Architecture

The federal and Northern Territory governments will jointly allocate $4 billion over 10 years for housing development in remote communities across the Northern Territory, in a move that they say will contribute toward Closing the Gap.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the funding commitment during a visit to the Northern Territory’s Binjari community, near Katherine. Under the initiative, 270 new homes will be constructed each year, with the aim of reducing overcrowding in houses by half. The funds will also assist with housing repairs and maintenance.
“This landmark agreement between the commonwealth, Northern Territory government and Aboriginal Housing NT delivers a significant investment in remote housing in the NT over the next decade,” Albanese said. “The Northern Territory has the highest level of overcrowding in the country which we are working to halve by building 270 houses each year.”
The Wilya Janta Housing Collaboration — a not-for-profit Aboriginal cultural consultancy comprising Aboriginal Housing NT, Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation, Emergent Group, Original Power, King and Wood Mallesons, and architecture firms Office and Troppo – has welcomed the funding but is pushing for First Nations involvement during the design and planning process.
Wilya Janta CEO Simon Quilty said the “current model of community engagement in housing design is failing. Homes in remote communities are overcrowded and overheated, fuelling the social, health, and cultural inequities faced by Aboriginal communities.
“While commendable, this funding will only make a difference if governments are genuinely committed to engaging with community and working on innovative solutions to housing design and evaluation. Building houses is one thing, building trust and community is another.”
Jimmy Frank Jupurrurla, a Warumungu man and chair of Wilya Janta, mentioned that while the announcement is a positive step in the right direction, it is crucial that these new houses are well-equipped to withstand extremely hot weather caused by climate change.
“Governments focus too much on cost efficiency and doing things quickly, but in the long run, these houses are making our people sick, our well-being is forgotten. The new houses being built today are not designed for our culture or our climate,” Frank (Jupurrurla) said. “Us Wumpurrarni people really want to work with government.”
The announcement comes after the Australian Institute of Architects made repeated calls for the federal government to contribute $4 billion to First Nations co-designed housing in its 2024 and 2023 pre-budget submissions.
In addition to the $4 billion, the federal government will commit a further $120 million across three years to match the territory government’s annual investment, which enables housing improvements and infrastructure upgrades to be undertaken in remote areas.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said the funding will “make a difference to the lives of so many Aboriginal people living in remote communities. “Increasing the housing supply will ease overcrowding, which we know is a major barrier to closing the gap.”
Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler echoed those sentiments and said the partnership will see the delivery of “2,700 homes in ten years … for more than 10,000 people.”
To support the delivery of the new and improved housing, a partnership agreement will be established between the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments, Aboriginal Housing NT, the state’s peak First Nations housing organisation, and Aboriginal Land Councils. The federal government will provide Aboriginal Housing NT $1 million over the next two years to support its role in the partnership agreement.
The governments stated the initiative would create local employment opportunities and support Aboriginal Business Enterprises. More

The National Gallery of Victoria has launched the program for the 2024 Melbourne Design Week, an 11-day schedule of more than 300 talks, tours, exhibitions, installations and workshops.
Themed “Design the world you want” the 2024 design week will focus on energy (how design can champion new technologies in the transition to renewables), ethics (how design can be guided by societal values), and ecology (how design can respond to the physical environment and the influence of nature).
Nigerian architect Toshin Oshinowo will be headlining the 2024 program with a keynote lecture on architecture and urbanism in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and diverse design approaches to meet cultural and climatic needs. Oshinowo founded Lagos-based Oshinowo Studio in 2013 and has completed a projects throughout Nigeria. She is known for her socially responsive approaches to architecture, design and urbanism. She was co-curator of the Lagos Biennial in 2019 and in 2023 she curated the second Sharjah Architecture Triennial.

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DAAR’s Concrete Tent for the Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023, curated by Tosin Oshiwono. Image:

Edmund Sumner

The program also includes a satellite event presented by Open House Melbourne that will explore the relationship between design and death and how spaces of burial can provide insights on how we live.
Design week favourites including Melbourne Art Book Fair and the Melbourne Design Week Film Festival will also return, as well as the announcement of the Melbourne Design Week Award on the opening day. NGV and Stylecraft will also announce the Australian Furniture Design Awards on the eve of design week.
The winner of the 2022 Melbourne Design Week Award, Revival Project, will be back with an exhibition of 100 timber urns made from salvaged Cypress Macrocarpa trees from Box Hill cemetery.

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The making of 100 Circles for Revival Projects. Image:

Revival Projects

Popular Youtube channel Never Too Small, which focuses on compact living, will present Multi-Functional Pet Furniture – a collection of designs that combine pet housing with aesthetics and affordability.
A public symposium on speculative designs for Birrarung/Yarra River will be held, ahead of an exhibition later in 2024 that challenges eight landscape architects to reimagine and reinvent sites along the river for 2070.
Also along the landscape architecture theme, the Urban Landscape Design Cake Competition invites landscape architecture studios to reimagine an underutilised site in the city as parkland in cake form.
Melbourne Design Week will also extend to regional Victoria with events in Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Shepparton.
The full program for the 2024 Melbourne Design Week will be available from 11 April. Events are free but some will require bookings. More

From textured brass taps to sleek towel racks, this curated list from Houses issue 156 can uplift kitchen and bathroom projects. Legrabox by Blum Legrabox by Blum. Image: Supplied Legrabox is more than just a box system with elegant drawer sides and superb functionality. Mix colours and materials; use printing, laser texturing and embossing to […] More

The Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID) has appointed Kane Constructions as the early works contractor in the development of its Melbourne research facility, the largest infectious disease centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
The $650 million facility will accommodate services aimed at preventing, containing, preparing for and responding to infectious diseases and pandemics. The centre is to be established at 766-780 Elizabeth Street and 213-223 Berkely Street in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, nestled among institutions such as the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Illumina and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
The centre is designed by Wardle with Wilson Architects, international workplace specialist Studio O+A and laboratory specialist Perkins and Will. The centre will comprise high-containment laboratories, a human infection challenge unit, areas for robotic bio-banking, vaccine development facilities, dry laboratories, interview rooms and spaces for industry engagement and partnerships.
The building will be physically linked – across multiple levels – to its neighbour the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, designed by Grimshaw and Billard Leece Partnership.
Kane Constructions will prepare the site for development, as well as demolish four existing buildings. The early and enabling works will prioritise sustainability, including diverting at least 90 percent of materials from landfill.
University of Melbourne chief operating officer Paul Axup said it has taken a substantial amount of work spanning several years to get the project to the its current stage.
“Now in 2024, we are thrilled to engage Kane Constructions to lead the enabling and early works that will kick-off on-site activity and really bring this project to life,” Axup said.
University of Melbourne assistant vice chancellor and AIID co-chair James McCluskey said the news facility will “vastly improve the speed, equity and innovation with which we prevent, prepare and respond to future pandemics.”
The project is jointly funded by the Victorian government and the foundation partners – University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute and Burnet Institute – contributing $400 million and $250 million respectively.
Early works, including the demolition of the existing buildings, are expected to be complete by late 2024. All subsequent construction works are anticipated to be finalised by 2027. More

City of Sydney councillors have approved a project to restore the interior of a brick kiln at Sydney Park to create a space for art exhibitions and small-scale community events.
Sydney parks was once home to a large brick-making facility thanks to the abundance of clay soil. The remnant structures, including the brick kilns and chimneys, are locally heritage listed for cultural and historic significance.
The restoration of Down Draught Kiln 2 will be part of the Sydney Park Brick Kilns Precinct Renewal project, originally endorsed by the council in August 2022. Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and JMD Design were appointed to create a concept design for the renewal project.
“The history of the Brick Kilns Precinct has been made visible and celebrated as a sculpture garden. Lost elements such as the railway tracks, the processing plant, and some kiln structures will be reinterpreted in the design, unearthing and linking the narrative of its hidden history,” said Tonkin Zulaikha Greer in a statement on its website.
Since then, the council has undertaken investigation to determine the feasibility of activating one more kiln for community use.

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The history of the Brick Kilns Precinct has been made visible and celebrated as a sculpture garden. Image:

Tonkin Zulaikha Greer

Down Draught Kiln 2 was identified as the only one of the structures capable of accommodating internal gatherings. The newly endorsed scope of works also includes creating a raised lawn area and plaza spaces for small outdoor gatherings, improving access to Sydney Park from Princes Highway and stabilising the brick kilns and reinstating roofs on the structures. Two larger kilns – the Hardy and Hoffman kilns – will also be restored as part of the project scope.
“This is the largest intact precinct of brick kilns in the state and opening up a small part of it for art exhibitions and other community events is a fantastic result for our communities,” said lord mayor Clover Moore.
Sydney Park has space to move, sporting and fitness facilities, a cycling centre, playground, a skate park, our city farm and a host of native wildlife. This project to restore the brick kilns and chimneys site will further improve this award-winning park.”
Construction on the project will begin within the next year. More

Preliminary designs by Woods Bagot have been released for a mixed-use tower above Sydney’s Pyrmont Metro Station on Union Street – the latest over-station development proposed by Sydney Metro. The Concept State Significant Development Application proposes a tower be developed at the site of 37-69 Union Street, bordered by Edward Street and Pyrmont Bridge Road. […] More

A contemporary take on traditional coastal design, Modern Coastal homes blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Crisp white weatherboards, wide stacking doors, and clerestory windows define this style, offering laid-back luxury inspired by Australia’s beach shack history.Cladding manufacturer and supplier James Hardie has released the findings of its first annual research initiative, the Modern Homes Forecast 2024, a study of the trajectory of contemporary home design in Australia.
Facilitated by research experts Fiftyfive5, the study focused on architectural features, as well as exterior and interior design trends. The findings were ascertained from the collation of desktop research, AI insights, and expert interviews with architects, designers, and industry journalists.
Research was gathered from thousands of individual sources, including more than 28,340 posts from more than 200 global designers and influencers. These outcomes were then analysed against more than three million search terms.
In examining the housing design landscape, it was crucial to first understand the external factors driving change — forces that shape the way we want to live, and subsequently steer the direction of residential design.
On a local scale, Australia is experiencing a shift in family dynamics and living arrangements. Couples without children are projected to become the most common family type over the next five years. In addition, the cost of living and cultural influences have prompted people to consider multigenerational living arrangements, with 20 percent of the population now residing in multigenerational households.
Regional migration in Australia has increased by 16 percent from pre-pandemic figures. Simultaneously, there is a rising discontent with urban living – a dissatisfaction that resulted in regional migration upsurging from 10 percent in 2020 to 14 percent in 2023. This migration trend suggests a re-evaluation of lifestyle preferences.
More than 53 percent of Australians are currently working from home, prioritising and upgrading home offices to meet evolving work-from-home needs.
The advent of the digital consumer has resulted in an explosion of design trends and accompanying technologies used to create the ‘dream home’. This technological landscape sees users demanding higher quality products and more customisation in housing design. Climate change is another external factor driving design, partly driven by the 2022 National Construction Code, which mandates that all new homes in Australia must meet a minimum energy efficiency rating.

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James Hardie Fine Texture Axent Trim used in render of Japandi residence. Image: Supplied

In addition to assessing these external factors, the Modern Homes Forecast 2024 revealed seven lasting, popular and emerging residential styles: Modern Farmhouse, Box Modern, Modern Heritage, Mid-Century Modern, Japandi, Barn and Modern Coastal.
Modern Farmhouse: Bringing together traditional and contemporary features, this style prioritises modern functionality combined with comforting, classic features. Neutral colour schemes, open-plan layouts and the frequent integration of black window frames characterise this style.
Box Modern: This style is defined by large blocks or cube-shaped volumes that are stacked, intersecting, or arranged to form compelling, contemporary residences.
Modern Heritage: Characteristed by historical homes sensitively restored, boldly renovated or extended, Modern Heritage balances old and new through contrasting features.
Mid-Century Modern: A juxtaposition of clean, geometric lines with organic shapes and bright accents.
Japandi: Combining Scandinavian functionality with Japanese minimalism, Japandi is reflected by the use of natural materials, neutral and warm colours and indoor/outdoor living.
Barn: Inspired by Nordic minimalism and a desire to connect with nature, this architectural genre emphasises clean lines and craftsmanship. A pitched roof, open-plan living and the use of natural materials define this style.
Modern Coastal: Modern Coastal homes blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Crisp white weatherboards, wide stacking doors and clerestory windows are all features of this style.
Upon completing the study, James Hardie has produced a series of Design Handbooks to offer insights into each of the seven architectural styles. The handbooks demonstrate design features, material textures and colour palettes of each style, along with a selection of James Hardie exterior cladding options to assist with bringing the vision to life.
To find out more about the study, its findings or cladding solutions, visit the James Hardie website. More

The restoration of Sydney’s Parramatta Town Hall is complete, with a new link established to connect the Parramatta Civic Hub and the town hall.
The primary objective of the project was to refurbish the 1883 town hall to better suit contemporary needs as an entertainment venue while preserving the original heritage fabric of the building. The project’s design team included Designinc, Lacoste and Stevenson, MGA, and TKD Architects, in consultation with the City of Parramatta Council.

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Parramatta Town Hall renewal by Designinc, Lacoste and Stevenson, MGA, and TKD Architects, in consultation with the City of Parramatta Council. Image:

Brett Boardman

The town hall is physically joined to the Parramatta Civic Hub – also known as Phive – through a new addition called the Southern Terrace. The facades of Phive and the town hall are juxtaposed against each other, providing a defined distinction between old and new, historical and contemporary.
The multi-purpose terrace was developed in close consultation with the project’s design excellence jury and can be used as a foyer, gathering area or a performance stage. The terrace not only provides linkages between the town hall and Phive but provides access from the town hall to Parramatta Square.

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The Southern Terrace was developed in close consultation with the project’s design excellence jury and can be used as a foyer, gathering area or a performance stage. Image:

Brett Boardman

According to Designinc, sustainability was central to the redesign of town hall. The building is powered completely by renewable energy through a solar PV array on the roof of the Southern Terrace. About 90 percent of the construction waste produced was repurposed, as seen in the application of recycled heritage bricks and timber floors throughout the building.
“Material choices, particularly in the new public spaces facing the public square, prioritise durability to ensure longevity in usage, encapsulating Parramatta Town Hall as a symbol of historical preservation and sustainable evolution,” Designinc stated.
As part of the restorative project, Jubilee Hall was converted to house food and beverage offerings, in a move that sought to activate the Northern Laneway. Additionally, the renewal involved upgrading utilities, services and amenities such as acoustics, audio-visual technology, air conditioning, lift access and fire safety technology.
In the next stage of Parramatta Square’s development, design elements reflecting the site’s historical, cultural and First Nations significance will be integrated by council. More