Architecture

The Robin Boyd Foundation has announced the upcoming launch of a residential design competition, inviting architectural students to reinterpret the site of Boyd’s Walsh Street House in Melbourne through a contemporary lens.

The forthcoming Walls Around Us Student Competition builds on the success of the inaugural competition held in 2022/23. The first competition saw James Urlini, a Melbourne School of Design student, win with an entry titled House in a Grassy Plain. The winning scheme was lauded by the jury for its “understanding of the Walsh Street site – its limits and opportunities,” said jury chair Philip Goad.
This year, entrants are required to conceptualise a design that engages with themes of circularity and reuse. According to the competition brief, this could include “adaptive reuse, retrofit, kit-of-parts analysis and reassembly or designing for disassembly.” In keeping with the theme, participants are prompted to think critically about material usage and explore ways to reduce material quantities, and improve the longevity of structures and materials on site.
When developing a concept, students should engage with Boyd – his ideas, interests and approaches to design – for inspiration.
The brief for the competition states, “We ask you to consider this: If Robin Boyd were present today, how would he challenge architects to rethink the way we design and specify buildings? How would he urge us to align with the values of the circular economy – creating systems that not only reduce material consumption but also ensure their ongoing life?”

The 2024/2025 competition will be judged by national business development manager for Brickworks Building Products, Eve Castle; senior lecturer of Architecture and Urban Design at Melbourne’s RMIT University, Dr Christine Phillips, and Gerard Reinmuth, director of Terroir and Professor of practice in the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney.
Students enrolled in an architectural course at an Australian university during 2024 are eligible to apply for the forthcoming competition.
The successful entrant will win a trip to Venice, Italy, to experience the Vernissage of the 2025 Architecture Biennale.
Entries will be accepted from Monday 2 December 2024. The submission portal will close on Monday 3 February 2025. An online information session will be held on Monday 2 December.
For more information regarding the competition, visit the Robin Boyd Foundation website. More

A craft and design festival in Canberra and a symposium about the opportunities and challenges associated with the exhibition of historical houses are among the cultural activities to attend this November.

The tenth Craft and Design Canberra Festival will respond to a theme of regeneration. Connecting Canberra’s community with more than 500 artists, craftspeople, designers and architects, the 2024 festival will promote collaboration and making by hand. This festival will take place between 1–10 November, with a program that includes exhibitions, workshops, talks, open studios, tours and markets.

Australian and international experts from academia, museum and heritage sectors have been invited to partake in a series of themed panels exploring the memories and stories that house museums hold; the innovative ways of interpreting the history of houses and the challenges that come with preserving and maintaining houses for the purpose of exhibition. This one-day symposium – to be held in Melbourne on 6 November – will feature speakers, such as Hannah Lewi of the University of Melbourne, Corbett Lyon of Lyons and Josephine Briginshaw of the Robin Boyd Foundation, among others.

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More than 100 experiences are planned for the 2024 Open House Hobart event. True to tradition, the program will feature tours of captivating houses across nipaluna/Hobart, showcasing homes of various ages and styles, allowing visitors to glimpse different lifestyles. A diverse assortment of new and refurbished residences including Pedder Street by Bence Mulcahy (2023), Bruny Island Cabin by Maguire and Devine Architects (2017), Coopworth by FMD Architects (2020) will be open for inspection across 3, 9 and 10 November.

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Linden New Art presents Design Fringe, Melbourne Fringe Festival’s annual contemporary design exhibition, to be held until 24 November. The 2024 theme is We have shared bread and salt, an ancient greek proverb which celebrates the role of design in fostering togetherness. The proverb highlights the power of the dining table as a gathering place, inspiring new forms of connection and understanding through food. The exhibition will present 65 works – including textiles, jewellery, furniture and ceramics – from 58 creatives across Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and NSW.

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Geelong Design Week is an annual celebration that shines a spotlight on design excellence, innovation, and creative problem-solving, through the presentation of insightful workshops, exhibitions and discussions. The full program will be revealed on 28 October, with the event to be held between 21–30 November.

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Aria Property Group and Koichi Takada Architects have resubmitted their Urban Forest project in South Brisbane for development approval. First submitted in 2020, the developer’s initial application for a 30-storey tower was subsequently reduced to 20 storeys to gain council approval, however the downsized scheme was unable to be realised at the time due to increased construction costs and market conditions.
In order to meet recent housing demand, local council and state government recently implemented a Temporary Local Planning Instrument in the Kulrilpa area, reducing the site’s previous limitations around building height and carparking. The mechanism has enabled Aria to submit the new 30-storey design for the site at 23–25 Glenelg Street.

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By countering the urban heat island effect with a lush urban landscape, the reimagined project hopes to set a new standard for environmental sustainability in Australia. Koichi Takada, principal of Koichi Takada Architects, commented, “When designing Urban Forest, it was our ambition to make it one of the greenest residential projects in the world. We want to inspire a competitive shift from the tallest buildings to the greenest.”
According to a statement from the developer, the proposal responds to nearby Musgrave Park by incorporating 827 trees and 27,000 plants to “create a thriving urban forest.” The building’s landscaping footprint covers 200 percent of the site area with 251 plant species.
The proposal also features a public park under the building, echoing Aria’s nearby Fish Lane development. Spanning 1,350 square metres of area, this park will include a stage, outdoor classrooms, amphitheatre and event space. At its centre, a privately-managed information centre will provide education on the biodiversity, design and maintenance of the building and its landscape.

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According to Aria design manager Simon Maurice, the team’s approach has been “to celebrate Brisbane’s subtropical climate and bring the traditional backyard experience into each apartment.” By oversizing balconies and ensuring cross-ventilation to apartments, the proposal hopes to set a new benchmark for Brisbane City Council’s Buildings that Breathe guidelines.
Aria development director Michael Hurley expressed his enthusiasm about contributing to Brisbane’s housing supply while also setting a precedent for sustainable architecture worldwide.
“As we lead towards the 2032 Olympics, Brisbane should be embracing more green and sustainable towers that will put our city on an international standing,” Hurley said. “In time, we want Brisbane to be mentioned in the same breath as Singapore as a global leader in green buildings and sustainability.” More

Walker Corporation have recently lodged a development application for twin towers within Maroochydore city centre on Brisbane’s Sunshine Coast. Titled, “SOL,” the design by Plus Architecture comprises two 19-storey residential buildings above a podium of ground floor retail spaces and two levels of commercial offices.
Walker Corporation’s managing director and chief executive officer David Gallant noted the project’s site is strategically positioned to boost the region’s housing supply, with billions of dollars being invested to create a purpose-built CBD. “SOL will bring 251 […] apartments and townhouses to the Maroochydore City Centre next door to jobs, restaurants, cafes and future transport links, all within walking distance of the beach,” he said.
Of the 251 dwellings, the proposal includes a variety of residential typologies, including shoptop units, townhouses, and one-, two-, three- and four-bed apartments. According to the architect’s design excellence statement, this mix is intended to accommodate diverse lifestyles and family structures.

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In its form, the project draws inspiration from the undulating landscapes and waterways of the Sunshine Coast, employing sculptural tower shapes that are oriented to maximise ocean, river and hinterland views. Deep slab projections and permeable balustrades have been designed to amplify natural light and airflow while creating strategic shading.
Chrisney Formosa, principal at Plus Architecture, reflected, “An appreciation of the Sunshine Coast’s natural beauty is at the heart of our design for SOL. We’ve crafted spaces that not only harmonise with the subtropical climate but also foster a deep connection between residents and their environment. From the thoughtful integration of public and private realms to the innovative amenities, every aspect of SOL is designed to elevate the urban living experience in Maroochydore.”

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The development will be assessed by Economic Development Queensland. Pending development approval, construction is anticipated to start on site mid-2025. More

The University of Tasmania has opened the final and largest building of their new campus in Launceston. The $97 million Willis Street building, built by Fairbrother and designed by Wardle, is the final piece of the puzzle in the university’s relocation from Newport to Inveresk, which has been ongoing since 2017 with an original masterplan by McBride Charles Ryan.
Vice-chancellor Professor Rufus Black commented that the $304 million new campus development at Inveresk, known as the Northern Transformation Program, has been the culmination of a decade of planning, collaboration and partnership between the university, the community and all three levels of government, representing a deep commitment to regional education.
Wardle, who was engaged with Aspect Studios to prepare an urban design framework for the site in 2019, also designed the campus’s award-winning Inveresk Library and River’s Edge building, along with modifications to the relocated Riawunna Centre. The newly completed Willis Street building, located on the east side of the river, connects to the main campus via the laykila/North Esk pedestrian and cycle bridge.
Known as The Shed, the building hosts the university’s health, medicine and science faculties across two wings that are joined by a central courtyard-like atrium. The building’s name and the orientation of the wings honours the two railway sheds that previously occupied the site into the mid-1900s.

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Wardle’s design includes simulation facilities for nursing students, a sensory lab for food science testing and several scientific research laboratories and clinics. According to Wardle partner James Loder, the building’s form departs from the uniform envelopes of surrounding industrial buildings by crafting openings that reveal “innovative demonstrations of contemporary learning and research environments to the wider urban environment.”
Inside, the building also creates spaces for community by accommodating health education programs for children and older adults, professional development workshops, sports science testing and wellbeing initiatives. It includes fully accessible changing facilities available for public use, a parenting room and a café.
Black noted that “as well as providing facilities equal to any in the nation for students and staff, The Shed will serve families, children, the community, the city and the region that shaped it. That is what this building, and our overall presence at Inveresk, is all about.”
Alongside community, sustainability is also at the core of The Shed, which employs structural Tasmanian timber, recyclable materials and finishes, and energy efficient building services. According to a statement from the University of Tasmania, The Shed has 35 percent less embodied carbon than similar projects and has set nation-leading benchmarks in low carbon building.
According to Loader, “The Shed is a building that consciously celebrates the endeavour of its inhabitants while establishing continuity with its context. It does this by foregrounding environmental responsibility and expanding the repertoire of industrial building types to promote the growth of a place-based university that is committed to forging deep and interdependent relationships between region, city, precinct and campus.”
With the final part of the campus now complete, 2025 will see the university’s entire cohort of students and staff based at Launceston’s Inveresk campus. More

The 2024 Australian Timber Design Awards have been announced with 15 projects receiving awards, including one in the United States.
The awards promote and encourage outstanding timber design in the built environment professions.
The aim of the awards is to develop a timber design ethos through the encouragement and showcasing of superlative timber design in a variety of applications.
The Timber Design Awards are open to builders, designers, architects, engineers and landscapers or anyone involved in the design or building of structures that feature timber. A Rising Star Award is available to students and entrants aged 35 and under.
Australian Timber Design Award 2024
Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C. – Bates Smart
Residential Class 1 – New Buildings
Taroona House – Candour and Archier
Residential Class 1 – Alteration or Addition
Verandah Terraces – Phorm Architecture and Design
Fitout – Residential
Northcote House – LLDS
Commercial Building
T3 Collingwood – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Public Building
Michael Kirby Building (Macquarie University Law School) – Hassell Studio
Fitout – Commercial and Public
Embassy of Australia, Washington DC – Bates Smart
Furniture and Joinery
Holocene House – Cplusc Architects and Builders
Standalone Structure
Fernery at Ballarat Botanic Gardens – Balance Architecture and Interior Design
Sustainability
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Rising Star
River House – Sarah Shearman, Brother Nature Design
International Projects
Embassy of Australia, Washington DC – Bates Smart
People’s Choice
Michael Kirby Building (Macquarie University Law School) – Hassell Studio
Australian Certified Timber
Irrawaddy – Incidental Architecture
Recycled Timber
First Steps Count Child and Community Centre – Austin McFarland Architects More

The City of Sydney is inviting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, architects and creatives to reimagine a narrow terrace in Redfern into a living museum.
Built in the 1880s, the terrace located at the intersection of Caroline and Hugo streets originally served as both a shop and a residence. It later became a dressing room and storage area for the adjacent sawmill before eventually becoming unoccupied. Today, the vacant building features a “Welcome to Redfern” mural, which was created by Reko Rennie alongside young, local Aboriginal artists in 2013.

The council is now accepting proposals to transform the terrace’s interior into a space for showcasing and collecting contemporary and archival local materials, as well as storytelling.
Curator Emily McDaniel said the competition will be accepting submissions from First Nations artists, architects, filmmakers and sound designers. “It could be a museum, an artist studio or artwork, and somewhere community can share knowledge and creativity,” she said.

Following occupation in Australia, Redfern became home to many First Nations people. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, extended families began relocating to the area to seek work and make a living. Caroline Street and its vicinity, referred to as The Block, emerged as a vital gathering place for Sydney’s Aboriginal communities.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the conversion of the terrace into a living museum ensures Redfern’s rich history as a hub for First Nations community, culture and activism is told.

“This project is inspired by the pride, courage and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and we hope it will become a landmark where important contemporary and historic Aboriginal stories are shared in a rapidly changing urban environment,” Moore said.
“The City of Sydney is committed to redressing the imbalance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recognition and perspectives in the public domain by investing in these artworks and places. By acknowledging our shared past, we are laying the groundwork for a future which embraces all Australians, a future based on mutual respect and shared responsibility for this land.”
The Lord Mayor said the terrace transformation would complement plans to upgrade three neighbourhood parks in the area, including the reserve where the building is located.
“As our city grows and more areas are developed, creating inviting places where the local community can come together and socialise is even more important,” she said.
Three shortlisted proposals will be selected from the entry pool. Assessors will look favourably upon proposals that exhibit originality in concept, as well as a strong conceptual approach and methodology. Entries should adhere to Aboriginal consultation and cultural protocols.
Proposals can be submitted until 19 November. Visit the City of Sydney website to find out more about the selection process or Tenderlink to express your interest. More

The 2024 ArchiTeam Awards finalists have been announced, with 33 projects across five categories recognised for their innovation.
Open to ArchiTeam members across Australia, the awards categories for entries include Residential Alterations and Additions; Residential New; Commercial, Community and Public; Unbuilt; and Innovation and Contribution.
Led by Imogen Pullar (Imogen Pullar Architecture) as jury chair, the 2024 jury comprises Matthew Bird (Studio Bird), Kim Bridgland (Edition Office), Laura Harding (Hill Thalis), Lara Maeseele (Tanner Architects), Mark Simpson (Design Office) and Jessica Agoston (Niche Media/ADR).
The winners of this year’s program will be formally announced at the ArchiTeam Awards Opening Night on Thursday, 21 November in Melbourne.
Residential New Award – up to $1.2 million
Forest Road House – Wiesebrock Architecture
Inverloch Beach House – Birthisel Wittingslow Architects
Little More House – MEGA
Life Down a Lane – Tom Robertson Architects
Little Brick House – Ben Callery Architects
Mount Macedon House – Ben Lance Architects

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Residential New Award – above $1.2 million
Dennis House – Olaver Architecture
Gable Park – Weaver and Co Architects
Tea House – Krisna Cheung Architects

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Residential Alterations and Additions – up to $700,000
Austin House – Fowler and Ward
Bob’s Bungalow – Blair Smith Architecture
Brunswick West House – Nardel Architects
House in Lilyfield – Charmaine Pang Architect
Heartbeat House – Mihaly Slocombe Architects
Kirribilli Downsize Apartment – Tsai Design
Little Brick Cottage – Perversi-Brooks Architects
Park St House – Michael Ong Design Office

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Residential Alterations and Additions – between $700,000 and $1.2 million
Hale Street – Philip Stejskal Architecture
Life Cycle – Steffen Welsch Architects
Marianne House – Victoria Merrett Architecture
Silhouette House – Inbetween Architecture
Residential Alterations and Additions – over $1.2 million
Fringe Dweller – Mihaly Slocombe Architects
Skygarden – Architecture Architecture
Commercial, Community and Public Award
Brandon Park Primary School – Architecture Architecture
Centred – Sarah Lake Architects
Mackellar Primary School, Accessible Playground – Architecture Architecture
Milanote Headquarters – Fowler and Ward
Olivine Community Pavilion – Canvas Projects
TinyTails Retreat – MET Architecture
Wangun Amphitheatre – Equity Office
Unbuilt Award
Greens Beach Retreat – Field Office Architecture
Conditions of Comfort – Office of Culture, Technology and Architecture (OCTA)
Take Up Your Cross – Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – Sarah Lake Architects
Innovation and Contribution Award
No finalists More