Architecture

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.

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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.

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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.

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A 31-storey office tower built in 1988 in Haymarket, Sydney, will be transformed into an “enlivened contemporary workplace” for the tech sector under plans prepared by John Wardle Architects.
The $70 million renovation of the 477 Pitt Street tower will see the entire tower re-clad to address safety concerns about existing cladding which has been failing and falling from the building.
The existing building is described as a monlithic form with little building identity that “lands heavily on the corner of Pitt and Barlow Streets.”

The design will create a new building identity and more legible arrival sequence and an active frontage on Pitt Street.
New double-height façade glazing is proposed on Pitt Street and Barlow Streets, “providing direct visibility into the inner workings of the transformed ground floor lobby, verandah and sitting room spaces.”
A coffee pod will operate under the verandah providing tenants and the public an opportunity for social gathering and informal working.

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477 Pitt Street by John Wardle Architects.

Three heritage buildings on the whole-block site will also be repaired and re-purposed, with John Wardle Architects working with NBRS Heritage Consultants to ensure the response is sensitive.
The locally listed Australian Gaslight Co building, originally a showroom for new gas appliances, is to be re-purposed as an event space, while the former Presbyterian Manse and Fire Engine House will be restored with new warm shell interiors to suit food and beverage tenancies.
A new landscape edge to the site is also proposed to provide greening and acoustic buffering from Pitt Street.
The proposal is being considered by the City of Sydney and is recommended for approval.

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South Australia’s State Commission Assessment Panel has deferred its decision on proposed changes to Walker Corporation’s tower development adjacent to Adelaide Festival Plaza after concerns were raised over the heritage impact on the adjacent Parliament House building.
The latest proposal, designed by JPW Architects, is the fourth variation on a scheme that was approved in November 2016 with a design by Bates Smart. It calls for minor changes to the design and internal configuration of the 27-level office tower, the inclusion of a new pedestrian walkway and the extension of the retail pavilion to the east.

Government planners are largely in support of the changes, but Heritage SA has raised objections to the extension of the retail component, with principal conservation architect Peter Wells objecting to the encroachment into the curtilage of Parliament House.
“I consider that a fundamental formal quality is lost in the proposed misalignment of Parliament House and the eastern retail edge, diminishing both the setting of the heritage building and the urban design response,” he writes in his assessment.

Despite these heritage concerns, the report to the assessment panel recommended approval of the development. But the panel voted to defer its decision on 11 November, to allow for a reassessment of the eastern retail pavilion.
For its part, JPW Architects states that the proposed variation “refines and enriches the site planning and building design principles established by the current [approved scheme], creating a more cohesive relationship between the new and old buildings in the precinct, and a more integrated and permeable public realm.”

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Festival Plaza development by JPW Architects.

The design of the office tower retains its visually simple expression of stacked boxes, with only subtle changes to texture and form and texture, including “changing the alignment of some of the tower facades so that they reflect different parts of the sky”; “changing the angle of expressed fins across the facades so that they still provide shading, but also reflect light at different angles so that the block forms making up the tower are distinct”; and “reinforcing a horizontal expression across the northern frontage to Festival Square, with a distinctive podium facade type within the Commercial Tower Podium.”

The foyer of the office building will also be expanded to create two lobbies, with a high-rise lobby at ground level and a low-rise lobby at level one.

Heritage SA and the state’s government architect found that the amendments to the external form of the tower and podium improved their visual relationship with the surrounding heritage context and contributed to a more balanced overall visual expression.
The government architect said the two lobby spaces gave the building a strong sense of address, while the stepped composition presented an effectively contrasting expression.
The state government is also funding the redevelopement of the adjacent Adelaide Festival Plaza designed by ARM Architecture and Taylor Cullity Lethlean. The government announced a further $31.2 million for the project in this week’s budget, bringing the overall price tag to $214 million. More

Demolition works have begun at the site of the proposed Liverpool Civic Plaza, designed by FJMT, as the council submits its development application for the project.
Jointly developed by Liverpool City Council and Built, the project is “one of the most significant projects in our city’s history,” said Liverpool mayor Wendy Waller.
“Liverpool Civic Place will anchor and activate the southern end of the Liverpool city centre, providing new public spaces, community facilities and job opportunities for our growing city.

The project will be located at a prominent corner of Scott and Macquarie streets. It will be delivered in two stages: first, the council offices, council chambers, a childcare facility, a new library and community hub, civic plaza and car parking; second, the office spaces and a nine-storey hotel and student accommodation building.
“Liverpool Civic Place is part of more than $1 billion worth of major mixed-use developments in the pipeline for the Liverpool city centre, aided by Council’s 2018 rezoning to mixed-use development,” Waller said.

“Council is also paving the way to a greener, more vibrant and active city centre through our 10-year Public Domain Master Plan, which will see more street trees, public art, furniture, and wider footpaths implemented to improve amenity and accessibility while helping foster an 18-hour economy.”
“Liverpool has emerged as Sydney’s Third CBD and Council is proud to play a part in transforming Liverpool into a city of opportunity.”
Liverpool City Council has committed $195 million to deliver the council buildings, while Built will cover the commercial costs of the remaining stages of the project.
Demolition and excavation works are expected to finish in mid-2021. A development application for the first phase of the project has been lodged and will go on public exhibition later in November. More

Architeam Cooperative has announced the winners of its 2020 Architeam Awards, which recognize the work of small architecture practices.
“As is true for many businesses, 2020 has been a tough year for architects,” says ArchiTeam CEO, Phoebe La Gerche-Wijsman, “but our members are uniquely placed to respond and adapt to these times. With Victorian members being affected by state-wide lockdowns, even getting photography together for this year’s entries was a massive task. Despite this, the 2020 ArchiTeam awards received an outstanding 130 entries, and our members rose to the challenge to create a whole new concept in exhibition design.”

The 130 entries across five primary categories were judged by a jury comprising chair Kate Fitzgerald (Whispering), Norman Day (Norman Day + Associates), Kate Fitzpatrick (Auhaus), Tamsin O’Neil (Green Magazine), John Ellway (John Ellway Architect), Andy Fergus and Rachel Neeson (Neeson Murcutt and Neille).

The winners are:
ArchiTeam Medal
Davison Street – Archier
Residential New
Winners

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The Good Life House by MRTN Architects
Image: via Architeam
The Good Life House – MRTN Architects
Two Sheds – Dreamer
Commendations
Davison Street – Archier
Edgars Creek House – Breathe Architecture
Kensington House – Fowler and Ward
Alterations and Additions
Winner

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Brunswick Lean-to by Blair Smith Architecture.
Image: Tom Ross
Brunswick Lean-to – Blair Smith Architecture
Commendations
Hampden Road House – Archier
Warehouse Greenhouse – Breathe Architecture
Commercial
Winner

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Parks Victoria by Archier and Harrison and White.
Image: Peter Bennetts
Parks Victoria – Archier and Harrison and White
Commendations
Uro Workshop – Architecture Architecture
Where House? – EM Architects
Community
Winner

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Yarra Pools by Wowowa Architecture.
Image: Wowowa
Yarra Pools – Wowowa Architecture
Commendation
Arkadia – Breathe Architecture and DKO Architecture
Unbuilt
Winner

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St Andrews Square by Moloney Architects.
Image: Moloney Architects
St Andrews Square – Moloney Architects
Commendation
Dead End House – Kuzman Architecture
Yarra Pools – Wowowa Architecture
Contribution
Winner
Talina Edwards – Talina Edwards
Commendation
Architects Declare movement – Australian Architects Declare
Brickworks Materiality Award
Merri Creek – Wowowa Architecture
Passive House Award
Passive House Trophy – Qutaibah Al-Atafi in collaboration with local textile artist Inneka Moorhouse
Sustainability Medal
Architects Declare movement – Talina Edwards
Small Project Medal
Small Grand Apartment – Tsai Design
People’s Choice Award
Colour Shingle – Krisna Cheung Architects More

The design team behind Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art will create a $200 million masterplan to transform an underutilized, ex-industrial site on the Derwent River into a sports and recreation centre.
Lead architecture practice Fender Katsalidis and its collaborators Oculus and Ireneinc hope to elevate Tasmania’s reputation for delivering sport and recreation activities by creating a dedicated and considered precinct.
“The goal is to cultivate a vibrant and engaging district that prioritizes pedestrian movement and activity through designed landscaped areas, integrated infrastructure, and connectivity within the site,” said Nicky Drobis, director of Fender Katsalidis.

“Being in a prime location, the site needs renewal and investment that effectively responds to a lot of different and complex requirements which we are realising in the new precinct masterplan.”

“The masterplan will deliver something new to the area, improving its functionality and connections for other sites such as Mona and the city, while alleviating congestion along the highway.”

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Masterplan for Wilkinsons Point precinct by Fender Katsalidis and Oculus.

The project will be located on a 15-hectare site at Wilkinsons Point in Glenorchy, currently home the Derwent Entertainment Centre, which will be refurbished to create a multipurpose venue that will serve as the home base for Hobart’s basketball team, the Jack Jumpers. The venue will also host shows, performances and other sporting events.
The precinct will include elite performance facilities, informal recreational opportunities, connections to a surrounding network of open spaces and trails, mixed-use capabilities such as waterfront dining, a hotel, sports-focused retail, as well as indoor recreation facilities such as basketball, soccer, gymnastics, rock climbing, indoor skydiving, indoor skiing and a kids play centre.

The masterplan will also link the proposed buildings with landscaping that will protect the facilities from the natural elements while also enhancing its river setting. It will retain as much of the existing vegetation as much as possible.
“Our masterplan seeks to consistently activate this site, far beyond its current use, and transform the peninsula into a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment precinct that has both social and economic benefit,” Drobis said.
Developer LK Property Group, who first brought the project to council in 2019, will begin demolishing the interior of the Derwent Entertainment Centre within a month. Renovation works are due to begin in 2021. More