Architecture

From sustainably-sourced timber to furniture crafted from salvaged materials, here’s a collection of eco-conscious yet elegant products for the home.
Woodsmith flooring from Tasmanian Timber
Tasmanian Timber has launched a new engineered hardwood range, Woodsmith, available in six contemporary colours. The flooring is made from sustainably sourced regrowth Tasmanian oak and is milled with a focus on minimising waste, making it a responsible choice. Visit website.

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Iceberg Table from Zeoform

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Zeoform’s Iceberg Table is a tempered glass coffee table featuring sculptural legs crafted from cellulose fibres and water – without the use of glues, resins or petrochemicals. The design evokes the imagery of an iceberg floating in water, with glacial-toned legs intersecting the glass surface. Visit website.
Cork flooring from Kustom Timber

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Harvested from the renewable bark of the cork oak tree, Kustom Timber’s cork flooring is a 100 percent natural, carbon-negative product. Traditional techniques are used to harvest cyclically without causing damage to the tree, producing a sustainable and beautiful flooring finish. Visit website.
Altair IGLU Louvre from Breezway

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Natural ventilation is key to a healthy, thermally efficient home. Breezway’s double-glazed IGLU louvres open twice as wide as standard glazing – a design innovation that has earned multiple accolades, including a gold award at the 2023 Australian Good Design Awards. Visit website.
River Stone from Eco Surfaces Australia

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Comprising recycled glass, River Stone benchtops blend industrial aesthetics with sustainability at their core. Their durability makes them an ideal surface for kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor entertaining areas, with an elegant, matt grey finish evoking a modern look. Visit website.
Cycle Chair from Tait

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The Cycle Chair, made from 70 percent salvaged aluminium, is lightweight, stackable and endlessly recyclable. Created by Adam Goodrum and Tait Design Studio, its minimal frame is easy to transport and stabilised with custom glides for a sleek, contemporary look. Visit website. More

The University of Sydney has lodged a state significant development application to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure that proposes the establishment of a new teaching and learning hub at its Camperdown campus in Sydney.
Conceptualised by BVN, the envisioned Ross Street Teaching and Learning Hub is a five-storey structure designed to accommodate general teaching spaces for all faculties of the university. Featuring both formal and informal learning areas, the building is proposed to support up to 1,500 students and 30 staff.
The proposed building would be situated near the northwestern entrance of the campus, which is currently occupied by a demountable village. BVN states in its design report that this location “presents an opportunity to consider the character and identity of this entrance as a ‘gateway.’” Consequently, they have aimed to create a contemporary facade that complements the existing building facades while incorporating activated street frontages to welcome people.

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According to the submitted application, the building features “a modular facade design, which allows multiple opportunities for off-site construction.” Each of the facades are expressed differently yet united by a cohesive material palette. The eastern facade, positioned along Parramatta Road, primarily features large prefabricated panels clad in light-coloured bricks of various patterns. On the north facade, windows are kept to a minimum to decrease heat gain, whereas the western facade is predominantly glazed to highlight views of the internal learning spaces. The south elevation features a brick and glazed concertina facade.
The design report indicates that a colour scheme of red and sandy shades was selected for each of the external faces to promote a harmonious dialogue among these varied expressions.

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Under the plans, the ground floor of the building is set back at the edges, providing shelter and additional space to gather around the building. Active functions are designated to the ground level of the building to ensure convenient access to frequently required services. These ground floor amenities include a student help desk and welcome point, a food and beverage outlet and an informal learning area.
BVN’s design was chosen from a design excellence competition that took place in 2023.
The development application is on exhibition until 7 April 2025. More

A state significant development application (SSDA) seeking approval for a $6.6 million mixed-use rental housing precinct in Sydney’s inner west is currently on exhibition, with opportunity for public comment closing soon. The project’s developers, Rent to Live Co. (RTL Co.), claim that if approved, the project will be the city’s largest build-to-rent (BTR) development to date.
Known as The Timberyards, the scheme involves the transformation of former industrial land in Marrickville into a regenerated urban neighbourhood. Aiming to address the current housing shortage crisis in Sydney, the proposal comprises BTR, co-living and affordable housing with retail and 10,200 square metres of public open space.

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The project’s design has been developed by a collaborative team including Aileen Sage on public domain and public art strategy; Architecture AND, Tribe Studio and Turner leading architectural design; Matthew Pullinger Architect as urban designer; Yerrabingin on Connecting with Country; and Arcadia developing the project’s landscape architecture.

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According to Matthew Pullinger, author of the SSDA’s executive design statement, “The project vision anticipates a new urban community that is highly publicly accessible, extending the local network of streets and spaces into and through the site.”
The project’s 22,771-square-metre site spans multiple lots bound by Victoria Road, Sydenham Road, Farr Street and Mitchell Street. Across the amalgamated lots, seven new buildings ranging eight to 13 storeys in height are intended to accommodate 1700 residents in affordable accommodation. The proposed mix, which totals 1188 new dwellings, includes 484 BTR apartments; 115 affordable rental apartments; 589 co-living dwellings and 599 apartments that meet the silver standard of Livable Housing Australia’s design guidelines.

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A media release from Turner notes that the residential component of the scheme is complemented by various community and maker spaces, as well as supporting retail and commercial uses. Their communique notes the project as being “designed as a living system […] The Timberyards balances past, present and future, integrating publicly inviting, characterful, and layered spaces. Thoughtfully curated communal areas retain elements of the site’s industrial past while encouraging ecological regeneration and social connection.”
While united by a common ethos, each of the proposed buildings has been designed with a unique architectural language that responds to their specific brief and siting. The three buildings by Turner, two by Architecture AND and two by Tribe Studio also employ distinct primary materials, with the aim to create varied characters. At street level, an overarching focus on brickwork of various colours and patterns is intended to relate the buildings back to the site’s fine grain residential and industrial context.
Woven between the proposed buildings, the site’s public domain is articulated by a series of communal lawns and pocket parks that draw upon the site’s original swampland and water ecology. A central walkway beneath the retained structural frame of the existing warehouse is articulated on entry by a large, mirrored gateway within the project’s retail frontage on Victoria Road.

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According to Pullinger, “Key to the project vision is the ongoing management of the site in single ownership to carefully curate a series of supporting facilities and amenities for both residents and the wider public.” The Timberyards is the first project to be owned, managed and developed by RTL Co. – a spin-off to development company Scape, whose folio includes 38 residential “for-rent” buildings across Australia’s east and south coasts. RTL Co. intend to manage the site in perpetuity.
The state significant development application is open for public comment online until the closure of the exhibition period on 24 March. More

A state significant application for a 31-storey tower above the forthcoming Pyrmont station in Sydney has been granted concept approval by the NSW government.
The high-rise is set to be established on a triangular site at 37–69 Union Street. Designed by Woods Bagot, the building will accommodate residential, commercial and retail uses. The residential component will comprise 160 apartments across 16,198 square metres, while commercial office space will span 5,241 square metres, and 2,024 square metres will be allocated to retail and dining options.
Links to the metro station will be integrated throughout the building, providing occupants with direct access to public transport.
The indicative designs for the project were unveiled in March 2024, leading to a public exhibition and consultation phase that garnered 32 submissions. These included 16 objections, 11 supporting responses and five neutral comments. The main concerns related to building height, overshadowing, traffic congestion and potential loss of views. In response, further consultation and design refinements were made.

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The built form has been envisioned as a tower atop a podium typology, with the five-storey podium to house the commercial and retail components and the tower to accommodate residential use. The podium features a predominantly brick facade with metal accents, while the tower’s facade features a glazed curtain wall with fine-grain metal fins and cladding. Repetitive bays and arches on the building’s exterior aim to echo the facades of surrounding buildings.

With concept approval granted, the next phase involves detailed development applications to refine architectural details, sustainability measures and construction timelines. The Pyrmont Metro Station is scheduled to open alongside the rest of the Sydney Metro West line in 2032. More

Powerhouse has announced the recipients of their Photography Architectural Commission – one of two major annual photography commissions from the museum. New Zealand-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based photographer Tasha Tylee has been awarded the $20,000 commission to collaborate with Powerhouse on major new works over the next year.
According to a release from Powerhouse, the architectural commission “aims to develop new perspectives on Australian architecture and the built environment, with a focus on construction, urban development, housing, infrastructure and sustainability.” Past winners of the annual commission include Rory Gardiner, Amanda Williams and Matteo Dal Vera.

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Focusing on material innovation within Australia’s built environment, Tylee will document the development of newly developed sustainable materials. Beginning with their natural form, she will follow the manufacturing, fabrication and installation processes, ending with the materials used in a completed build.
Tylee commented, “In light of the ongoing climate crisis, I’ve been reflecting on how we can collaborate to build a more sustainable future. As an image maker, I believe I have a unique opportunity to contribute by visually capturing and sharing these innovative ideas.”
“This incredible opportunity allows me to expand the scope of my practice and document the future of sustainable architecture and the built environment within Australia,” Tylee added. Her past photography commissions include the Naples Street House by Edition Office, winner of the Australian Institute of Architects 2024 Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture, Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker, and Ground House 107R by David Fewson.

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Powerhouse has awarded their First Nations Right of Reply Photography Commission to Guwa-Koa, Gungarri, and Kuku Yalanji photographer Jo-Anne Driessens, who will undertake a body of work that responds to the Powerhouse Collection with the intent to Indigenise, counter and investigate narratives of the applied arts and sciences through a First Nations lens. More

Submissions can now be made for the James Dyson Award (JDA), an annual design and engineering competition open to emerging designers across the globe.
Established in 2005, the award aims to support the next generation of inventors by providing a platform to deliver a technically and commercially viable solution to a problem – particularly one that targets a sustainability issue.
“James Dyson believes that young people in STEM hold many of the answers that can make a positive change towards tackling the world’s most pressing issues,” a media communique from JDA reads. “So, the brief is simple – solve a real-world problem that could make a real difference to people’s lives.”
The competition is held across national and international stages, with a national winner receiving $9,950 to develop their invention, and the ultimate international winner receiving $59,700. A Sustainability Grand Prize is also on offer, to the value of $59,700.
In the past, Australian entrants have been awarded internationally. Ed Linacre, who won the international award in 2011, developed an Airdrop irrigation concept to harvest evaporated water moisture from the air. In 2024, Australian entrant Sorbet secured a spot in the award’s Global Top 20 with an acoustic panel design made from shredded household textile waste and a starch-based glue.
To qualify for the award, teams must be led by a current degree-level apprentice, university student, or a graduate from the past four years, enrolled in engineering, product design or industrial design. Other team members must be (or have been within the past four years) enrolled for at least one semester in an undergraduate or graduate education program.
This year’s entries are set to be judged by a panel of experts and a Dyson engineer. Three Australian entrants will be selected for consideration for the Global Top 20, from which James Dyson himself will select the global winner.
The competition is open internationally across a list of countries, including Australia. Details on how to apply can be found online. More

The winner for the Robin Boyd Foundation’s Walls Around Us Student Competition has been revealed from a shortlist of nine individuals. Ming Hin Chung, who graduated from the Melbourne School of Design with a Bachelor of Design (Architecture) in 2024, has been named recipient of the prize and will travel to Venice for the Biennale Architettura Vernissage in May this year.
The jury – comprising national business development manager at Brickworks Eve Castle, senior lecturer in architecture and urban design at RMIT University Christine Phillips, and director of Terroir and professor of practice at the UTS School of Architecture Gerard Reinmuth – agreed that Hin Chung’s proposal was a clever, multifaceted response to the brief.

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Penned by Hilary Duff, project architect at Kennedy Nolan, the competition brief invited students to imagine a new way of living on the Boyd House II/Walsh Street site by thinking critically about material use through minimising quantities, being tactical in composition, and extending the life of both structures and materials.
The jury commented that Hin Chung’s winning scheme, titled Growing House, “cleverly proposes an inversion of Boyd’s original design by placing the house inside a garden and rethinking the brick walls as permeable screens. This spatial sophistication is reinforced in a series of details that show a clarity of intention right down to the assembly of individual elements.”

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One high commendation and two commendations were awarded by the jury. Also from the Melbourne School of Design, Andy Wilson’s proposal, titled Link-House, received a high commendation due to the clarity of its “singular intervention [that] forges a meaningful link between past and future design approaches, physically uniting the two structures while embracing Robin Boyd’s tight-fit spatial approach.”

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Genealogical Timeliness in the Anthropocene by RMIT University student Connor Harris, and 12 Rooms for Walsh Street by Melbourne School of Design student Je Yen Tan both received commendations. More

Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum and David Jones have unveiled the $50,000 Australian Design Commission, which offers a unique opportunity for one talented designer to create a prototype for a product that embodies the future of the Australian home.
Set to launch in August 2025, this prestigious commission invites a designer to explore the rich design history of the David Jones archive, a treasure trove of Australian design spanning nearly two centuries. With the full support of Powerhouse Museum and David Jones, the selected designer will receive $50,000 to bring their vision to life over a nine-month period. In addition to financial backing, the designer will benefit from invaluable curatorial expertise, mentorship, access to the Powerhouse Collection, and workshop space.
The culmination of the commission will be the creation of a prototype, set to be unveiled in 2026 at David Jones’ Elizabeth Street store in Sydney. The designer will collaborate closely with the retailer on a special window display, offering a public debut of their new creation.
This commission builds on the ongoing collaboration between Powerhouse and David Jones, which began with the donation of the David Jones archive to the Powerhouse in 2024. This partnership ensures that the archive will be preserved, celebrated, and remain a touchstone for future generations of designers.
The commission is open to Australian-based designers, with submissions being accepted until 5pm on May 4, 2025. The recipient will be announced in July 2025 More