Architecture

NH Architecture has announced the opening of its second Australian studio, sited in Tasmania.
Director Nick Bourns – who will be heading up the Tasmanian studio – said the practice is pleased to finally put down roots and establish a permanent presence after more than a decade working on projects across the state.
“It’ll be great to be on the ground and more immediately available for our clients here, and to build on the relationships we’ve established over the years,” Bourns said. “Tasmania has such a rich culture of craft, which we’ve enjoyed engaging with. We’re encouraged to see some really exciting projects coming online for the state and very happy to place ourselves closer to the action.”
“There’s a well-established culture of genuine collaboration here, which we feel often leads to better design outcomes. People want to work together to progress projects that are going to move the state forward across many sectors, including healthcare, education and industry.”
NH Architecture was recently engaged to design the redevelopment of Tasmanian-based construction company Fairbrother’s headquarters in Devonport. The firm is additionally working with alternative education provider Indie School to develop a design for a permanent location in Devonport.
“Tasmania has a really unique natural beauty which is often mirrored in the buildings and urban spaces,” said Bourns. “We bring with us our experience of creating and reimagining urban spaces that are embedded in the local context. We’ll certainly be drawing on the magic of the natural environment in the work we do in the state.” More

A Melbourne design team have been awarded the 2024 Holdmark Innovation Award, receiving a cash prize of $10,000 for a retrofit project that epitomises “innovative excellence.”
Architecture firm Kennedy Nolan and environmental consultancy Finding Infinity have received the award for their Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit, a project that involved the retrofit of a 1970s apartment block in Melbourne’s Fitzroy.
The award is presented by Powerhouse with the support of Holdmark Property Group. A panel of judges evaluated the entries, which included Gerard Reinmuth, who serves as a professor of practice in the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and is the director of Terroir; Keinton Butler, the senior curator of design and architecture at Powerhouse; and Kevin Nassif, the chief operating officer at Holdmark Property Group.
The winners and commendations were announced during the Sydney Design Week 2024 opening event on 13 September.

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According to a statement from Powerhouse, the Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit was selected as the winner for “its delivery of an energy-efficient space with both social and sustainability agendas at its core.”
“The retrofit addresses the challenges of waste in the construction industry through innovative ways of reusing or recycling materials, and provides efficiency initiatives like rooftop rainwater collection and solar panel installation that reduce the building’s energy use by 70 percent.”
Panel member Kevin Nassif echoed those sentiments, stating that the project offers a “solution to the aging red brick apartment buildings from the 60s and 70s” found across Australia’s urban landscape.
“It is a very clever, energy-efficient space with both social and sustainability solutions for giving these buildings a new life and providing critical and effective solutions given the current housing and affordability crisis facing the nation.”
Commendations were presented to ARM Architecture with Architectus for Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology Hub (BEST) and Grimshaw with Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall, and the City of Parramatta Council for the Parramatta Aquatic Centre.

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In addition to the Holdmark Innovation Award, designer Caity Duffus was named the recipient of the Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator program for her design of Mycelia House, which, according to the statement, is a functional container that captures the beauty of mushrooms and supports their growth within the home.
The Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator – supported by a bequest from Australian industrial designer Carl Nielsen and his wife Judy Nielsen – recognises “outstanding industrial design for sustainability.”
As the winner, Duffus will receive nine months of mentorship from industrial designer Ed Ko. In addition, she will receive financial support for the production and distribution of her project. More

Following a request from the New South Wales Premier in June 2024, the Productivity and Equality Commission have conducted an inquiry into the causes of, and potential policy solutions to, the state’s housing shortage.
The report, published on 11 September, found several barriers impacting housing supply, including high residential construction and borrowing costs, capacity constraints within the construction industry, and bottlenecks in the development process.
On review of the challenges, the report made 32 recommendations grouped into four distinct themes. The first: to free up construction capacity to build more homes quickly; the second, to streamline the development process and legislate mechanism to resolve bottlenecks, including those arising post-development approval; the third, to provide greater manpower to the construction sector workforce by shifting migration intake and recognising worker skills while also supporting innovation and productivity; and the last, to ensure a diverse and equitable supply of homes.
Commenting on these aspirations in the report’s foreword, commissioner Peter Achterstraat stressed the “need to make sure we build housing that’s right for people of all incomes, family sizes, and stages of life. We can do this through investments in social housing and smart regulatory changes that make it profitable to build the diverse housing people need.”
The new report builds upon the commission’s previous research, observing that between 2016 and 2021, Sydney lost twice as many people aged 30 to 40 as it gained. To this point, NSW premier Chris Minns reiterated concerns from commissioner Peter Achterstraat’s prior report, warning “that [Sydney’s] at risk of being a city with no young people. Doing nothing is not an option.”
A statement released from the NSW government noted their intent to develop an action plan identifying the recommendations that could be taken up immediately. Paul Scully, NSW minister for planning and public spaces, said, “We’ve already introduced some of the biggest planning reforms in NSW history and are keen to consider and act on recommendations from important reviews like this from the commission.” More

The Australian Institute of Architects’ Victorian chapter has declared the 2024 Robert Caulfield Graduate Research Scholarship open for entries, with the successful candidate to be awarded $10,000 for architectural research.
The annual scholarship program enables successful recipients to undertake research on a subject aimed at advancing the field of architecture.
Applicants are required to submit a research proposal document, outlining a project that must be completed within 12 months of receiving the scholarship. Proposals viewed positively will demonstrate critical thinking, foster a hopeful outlook for the future of the profession and its practitioners, and advocate for the significance of research within the industry.
To be eligible, applicants must be residing in Victoria and a member of the Victorian Emerging Architects and Graduate Network. They must also be within 15 years of graduating from an AACA Accredited Master of Architecture degree (or equivalent) 0r have first been registered as an Architect anywhere in Australia not more than 10 years ago.
Submissions will close on 4 October 2024, with the winner to be announced in November. To apply, visit the Institute website. More

International design and architecture website Dezeen has announced its longlist for the 2024 Dezeen Awards, featuring a suite of Australian residences now contending for the shortlist.
Residences had the highest representation among the longlisted Australian architecture projects. Victorian residences accounted for the majority with seven longlisted projects, followed by New South Wales with three. Western Australia and Queensland were also represented with one project each.

The longlisted residences include:

House (urban)
Bangalow Road – Son Studio
Life Down A Lane – Tom Robertson Architects
Northcote House – LLDS
Robin House – Wolveridge Architects
Shed House – Breakspear Architects
House (rural)
Mapleton House – Atelier Chen Hung
House renovation
House in Surry Hills – Architect George
Northcote House – MA and Co Architects
Shadow House – Grotto Studio
Smith House – Fowler and Ward

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Housing
Park Street – Breathe Architecture
Interiors
Residential interior
Mo Jacobsen – YSG Studio
Northcote House – LLDS
The Dezeen Awards shortlist will be announced in October, while category winners will be revealed in November. More

A proposal for a new seven-storey student accommodation building in Moreton Bay, Queensland has been submitted for planning approval.
Designed by Plus Architecture, the accommodation aims to support the anticipated increase in student numbers in Moreton Bay, driven by the expansion of the University of Sunshine Coast. Population forecasts predict the tertiary campus will have a student population of 10,000 by the year 2035.
The nominated siting for the lodgings is a 3,100-square-metre block in Petrie, approximately one kilometre from the university. Plans state the building would supply 203 beds for students as well as a rooftop pool, communal study spaces, entertainment and game areas, outdoor barbeque and dining, integrated green spaces, and an activated street frontage with hospitality outlets.
The design was largely informed by Brisbane City Council’s “Buildings that Breathe” guide, which outlines key considerations for designing resilient subtropical architecture. A statement from the architect describes how the implementation of this strategy can be seen in the stepped building mass, which recedes on the northern and eastern aspects to enable light, air and solar to penetrate into the building and a central courtyard.

The architect’s material palette for the facade – consisting of concrete, perforated panels, tinted and clear glazing and brick – is intended to harmonise with the site’s context. In their design statement, they note how how the base of the structure employs bricks that match the texture and tone of neighbouring buildings, while the upper portion of the building adopts a green colour palette to reflect the shades of surrounding trees.

Chrisney Formosa, a principal at Plus Architecture, said the proposal aims to capture the vibrant and creative spirit of a student. “Imbued with youthfulness and dynamism the space has been designed to […] foster a profound sense of community and wellbeing.”
The development application is currently on exhibition with the City of Moreton Bay. More

The Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library and community hub in Geelong has opened, with the new three-storey facility housing a collection of more than 30,000 books and resources.
The $21.8 million building is designed by Buchan, which secured the project through a design competition. The project is considered the first civic and social infrastructure development in the new Geelong suburb of Amstrong Creek.
Spanning 2,500 square metres, the community facility houses a children’s story time area, outdoor terraces, co-working areas, multipurpose spaces and a winter garden.

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The raw concrete facade features organic, circular windows of varying sizes. Buchan architect Aleksander Borek said the overall conceptual framework for the exterior was inspired by a concept of “living water,” developed in collaboration with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and the City of Greater Geelong.
“The waterways of the Wadawurrung people have been a natural meeting point for centuries and are rich in cultural and spiritual significance,” Borek said. “The new library is conceived as a nourishing place for the community to come together and create a shared future.”
The diversity of circles on the facade also symbolises the unification of many individuals within the community. At street level along Main Street, a waveform canopy shades internal occupants on the ground floor and external pedestrians from excessive heat and light.

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The interior features an open-floor plan that can be reconfigured for various activities using operable walls, moveable furniture and mobile bookshelves. Furniture, bookshelves and fittings are crafted from timber, while a rammed earth feature wall serves as a textured divide between front-of-house and back-of-house spaces.

A winter garden on the first level and a terrace on the second floor offer outdoor access.
The library is located at the centre of the Armstrong Creek Town Centre precinct. The suburb of Armstrong Creek was gazetted in 2012 from largely undeveloped land. The City of Greater Geelong released renders of the design in late 2021. More

Construction has started on the HDR-designed RNA Research and Pilot Manufacturing Facility co-located at Macquarie University’s Wallumattagal campus.
Once established, the facility will be used to manufacture vaccines and treatments for human and animal clinical trials, as well as undertake research studies. It will also be a space for housing and testing RNA technology, which has the potential to assist with the prevention and treatment of a broad spectrum of health concerns, such as viruses and genetic diseases.
The new facility – located in North Ryde – will be connected to the Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District, a hub containing several medical and health-related organisations, as well as industrial and technology startups.
Macquarie University’s deputy vice-chancellor of research, Professor Sakkie Pretorius, said that the new facility is a “significant addition to the thriving medical precinct within the Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District.”
“RNA research has incredible potential, and we share in RNA Australia’s vision for advancing biomedical science for the benefit of Australia and the world,” Pretorius added.
Imagined as a “pavilion in the trees,” the contextual facade adopts a colour palette that references surrounding native trees. Additionally, vertical elements have been incorporated on the exterior to mimic tree forms in a nearby forest.
The project is targeting a 5-star Green Star Buildings rating.
Construction of the RNA Research and Pilot Manufacturing Facility is expected to be completed in 2026. A state significant development application was lodged for the project in late 2023. More