Architecture

Sydney’s Sutherland Shire Council has voted unanimously to go ahead with the largest infrastructure project in the council’s history, the redevelopment of its Civic Centre.
A state-significant development application for the proposed Sutherland Entertainment Centre was approved in October.
Chrofi and NBRS Architecture won a design competition for the project in May 2019. Their winning scheme included a verandah structure that will be added to the north of the existing structure, the Sutherland Civic Centre, and form a large foyer space and connection to the adjacent Peace Park.

Other works include a refurbished theatre with tiered seating, a fly tower over the stage to cater for diverse performances, flexible teaching and rehearsal spaces, a new entry court incorporating flexible outdoor events space, and upgrades to Peace Park.

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Sutherland Entertainment Centre by Chrofi and NBRS.

“The Sutherland Entertainment Centre has been a much loved and well used performance and events space for over forty years, but we all acknowledge it is in need of a refresh to ensure it can continue to be the region’s premier entertainment destination for many years to come,” said mayor Steve Simpson.

“Plans to redevelop or replace our Entertainment Centre have been floated for almost as long as the building has been standing, with plans to upgrade the facility first brought before Council in 1984.
“It’s been a very long road to get where we are today, with plenty of spirited discussion among Councillors over many years to see that we get this project right, but I am confident the decision reached last night will deliver an entertainment facility of which the whole community can be proud.”
Construction will begin in early 2021, and completion is expected in 2022. The council is continuing to seek funding from relevant government agencies to support the project.

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The world heritage body International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will hold its next global General Assembly in Sydney, the first time the event will be held in the Pacific region.
Scheduled for 2023, the program will include site visits, workshops, lectures, and meetings between heritage experts from around the world.
Delegates will visit heritage sites including Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park Barracks and Luna Park, and will also be given the opportunity to visit cities and regions across Australia.

Australia ICOMOS president Helen Lardner said the theme of the assembly – Heritage Changes: Resilience, Responsibility, Rights, Relationships – reflect the tumultuous changes taking place in the world. “But [it is] also a positive message about the role of our heritage in supporting rapid recovery and inclusive approaches,” she said.
“GA2023 will highlight stories and techniques for conserving important cultural sites and will make an important contribution to the re-emergence of Sydney and Australia more broadly as a leading cultural tourism destination”

Headquartered in Paris, ICOMOS is a professional association with has more than 10,000 members globally – architects, historians, planners, archaeologists and other specialists. It advocates for the protection of cultural heritage sites and advises the World Heritage Committee and national governments about heritage issues.

Federal environment minister Sussan Ley welcomed the announcement of Australia’s successful bid to host the assembly.
“Australia is a global leader in heritage conservation, and our hosting the General Assembly aligns closely with our commitment to the management of 20 World Heritage properties – with more nominations on the way,” she said.“As an active member of the World Heritage Committee, and one of the first nations to adopt the World Heritage Convention, we are delighted to partner with the NSW Government and ICOMOS to bring this prestigious global gathering to Sydney”, she said.

NSW heritage minister Don Harwin said the event would highlight the state’s achievements in cultural heritage management.
“Sydney and NSW boast wonderful heritage places ranging from important Aboriginal sites with rich stories, to the convict Hyde Park Barracks and Parramatta’s historic Female Factory,” he said. “Our ICOMOS visitors will share knowledge of great conservation practice and enjoy amazing cultural experiences at iconic venues like Sydney Opera House. This event will boost cultural tourism, and attendees will become advocates for the amazing experiences that our cultural heritage offers.” More

A number of building and infrastructure projects have receive additional funding in the NSW budget.
As part of the government’s $29 billion post-pandemic recovery package, the funding includes $10.7 billion for health infrastructure over the next four years, including completion of the Tweed Hospital Redevelopment by Silver Thomas Hanley and Bates Smart and the Campbelltown Hospital Stage 2 Redevelopment by Billard Leece Partnership; and $1.4 billion for new school infrastructure.

“We’ll deliver 200 new and upgraded schools and 47 new and upgraded hospitals,” said treasurer Domenic Perrottet.
“The scale of our infrastructure pipeline is unprecedented, supporting tens of thousands of jobs each year. This state-building pipeline will drive our recovery and strengthen our State, so we can stand tall today and lift future generations even higher.”
The budget also includes $812 million for social and Aboriginal housing across NSW, which will deliver more than 1,200 new dwellings, and upgrade another 8,000 more.

However, this pales in comparison to the neighbouring state of Victorian whose government announced it would allocate $5.3 billion in its state budget for social housing.

NSW has more than 51,000 applicants, or 110,000 people, on the waitlist for social housing, according to the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.
Last week, the government also announced funding for two new wildlife hospitals and a refuge facility for platypus will be built across Taronga Zoo’s Western Plains and Sydney sites, with the NSW government allocating $37.5 million to the projects in its 2020-21 budget.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo will receive $14 million towards the wildlife hospital and $8.8 million for the Platypus Visitor and Education Facility, with the remainder going to the Sydney project. The government had previously committed $3.2 million, and a further $35.9 million needed for the projects will be sought from philanthropic and private donors. Construction will start next year, with completion scheduled for 2022. More

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.
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“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