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    Should construction sites be shut down in a pandemic?

    A group of young architects in the United Kingdom have launched a petition calling for the shutdown of construction sites, in the midst of widespread lockdowns to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Architecture Foundation’s Young Network said in their petition, “Construction workers are unable to do their work and social distance at the same […] More

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    Pyrmont planning strategy released

    The NSW government has released details of a strategy for the planning of the Pyrmont peninsula, pressing ahead with a community consultation process despite the COVID-19 outbreak. In a statement, planning minister Rob Stokes said, “The planning system is keeping people in jobs, unlocking investment opportunities and keeping the economy moving through this unprecedented crisis. […] More

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    ‘Living in it would be delectable but exhausting’ – at the Villa Majorelle

    Before modernists such as Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier staked their claim to being the true stylists of industrial society, a generation of designers all over Europe had made their own attempts to reconcile art and the machine age. Decades before white-painted concrete walls and tubular steel furniture were the rage, art nouveau turned new […] More

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    Second survey of COVID-19 effects on architecture practices launched

    The Association of Consulting Architects (ACA) has launched a second “pulse check” survey of Australian architecture practices, as part of an ongoing project to gauge the state of the industry as the economic bite of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to deepen. The first installment of the survey, launched on 15 March, drew responses from 1,341 […] More

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    Michael Sorkin, ‘supremely gifted’ theorist and architect, dies from COVID-19

    American architect, theorist and urbanist Michael Sorkin has died in New York after contracting COVID-19. Sorkin was also an influential author and editor on 20 books on contemporary architecture, urbanism, urban culture, environmentalism and sustainability, pedestrianization and public space. His notable books include Local Code: The Constitution of a City at 42° N Latitude, Exquisite […] More

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    Gold Medalist Gabriel Poole dies

    Queensland architect and 1998 Gold Medalist Gabriel Poole has died. Born in Ipswich in 1934, Poole became one of the most significant architects to have emerged from Queensland, with his houses in particular attracting accolades and recognition from his peers. His Tent House in Eumundi won the Institute’s 1990 Robin Boyd Award and the Queensland […] More

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    Institute calls for more stimulus for design and construction industries

    Dear Prime Minister The Australian Institute of Architects (the Institute) commends you on the leadership your government is showing in support of businesses and importantly the most vulnerable members of the community whose jobs and livelihoods are under threat. The Institute believes that stimulus measures that are aimed at the development sector, and all its […] More

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    Pleas for ‘significant’ Kevin Borland house to be saved

    A house design by Kevin Borland has been sold at auction, with fears it could be altered or demolished. The architect’s daughter, who hoped to see the building heritage listed before the sale, pleaded for the house to be saved at the auction. The house, in Melbourne’s Glen Iris, was auctioned on 21 March. Proceedings […] More