Architecture

The Victorian government has announced an amendment to the state’s planning schemes that will streamline the approval process for dwellings on lots smaller than 300 square metres.
Introduced as the Single Home Code, the amendment allows new single homes and small secondary dwellings on lots smaller than 300 square metres to be approved without a full assessment – provided they meet specific design standards related to setbacks, tree canopy, solar access and street amenity.
According to a government communique, neighbours will still be notified and invited to provide feedback on the proposal. However, if the proposed dwelling meets the standards, “there will be no VCAT appeals or costly delays.”
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said the amendment aims to cut red tape and accelerate the delivery of homes.
“This is another way we’re making our planning system say ‘yes’ – yes to well-designed homes, yes to more homes, and yes to people making the most of the land they already have,” said Kilkenny. “If your proposal meets the standards, you should be able to get on and build. That’s what these changes deliver – faster decisions, less stress and more homes where we need them.”
The code will apply across all residential zones in Victoria.
The amendment is the latest effort by the Victorian government to streamline the planning process for new dwellings on small lots. It follows revisions to the Small Lot Housing Code in December 2024, which refined design standards and extended permit exemptions for compliant homes on lots less than 100 square metres.
The communique noted that work is also underway on a new set of design standards for mid-rise residential developments between four and six storeys, with “targeted consultation on the standards with industry peak bodies and all 79 councils to begin soon.” More

Brisbane City Council’s decision to approve a 17-storey residential development in Albion, Brisbane, is being fought by the owner of the neighbouring Breakfast Creek Hotel, who has lodged an appeal with the Planning and Environment Court.
Established in 1889, the heritage-listed hotel and pub, designed by Simkin and Ibler, has been on the state’s register since 1992. The site’s current owner, ALH Group, contends that the proposed development, designed by architecture practice Jackson Teece, is inappropriate in respect of height, setback and site coverage, as well as overshadowing and overlooking of the hotel.
“The proposed development will cause overshadowing that will result in the degradation of the amenity of the Breakfast Creek Hotel, specifically impacting the patron seating area and beer garden, which will degrade the hotel’s historic aesthetic and experience for patrons,” the appeal reads.

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Property developer DRJ Investments obtained approval for the project in May this year, despite council having received 14 objections and only five supporting responses to the proposal.
Their proposal comprises 199 dwellings above a five-storey basement carpark. The scheme’s four-storey podium – calibrated to match the height of the Breakfast Creek Hotel, and bordered by a landscaped edge that wraps the south-facing creek and east-facing hotel sides – includes a lobby and restaurant on the ground floor. According to the architect’s design report, “The podium will appear as a singular organic natural rock form, erroded [sic] to provide habitable balconies with ledges and outcrops where landscape will appear to naturally grow.”
A communal pool and gym, along with indoor and outdoor recreation spaces are proposed on the rooftop. Place Design Group designed the landscaping across the scheme.

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In respect of potential overlooking, Jackson Teece note in their design report that “the proposal seeks to sympathetically respond to the existing Breakfast Creek Hotel and provide complementary uses to further enhance the precinct and establish improved surveillance and activation.”
As part of their masterplan for the precinct, the firm’s design includes a potential public plaza on the side of the hotel. They note that the “proposed development provides an opportunity to renew and further establish a highly activated and people-oriented precinct. The existing Breakfast Creek Hotel, a rare and historic cultural icon, is central to our consideration for the revitalisation of the precinct.”
A defence has not yet been filed and no date yet set for the court hearing. More

Adelaide will join Australia’s major cultural capitals in hosting Adelaide Design Week, set to debut from 20–24 August 2025.
Transforming galleries, laneways and pop-up spaces across the CBD, the five-day event will showcase more than 100 exhibitions, talks, workshops and tours, celebrating South Australia’s rich design talent and economy, which is valued at $1.8 billion and supports 15,000 jobs.
An exciting lineup is taking shape with over 100 designers and makers confirmed, including 2049, 4th Floor Elevator, Fab Workshop, Form-S, Futurejuice, Hugo Michell Gallery, JamFactory, RMIT, Soda Objects, Longplay, Studio Gram, Estilo, 1K Chairs, UniSA, University of Adelaide and more.

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Speaking on behalf of Adelaide Design Week, Sophia Leopardi, director at WBL said, “There’s a growing need not just for visibility, but for connection. This event gives us a moment to pause, come together, and reflect on how our work shapes – and is shaped by – this city. By nurturing what’s emerging here – the talent, the ideas, the uniquely Adelaide sensibility – we’re not only enriching our local culture; we’re contributing something quietly powerful and distinct to the broader design conversation. In a fast-moving world, moments like this matter. They carve out space for the conversations that don’t happen in the rush – the ones that inspire, challenge, and reconnect us to the deeper ‘why’ behind what we do.”
Titled “Everywhere”, the festival comes amid growing concerns about Adelaide’s creative “brain drain,” with CityMag warning of young talent leaving the state. In September 2024 alone, South Australia recorded a net interstate loss of 1,554 residents.
Festival organisers hope to reverse that trend by putting Adelaide’s design sector in the national spotlight. A central festival hub will offer way-finding, daily programming and networking opportunities, while visiting audiences are expected to provide a winter boost to local hospitality and retail businesses. More

Plans for a new building within the grounds of Sydney’s – and Australia’s – oldest surviving Catholic church have been greenlit for development. Situated within the St Mary’s Cathedral precinct, located east of Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD, the approved new chancery building, designed by Candalepas Associates, is replete with a bookshop, a cafe and community meeting rooms.
The design adopts a square-like floorplate on the site of an existing car park, located between the current cathedral – built between 1866–1928 to the design of William Wardell – and a former school known as Chapter House. Both buildings fall under a single listing on the NSW state heritage register.
According to a communique from Candalepas Associates, “this location was intended to accommodate the Archiepiscopal residence as part of the original masterplan … That building was never realised; however, its implied presence – evident in corbelling left in the cathedral’s sacristy wall – has informed the current architectural approach.”
The architecture firm noted that the chancery’s “position at the junction of multiple programs – administrative, ceremonial, liturgical and public – allows it to act as a transitional element within the site’s larger spatial and functional framework.” Their vision was guided by the chancery as a “supporting building, both in use and architectural character,” yet significant in its contribution “to a more legible precinct identity.”
Taking cues from the massing and positioning of Chapter Hall, the approved chancery extends the materiality and rhythm of the precinct by adopting a formal language of sandstone arches and timber-framed openings across the lower levels, offering a contemporary translation of traditional cloisters. The third storey, which is defined by a glazed perimeter, is capped by a thin, hipped roof.

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Internally, the chancery is designed to offer flexible workspaces with generous access to daylight and framed views of the cathedral. As part of the architect’s environmental strategy, the project employs durable natural materials, adopts a geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling, and includes rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
Executive director of administration and finance for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Michael Digges commented that the project is part of a long-term vision for the St Mary’s precinct.
“As the mother Church of Australia, St Mary’s Cathedral is not only important for the faithful in Sydney, but for Catholics who visit from Australia and overseas. It also provides a place of prayer, solace and wonder for people of other faiths and even of no faith. The Archdiocese is steadfast in our stewardship of the St Mary’s Cathedral Shrine and precinct, and to ensuring it will serve Catholics and the broader community for centuries to come.”

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The decision to approve Candalepas Associates’ design was granted by the NSW Land and Environment Court last week following a hearing between the Archdiocese of Sydney, and the City of Sydney and the Heritage Council of NSW, who had argued against the proposal.
Having been first presented to the City of Sydney in 2021, the initial six-storey scheme submitted for development approval in December 2023 was amended to the three-storey version at the council’s request, but ultimately refused by the council. The archdiocese filed an appeal of the decision in July 2024.
In the recent June hearing, court commissioner Timothy Horton declared that the project exemplified “a high standard of architectural design, materials and detailing appropriate to the building type and location.”
Digges noted, “We are grateful that the appeal was upheld, and confident that if built, this new building will provide wonderful new facilities for the cathedral parish, worshippers and visitors to the site, as well as new chancery offices.” More

Plans for a new building within the grounds of Sydney’s – and Australia’s – oldest surviving Catholic church have been greenlit for development. Situated within the St Mary’s Cathedral precinct, located east of Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD, the approved new chancery building, designed by Candalepas Associates, is replete with a bookshop, a cafe and community meeting rooms.
The design adopts a square-like floorplate on the site of an existing car park, located between the current cathedral – built between 1866–1928 to the design of William Wardell – and a former school known as Chapter House. Both buildings fall under a single listing on the NSW state heritage register.
According to a communique from Candalepas Associates, “this location was intended to accommodate the Archiepiscopal residence as part of the original masterplan … That building was never realised; however, its implied presence – evident in corbelling left in the cathedral’s sacristy wall – has informed the current architectural approach.”
The architecture firm noted that the chancery’s “position at the junction of multiple programs – administrative, ceremonial, liturgical and public – allows it to act as a transitional element within the site’s larger spatial and functional framework.” Their vision was guided by the chancery as a “supporting building, both in use and architectural character,” yet significant in its contribution “to a more legible precinct identity.”
Taking cues from the massing and positioning of Chapter Hall, the approved chancery extends the materiality and rhythm of the precinct by adopting a formal language of sandstone arches and timber-framed openings across the lower levels, offering a contemporary translation of traditional cloisters. The third storey, which is defined by a glazed perimeter, is capped by a thin, hipped roof.

View gallery

Internally, the chancery is designed to offer flexible workspaces with generous access to daylight and framed views of the cathedral. As part of the architect’s environmental strategy, the project employs durable natural materials, adopts a geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling, and includes rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
Executive director of administration and finance for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Michael Digges commented that the project is part of a long-term vision for the St Mary’s precinct.
“As the mother Church of Australia, St Mary’s Cathedral is not only important for the faithful in Sydney, but for Catholics who visit from Australia and overseas. It also provides a place of prayer, solace and wonder for people of other faiths and even of no faith. The Archdiocese is steadfast in our stewardship of the St Mary’s Cathedral Shrine and precinct, and to ensuring it will serve Catholics and the broader community for centuries to come.”

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The decision to approve Candalepas Associates’ design was granted by the NSW Land and Environment Court last week following a hearing between the Archdiocese of Sydney, and the City of Sydney and the Heritage Council of NSW, who had argued against the proposal.
Having been first presented to the City of Sydney in 2021, the initial six-storey scheme submitted for development approval in December 2023 was amended to the three-storey version at the council’s request, but ultimately refused by the council. The archdiocese filed an appeal of the decision in July 2024.
In the recent June hearing, court commissioner Timothy Horton declared that the project exemplified “a high standard of architectural design, materials and detailing appropriate to the building type and location.”
Digges noted, “We are grateful that the appeal was upheld, and confident that if built, this new building will provide wonderful new facilities for the cathedral parish, worshippers and visitors to the site, as well as new chancery offices.” More

A new initiative designed to support young women to explore careers in construction has launched with the backing of more than 50 Australian property, construction and design practices.
A media communique from the initiative, which is titled “Tomorrow’s Women in Construction” (TWIC), notes that their aim is to tackle “one of the key barriers to female participation in the industry: the ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ phenomenon.”
For interested year-10 female students, TWIC guarantees a one-week work experience placement with professional support and mentoring at a matched construction industry organisation.
The program aims to counter common beliefs about the construction industry, such as jobs being exclusively on-site, by introducing female students to the stories of women working in a diverse range of construction-related professions, including feasibility, planning, design, law, engineering and sustainability. According to the media release, “These stories are designed to engage young women at a critical point in their career decision-making journey, encouraging them to see themselves in roles they may not have previously considered.”
“This initiative is about visibility and access,” said TWIC co-founder Kat Kister. “The desire to create a more gender-equitable workforce is stronger than ever. We’ve gone from symbolic gestures on International Women’s Day to real, tangible action – nearly 50 companies signed up in the first week alone.”
According to the media communique, companies that sign up to host placements “are guided on how to create a positive, empowering experience for students – from planning age-relevant tasks to preparing their teams to mentor effectively.”
The initiative, which was founded by a group of women working in architecture, engineering, building and project management in Sydney, has received support from founding partners including AJC Architects, Architectus, Group GSA and FJC Studio.
TWIC co-founder and structural engineer at Northrop Isabel Duffy commented, “This is a collective industry movement. We’re showing young women that they don’t have to change who they are to belong in construction – there is a place for everyone.”
Organisations interested in joining the initiative can apply online. More

A state significant development (SSD) application is currently on exhibition with the NSW government for the transformation of the historic MLC building at 105 Miller Street in North Sydney, which was originally designed by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon in 1952 and completed in 1957. While plans prepared by Bates Smart and filed with North Sydney Council in December 2024 sought adaptive reuse of the existing structure into a commercial office complex, the new proposal from FJC Studio proposes that the building be transformed into a tertiary education campus.
According to the exhibited environmental impact statement by Beam, the two schemes have been pursued by property developer Investa “due to the uncertainty in relation to leasing and the need for the landowner to take some action with the site.” The development application for Bates Smart’s commercial proposal is currently under assessment with North Sydney Council.
FJC’s architectural design report notes that the two firms have adopted a “coordinated design approach,” which has guided FJC Studio’s campus plans since being commissioned in 2024 by property developer Investa. “While each proposal includes elements specific to its intended function, the two schemes share a common architectural language,” their report reads.

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Despite now being recognised on the North Sydney local environment plan (LEP) and state heritage register, for the past five years the MLC building has been the subject of a dispute between Investa and members of the public seeking recognition of the building’s historical significance, in part to avoid the demolition initially proposed by Bates Smart’s July 2020 proposal.
In response to this context, both proposals seek retention and refurbishment of the building’s Miller Street wing. The Denison Street wing, however, would be replaced with a new 22-storey building.
FJC notes in the report that being “now over 67 years old, the MLC Building requires significant renewal to support its next phase of use.” According to the practice, “A purely restorative refurbishment may retain the building’s original aesthetic, but it would not meaningfully improve its civic performance.”
“The education scheme […] proceeds from a position of respect – proposing adaptive reuse that honours the site’s architectural lineage while enabling a new public use and civic presence within North Sydney,” the report reads.
Developed with stakeholder engagement from the Heritage Council of NSW, North Sydney Council and the North Sydney Design Excellence Panel, FJC Studio’s design “retain[s] the heritage character of the Miller Street wing, while introducing new educational infrastructure that responds to programmatic needs. These include efficient and flexible teaching spaces, improved vertical and horizontal circulation, and the integration of active public interfaces across the podium.”
The form and language of FJC’s design for the new Denison Street wing is informed by mid-century towers such as Bates, Smart and McCutcheon’s ICI House (1958) in Melbourne and Skidmore, Owings and Merril’s Lever House (1952) in New York while ensuring the restored Miller Street wing retains “architectural primacy within the overall composition.”

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All three of the site’s public interfaces – on Miller Street, Denison Street and Brett Whitely Place – are reimagined to introduce public seating and retail spaces with an emphasis on accessible, all-weather pedestrian wayfinding connected with Sydney Metro and activated frontages to enhance visibility at the building’s threshold.
Drawing upon the site’s original landscape design by Ilmar Berzins, as well as its pre-colonial heritage, as investigated by WSP Australia, the ground plane, podium and roof terrace are imagined as an integrated architectural and landscape experience with the aid of landscape architecture practice 360 Degrees.
The application for the adaptive reuse of the MLC building into an education campus is on exhibition with the NSW government’s major projects hub on the planning portal. More

The Queensland government has declared a new priority development area (PDA) at North Harbour in Moreton Bay, 40 kilometres north of Brisbane, which will see the delivery of 3,700 homes, including 200 dwellings fast-tracked through an early release area within the precinct.
The $2.74 billion North Harbour masterplan, led by Mas Architecture Studio, also includes a “world-class” 400-berth marina, and tourism and retail precincts, along with “the biggest riverfront parkland in Southeast Queensland,” the architecture firm notes. A communique from the practice describes the vision for the site as “a booming new waterfront hub.”

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The site in Burpengary East is currently home to 4,000 residents and a 280,000-square-metre business park. Under the proposed masterplan, the new residential and mixed-use development would be met with over 1,000 acres of open space parkland adjacent to the Caboolture River, host to a heritage park and mountain bike trail.
Director of MAS Architecture Studio Nick Symonds welcomed the Queensland government’s designation of the North Harbour PDA as a sign of action in the current housing climate.
“The North Harbour precinct will meet urgent housing needs, but it also represents the future of bayside living in Southeast Queensland,” Symonds commented.
“We’re not just building homes. We’re designing a place that’s sustainable, well connected, and built for a modern Queensland lifestyle. With the Olympics approaching, this puts Moreton Bay in a prime position to shine nationally.”

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Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie added, “This declaration brings Queensland another step closer to delivering one million homes by 2044.”
“Dedicated maritime industry infrastructure, tourism and hotel precincts are expected to generate nearly 2,000 jobs and add $456 million to the regional economy each year for the region’s long-term prosperity.” More