Subterms
The Australian Institute of Architects has welcomed the NSW government’s decision to cease further development on Western Sydney’s flood plains. In a move that seeks to prevent further homes from being developed and endangering lives, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully announced on 29 November that the government had rezoned land in Western […] More
The tallest mass timber office building in Melbourne has been completed at 15 storeys, designed by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. The 18,200-square-metre office building, named T3 Collingwood, has been designed with sustainability in mind. Constructed using Victorian oak responsibly sourced from Australian forests, the structure represents a 34 per cent reduction in embodied carbon. Glazed […] More
Tasmania Makes
A lineup of talented Tasmanian makers and designers from diverse design disciplines will come together to participate in the Tasmania Makes exhibition, held in Launceston between 9 December 2023 and 3 March 2024. Various modes of making will be on display with each creative piece speaking to the experience of living in Tasmania – the challenges, and advantages of working on an island and how this is reflected through design.
1 Shot 23
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Kaufmann’s Mistress (Arrival). Image:
Tom Blachford
The Image Makers Association has unveiled their 1 Shot exhibition, which features 45 captivating photographs from Australia’s pre-eminent photographers presenting their interpretation of the theme titled “Home / Away”. ‘Home’ can be seen interpreted as a physical place, a feeling, a person or a memory triggered by a chance encounter, whereas ‘Away’ is not always in reference to geographical distance from home, but in the extension of ourselves from familiar patterns and routines into the lesser known parts of our inner and outer worlds. The exhibition will run until 19 January 2024 in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.
Over Thirty
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Yam, 2008, by Michael Nelson Jagamara, acrylic on canvas. Image:
Courtesy of Michael Nelson Jagamara
To mark their 30th year, Fireworks Gallery in Brisbane has assembled a significant number of small works, all measuring 30 x 30cm, for an exhibition entitled Over Thirty. On show will be more than fifty small artworks from a cross- section of Queensland and the Northern Territory. Artist highlights include Rosella Namok, Joanne Currie Nalingu, Jennifer Herd, Michael Nelson Jagamara, David Paulson, Yvonne Mills-Stanley, Bill Whiskey, Ian Waldron and Milan Milojevic, as well as works from Art Centres in the desert- Warlukurlangu at Yuendumu and Maruku Arts at Uluru. The exhibition will be held on Saturday December 2.
At Home
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At Home features a series of free discussions, installations, exhibitions and events exploring the concept of ‘home’ and the built environment. Image: Supplied
At Home, to be held in Melbourne between 1 to 3 December, features a series of free discussions, installations, exhibitions and events exploring the concept of ‘home’ and the built environment. Program highlights include Place Patterns, Anindita Banerjee explores the meaning of home with various Wyndham residents through recorded interviews; Religions on the Fringe, a photographic and installation work exploring the expression of religious identity in Melbourne’s outer west; Country and the Home, artist Steven Rhall and designer Jack Mitchell discuss themes of Country, suburban expansion, belonging, and the intersections between cultural, personal and environmental justice; and Use/Misuse of the Home, artists Rory Hyde, Akwal Magek and Damien Laing discuss their experiences on the “misuse” of domestic space.
Rearranged: Art of the Flower exhibition
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Rearranged: Art of the Flower exhibition to be held at the Museum of Brisbane. Image: Supplied
The Rearranged: Art of the Flower exhibition to be held at Museum of Brisbane will run until 11 August 2024. A contemporary and stunning collection of works inspired by floral motifs will be on display, brought to life by more than 20 established and emerging artists. Each artist will present floral visuals in their unique, creative disclipine such as still-life compositions, hyper-realistic paintings, textiles, sculptures, stained glass artworks, ceramics, and mixed media installations. More
Three Australian projects are among the winners and commendations from the first day of the World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors Awards. From the more than 30 Australian projects shortlisted in the Completed Buildings and Future Buildings categories, only one received a highly commended in the Culture category: Melbourne Holocaust Museum by […] More
Victoria’s only children’s hospice in Malvern has reopened following a redevelopment of the facility, completed by Andrew Simpson Architects and Barbarra Bamford. The new Sister Margaret Noone Hospice at Very Special Kids House on Glenferrie Road has been designed to be a place of comfort and diversion for paediatric palliative care residents. Brought to life […] More
Three Australian project have been recognized the 2023 Dezeen Awards. The popular design blog announced 39 project winners from a pool of 4,800 entries across 94 countries.
Seven architecture projects and six interior projects from Australia were shortlisted in the awards.
Nightingale Village, by Hayball and Breathe and Architecture Architecture and Austin Maynard Architects and Clare Cousins Architects and Kennedy Nolan, was named Housing Project of the Year as well as Sustainable Building of the Year.
“This project exemplifies a new approach to housing, with a focus on society, community and wellbeing,” said the judges of the Housing Project category. “With an emphasis on cooperative design to address the challenges of housing in our cities, the project presents different typologies for different types of people and families living together. The collaboration of the six architects on the project has added richness to the variety of materials and spaces, which are both generous and humane.”
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Nightingale Leftfield by Kennedy Nolan. Image:
Tom Ross
Judges of the Sustainable Building category added, “Nightingale Village provides a replicable, market-viable model for how new housing can benefit both people and planet. It offers affordable homes in the face of a housing crisis while reducing inhabitant’s reliance on fossil fuels, cutting out all need for natural gas and even attaining special permission to provide only 20 parking spaces for more than 200 homes – a radical decision in its suburban Australian context.”
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Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney Modern Gallery Shop by Akin Atelier. Image:
Rory Gardiner
In the Interiors categories, Sydney Modern Gallery Shop by Akin Atelier received Retail Interior (Small) of the Year. “It is such a challenge to design a space which can stand on its own and break away from the larger space in which it lives. Akin Atelier took cues from materials such as sandstone, a natural material which maintains enclosure and natural light, and stainless steel, informed by the building’s structure,” the judges said.
“The earthy hues give a sense of warmth and luxury. The curved bookshelf is a simple and delicate response to what could have been a cold space.”
Bundanon Art Museum by Kerstin Thompson Architects was also highly commended for Cultural Project of the Year.
See all the winners of the 2023 Dezeen Awards. More
A new garden established at the University of Tasmania’s recently completed Inveresk campus has resulted in a reflective, native landscape that is rich in First Nations identity and culture. The Riawunna Garden at River’s Edge, designed by Wardle, T3D Studios, and Aspect Studios, is located near the university’s north-eastern entrance. The garden features native plants, a performance space, and four artworks designed by Tasmanian Aboriginal artists Genie Battese and Lynne Spotswood. Battese and Spotswood were commissioned to convey and embed First Nations stories throughout the garden, a vision that was brought to life through the design of outdoor screens, seating, a shade shelter and fire pit cover.
Collaborating with the university’s design team, the artists developed works that showcase earthly elements, as well as represent the spirits of Aboriginal people, those from the past and those still living. The spirits are depicted as moving through the landscape and connecting with Country.
Family and community, as well as native reeds and grasses are illustrated on the metal garden screens, and have been achieved through a laser cutting process.
The element of fire is visible on the fire pit lid with the word ”patrula” (fire) inscribed directly underneath. Etched into the pavement are the words “kanamaluka” (Tamar River), “laykila” (North Esk River) and ”plipatumila” (South Esk River), giving recognition to the context of the site and its connection to freshwater.
“We were walking along laykila/the North Esk River looking at all the reeds, the grasses and the river flow, all the noises and the smells, and just listening. That’s when we got the idea that we’d have the theme of rivers and reeds in our artwork,” Spotswood said.
“Freshwater is also essential, and so is fire, so we incorporated those two elements in the commission along with our community connections and palawa kani – our language.”
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The shade canopy comprises nine sections, with each section symbolising Tasmania’s nine Aboriginal Nations. Image:
Courtesy of University of Tasmania
The seat and shelter were inspired by the traditional practice of basket-weaving. The shade canopy comprises nine sections, with each section symboliszing Tasmania’s nine Aboriginal Nations. The shelter will eventually house woven artwork displays crafted by Aboriginal people.
“I imagine visitors of the Riawunna Garden will feel very peaceful and relaxed as it’s where people will be sitting down and yarning, and they might go and explore and hopefully reflect on the old people who would have once been walking through the freshwater and hunting and gathering there,” Spotswood said.
Amanda Kay from T3D Studios said their practice met up with Genie and Lynne over a period of three months to assist with transforming their ideas into physical artworks.
“Through a series of workshops, we worked with Genie and Lynne who spoke of their cultural heritage and identity, sharing personal stories and experiences which both informed and enriched the three artworks for the garden. I have been empowered by this exchange and connect deeply with the work,” Kay said. More
Individuals and practices who have made significant strides in improving the built environment for the betterment of society have been recognized at three separate state honours announcements made by the Australian Institute of Architects.
The Institute’s NSW, Victorian and Tasmanian chapters have each announced a suite of awards, with each award highlighting the remarkable work being undertaken across the nation.
In NSW, 30 practitioners and organizations were presented with Prizes and Honours Awards. Three Prizes for Reconciliation were each awarded to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community social enterprise Gujaga Foundation, architect and educator Dr Michael Mossman, and the Heritage NSW and Heritage Council of NSW.
The NSW Land and Housing Corporation and the Blacktown City Council jointly received President’s Prizes, with the NSW Land and Housing Corporation lauded for delivering high-quality social housing, and Blacktown City Council for advancing their community through the facilitation of projects such as Woodcroft Neighbourhood Centre by Carter Williamson Architects and Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) by Sam Crawford Architects.
The David Lindner Prize for graduate and emerging architects was received by Isabella Reynolds for her research proposal on how the built environment can better respond to issues faced by individuals suffering from invisible chronic pain and illness.
The Christopher Procter Prize was presented to emerging architect Andrea Lam for her project that sought to rethink and reimagine Australia’s urban Chinatowns through a study trip to San Francisco’s Chinatown, one of the oldest in the western world.
Catherine Lassen, senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, won the Marion Mahony Griffin Prize for her unwavering and passionate commitment to not only advancing the field but mentoring and educating others.
In Tasmania, the 2023 Barry McNeill Graduate Prize was presented to graduating student of the University of Tasmania’s Master of Architecture program, Jessie-Anne Pankiw.
In awarding Pankiw, the jury commented that she is a “committed and highly competent designer,” whose “enthusiasm and desire to consider challenging concepts will continue to inform her future in architecture.”
Pankiw’s accomplishments include serving as the president of the DArchside Student Society, as well as contributing to organization the 2024 Ground Matters Australasian Architecture Student Congress.
Her graduate project, “Procession” challenged the human inclination toward frailty when confronted with death, through the proposal of a quarry as the site for funerary functions.
“The selection of a functioning quarry to house a funerary operation is a macabre choice, the committal process enabling site rehabilitation through the use of decomposing bodies to fertilise the landscape. Precariously placed upon a series of slender columns, the primary building is an exquisite, captivating study in the power of subtractive tectonics, the mass carefully carved to let the play of light animate the subterranean incised spaces within,” the jury said.
“The operation is analogous to the way the quarry empties material from the earth, also amplifying the insecurity of the quarrying process. While the tension between the architecture and the terraced ground can be further explored, the project successfully establishes an unsettling dialogue with these diverse extractive processes, across scales.”
Students shortlisted for the 2023 Barry McNeill Graduate Prize include Taj Allen, Jing Xian (Jax) Cheng, Dylan Gardner, Mellisa Lee Hue Lau, and Steph Papastavrou.
In Victoria, senior associate and lead Indigenous advisor at Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, Sarah Lynn Rees was honoured with the President’s Prize, while Simon Robinson was the recipient of Robert Caulfield Graduate Research Scholarship. More
