Architecture

Perth’s Edith Cowan University has begun a search for a lead architect to design its landmark $695 million city campus.
A centrepiece of the Perth City Deal, the project will be the first university campus to be located in the CBD.
“Given the level of ambition, combined with the complex and multi-faceted nature of the project, we expect the lead architect will leverage international networks and knowledge to ensure ECU attracts the best advisors to deliver a project of international significance,” said Steve Chapman, vice chancellor of Edith Cowan University.

“We want this campus to be highly innovative and inclusive, where the transition between the university and the city is seamless, promoting unprecedented levels of community interaction and engagement.”
The campus will be built over Perth Busport adjacent to Yagan Square, and will link the Northbridge dining and entertainment precinct to the Perth Cultural Centre, home to the new WA Museum Boola Bardip.

ECU City Campus technical architect, Geoff Warn, said “It is the type of challenge that creative practices are trained for and dream about. This is the visionary project that Perth city has been wanting for a long time, which will have definite benefits for both the arts and business, opening up a world of new possibilities.”

The campus will open by 2025, accommodating 9,200 students and staff. That number is projected to grow to 11,000 by 2034. It will be home to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
“Thousands of students flooding into the city will inject more life, vibrancy and dollars into the city centre and its local businesses,” said Alan Tudge, federal minister for population, cities, and urban infrastructure.
WA transport and planning minister, Rita Saffioti, added, “The university campus highlights what density can achieve and the well planned and vibrant communities it can create.”

Expressions of interest for lead architect can be made through Tenders WA. The university is simultaneously recruiting a lead design engineer for the project.
The campus is jointly funded by the federal and state governments and the university. The WA government will provide $150 million and the land, the federal government will contribute $245 million and ECU will contribute $300 million. The existing ECU site will revert back to the state government and a masterplan for the site will be undertaken to determine its future. More

John Wardle Architects has launched a fundraising campaign to help Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria collect and conserve the state’s endangered flora in bushfire affected areas.
The practice partnered with RBGV to create the Biodiversity Recovery Project following the devastating bushfires of 2019-20, donating $30,000 to the project, with an additional $25,000 donated by friends of the practice.
The project will enable RBGV to regenerate critical habitats for wildlife and secure rare plant species for the Victorian Conservation Seedbank.

Botanists from Victorian Conservation Seedbank will head to affected areas to harvest seeds and cuttings of some of Victoria’s most threatened plant species, particularly from the East Gippsland region.

View gallery

Chief Seedbank scientist Neville Walsh.
Image: courtesy John Wardle Architects
The project went on hold due to COVID-19 lockdowns, and is due to restart as restrictions in the state are lifted.
The fundraising campaign is the second stage of the project and will provide for three additional trips into the regions to safeguard 45 critically endangered plants.

The campaign includes the Bushfire Recover Auction, which includes a weekend away at the Shearer’s Quarters on Bruny Island in Tasmania and an exclusive lunch hosted by John Wardle and RBGV director Tim Entwisle.

The auction also includes a range of rare design items such as the Breakfast in Bed Tray, designed by Wardle as a staff Christmas present, the Upside Down at the Bottom of the World ceramic bowl and a series of vases created by Wardle in collaboration with Simon Lloyd. There are also concept designs for an holiday house on offer, described as a “design evolution of the Shearers Quarters on Bruny island.”
Signed copies of Volume and This Building Likes Me – two monographs on the work of John Wardle Architects – are also being auctioned as well as a silk flag designed by artist Rosslynd Piggott, which was created in 2017 and has flown above JWA’s studio.
The online auction begins on 17 November and will conclude on 30 November.
John Wardle Architects is also designing a new Nature and Science Precinct for Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. More

Three American hardwood timber benches from three prominent Emirati designers showed an innovative way to encourage socially distancing at the Dubai Design Week this November.
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) invited designers Aljoud Lootah, Khalid Shafar and Hamad Khoory to each design and develop a hardwood bench for outdoor use in a public space that would help keep users safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bench needed to be designed to ensure a separation of at least two metres, allowing for people to sit in a relaxed way.

The three designers of the Please Sit Here benches were offered a choice of two American hardwood species, hard maple and red oak, thermally-modified to imporove durability and stability outdoors.
Aljoud Lootah used thermally-modified American red oak for her design, known as Jalees, the Arabic for “being seated securely in place” (adjective) or “table companion” (noun). Khalid Shafar went with thermally-modified American hard maple with American red oak detailing for his 80s-inspired design, Pop up, and Hamad Khoory used thermally-modified American hard maple for his Wahda Bench, inspired by traditional majlis.

“It is a delight to see the different approaches that all three designers took with this topical brief,” said AHEC regional director Roderick Wiles.
“Aljoud, Hamad and Khalid clearly enjoyed this challenge and their designs are innovative, playful, practical and beautiful. The attention to detail on the benches is high and the craftsmanship excellent, which serves to highlight the beauty of the thermally-modified American maple and red oak used.”
Here, the designers explain their designs in their own words:
Jalees by Aljoud Lootah

View gallery

The Jalees bench.

Designed to recognize the primitive characteristics of outdoor benches found around the UAE and in every Emirati home, this seating design pays tribute to its minimal structure and attributes. The essential vertical and horizontal red oak members have inspired the minimalist design of this outdoor bench creating an appealing modern interpretation. Taking into consideration the post-COVID social distancing requirements, this bench creates a flexible seating system for all users. Contrasting the horizontal octagonal thermally-modified American red oak members are circular seats with metal inserts that slide along the length of the bench to create social distancing when needed between strangers and to bring family together at the same time. Additional seats could be added or removed from the bench according to the requirements of the user. Contrasting the natural hardwood is a playful pop of colour – yellow – that is minimally added on the interior of the bench both for visual aesthetic and structural purposes, along with three metal arches to stop the seats from moving further along the bench.
Pop Up by Khalid Shafar

View gallery

The Pop Up bench.

From the launch of the first space shuttle and the release of the first IBM computers to the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War, the ‘80s offered hope to humanity to once again achieve the impossible and for people to chase their wildest dreams. The energy and passion expressed in their supercharged aesthetics still reflect the 1980s in the current decade. Neon linear lights, ad-boards, the energy in the era’s synth wave music, catchy pop colours in the fashion industry and the retro cyber-techno theme all served to inspire the design of the POP UP smart outdoor bench to portray the ‘80s energy and to convey the optimism and strength that we need to overcome the current COVID-19 pandemic with the hope for a brighter and stronger future.
Wahda Bench by Hamad Khoory

View gallery

The Wahda Bench.

Inspired by the traditional majlis with its inherent values of humility, equality and community, the Wahda bench is an exploration of connection and separation. Employing thermally-modified hard maple in cuboid modular units of seat, tree, planter and sanitization, the modules engage with a linear comb-like thermally-modified maple base, a plug-and-play approach of slipping into and out of the comb, with many possible configurations. The bench is thus an expression of community and disunity, with the separated seat modules slipping out of the main bench, and then slipping back when the social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic are no longer required, creating the final bench form.
Find out more about American hardwood here. More

Designer Rugs is launching a second collection of rugs from interior and product design Gavin Harris.
An evolution of his first collection, Mindscape, the Circular Logic collection is based on a single element – the circle. It explores how circles can connect, repel or overlap.
“I like the circular form – it’s soft but controlled, and it can sit with other elements comfortably,” says Harris. “It has an innately human link – it is a lovely shape to touch and has a welcoming feel. It’s part of our daily life, in the sun, moon and stars.”

Along with the sweeping circular forms, the collection is characterized by a joyful colour palette. Embracing strong, bright colours, with a hint of 80s nostalgia, the collection both challenges and welcomes the eye at the same time.
[embedded content]
“I love colour and lean towards more bright, strong and deep hues – they create interest and challenge our thoughts,” says Harris. “With this collection I wanted to explore how I could dilute this desire I have with colours, while still exploring relations within colours and how they link to our memory.”

The collection is hand tufted in New Zealand wool, known for its naturally white colour for superior dye performance, high durability, and soft feel. Each line of the designs is painstakingly hand carved, to create a sharpness and graphic quality that is ideal for the geometric designs. The designs also combine different pile heights for an added three-dimensional interest, creating a striking interplay of shadow, colour and texture.
“For me, rugs add texture to a space, creating a feeling of softness and being welcomed into that room,” says Harris. “It lets your eye relax, but also can direct you to take in the room and it’s elements.”
All four designs can be customized according to size, shape and colour. For further information, head here. More

The software company Bluebeam, which specializes in developing services for architecture, engineering and construction professionals worldwide, has announced the continuing expansion of its global Studio data infrastructure, providing customers faster and more secure access to their cloud-based projects while meeting strict local data residency requirements.
Studio is a cloud-enabled collaborative space, accessed through Bluebeam Revu, which allows project teams to mark-up documents and collaborate in real time from anywhere in the world.

Bluebeam began expanding Studio’s global data infrastructure in August 2020 with a new Australian server joining the existing US and UK-based servers and plans to bring an additional server online in Germany in Q4 2020. Local Studio servers allow users to collaborate in real-time through Studio Sessions and manage documents in Studio Projects faster, while storing data locally and meeting local data storage laws and requirements.

“Online collaboration requires much more than just an internet connection,” said Bluebeam CTO Jason Bonifay. “While the concept of cloud computing isn’t new, data security and accessibility are more important than ever. The legal and regulatory framework that defines how we connect internationally online has matured significantly over the last few years and the drive for increased performance and security is driving many countries to implement data residency regulations that require new infrastructure. The new cloud infrastructure we’re putting in place will address the immediate issue of data residency, while also providing a more robust platform as more builders begin to collaborate digitally.”
For further information, head here. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has welcomed the Victorian government’s announcement that it will allocate $5.3 billion in its 2020/21 budget for the construction of new social and affordable housing, saying the funding will have “an enduring and transformative impact for generations.”
The Big Housing Build program is expected to deliver more than 12,000 new homes throughout metro and regional Victoria over the next four years, boosting the state’s social housing supply by 10 percent. It will include 9,300 new social housing homes – replacing 1,100 old public housing units – along with a further 2,900 new affordable and low-cost homes for low-to-moderate income earners. In total that will mean an additional 8,200 social housing units in the system.

Institute CEO Julia Cambage said the “monumental injection” was laudable “not only for its sheer scale but also for the depth and breadth of the housing diversity and inclusion it promotes.”

“The Andrews Government is putting sustainability front and centre with a commitment to seven-star energy efficiency standards, which is critically important to meet our goal of transforming the built environment to net zero emissions by 2030,” she said.
“This recognizes the need for urgent action on climate and the challenges we all face in trying to build a sustainable future.”

The bulk of the new homes will be built in Melbourne, while a quarter of the funding will be allocated to regional Victoria.

“We’re delivering the biggest investment in social housing Victoria has ever seen – we’re not just investing in bricks and mortar, but the lives of Victorians for decades to come,” said planning minister Richard Wynne.
Wynne told media the government had already identified nine sites where construction could begin in Melbourne, many of them adjacent to existing public housing sites.

As well as delivering new homes, the project is intended to boost the construction sector, and is projected to create 43,000 jobs.
“In making this unparalleled $5.3 billion investment the Andrews Government is both strengthening the Victorian economy and society by tackling, head on, the issue of homelessness,” said Cambage.

“It will deliver widespread economic stimulus while also helping rectify what has been a crippling shortage of affordable housing.”
Victoria has had the lowest proportion of public housing in Australia, with public housing making up just 1.9 per cent of Victoria’s total housing stock. The Victorian Public Tenants Association estimates there are around 100,000 people on the waiting list for social housing in the state. The Andrews government has been urged to utilize public assets for more social housing, with an RMIT study earlier this year noting the large swathes of public land being sold where social housing units could have been built. More

The NSW government has announced it will build a 13,000-square-metre Advanced Manufacturing Research Facility at the centre of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis as it releases draft precinct plans for the mammoth city-making project.
To be built near the proposed CSIRO headquarters, the research facility is expected to include 3D printers, next-generation computing, and interactive spaces purpose built for advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defence. Architectus has prepared concept images of the facility.

“The facility will encourage researchers to work collaboratively by providing flexible spaces where business, industry and government can test great ideas and take them from a concept to a reality,” said the minister for Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres.
The government will produce a business case for the centre and seek expressions of interest from private firms. It will draw on the experience of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in the UK, which is a foundation partner of the Aerotropolis.

View gallery

The Aerotropolis Core metropolitan centre.
Image: Hassell
“There is already plenty of interest in the AMRF and the Western Parkland City Authority (WPCA) is speaking to businesses looking to take part in the facility, including several large international companies as well as local Western Sydney manufacturers,” said Ayres.
The announcement comes as draft precinct plans are placed on public exhibition for the constituent parts of the Aerotroplis: the Agribusiness precinct, the Aerotrpolis Core, Wianamatta-South Creek and Badgerys Creek precincts, and the Northern Gateway.

The Aerorpolis Core will act as the CBD of the city, “forming a complementary centre to the metropolitan cluster of centres including Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown.” It will accommodate 50,000 to 60,000 jobs and up to 24,000 residents by 2056, according to government projections. The adjacent Badgerys Creek precinct will be entirely focussed on employment, catering to commercial and high-technology industries, as well as logistics. And the Wianamatta-South Creek precinct will accommodate a range of environmental and recreation functions. Hassell, Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects and Studio Hollenstein have together prepared the draft plan covering theses preceincts.

Studio Hollenstein has also prepared the draft plan for the Agribusiness precinct, which will aim to support the production of fresh produce and pre-prepared consumer foods while achieving ongoing conservation outcomes. It’s anticipated to accommodate up to 5,400 jobs by 2036.
“The Agribusiness precinct draws upon the agricultural and horticultural history of the area, continuing to provide food security and supplying Sydney and export markets,” state’s Studio Hollenstein’s draft plan. At the centre of the precinct, high on a ridgeline, will be Luddenham Village, which will be “fully connected” to local, district and regional centres by transportation and parkland networks.

View gallery

View across Duncans Creek reservoir parkland in the Agribusiness precinct.
Image: Studio Hollenstein
The draft plan for the Northern Gateway, meanwhile, has been prepared by Hill Thalis. The Northern Gateway precinct is to the immediate north of the major entry to the new Western Sydney Airport, adjoining the Wianamatta-South Creek precinct to the West and the Agribusiness to the south. “The precinct will become a hub for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution functions, while the inclusion of a new metro station in the proposed Science Park will offer scope to create a vibrant and well-connected mixed-use strategic centre,” states the draft plan.

The government also announced that a Special Infrastructure Contribution would be charged on private development in the Aerotropolis to ensure new projects would help roads, active transport, schools, and open space to 2056. The Greater Sydney Commission has developed a Place-based Infrastructure Compact to detail what infrastructure will be required to build the new city. “The new Western Parkland City could need as much as $100 billion in infrastructure over 20 years which will support a record jobs boom of more than 200,000 new jobs across Western Sydney,” Ayres said.
“Nearly 100,000 of those new jobs will be clustered around Western Sydney International Airport in industries such as aerospace and defence, manufacturing, healthcare, freight and logistics, agribusiness, education and research.”
The precinct plans, the proposed Special Infrastructure Contribution policy and the Place-based Infrastructure Compact are all on public exhibition until 18 December. More

The University of Newcastle has launched a competition for the design of a new landmark building in the centre of Newcastle.
The building will house the university’s new social hub for alumni and the wider community of the city and region.
The building will be situated at the corner of King and Auckland Streets, opposite Newcastle Civic Park. The site is 624 square metres and has a height limit of 20 metres.
The competition is open to teams with a practising architects registered in Australia. If selected, teams must include or appoint a member who is registered with NSW Architects Registration Board and act as the nominated architect for the project.

The jury comprises Michael Keniger (estate design director, University of Newcastle and jury chair), Abbie Galvin (NSW Government Architect), Rebecca Hazell (director of ddvancement, Office of Alumni and Philanthropy, University of Newcastle), Brian Jones (program director, Organisational Change team and former director, Infrastructure and Facilities Services, University of Newcastle), Razali Rahman (executive chairman, Peremba Group and University of Newcastle alumnus), SueAnne Ware (head of school, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle).

Registrations for the competition will close on 2 December. The first stage – the expression of interest phase – closes 16 December and the winner to be announced on 14 May 2021. To register, click here.

Related topics More