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A student-designed structure in Lake Macquarie in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales will become Australia’s first permanent regional multimedia arts pavilion when it opens in spring 2021. The design of Multi-Arts Pavilion mima is based on a concept by University of Newcastle student Samantha Bailey, who won a Lake Macquarie City Council […] More
The final tower in a group of five student accommodation towers to be built along Anzac Parade in Sydney’s Kensington and Kingsford has received development approval. It follows the earlier approval of another four towers to be built by the student accommodation developer Scape in June. Plus Architecture is the architect of the Kensigton tower, […] More
A “kaleidoscopic” design dubbed “the Light Catcher” has been revealed as the 2021 MPavilion, which will be installed in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens in November. “The structure we imagine is a shimmering device that qualifies itself as an urban lighthouse that hosts and enlightens the cultural activities planned for the 2021 summer season in Melbourne,” […] More
A private university has plans to establish a campus in a revitalized heritage precinct in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, alongside a 30-storey student accommodation tower. Local firm Arkhefield has prepared designs for the Torrens University campus and tower to be built at the site of the heritage Waltons department store, which closed to the public in […] More
A 17-storey student accommodation tower proposed for Sydney’s Chinatown has been recommended for approval, following some amendments to the design spurred by criticism from the Design Advisory Panel. Designed by PTW Architects, the complex will incorporate the former Kwong War Chong building 82-84 Dixon Street, significant as one of the earliest Chinese-owned buildings in the […] More
Adelaide firm Studio Nine Architects has designed a series of five modular, prefabricated buildings ideal for remote retreats or backyard work-from-home hideaways.
The designs for prefab building company Assembly Three have been conceived for a world in the grips of a pandemic, “where travel has become restricted to within our own state and a need for additional space within our own homes, for work or retreat, has arisen.”
Ranging from a compact 22-square-metre studio to a 82-sqaure-metre suite, the architectural spaces are designed to dissolve into the landscape, with a striking steel exterior encasing restrained interiors.
The buildings are constructed using XFrame, a light-weight flat-pack timber framing system designed in New Zealand and supported by Adelaide research commercialization firm Innovyz. Assembly Three says the system uses 30 percent less material than standard timber wall framing, is carbon negative, rapidly recoverable and makes for designs that are more transportable.
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Assembly Studio by Studio Nine Architects.
“Many similar transportable products (think shipping container design) require transportation via a truck to site before being craned into place,” Assembly Three said in a statement. “By utilising XFrame, Assembly Three products are not constrained by logistics … opening up hard to reach, off-grid locations that traditionally haven’t been suitable for development.”
Studio Nine’s design framework builds off the base footprint of the XFrame, adding or subtracting volumes and floor space to adapt to different briefs.
The 22-sqaure-metre Assembly Studio is designed for a cosy retreat or simple work-from-home set-up. Moving up in size, the 27-square-metre Assembly Office is a flexible one-to-two-person working environment with a standalone kitchenette and breakout space.
Then there are the three tourism accommodation designs — the Assembly Cabin, Assembly Suite and Assembly Suite +. Each sleep two, with a kitchenette, ensuite, fireplace and undercover deck area.
The 45-square-metre Assembly Cabin is conceived of as an “entry level Airbnb, caravan park offering or a small footprint granny flat design.”
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The XFrame system.
The 68-sqaure-metre Assembly Suite is a double-height volume that includes a dedicated lounge and dining area. And the largest option, the 82-suare-metre Assembly Suite+ features a mezzanine-level bedroom.
“Striking a balance between feeling warm and cosy in winter and connected to the outside in summer, the spaces are adaptable to their setting,” said Assembly Three.
Studio Nine has aimed for consistent design language across all five buildings , with typical finishes including timber wall panelling, neutral grey tone flooring and matt black joinery.
“All designs are fully self-contained with integrated services and enclosures screened from view, eliminating a rear-elevation and allowing the products to be viewed from 360 degrees.
“With no reliance on typical timber framing or use of steel in the structure, impacts of current supply shortages and weekly price escalation issues have no effect on the build time or cost.”
A prototype of the framing has been constructed at Adelaide’s Tonsley Innovation District. More
BVN principal Kevin O’Brien has created a series of “ephemeral” light sculptures for the 2021 Bleach Festival on the Gold Coast. The sculptures, designed and constructed in collaboration with Ben Tait from UAP (Urban Art Projects), will be suspended between heritage-listed Norfolk pine trees along the esplanade at Burleigh Heads. The space under the trees […] More
Cox Architecture’s competition-winning design for an office tower at 326-328 Botany Road, Alexandria has been submitted to council for planning approval. The brief called for a building that would contribute to the post-industrial transformation of the Green Square urban renewal area, knitting into the urban fabric of the surrounding area with a fine-grain response. With […] More
