
The NSW Land and Housing Commission first submitted a development application for the overall project in 2018. It is being delivered by the Aspire Consortium with developers Frasers Property Australia and Citta Property Group, on behalf of the commission. The project has been criticized for its relative lack of social and affordable housing, and concerns have been raised over density.
Construction on stage one started in 2020. More