Architecture

A 17-storey tower in East Perth that would provide housing and wrap-around support for people who have experienced chronic homelessness has been recommended for approval.
Designed by Gresley Abas, the East Perth Common Grounds development would feature terracotta brickwork and glazed arches at its base, with hit-and-miss brickwork above reflecting the historical masonry context of the area. Operable perforated aluminium screens included up the full height of the tower would provide privacy and sun protection while visually tying the built form together.
Proposed for the northwest corner of the Wellington and Hill streets intersection, on a vacant site owned by the state government, the tower would deliver 112 apartments along with communal areas, on-site support services and five commercial tenancies. Based on the Common Ground model initiated in New York in the early 1990s, the development would be part of a “housing first” approach, where homeless people are placed in housing as a priority and then provided with comprehensive support services.

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East Perth Common Grounds by Gresley Abas.

The Department of Communities facility will include a 24-hour concierge/security service and will also be wrap-around support services addressing the residents’ needs relating to health, mental health, substance misuse, trauma and other issues.
The development is supported by the City of Perth and its Design Advisory Committee, while the Department of Transport has objected to the proposal on the basis that it doesn’t include sufficient bicycle parking and end-of-trip facilities.
A number of property owners in the area have also objected to the proposal, with many of them citing concerns over the height of the tower as well as “anti-social behaviour” that might be associated with the development, and the impact on property prices. However, the proponent noted that the impact on property values is a not a valid planning consideration.
In its report to the Perth Local Development Assessment Panel, which will consider the development on 1 March, the Western Australian Planning Commission notes that the proposal is “a purposeful development that will address issues of homelessness and social housing needs.” The commission is recommending that the assessment panel approves the tower.
In January 2022, Gresley Abas were appointed to design a second Common Ground facility in Mandurah, which will include 50 self-contained apartments as well as on-site support facilities. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has announced a star-studded speaker line-up for its Lost Opportunities symposium that includes half a dozen Pritzker laureates and several Australian Gold Medal winners. Scheduled for 18–20 March in Melbourne, Lost Opportunities will look at projects that were significant for their architects, but which were never built. “In any successful […] More

The University of Tasmania has announced that its Inveresk Library, designed by John Wardle Architects, is the first new building to open as part of the Northern Transformation Program (NTP), a plan to increase Tasmanian educational attainment by improving the university’s city-based campuses. Project director Minnie Cade called the library “a critical piece” of the […] More

The sudden collapse of one of Australia’s largest construction companies has sent shockwaves throughout the built environment sector and plunged more than a dozen major projects across the country into uncertainty.
Probuild was placed into administration after its parent company, the South African-based Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) ceased financial support for the builder.
Administrators Deloitte said in a statement it “will be commencing a sale and recapitalisation process, in order secure a new owner for the businesses.”
In 2020, the WBHO tried to sell Probuild to a Chinese buyer but the transaction was blocked by the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board, ostensibly due to concerns for national security.
Probuild currently has a reported $5 billion worth of unfinished projects across three Australian states. Here, we take a look at some of the projects now facing an uncertain future.

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443 Queens Street by Architectus and Woha.

Designed by Architectus and Woha, the 47-storey, $375 million residential tower on Brisbane’s riverfront is claimed to be “Queensland’s first truly subtropical apartment tower. “The Queenslander – with its stilts and natural ventilation – was an inspiration for the tower,” said Elizabeth Watson-Brown, director of Architectus. The tower essentially stands on urban-sized stilts, allowing a podium-level public domain that connects the city with the river. The car park and ground plane elements of the building, housed with in an abstract form inspired by the cliffs of Kangaroo Point, form a podium from which the towers rise. The building is designed to catch the breeze and shade with clusters of vertical screened pavilions housing subtropical gardens.

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The Ribbon Darling Harbour by Hassell.

A new landmark for Sydney, this 30-storey building on the former Imax theatre site in Darling Harbour, designed by Hassell, is set to house a hotel, serviced apartments, retail and a new Imax theatre. The building takes its name “the Ribbon” from its twisted form designed to minimize overshadowing of a nearby children’s playground. The building is partially built by Grocon, which also collapsed due to its own financial woes in 2020. Probuild took over construction of The Ribbon in January 2021.

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Elizabeth North precinct designed by Cox Architecture and Gray Puksand.

Elizabeth North Precinct
Designed by Gray Puksand and Cox Architecture, the Elizabeth North Precinct in Melbourne will be a biomedical and education precinct to be home to the University of Melbourne’s Trinity College, the global headquarters of Australian vaccine manufacturer CSL, as well as Melbourne City Toyota. The precinct will also include retail and food and beverage tenancies. More

A new “world class” cancer research centre adjacent to the Alfred Hospital has been approved by the City of Melbourne. Designed by Lyons Architecture, the $94 million Victorian Melanoma and Clinical Trials Centre at 545 St Kilda Road will be distinctive for its façade, which draws inspiration of from the layers of skin. The façade […] More

A former gatehouse at a historic navy yard in Sydney’s Jones Bay will be replaced with a new workplace building, which will further expand Google Australia’s Pyrmont campus. The proposed building on Pirrama Road, designed by Warren and Mahoney, will complement a previous proposal to refurbish two heritage listed buildings, also designed by Warren and […] More

The WA government is planning to demolish Stirling Towers, the former public housing precinct on Smith Street in Perth’s Highgate, and replace it with a build-to-rent development offering social, affordable and market-price rental apartments. Built in 1970, Stirling Towers comprises one 12-storey tower and one three-storey tower, which together hold more than 90 apartments. The […] More

Billard Leece Partnership has been appointed as the architect for the $384.2 million redevelopment of Warrnambool Base Hospital in rural Victoria, the Victorian Health Building Authority has announced. The firm will lead design work for the redevelopment alongside building services engineering consultants AECOM Australia. The development will include a new four-level clinical tower accommodating a […] More