Architecture

The overstretched John Hunter hospital precinct in Newcastle’s western suburbs is set for a major overhaul, with BVN preparing designs for a new seven-storey acute services building and the refurbishment of existing buildings.
The John Hunter and John Hunter Children’s hospitals regularly operate at 98 percent occupancy, as major metropolitan hospitals and as the principal tertiary referral hospitals for the Hunter New England Local Health District and Northern NSW. the inpatient bed base, operating theatres and ED treatment spaces are working beyond capacity.
The NSW government has allocated $780 million to upgrade the healthcare services in Newcastle, with the aim of meeting the demand and creating more integrated service delivery.
Designed by BVN, the acute services building will include an expanded emergency department, intensive care services, operating theatres, clinical sterilizing department, women’s services, along with integrated education spaces and a new helipad. The project will also include a new Hospital entry canopy and a link bridge to the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

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John Hunter hospital precinct upgrade by BVN.

The design is characterized by the “carving out” of the form to create “cut outs” in the envelope, the architects explain in planning documents.
A matt metal facade with a granular, textured finish skin forms the protective outer layer of the building, while in the cut-outs smooth metal cladding acts as the “inverse” of the skin.
An elevated garden between the existing John Hunter Hospital and the acute services building will establish interaction between the buildings and act as the primary public space, “offering a space for staff, visitors and patients to enjoy the landscape, natural light and activity from the protection of an internal space.”
“This world-class health precinct will not only significantly enhance capacity for clinical care and collaboration between the health, research and education sectors but be a key driver of economic growth in the region,” said health minister Brad Hazzard.
“The cleverly designed acute services building will house cutting-edge technology, enabling John Hunter’s incredible staff to continue to deliver exemplary health care to the greater Newcastle, Hunter New England and northern NSW regions.”
Works are scheduled to begin in 2022 and are due for completion in 2026.
The plans are on public exhibition until 28 June. More

Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra will be demolished, becoming the first Sir Zelman Cowen Award winner to face that grim fate, after the National Capital Authority cleared the way for early works as part of a $500 million redevelopment of the memorial.
The NCA is the final assessment authority for the proposed redevelopment. It received 601 submission during its consultation process, an overwhelming majority, 590, objected to the proposed works, while only three supported it.
Clare Cousins, former national president of the Australian Institute of Architects and spokesperson for the Hands Off Anzac Hall campaign, said, “Australia’s regulatory framework has failed Australians at every step of this abomination of an ‘assessment’ process. Supposedly ‘independent’ decisionmakers been shown to be nothing more than toothless tigers dancing to the tune of their political masters.”

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The parade ground and proposed new southern entrance designed by Scott Carver. Image: Synthetica

Key issues raised in the submissions included the impacts on heritage values and the demolition of Anzac Hall. Many questioned why the expansion was needed and what its purpose was.
The NCA concluded that “the need for the expansion and the story to be told within the expanded facility are matters for the AWM Council […] the NCA does not have a role in determining the content of exhibitions or the curatorial direction of the AWM.”
The NCA also cited previous approvals in its decision. “The approval by Minister Ley satisfies the heritage conditions of the Plan and guided the NCA’s assessment of this matter.”
“The NCA has been advised that the demolition of Anzac Hall was proposed following an exhaustive consideration of development options by the AWM. These were outlined by the AWM in its submission to the PWC. The Committee determined that despite the relatively recent completion of Anzac Hall, its demolition was necessary to create an acceptable visitor experience and to achieve the flexible display space sought by the AWM.
“Demolition of Anzac Hall was not considered to have an unacceptable impact on heritage values of the AWM.”
Cousins, who won the President’s Prize at the ACT Architecture Awards on 4 June for her efforts in the Hands Off Anzac Hall campaign, added, “The Environment Minister, the Parliamentary Public Works Committee and now the NCA have together created an abysmal precedent that endangers every other piece of public architecture in this country.”
“Expert advice on the significant negative heritage impacts to the AWM from demolishing Anzac Hall, as well as widespread community opposition, have been equally ignored.” More

A new law school building named after jurist and former Macquarie University chancellor Michael Kirby will be built at the heart of the university’s Macquarie Park campus, under a proposal before planning authorities.
The proposal will partially retain a 1980s off-form concrete building that currently sits at the site at 17 Wallaby Walk. The development will aim for maximum flexibility to cater for future changes.
Hassell has designed the four-storey building, which will be based around a full-height central atrium topped by a glazed roof with integrated photovoltaic.
“The adapted reuse of the existing structure extends the life of the building and re-purposes it to ensure it is future proof for years to come,” state the architects.
The new structure will be formed of cross-laminated timber, “further reducing the carbon footprint of the building while creating an environment that is warm, tactile and welcoming.”

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Macquarie Law School Michael Kirby Building by Hassell.

Located at the junction of two primary thoroughfares, University Avenue and Wally’s Walk, the building will be prominent on campus. It fits into the university’s 2014 masterplan,
Which called for Wally’s Walk and the surrounding public domain to be enhanced, and the campus to be made more active and connected.
“The proposed facade design enables passive shading to the interior work space as well as allowing mixed mode for natural ventilation,” states Hassell. The naturally ventilated atrium allows better connection to the external environment to enhance user experience.”
Poking out into the atrium space at various of heights will be a series of “cantilevered atrium boxes,” which, along with a timber circulation stair and “atrium grandstand,” will contribute to an active, connected space.
The building’s ground level will contain teaching facilities and public amenities; levels one and two will comprise the law commons, academic workspaces and supporting spaces, as well as specialist law teaching and learning facilities; and the top levels will house office, event and meeting spaces as well as a terrace.
The development proposal is on public exhibition until 16 June. More

The Victorian Health Building Authority has appointed Lyons as the principal architect for stages two and three of the $541.6 million Ballarat Base Hospital redevelopment. The firm will design the central energy plant building along with the main hospital tower, which will include the new emergency department, women’s and children’s hub, theatre suite and extra […] More

NSW arts minister Don Harwin has accepted the recommendations of the Heritage Council of NSW and the Independent Planning Commission to place North Sydney’s MLC Building on the state heritage register, scuttling plans to demolish the modernist office tower and replace it with a new building designed by the same architect.
In a report handed down on 21 April, the planning commission agreed with the heritage council’s assessment that the building was of state heritage significance and that the listing would not cause the owner undue financial hardship.
It also disagreed with the owner that refurbishment would result in a “fake replica” of the building.
Harwin, announcing his decision on 2 June, said the listing “celebrates the importance of this building to the history of architectural design in NSW and Australia and will provide protection for its heritage values for future generations,” the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The decision follows a campaign by heritage advocates including Docomomo Australia and the National Trust to protect the building, the first high-rise office block in North Sydney and the largest building of its type in Australia when it was completed in 1956.
Designed by Walter Osborn McCutcheon of Bates Smart and McCutcheon, the building was the first in Australia to use a curtain wall design and the first to use modular units. It is listed on the Australian Institute of Architects’ Register of Nationally Significant 20th Century Buildings and is described in its local heritage listing as “a seminal building on subsequent highrise design in Sydney.”
But the firm behind the original design, which today goes by Bates Smart, also designed its proposed replacement and doesn’t rate the existing building so highly. It said the design was “flawed from the beginning” due to its east–west orientation. In planning documents, the firm said it had worked with the building’s owners for more than a decade to find a way to refurbish it, but found it was unviable.
The owner estimated that it would cost $212 million to upgrade the building should it gain heritage listing, and that “works necessary to upgrade the building to allow its future use will result in a fake replica of the original item, with little remaining heritage significance.”

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Proposed North Sydney tower designed by Bates Smart.

Relying on an independent report prepared by PTW Architects and Urbis, the Independent Planning Commission agreed with the Heritage Council that the $212 million figure was likely an overestimate, and that even if it was accurate, it assumed the east wing of the building would have to be retained if listed – which is “not necessarily the case.”
All parties agree that the east wing (one of three distinct elements along with the west wing and the central tower) is of lesser heritage significance, and the planning commission found that “the demolition and replacement of the east wing may be necessary to achieve a commercially viable outcome.” But in regards to the west wing, the commission found the interventions required to upgrade the services “need not be as physically impactful as the owner has submitted” and “the unusual floor plate does not preclude a tenantable subdivision.”
Further, while many of the cost-estimates included in the owner’s submissions were predicated on the assumption that he building would be refurbished to achieve A-Grade office status, the commission, following a submission from North Sydney Council, noted that this would not be necessary to make the building commercially viable.
North Sydney Council mayor Jilly Gibson was a strong supporter of the proposed redevelopment, stating that the listing would be impediment to “invigorating the CBD” and that “nobody in our CBD should be working in a B- or C-graded building.”
In response to the decision to list the building, she said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, that everyone should accept the decision and move forwards. “Bates Smart are very smart architects, I’m sure they’ll get to work on a new scheme that’s outstanding and respects the decision of the panel,” she said. More

Nightingale, the celebrated architect-led housing provider, has been restructured from a social enterprise to a not-for-profit organization and a string of changes have been made to the way it operates. The transition has caused a rift among its founding architects over issues of transparency, governance and the perception of potential conflicts of interest.
Architect Andrew Maynard, who was a shareholder of Nightingale’s previous entity, has questioned how the not-for-profit organization has been set up, publishing a series of posts on social media decrying the birth of “another green-washed developer.” While Maynard welcomes the organization’s transition to becoming a not-for-profit, he objects to the make-up of the new organization, noting that it’s “what’s under the hood that counts.”

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Andrew Maynard, left. Image:

Peter Bennetts

Nightingale’s new constitution names two founding members, Jeremy McLeod and Tamara Veltre. The constitution also states that members can vote at annual general meetings and change the constitution through a special resolution.
This, according to Maynard, gives control of the organization to a select few. “Why would we have Jeremy and his wife as the only members? There are many other not-for-profits that have thousands of members. Why wouldn’t you have everyone who owns a Nightingale home as members, so you actually have a lot of people there to protect the founding principles of sustainability and community, instead of just two people?”
Angela Perry, chair of the Nightingale Housing board, said that the change was being made to ensure the project couldn’t become about profits. “One of the biggest drivers behind the change in structure was a concern that previously its was owned by five people – Andrew Maynard, Jeremy Mcleod, James Legge, Peter Lalor and myself.
“Under that structure, it was possible for it to be sold, monetized, and for the dividends and profits to flow back to those shareholders.”
“Our intention, and the intention of all of the founding individuals, was that that should never happen. We collectively made the decision to ensure that there aren’t any owners going forward.”

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Jeremy Mcleod.

She said that a formally not-for-profit Nightingale would also align ethically with some of the organizations it is working with to deliver affordable and equitable housing, including religious landholders such as Fresh Hope in Sydney and the Baptist church in Melbourne.
“We’re not averse to increasing membership,” she continued. “We created the first two members as Tamara and Jeremy in order to get the not-for-profit up and running.
“However, most not-for-profits have limited number of members for a reason and that’s because it becomes incredibly difficult get a quorum at AGMs in order to vote on certain things.”
Maynard also raised the issue of the possible perception of a conflict of interest. “When you have a person who is the member, who is also the managing director and distributing the work – [several of the Nightingale] projects went to his own company – when you have those conflicts of interest, that’s damaging to the organization.
“This isn’t about Jeremy,” he said. “He’s led this remarkable housing revolution, it is incredible. My concern is about how we have good governance that protects the remarkable work that has been done.”
But Perry said the concerns around governance were “a little bit misplaced” because the “fundamentals of a not-for-profit can never be changed.”
“Tamara and Jeremy have the ability to change the constitution but not in relation to the not-for-profit clauses, nor the wind-up clause. We believe the most important things are protected within the constitution because of the very structure that we have.”
A statement from Nightingale issued on 1 June explained further, “Some have questioned the relationship between Breathe and Nightingale. Breathe has bought [sic] five of those projects to Nightingale under the licence model. The additional two projects that were allocated to Breathe by Nightingale were done so on merit, recognizing the studio’s proven track record in delivering great buildings while keeping costs within budget. In both instances, the Nightingale delivery team worked in conjunction with external partners and funders to select the architect that was best placed to bring confidence to future residents and could complete the design and delivery under tight timelines.”
Nightingale will also do away with its pioneering licensing model, which was predicated on architects securing their own sites and raising the funding themselves.
In its seven years of operation, Nightingale Housing has issued 33 licenses and completed three apartment projects with 11 under construction. But the company believes its progress could be better and that its licensing model, in fact, has been a significant hurdle and many architects have struggled to secure funding.
Instead, Nightingale will essentially become the developer, with in-house teams that will undertake feasibility studies and raise financing.
“The future model is Nightingale will take the risk, not the architects. We want the architects to do what they’re really good at, which is designing incredible buildings,” said Nightingale founder Jeremy Mcleod.
Nightingale will choose from a pre-assessed panel of practices, based on guidelines around their capability, sustainability and the gender diversity of their leadership teams. Three practices will be invited to tender on any project, from which the board will choose one.
“That will give the opportunity for everyone to work on projects, based on what their skill-set is, instead of relying on architects to bring projects to Nightingale.”
“I’ve come on a long journey basically,” McLeod admitted. “It’s been a very imperfect journey and we’ve got a lot of improving to do.”
Maynard says that despite some of the hurdles, “Nightingale is fulfilling its mission, we are delivering sustainable, cost-effective, community-orientated homes.
“Jeremy is a remarkable visionary; I’m never going to doubt that. [But] Jeremy doesn’t have to do it all. Why don’t we have an independent, not-for-profit housing provider? That would be pretty great.”
Nightingale’s statement issued on 1 June also said, “As part of moves to further strengthen governance at Nightingale, the organization plans to appoint a Chief Executive Officer in the medium term. Adding three additional members to the not-for-profit entity also remains a goal in a similar timeframe.”
In response to Maynard’s social media posts, McLeod and the other directors sent him a defamation concerns notice. But McLeod has since told the Australian Financial Review that the notice has been retracted and “His posts are a matter for him.” More

The University of Newcastle has announced the winner of its design competition for a new dedicated building for its alumni.
“Alumni House will be a space dedicated to fostering the pride and nostalgia that alumni feel for the university, giving them a sense of belonging and enabling them to give back with impact by offering their time and expertise to the next generation of graduates,” the university said.
The building will be located on the site of the former TPI House site at 231 King Street.
A scheme by Durbach Block Jaggers with Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, Cox Inall Ridgeway, Ongarato and Northrop was judged the best.
“Alumni House is a place for past and future connections,” Durbach Block Jaggers said of its design. “An alumni building is both for gathering in the present and sharing the memories of past experiences. Alumni House is a beacon, lighting the way back and forward.

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Alumni House by Durbach Block Jaggers with Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, Cox Inall Ridgeway, Ongarato and Northrop.

“Alumni House is ideally located for both passing through and staying, for active streets and serendipitous encounters, for ceremonial and joyful use. Poised between civic streets, an established park, and the University corridor, Alumni House captures a calm civic presence and a dynamic future. The building enables an uplifting, open, inclusive, civic identity, porous to the public realm.”
The judges praised the scheme’s “poetic response to the brief, which successfully addresses the primary requirement of providing a welcoming place for alumni, while projecting a memorable presence in the city that looks to the future.”
University of Newcastle vice-chancellor Alex Zelinsky said, “The DBJ design for Alumni House is truly unique and will be a great gift from the University and our alumni – a place for connection, engagement and participation in University life and communities beyond the lecture theatre.”
The university launched a competition for the design with City Lab. Schemes by Candalepas Associates and David Boyle Architect, Sam Crawford Architects and Curious Practice, and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer were also shortlisted in the competition. Across all the invited participants, more than 70 University of Newcastle alumni competed.
The building will cost an estimated $15 million to construct. The university will contribute $5 million and it hopes to raise the remaining $10 million through philanthropy over the next two years. More

Brisbane Airport Corporation has unveiled plans to create a third terminal at the airport, which would integrate domestic and international operations. The terminal would be between 200,000 and 250,000 square metres in size, located between the two runways and accommodate the 50 million passengers and 50,000 works expected by the 2040s. A spokesperson for Brisbane […] More