Architecture

A proposal seeking the development of three towers at two waterfront sites in the Docklands will be presented before the City of Melbourne on 7 May 2024. The towers – to be located at 140 and 160 Harbour Esplanade – form part of a wider proposal aimed at activating the area and improving connections to […] More

A $900 million BVN-designed, mixed-use precinct in Sydney’s Pyrmont has been approved for development by the City of Sydney. The four-building hub, to be known as Fig and Wattle, will be sited at 14-26 Wattle Street – formerly the Saunders Quarry. It will accommodate 237 single and multi-bedroom apartments, a childcare facility, an indoor recreational […] More

Add soothing softness, inviting texture and evocative colour to your home with this collection of finishes for floors and walls. Oakwood from Signature flooring Oakwood from Signature flooring. Image: Supplied Oakwood is a tribute to the colours, textures and forms found in nature. The premium engineered timber boards have organic profiles that evoke the natural […] More

Sydney-based practice C Plus C Architects and Builders has named the second recipient of its professional development program, aimed at providing paid on-the-job experience to architecture students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Tiffany Henning, who is embarking on her final year in the Bachelor of Architectural Studies program at UNSW, will join […] More

The NSW government and the Government Architect NSW has introduced a publicly accessible interactive map to showcase well-designed low and mid-rise homes.
Over the past decade, there has been a decline in the development of dual occupancies, townhouses, terraces, manor houses and smaller apartment buildings in Sydney. In addition, a recent NSW Productivity Commission report found that between 2016 and 2021, Sydney lost twice as many people aged 30 to 40 as it gained. While 35,000 individuals within this age bracket relocated to the city, more than 70,000 people moved away.
In response to these issues, the Government Architect NSW has collated more than 100 designs, typologies, styles and layouts from a diverse range of architects to demonstrate that these homes can add value to a neighbourhood, as well as complement the existing heritage and context. These designs are presented in the form of a publicly accessible interactive map.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said terrace houses, townhouses and smaller apartments have a significant role to play in creating housing options for families as we confront the housing crisis.
“Good examples of low and mid-rise housing are already part of Sydney’s past and can be part of Sydney’s future,” he said.
“This interactive website and map shows the community what is already in their backyard and what we want more of. […] A mix of housing types are needed so that there are housing options available for all stages of life.
“Heritage and new homes can coexist. We want to make sure the future homes and apartments across NSW are made for our climate, allow for natural light and look to include community spaces.”

The map will also outline the government’s proposed planning reforms and the objectives of these reforms. To use the map, visit the NSW Government Architect website, and for more information on the proposed housing reforms, including low and mid-rise, visit the NSW Planning Portal. More

Kerstin Thompson Architects has been awarded the design of a permanent café at the National Gallery of Australia in Kamberri/Canberra. Selected via an open tender process, the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) said the practice’s vision for the hospitality venue aligned with their own. Furthermore, Kerstin Thompson Architects’ (KTA) demonstrated history in designing cultural institutions, […] More

Construction has started on Adelaide’s new $3.2 billion Women’s and Children’s Hospital, designed by Woods Bagot with Bates Smart, Jacobs and UK practice BDP.
Revised concept designs have concurrently been unveiled following a consultation period with staff and patients, which resulted in changes to the layout and location of some departments and updates to the facade and overall building form.
The first stage of works will involve preparing the site for a new two-storey central energy facility and an eight-storey car park, which will supply 1,300 parking lots – 360 more than currently on site.

View gallery

The facility will house 414 overnight beds — 56 more than the current hospital. Image:

Woods Bagot with Bates Smart, Jacobs and BDP

The nine-storey facility is slated to become the first 100 percent electric public hospital in South Australia. It will house 414 overnight beds — 56 more than the current hospital — with capacity to add more. The building will also feature an emergency department with 43 treatment spaces, surgical suites, a helipad and a new four-bed integrated intensive care unit (ICU) for women.
All critical care services, including birthing, theatres, paediatric ICU and neonatal ICU, women’s ICU are to be located across one level.

View gallery

Changes have been made to the layout and location of some departments and updates to the facade and overall building form. Image:

Woods Bagot with Bates Smart, Jacobs and BDP

The hospital will be located inside the Adelaide BioMed City and within close proximity to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton said, “We chose this site because we knew it was the right option to ensure the best design possible for the hospital without any limitations on the care it will be able to provide to South Australian families well into the future.”
“Consulting with staff and the community is important in getting the design layout right, and we are taking the advice of clinicians to ensure we build the best hospital possible for the long term,” he said.
The Women’s and Children’s Hospital is anticipated to be finished by 2030-31. Updated plans demonstrating the potential new layout are now on exhibition for feedback until 21 May. More

A state significant development application has been submitted for the $250 million heritage renewal of Powerhouse Ultimo, designed by Durbach Block Jaggers, Architectus and Tyrrell Studio.
The renewal will allow the museum to accommodate international exhibitions and increase access to the Powerhouse collection of more than 500,000 objects.
The design will continue the adaptive reuse legacy of Powerhouse Ultimo, transforming a historic power station into a permanent home for the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. Opened in 1988, the museum was one of a host of projects completed for the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia.
In its architectural design report, the architects said, “The design team further recognise that the Australian and Sydney cultural environment has also changed significantly from a celebration of European settlement in 1988 to a much more inclusive and diverse perspective on what it is tobe Australian and what elements of Australia are to be celebrated.”

View gallery

A courtyard at level one will reveal the heritage facade of Switch House. Image:

Durbach Block Jaggers

The project will deliver flexible, international standard exhibition spaces, as well as create a porous and connected precinct.
The museum’s main public entrance will be reoriented towards the nearby Goods Line, with a large public terrace, reinstating a primary heritage elevation as the public face of the museum.
Intrusive additions to the heritage facades will be removed. The mezzanines inside the original Turbine Hall and the 1988 Wran building will also be removed to create new exhibition spaces.
A new addition will activate Harris Street, with creative industry studios and potential retail spaces. A secondary entrance will also be created on Harris Street, which will adjoin a covered colonnade.
A courtyard at level one will connect to mid-level Macarthur Street and also reveal a full two-storey facade of Switch House.
A second courtyard space will connect the Wran building to the former Ultimo Post Office, which will also be adapted for museum use.

View gallery

A secondary entrance will be created on Harris Street. Image:

Durbach Block Jaggers

Circulation around the museum will also be centralised, which will support the visitor experience with an intuitive and accessible circulation system to the exhibition, program and education spaces.
“The design addresses specific community and stakeholder feedback through extending the lifespan of the built form, acknowledging and celebrating the social significance of the Wran Building, addressing circulation and legibility and improving sustainability,” said Powerhouse Museum Ultimo chief executive Lisa Havilah.
“This revitalisation will celebrate the best of the museum’s past while adding new and enhanced exhibition and programming spaces, along with educational spaces for future generations to engage with the applied arts and sciences.”
The new built form will be made using materials sympathetic to the existing heritage fabric, including a mix of recycled and new bricks, brick slips, stone, ceramics, glass, metal cladding, and concrete.
“The design demonstrates how the museum will be revitalised, whilst maintaining the heritage and character of the buildings,” said Minister for Lands and Property Steve Camper.
The state significant development application is on exhibition until 30 May. More