Architecture

A modular island home off the coast of Brisbane and a renovation to a Graeme Gunn-designed dwelling in Melbourne are among the residential projects shortlisted in this year’s Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards.
Across nine categories, the jury has selected 25 projects to visit during their national tour, four of which have been shortlisted in multiple categories.
In NSW, Cloaked House by Trias and New Castle by Anthony St John Parsons are each shortlisted in two categories. Kennedy Nolan’s Gunn Ridge House in Victoria and My My My Architecture’s Ochre House in the ACT are also contending for awards in two categories.
The national jury comprises Jane Cassidy (ACT) as chair, Ninotschka Titchkosky (NSW), Martyn Hook (Vic), Yang Yang Lee (WA) and Kavita Gonsalves (Qld).
Winners will be announced at the National Architecture Awards on 6 November in Canberra.
The houses on the shortlist are:
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Hedge and Arbour House – Studio Bright
Henville Street House – Philip Stejskal Architecture
Lagoon House – Peter Stutchbury Architecture
Mapleton House – Atelier Chen Hung
Morning Bay House – Casey Brown Architecture
Nebraska – Lara Maeseele
New Castle – Anthony St John Parsons
Ochre House – My My My Architecture

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Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Carlton Cottage – Lovell Burton Architecture
Cloaked House – Trias
Gunn Ridge House – Kennedy Nolan
Hotham – Austin Maynard Architects
Niwa House – John Ellway
Shadow House – Grotto Studio
The Stopover – Taylor Buchtmann Architecture

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Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
Blok Three Sisters – Blok Modular in collaboration with Vokes and Peters
Four Dwellings on 800 Square Metres – Clare Design
Indi Sydney – Bates Smart
Newburgh Light House – Splinter Society Architecture
Shiel Street North Melbourne, Community Housing Project – Clare Cousins Architects
Sirius Redevelopment – BVN

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Heritage
Gunn Ridge House – Kennedy Nolan

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Interior Architecture
Babylon House Interior – Casey Brown Architecture
New Castle – Anthony St John Parsons

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Small Project Architecture
Love Shack – Second Edition

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Sustainable Architecture
Cloaked House – Trias
The Paddock – Crosby Architects

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Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture
Ochre House – My My My Architecture

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Enduring Architecture
Moore Park Gardens – AJC Architects

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In August, an emerging generation of Australian architects and practitioners will present at the Sydney edition of The Architecture Symposium, sharing their ideas on what the future of architectural practice looks like and how they’re working to shape this through their process and projects. The full-day symposium will feature nine presenters and three paired conversations on what’s next for practice. Read up on the conversation topics below:
The future of practice
“There’s a shift taking place in architecture. The next generation is quietly forging its own path, remaking practice in a way that is relevant to today and points toward the future,” writes associate professor of architecture at University of Melbourne Rory Hyde (Architecture Australia Jan/Feb 2024). Hyde will be joined by Grace Mortlock of Other Architects in a conversation on how this “next gen” are united by “a distinct spirit and attiude,” looking closely into the emerging approaches that are guiding the future of the profession.
Shifting traditional practice from within
Traditional models of practice are often tied to long-established, large architectural businesses. Yet, these practices have the capacity to create diverse opportunities for both the business and its employees. A conversation between Ksenia Totoeva of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects and Christina Cho of Cox Architecture will delve into the shifts happening within larger practices to evolve the architectural profession and its outputs.
Fees and procurement
Director of Lahznimmo Architects Andrew Nimmo will pick up the conversation on fees and procurement from a previous generational exchange between himself, Monique Woodward of Wowowa and Jon Clements of Jackson Clements Burrows for Architecture Australia Jan/Feb 2024. This time around, Nimmo will discuss current-day complexities of project procurement with Isabelle Toland of Aileen Sage Architects.
The full-day symposium will be held on 1 August, followed by the 2025 Houses Awards on the evening of the same day. Tickets to the symposium and the 2025 Houses Awards are now available. Architects are eligible to earn up to 4.5 formal CPD points, while Design Institute of Australia members can earn 6 DIA CPD points by attending The Architecture Symposium: What’s Next for Practice?
The Architecture Symposium is a Design Speaks program organised by Architecture Media, supported by premium partners Planned Cover and Bondor, and hotel partner Ovolo. More

The Australian Institute of Architects 2025 National Architecture Awards shortlist has been revealed, recognising design excellence across the country.
Across 13 categories, the jury has selected 62 projects to visit during their national tour. The largest proportion of these are located in NSW (23), followed by Victoria (17). In addition, two international projects have been shortlisted.
Jury chair Jane Cassidy explained that the shortlisted projects “are the precedents that inform the future of our cities and communities.”
“In an era defined by climate urgency, affordability, digital disruption and social complexity, the national awards provide a compass. They help chart our course toward a built environment that matters—not just now, but for generations to come,” Cassidy said.
Of the entries, one project has been shortlisted in three categories. The Australian War Memorial New Entrance and Parade Ground in Canberra by Studio.SC, which is distinguished by a new oculus inspired by the existing building’s dome, is a contender for Public Architecture, Heritage and Interior Architecture awards.
Several projects have been shortlisted in two categories. In NSW, these include Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct by Archer Office, Cloaked House by Trias, and New Castle by Anthony St John Parsons. In Victoria, the Eva and Marc Besen Centre by Kerstin Thompson Architects, as well as Kennedy Nolan’s Gunn Ridge House and Melbourne Place have each been shortlisted twice.
Across the rest of the country, projects shortlisted in two categories include Ochre House by My My My Architecture (ACT); James Cook University Engineering and Innovation Place by Kirk with i4 Architecture and Charles Wright Architects (Qld); Flinders Chase Visitors Centre by Troppo Architects (SA); The Shed, University of Tasmania by Wardle (Tas); and the Metronet Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project by Woods Bagot with Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick (TRCB), TCL and UDLA (WA).
Accompanying Cassidy (ACT) on the national jury is Ninotschka Titchkosky (NSW), Martyn Hook (Vic), Yang Yang Lee (WA) and Kavita Gonsalves (Qld).
Winners will be announced at the National Architecture Awards on 6 November in Canberra.
On the shortlist are:
Public Architecture
Akeyulerre Healing Centre – Susan Dugdale and Associates
Allan Border Oval Pavilion – Archer Office
Eva and Marc Besen Centre – Kerstin Thompson Architects
Flinders Chase Visitors Centre – Troppo Architects
Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre – Lyons
The Australian War Memorial New Entrance and Parade Ground – Studio.SC
Truganina Community Centre – Jasmax (Canvas Projects)
Yarrila Place – BVN

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Educational Architecture
Daramalan Performing Arts Centre – Stewart Architecture
James Cook University Engineering and Innovation Place – Kirk with i4 Architecture and Charles Wright Architects
Michael Kirby Building – Hassell
Pascoe Vale Primary School – Kosloff Architecture
St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Rosebery – Neeson Murcutt Neille
The Shed, University of Tasmania – Wardle

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Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Hedge and Arbour House – Studio Bright
Henville Street House – Philip Stejskal Architecture
Lagoon House – Peter Stutchbury Architecture
Mapleton House – Atelier Chen Hung
Morning Bay House – Casey Brown Architecture
Nebraska – Lara Maeseele
New Castle – Anthony St John Parsons
Ochre House – My My My Architecture

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Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Carlton Cottage – Lovell Burton Architecture
Cloaked House – Trias
Gunn Ridge House – Kennedy Nolan
Hotham – Austin Maynard Architects
Niwa House – John Ellway
Shadow House – Grotto Studio
The Stopover – Taylor Buchtmann Architecture

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Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
Blok Three Sisters – Blok Modular in collaboration with Vokes and Peters
Four Dwellings on 800 Square Metres – Clare Design
Indi Sydney – Bates Smart
Newburgh Light House – Splinter Society Architecture
Shiel Street North Melbourne, Community Housing Project – Clare Cousins Architects
Sirius Redevelopment – BVN

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Commercial Architecture
39 Martin Place – Tzannes (lead architect) and Lendlease Integrated Solutions (executive architect)
Coopers Brewery – Studio Nine Architects
Everlane Cremorne – Fieldwork
Melbourne Place – Kennedy Nolan
Northern Memorial Park Depot – Searle x Waldron Architecture
The St Lukes Building – Terroir
Tolpuddle Tasting Room – Tanner Architects

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Heritage
Gunn Ridge House – Kennedy Nolan
Hale Memorial Hall and Stow Precinct – KHA
Parliament of NSW Restoration – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Purcell Architecture
Reddam House North Shore – AJC Architects
The Australian War Memorial New Entrance and Parade Ground – Studio.SC

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Interior Architecture
Arup Workplace, Perth/Boorloo – Hames Sharley with Arup and Peter Farmer Designs
Babylon House Interior – Casey Brown Architecture
Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct – Archer Office
Coopers Brand Home – Studio Gram
Eva and Marc Besen Centre – Kerstin Thompson Architects
James Cook University Engineering and Innovation Place – Kirk with i4 Architecture and Charles Wright Architects
Melbourne Place – Kennedy Nolan
New Castle – Anthony St John Parsons
The Australian War Memorial New Entrance and Parade Ground – Studio.SC
The Shed, University of Tasmania – Wardle

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Urban Design
Kangaroo Point Bridge – architecture and design by Blight Rayner Architecture with Dissing and Weitling; concept and reference design by Brisbane City Council with Arup and Cox Architecture
Sydney Metro City Stations – Sydney Metro
Rosebery St. Joseph’s Precinct – Neeson Murcutt Neille

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Small Project Architecture
Denman Village Park Amenities – Carter Williamson Architects
Geelong Laneways: Malop Arcade – NMBW Architecture Studio with Aspect Studios
Love Shack – Second Edition
Sofia Bistro – Sans-Arc Studio

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Sustainable Architecture
Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct – Archer Office
Canberra Hospital Expansion – BVN
Cloaked House – Trias
First Building – Bradfield City Centre – Hassell
Flinders Chase Visitors Centre – Troppo Architects
Metronet Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project – Woods Bagot with Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick (TRCB), TCL and UDLA
The Paddock – Crosby Architects

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Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture
Flinders Chase Visitors Centre – Troppo Architects
Metronet Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project – Woods Bagot with Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick (TRCB), TCL and UDLA
Ochre House – My My My Architecture

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Enduring Architecture
Moore Park Gardens – AJC Architects
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre – Greg Burgess

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International Architecture
Oman Across Ages Museum – Cox Architecture
Reuben College – FJC Studio

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The New South Wales government is today launching the state’s housing pattern book of low-rise designs, alongside an accelerated planning pathway intended to speed up the delivery of pattern-book homes.
Following the launch of an international pattern book design competition in 2024, the Government Architect NSW (GANSW) has endorsed eight terrace, townhouse and manorhouse designs pitched at families, young people and downsizers.
The eight low-rise patterns are intended to be affordable, easy to build, sustainable, and adaptable for different family sizes and needs through a variety of room formations and layouts.

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Of the eight low-rise patterns, two of the designs have been designed by the winning teams of the competition’s terrace category: Other Architects and NMBW Architecture Studio, from the collaborative NSW-Victoria team “Housing is a Verb;” and Officer Woods Architects from Western Australia. The remaining two terrace designs have been designed by Sydney-based architects Carter Williamson and Sam Crawford Architects, who were appointed by the state government.

The remaining four low-rise designs have also been created by locally commissioned architects. For the semi typology, these architects include Anthony Gill Architects and Sibling Architecture; for the row home typology, Saha; and for the manor home typology, Studio Johnston.

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Government Architect NSW Abbie Galvin said she was excited to be able to share these patterns for use by the development industry, architects, planners, councils and communities.
“The pattern book offers practical and sustainable designs that can be adapted to suit many neighbourhoods, positively contributing to the character of a street,” Galvin said.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully added, “Much of Sydney was built on pattern books. They look great, they’re simple and cost-effective. […] These designs offer choice, with less complexity, making it easier to build homes in NSW.”

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A communique from the state government notes that the pattern book will be advertised to potential homebuyers and builders through a campaign that highlights the benefits of using a pattern-book design.
For the first six months, the patterns will be available to purchase at a subsidised cost of $1 a design. Following this period, the designs will be priced at $1,000 each – a price point the government describes as “a significant discount on the professional fees that potential builders or homeowners would usually pay for a custom architecturally designed home, [which] could be estimated to cost over $20,000.”
Every purchase of a design will be accompanied by a landscape pattern, intended to assist homeowners in designing a garden “that maximises biodiversity and suits the climate they’re living in,” the government’s release notes.

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In combination with the pattern book, a new fast-track approval pathway for the housing patterns has been developed by the government with the aim of cutting major costs and delays.
“We’re accelerating these designs so those wishing to build can get moving,” Scully said.
According to the government’s release, the adoption of pattern book designs is additionally enabled by low- and mid-rise housing reforms across the state, which provide opportunities for the construction of terrace, townhouse and manorhouse designs near transport hubs and town centres.

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NSW Premier Chris Minns sees the launch of the pattern book as a welcome step toward improving access to the housing market, long hindered by rising costs and complex systems.
“This is a practical step to make the housing system fairer – and make sure NSW remains a place where the next generation can afford to live and thrive,” Minns said.
The government notes that, together, the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy and the NSW Housing Pattern Book are designed to bring fairness to the housing system “by increasing housing supply, giving people more choice in wherethey want to live and supporting communities that have been locked out of housing for too long, held back by rising costs and a planning system that made it too hard to build homes.”

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The state government notes that the release of mid-rise patterns can be expected later this year.
The NSW Housing Pattern Book and process for fast-tracked planning approval are available online. More

A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra titled The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Her Parts invites visitors to touch, play with, and even inhabit the art – offering an interactive experience designed for all ages and challenging traditional museum etiquette.
The exhibition has been created by artist and Sydney College of the Arts senior lecturer Dr Sanné Mestrom and runs alongside the Cézanne to Giacometti exhibition. The installation responds to works by modernist masters including Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Klee, and Giacometti through touchable sculptures, drawing systems and immersive spaces. It invites audiences to rethink the way we engage with art and challenges how women are represented in the modernist canon.

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Designed for playful learning, the exhibition features 3D construction activities, bronze reliefs and tactile forms that encourage co-creation across generations.
“This is real art that both children and adults can engage with,” Dr Mestrom said. “I tested many of these ideas in my son’s school art class. The kids showed me how they learn – through movement, touch, and curiosity. Their feedback shaped the final exhibition.”
“The most striking response has been watching children naturally understand the cubist concept of multiple perspectives through play. Children intuitively grasp that the same object can look completely different from various viewpoints – they experience this daily through their embodied movement through space and daily life. Adults, however, often need to unlearn fixed perceptual habits.”

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The project is the result of Mestrom’s four-year DECRA research grant and is an example of how arts research can generate real-world impact. Her broader work on play and public space has influenced urban design policy and attracted $1.7 million in research funding.
The exhibition also contributes to the NGA’s Know My Name initiative, aiming to elevate women artists in Australian collections.
“This work emerged from my sustained investigation of female representation in Western art, particularly modernism’s fragmentation of women’s bodies. The title directly addresses how modernist artists like Picasso dismantled female forms according to male desire. As both feminist artist and researcher, I wanted to reclaim this fragmentation by transforming the passive reclining female nude into an active site of engagement,” says Dr Mestrom.

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“This is about loosening the grip of hierarchy and ownership in art,” said Dr Mestrom. “My work is inclusive, it’s playable, and it’s about making space for new ways of seeing and being in spaces accessible by all.”
“I hope visitors discover that ‘perception’ of art is an active, creative process rather than passive reception – we often learn and understand things through our bodies, not just our minds. This sort of embodied knowledge is central to being a child, and also to being a practicing artist. The exhibition demonstrates that comprehensive understanding emerges through integrating multiple viewpoints – visual, tactile, and kinesthetic,” says Dr Mestrom.
The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Her Parts is on view at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, until 21 September 2025. More

The City of Perth has released a report card evaluating the progress of the city’s Towards 2036 strategy, which looks at how the city can adapt to accommodate population growth through increased and improved public space, reduced car dominance, and celebration of its locale.
Developed alongside international urban design and strategy firm Gehl, the council’s report card has found that the city has “changed dramatically” in the past decade as a result of urban transformations like Elizabeth Quay. Yet, while the quality of public life has been improved through street and public domain upgrades, and connectivity to the city centre strengthened by public transport, more could be done to foster green open spaces and encourage cycling over vehicular transport.
In addition, the report card notes that despite “an increasingly enabling planning framework” and an uptake in city living, the critical mass of residents needed to create a continuously energised urban centre “is yet to be realised.”
Towards 2036 builds upon the previous studies for Perth conducted in 1994 and 2009 by Danish architect Jan Gehl as part of a project titled Public Spaces Public Life, in which other Australian capital cities, such as Sydney, were also examined.
According to a communique from City of Perth, Gehl’s “previous two studies analysed the quality of Perth’s public spaces and how people used them, establishing comparative benchmarks and methods for measuring improvements over time.”
Recommendations from the past studies lead to the development of the Cathedral Square and State Buildings precinct, Elizabeth Quay, Perth City Link, and recent work on the Perth Riverfront Masterplan.
Deputy Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds said the recent report card showed promising signs that Perth’s growth was having a positive impact on life in the city.
“Perth is celebrated as one of the most liveable cities in world and renowned for its unique natural setting on the magnificent Swan River,” Reynolds said.
“To future-proof Perth’s liveability, the City [of Perth] has worked with Gehl for more than 30 years to ensure we remain a city that protects its natural environment and creates public spaces that people can enjoy. This is particularly important as we strive to increase the number of people living in the city centre to 55,000 by 2036.”
Reynolds noted that “the report card identifies opportunities to make the city even more attractive, such as improving the connection to Kings Park, reducing the reliance on cars, continuing to improve the tree canopy, providing reasons for workers to stay in the city after work and making the streets more bicycle friendly.”
According to the council’s communique, the 2025 report card will form the basis for further consultation with industry, government, designers and Traditional Owners.
This consultation will inform a vision for the city which will be released at the end of the year.
The Towards 2036 report card can be viewed on the City of Perth’s website. More

Entries open for the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work, which recognises compelling projects of a speculative or conceptual nature.
The prize is open to students and professionals in the built environment, including architects, interior designers, landscape architects, urban designers and planners.
The 2025 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work was awarded to Angela Xu and Georgia Reader for their scheme, Landscape of Co-existence, which was lauded by the jury as “a bold and sophisticated proposal touching on ideas of Country, adaptive reuse, community and housing.”
They added that the project was “thoughtfully executed, beautifully drawn and deeply felt.”
The jury for the 2026 prize includes Ingrid Bakker of Hassell; Kirsteen Mackay from the Office for Design and Architecture SA, Deo Prasad of the University of New South Wales, and Stuart Vokes of Vokes and Peters. Georgia Birks, associate editor of Architecture Australia, will serve as jury chair.
Entries close on 22 August 2025, at which date projects must be unbuilt. A cash prize of $2,500 is offered. To enter, head to the AA Prize for Unbuilt Work website, or to view the previous winning, mentioned and shortlisted projects, visit here. More

Development approval has been granted for a $500 million mixed-use tower in Sydney’s east. A joint venture between Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, the One Darling Point project has been designed by local architecture practice Tzannes.
Located on the boundary between Darling Point and Edgecliff, the development is proposed on the site of a 1941 heritage-listed Commonwealth Bank building.
The 17-storey proposal includes 41 premium apartments with interior design by Alexander and Co., as well as 15 percent floor space dedicated to affordable housing for key workers, whose interiors have been designed by Tzannes. In addition, the development includes commercial office space, ground-floor retail and hospitality offerings, a rooftop pool and a wellness centre.
According to a release from the practice, the project sets a precedent for the sensitive integration of premium residences with affordable housing.
Tzannes associate director Yi-han Cao said, “More people now want to live in well-designed apartments, and we believe everyone should have access to design excellence regardless of tenure or price point.”
“This is a model for how Sydney – particularly the eastern suburbs – can evolve, delivering housing diversity while maintaining the quality that defines this area,” he added.

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Tzannes’ design approach for One Darling Point “was to design a building that entirely belongs to its place,” drawing inspiration from the pre- and post-colonial history of the site.
The building’s curved facade is intended to reflect the sand dunes that once featured prominently, while brick was selected for its material longevity and to complement the post-colonial architecture of the area.
At the podium level, the proposal responds to the rhythm and materiality of the adjacent heritage building, while the tower above is articulated to reduce visual bulk and capture natural light.

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The development makes use of the NSW government’s planning incentives to boost low-income housing, including bonus height and floor space allowances, which were introduced in 2023. Cao said these incentives provide a critical opportunity to reframe urban density.
“Height isn’t just about delivering more apartments,” he said. “It’s about making viable models for mixed tenure housing. The challenge is to ensure design quality doesn’t drop as we increase yield. That’s where architects can play a meaningful role.”
To this point, Cao noted that “it can be difficult to make the inclusion of social and affordable housing viable, particularly in locations where land costs are high and construction costs and complexities are significant.”
“We’re constantly applying our research and experience to prove good design is feasible. I predict many projects will remain on the edge of feasibility unless some roadblocks to approval are relaxed or stronger incentives for affordable housing are implemented,” he said.
According to Tzannes’ communique, “Projects like One Darling Point, while premium in nature, establish a precedent for well-designed higher density in traditionally low-rise areas” and could invite more inclusive housing outcomes in future.
“If density becomes more acceptable in these locations, it becomes easier to deliver housing diversity in the next generation of projects,” Cao said.
Construction on One Darling Point is expected to commence in 2026. More