Architecture

The federal government has revealed the winners of its national Reimagining Where We Live design ideas competition, which challenged architects, landscape architects and designers to design aged care facilities that have potential to improve residents’ quality of life.
The competition called on design practitioners to conceptualise aged care homes that were welcoming, safe, accessible and dementia friendly, while simultaneously testing the draft National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines throughout the design process.
The jury comprised 2023 Gold Medallist Kerstin Thompson, architects John Choi, Allan Kong and Sophie Dyring, interior designer Erin McDonald, landscape architect Catherin Bull, media personality Tim Ross, as well as 2023 Senior Australian of the Year Tom Calma and dementia care expert Stephen Judd.
Two categories – Regional Town and Urban Metro – were judged as part of the competition, with participants able to submit designs for one or both categories. Fifty entries from all six Australian states were received, with no entries from any of the territories.
The jury stated it was “energised and impressed” by the quality of the submissions.
“Entrants were challenged by the need to balance lifestyle options, specific support needs (e.g. for people with a diagnosis of dementia) and potential resulting operational implications. Nevertheless, the jury is of the opinion that in a real-world codesign scenario, an outcome that positively balanced these could be achieved,” the jury commented.
“The jury considered that with design development some proposals – in whole or part – could become typology models for future design consideration.”
First place winners of each category have been awarded $50,000, while second place winners have been granted $20,000.
Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells said the entries demonstrate the value of good design in vastly improving a person’s quality of life.
“Good design can vastly improve the quality of life for older people living in aged care, and the working environments of the people who care for them,” Wells said.
“Through this design challenge, we’ve seen innovative ideas and accommodation solutions that will shape the future of aged care accommodation and support older people to live meaningful lives in safe, high quality residential care when it is needed.”
The winning competition projects include:
Urban Metro category
First place
Scales of Care – LM2A with Super Natural
“An exceptional proposition designed as a dynamic connection between the individual and the community to create a productive relationship … between the practice of care, and the environment in which it takes place … a positive feedback loop … fostered between the resident and the world around them,” commented the jury.
Second place
Connection, Community and Movement – Walter and Walter
Highly commended
Reflection Home – Cultivar and Wild Studio
Canopy – Jacqueline Bartholomeusz, David Sutherland, Lorraine Calder and Oculus
Commended
An Ordinary Life – T and Z Architects and Aspect Studios
Regional town category
First place
Manu Place – Monash Urban Lab with NMBW Architecture Studio, BoardGrove Architects, BLOXAS and Glas Landscape Architects
“This is an outstanding proposition which critically addressed the principles and guidelines with a strong and appropriately scaled low-rise spatial program sensitively and intelligently embedded within the site context and neighbourhood,” said the jury.
Second place
All Together Now – Other Architects, Openwork, Andy Fergus and Alicia Pozniak
Highly commended
The Connected Garden – Mark Boffa, Guruge Ruwani Dharmasiri, Pulasthi Wijekoon, Jana Osvald and Julie Ockerby More

Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory has received a $24.5 million grant from the federal government to establish a medical program, which will be housed in a new building designed by DWP Australia and Ashford Group Architects. The university first announced plans for a medical school in 2021. In 2023, construction began on the […] More

Heritage Victoria has inducted a brutalist beauty – Geelong’s State Government Offices building – onto the state heritage register. The six-storey building, located on the corner of Fenwick and Little Malop streets, is of the brutalist architectural style, constructed from robust materials like steel and reinforced concrete that are synonymous with the genre. The building […] More

Applications are now open for the 2024 Melbourne Awards, with the program set to celebrate those leaving a positive and enduring mark on the city. The 2024 Melbourne Awards will include eight awards categories, two of which focus on rewarding good design. The City Design category will celebrate the work of organisations that have helped […] More

Several architecture and landscape architecture practices have been recognised in the 2024 National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards for their efforts in prioritising heritage conservation in redevelopment projects.
Nineteen projects were awarded across nine categories, including Aboriginal Heritage; Advocacy; Architecture; Built Conservation; Interiors and Objects; Landscape; Education and Interpretation; Events, Exhibitions and Tours, and Resources and Publications, among other individual and special categories, including: New Young Achiever; Heritage Skills Lifetime Achievement; Cathy Donnelly Memorial; Judges’ Choice, and the President’s Prize.
Architect Matthew Devine chaired the awards jury, alongside jurors Ann Toy, Barrina South, Caitlin Allen, David Burdon, Kathryn Pitkin, Libby Gallagher and Peter John Cantrill.
The winners of the 2024 National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards are:
Architecture
119 Redfern Street, Redfern – entered by Aileen Sage Architects
Built Conservation
The Glass House: Bill and Ruth Lucas, Castlecrag – entered by Cracknell and Lonergan Architects
The White Bay Power Station, Rozelle – entered by Placemaking NSW, Design 5 Architects, CBRE and FDC
Interiors and Objects
NSW Parliament Chambers Restoration Project, Sydney – entered by Department of Parliamentary Services
Restoration of D class Tramcar 117 of 1899, Loftus – entered by Sydney Tramway Museum
Landscape
West Head Lookout, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park – entered by Oculus and Bruce Mackenzie with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Judges’ Choice
The White Bay Power Station, Rozelle – entered by Placemaking NSW, Design 5 Architects, CBRE and FDC
To see the shortlisted projects, visit here. More

A State Significant Development Application for the proposed establishment of a 22-storey mixed-use building on a five ways in North Sydney has been lodged.
Designed by Turner Studio, the proposed building would be located at 391/423 Pacific Highway in Crows Nest on a trilateral site known as the Five Ways Triangle.
The building – dubbed Fiveways Crows Nest – comprises three floors for retail and commercial use, 19 residential levels with 191 units (including 33 affordable units), and seven floors of basement car parking for residents and non-residents. The proposal also indicates that two-way vehicular access would be provided from Alexander Street, as well as pedestrian link.
The proposed building takes shape as a tower atop a podium, with communal open space at the podium level. The materiality of the facade includes metal cladding, brickwork, and glazing for the windows and balustrades.
According to Turner Studio, one of the primary design objectives was to extend the activated atmosphere of the nearby Crows Nest Village and its retail offerings, with the site providing yet another space for community connection.
“The development envisions a fine-grain experience supported by retail and active hubs that will play an important role in creating the character and identity for the development within the local urban framework,” Turner Studio states in the design report.
Land and Form Studios were engaged for landscaping design. The studio has prioritised biophilic design principles, community areas for social connection, safety, and a strong sense of place in the proposal.
“The pedestrian link act as the primary connectivity spines with finer grain permeability promoted throughout the ground plane maximising access and circulation,” Land and Form’s design statement specifies. “Trees are used to frame spaces and ensure clear visibility to and from the streetscape at all times. Regular congregation spaces and retail activation enables passive surveillance to all areas, discouraging undesired behaviour and possible blind spots.”
Land and Form Studios have proposed dividing the communal open space at the podium level to include a passive sun garden, a shade sculpture garden, and a social community hub with outdoor barbeque and dining area.
The State Significant Development Application is on exhibition until 6 June. The project client is Deicorp. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has expressed concern over the federal government’s 2024-25 budget, which it says “falls short” in measures for decarbonising the built environment.
The budget, which was released on 14 May, included greater investment in a more resilient economy powered by clean energy, as well as more social and Indigenous housing.
The Institute said that while it commended the government’s pledge to grow the clean energy workforce, the budget lacks substantial investment “in low-carbon building materials, research, development and local manufacturing capabilities,” adding that the absence of guidelines for the adaptive reuse and retrofitting of existing buildings was “particularly concerning.”
“The Institute agrees with the treasurer that there is a golden opportunity to decarbonise and move towards a circular economy. Yet, vital investments in low carbon solutions and practical guidelines for existing infrastructures are missing,” said the national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, Jane Cassidy.
Also lacking, the Institute said, is enough funding to improve national datasets and maps for climate resilience, which it stated is a critical component of designing buildings capable of withstanding the impacts of climate change.
Although it welcomed the budget’s provisions for social housing and Indigenous housing in remote communities, the Institute said “more must be done to increase housing supply that is climate resilient, energy efficient, and durable.”
“As an industry and as a nation, we must adapt swiftly to deliver timely, affordable, resilient, and sustainable housing to meet the needs of the community and the planet,” said Cassidy.
“Every Australian deserves a home that is safe, comfortable, and enhances their quality of life. Architects are key to making this a reality. Inclusive, sustainable, and affordable housing is not just a dream, but a feasible reality with architects leading the design and construction of our homes. The housing crisis is not just a problem to solve, but an opportunity to build better communities. Architects are at the heart of this transformation.”
The Institute also urged for more investment in circular economy education and training, and more funding for making public buildings more accessible. It stated, “accessibility goes beyond mere compliance with standards; it involves creating environments that are usable and welcoming for everyone, regardless of physical ability. This requires a holistic approach that incorporates universal design principles at the core of all public infrastructure projects.” More

A $780 million redevelopment proposal to transform Richmond’s Victoria Gardens shopping centre precinct into more than 800 homes has been fast-tracked. Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny jointly announced on 14 May that the state government had greenlighted the project, designed by Cox Architecture and NH Architecture. The redevelopment will see 827 […] More