Architecture

A “hugely ambitious and brilliantly conceived” project has taken out the Australian Grand Prix at the 2021 Dulux Colour Awards. The judges lauded 22 William by SJB for “committing to a single colour and so artfully executing its use in such an impactful way,” they said. The judges awarded the New Zealand Grand Prix to […] More

Victorian planning minister Richard Wynne has granted planning approval to the University of Melbourne for its $2b engineering and design innovation campus in Fishermans Bend. Set to open in 2025, the campus masterplanned by Grimshaw will feature heavy engineering and large fabrication testing and prototyping facilities, purpose-built for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology […] More

An entire block in central Wollongong could be developed into a mixed-use precinct including a 39-storey apartment tower, an aquatic centre and a range of commercial and cultural facilities.
The ambitious proposal would amalgamate 28 individual parcels of land within the block bound by Crown, Keira, Burelli and Atchison streets and add 400 apartments to the centre of the regional city. BVN won a design competition for the project in 2020, and has prepared the designs for the precinct now on public exhibition, alongside landscape architect Oculus and heritage consultants Weir Phillips Architects.
The proposal is going under the name of Win Grand, after its backer the Win Corporation, known for the regional television network founded in Wollongong.
Proponents say the development would make a positive contribution to the city by opening up the pivotal city block. Around 40 percent of the site would be fully accessible public open space, including new laneways across the site, a new east-to-west link connecting Wollongong Train Station to the city centre, an outdoor room at the corner of Crown and Keira streets and a gathering space at the centre of the site.

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Win Grand by BVN.

“The new precinct knits the city together through the sensitive integration of new public links and strengthening urban form,” states BVN in a design statement. “The precinct is designed as a composition of unique buildings that reflect their uses rather than a mono-architectural response.”
Along Crown Street, the buildings present as a modern interpretation of high street architecture, with a consistent 12-metre-heigh datum, strong awnings and active shopfronts.
A commercial building at the corner of Crown and Keira streets is lifted above the ground plane to allow pedestrian flow, northern light and views into the precinct. Tiered seating and landscaping in this space establish the “outdoor room” for the city.
The existing Grand Hotel will be retained with added steel framed elements and a screened facade. Behind the screens will be a performance venue, pub, cinema and exhibition spaces.

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Win Grand by BVN.

The heritage Marcus Clark building will also be retained and retored to the 1957 design that modernized the building, with the existing fabric “carefully edited and enhanced where needed.”
The three residential towers will be built along Burelli Street and will share unifying features such as the arches, exposed slab edges, vertical screen elements and awnings.
There are currently no residential buildings on the site, but a mix of commercial and retail with minor health facilities within approximately 22,000 square metres of GFA.
The proposed development would deliver around 22,000 square metres of GFA for non-residential use and 35,000s square metres GFA for residential use.
The application is on public exhibit until 1 October. More

Dulux has released its Colour Forecast for 2022, presenting three palettes that respond to these uncertain times with “authenticity, empowerment and hope.”
The annual Dulux Colour Forecast derives from a detailed and collaborative research effort. Dulux colour and communication manager Andrea Lucena-Orr said that this year the process was necessarily different, but the depth and breadth of analysis was just as comprehensive. Along with colour forecaster and stylist Bree Leech and the Dulux Colour Marketing Group, Lucena-Orr engaged in an extensive process of scrutinizing virtual forecasting workshops and design seminars and analysing the multitude of related factors currently influencing the direction and use of colour in design and architecture.
“The impact of the pandemic is undeniable; it is the predominant influence on everything, from global trends to domestic concerns,” said Lucena-Orr. “Naturally, it has impacted the Dulux Colour Forecast 2022 too, and the resultant palettes highlight the colours we need as a collective community and as individuals: calm, optimism and empowerment.”
Distilling these qualities into an expressive array of curated colours, the team has defined three distinct palettes: Restore, Flourish and Wonder. Together, they provide a vision for designers and architects to adopt and adapt as they craft our spaces.
Lucena-Orr noted that the pressure on our home environments to now seamlessly support and accommodate our work and education, in addition to our personal and family activities, has driven a vigorous investment in renewal and remodelling. A key factor in redefining and enhancing these spaces is colour and the three 2022 palettes offer distinct solutions:
Wonder is whimsical and playful, though equally celebratory. It draws upon nature to express optimism and a joyful approach towards regeneration and renewal. “Expressing our reconnection with the natural world and the sheer joy of Spring and Summer, of light and warmth, the Wonder palette is uplifting and hopeful,” says Lucena-Orr. “It sees the inclusion of pastels, such as Dulux Pinkham, Ice Lemon and Celery Green, all of which complement the Flourish and Restore palettes, as well as providing highlight opportunities.”

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Flourish represents empowerment through freedom of expression and choice. Image:

Dulux Colour Forecaster and Stylist: Bree Leech. Photographer: Mike Baker.

Flourish represents empowerment through freedom of expression and choice. It emerges from our human capacity to master uncertainty and channel its potential power into creative outlets. “The decadence and richness of the Flourish palette will unleash some of the predominant colours for 2022,” said Lucena-Orr. “Harnessing the deep blue of Dulux Kenepuru Sound, the grounding of Dulux Basic Coral or the warmth of Red Terra, will all make a dramatic statement. These colours can reflect that uncertainty doesn’t always equate to a loss of power when it comes to our ability to celebrate life.”

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Restore is inspired by the innate need for authentic connection.

Restore is inspired by the innate need for authentic connection. Its natural tonal palette, with deep earthy hues, such as Dulux Natural Flora and Dulux New Penny, is calming and highlights textural play against natural materials. “Interiors have become our cocoon and a place where we can practise wellness and self-care rituals,” said Lucena-Orr. “We seek comfort above all else, are choosing less however making better choices, driving our appreciation of the power of simplicity. Minimal but meaningful.”
For further information, head here. More

James Hardie has partnered with architecture practice Retallack Thompson to reimagine the Australian home using a new innovation – Hardie Fine Texture Cladding and its supporting range of corner and junction accessories.
Sydney architects Jemima Retallack and Mitchell Thompson were challenged to explore the material and spatial possibilities of Hardie Fine Texture Cladding. The result is Corner House, a conceptual extension of a traditional Federation-era brick bungalow in a typical inner-city Sydney suburb, and a vision that underscores the brand’s ambition to create exceptional cladding solutions for design savvy homeowners.
Embracing distinctive textures, sweeping scale and every inch of space available, Corner House showcases the design potential and impact of using a singular cladding material across the entirety of the extension, creating a new perimeter for the site, reclaiming the edges and underutilized areas of the property as part of the home. With an L-shaped backyard extension paired with a central courtyard garden, Hardie Fine Texture Cladding is proposed to wrap the contemporary living room and galley kitchen as well as establish the perimeter fence. The concept gives a unified expression to both the house and garden wall, suggesting that the interior and exterior realms both contribute to making meaningful living spaces.
“Our ambition was to create something distinctive that suggests a way we could live in a casual way with an intimate connection to the garden,” says Jemima. “The idea of a perimeter wall containing the whole site allows the building and fence to merge, so it suggests the garden might be a place you can spend time in, as much as inside.”
Retallack Thompson treat the garden as a “room” rather than an outdoor space. The scale and privacy of the courtyard garden encourages lively activity and its nature-focused view creates a casual outdoor gathering area.
“The arrival courtyard would act as a cloistered informal garden space that you arrive into via a pathway down the side of the house,” adds Jemima. “We imagine that there’s a park around the corner and people are coming and going and there’s an engagement via the fence with the street and neighbourhood.”
The idea of living in a garden influenced the colour choice for Hardie Fine Texture Cladding on Corner House, with a matt paint in soft grey-green proposed. The natural colour evokes an Australian setting, even in an inner-city suburb. The use of grey-green is also a nod to the vestige eucalypts that characterize many Australian backyards. The singular use of the pre-textured fibre cement cladding showcases its texture and clean lines, while highlighting one of the key design concepts – a bigger awareness of the natural world.
“The cladding has a transcendent quality. It is receptive to changing light across its surface. It darkens with shadows cast by foliage and lightens towards the sky,” explains Jemima.
At close range, the pre-textured finish of Hardie Fine Texture Cladding invites touch, while not visually overwhelming adjacent building materials such as brick.
To minimize waste, Corner House was designed to utilize whole cladding panels. The dimensions of the panels enabled Retallack Thompson to work on a grander scale and also determined the sizes of windows and openings. The large exterior of the extension doubles as a garden wall and features an operable screen, which was enabled by the larger 3600 mm panel size. The living room is sized at two panels high with a monumental corner window, proposed at two panels wide. Labour costs are minimized during construction with only two tradespeople required to lift the cladding panels into place.
“We know it is important to consider how to manage the efficiency and cost of construction. Anything that can expedite that process is good for everyone,” adds Mitchell.
The subtle expression of vertical joints in Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding is designed to bring a legibility of scale and visual rhythm to the architectural form.
“In the past, we have adopted a board-and-batten strategy because we knew it produced a neat detail. In this case, the shiplap joint would give a clean shadow line and there’s no PVC filler,” says Jemima.
The new and architecturally designed slimline corner accessories were created to achieve a mitred corner and create a crisp edge where two panels meet at 90 degrees. The innovation and robust nature of Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding means an architectural level of detail and finish can be achieved on any Australian home or backyard extension.
“The product creates an honest outcome with a material that Australian builders are really familiar with. In our experience when construction is made simple, and when care is taken with the material, it is possible to create something really beautiful,” says Mitchell. More

The Office of the Victorian Government Architect has updated its procurement guidelines for state government agencies with the aim of improving design outcomes.
The Government as ‘Smart Client’ guidelines were first released in 2013. The update comes in response to recent changes observed by the OVGA in the procurement of design services, buildings and infrastructure, and the emergence of new models such as program alliances. They are informed by recent projects, including the State Library Victoria Redevelopment and the Level Crossing Removal Project.
The OVGA notes that, since their inception, the guidelines have proved to be beneficial across government, industry and universities in explaining the various procurement methods and the actions required to protect design quality.
The guidelines are not mandatory and do not represent a new layer of process; rather, “they integrate essential design quality measures within the existing planning and delivery framework of government.”
Victorian government architect Jill Garner said the strategies can assist government to be a “smart, informed client” and deliver projects that leave a design legacy.
“Good design does not just happen; it needs processes that support a quality outcome and it needs to be protected throughout all stages of delivery of a project,” she states in the new edition of the document. “The process of procurement of a well-designed building includes starting with a good brief, a design vision that defines performance/outcomes-based principles and the appointment of a skilled, capable, design team.”
The new edition provides updated advice on intellectual property, contracts, probity, post-occupancy evaluation and public–private partnerships.
David Islip, OVGA principal adviser – architecture and urban design, said the updated guidelines provide practical steps to improve procurement capabilities.
“In procuring design services, government needs to recognize that architects’ skills do not rely on how low they can bid; rather they are found in the scope and expertise of their design services,” he said.
“In procuring buildings and infrastructure, government needs to prioritize design quality regardless of the procurement method chosen. If the risks to design quality are understood, all procurement methods can be effective. These guidelines support that intent.”
See the document here. More

Brisbane City Council has granted planning approval to the Archdiocese of Brisbane to build an eight-storey office block next to the historic St Patrick’s Church on Morgan Street, Fortitude Valley. BVN’s design for the office building aims to create a contemporary, flexible and sustainable building with interwoven community, workplace and landscaped realms. “The building has […] More