Architecture

A survey of architecture practitioners has found that an overwhelming majority of architects are concerned about the climate crisis, but they continue to face resistance to change from the wider built environment industry.
The survey was conducted by the cross-institutional research group Architecture Climate Future, comprising researchers from the University of Queensland, University of New South Wales, RMIT University, University of Sydney, Western Sydney University and Building 4.0 CRC.
Conducted in late 2022, the survey received 899 responses from practitioners.
“We asked practitioners about their perceptions of the climate crisis, what they and their practice were doing about it and their hopes for the future of the profession,” Liz Brogden, who coordinated the survey.
The survey round that 93 percent of architecture practitioners reported concern about climate change, and that 95 percent agree that architects should be part of the solution to climate change issues. 79 percent reported that their workplaces are actively involved in sustainable practices.
The survey also revealed a gap in knowledge for practitioners. While 86 percent were confident about applying passive design principles, only 26 percent were confident with whole life-cycle assessment and 22 percent were confident applying Indigenous care for Country strategies.
“Many felt that the profession falls short due to a lack of knowledge,” the survey report reads.
“This knowledge gap was observed by some as a “pipeline problem” starting in higher education, where outdated curricula perpetuate a lack of skills and knowledge about sustainability. In practice, staff need retraining, with some respondents expressing frustration that senior staff hold entrenched beliefs and resist change. The need to build change management skills was also mentioned.”
Brogden added that “Many respondents said they were overwhelmed by the number of different sustainability rating systems and tools available, with a strong call for a more ‘standardized’ central source of climate information.”
According to respondents to the survey, access to education is also scattered with 83 percent relying on self-education to upskill, 42 percent said target sustainability CPD would be useful, and 79 percent said Indigenous care for country is an important part of the solution to climate change.
Additionally, 82 percent of practitioners felt obstructed by barriers to achieving sustainable design outcomes, with the majority citing clients (61.3 percent) and developers (51.9 percent) among the top three barriers.
“[The respondents] observed that clients frequently focus on capital expenditure without considering operational costs over the life cycle of a project. Compounding this problem is the fast turnover development model driving a “race to the bottom” approach to sustainable design.”
The survey also generated 1063 recommendations for action, which included increasing knowledge about sustainability, advocating for more support and connecting across industries and disciplines, and with First Nations peoples.
Architects feel implicated in climate change issues because of the environmental impacts of the built environment, and this can have psychosocial implications for the profession,” Brogden said.
“But being solutions-oriented and a creative discipline, architecture is also perfectly placed to imagine and advocate for effective climate action.” More

A new library in south-west Sydney’s Liverpool has opened, marking the first stage of a wider $600 million activation of Liverpool Civic Place. The library, named Yellamundie – The Story Teller, has been designed by FJC Studio (formerly FJMT). The 5,000-square-metre library features public gallery spaces for exhibitions, working stations, children’s education areas, and more […] More

Revised concept designs for the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo have been released, following the New South Wales government’s announcement in September 2023 that it would abandon the previously slated $481 million redevelopment and instead settle for a $250 million heritage revitalization of the existing museum.
The Powerhouse Museum Ultimo heritage revitalization project has been designed by Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Architectus and landscape architects Tyrrell Studio, all of whom were previously engaged for the scrapped redevelopment project after winning a design competition in 2022.
As per the new plans, it has been proposed Powerhouse Ultimo be reoriented to connect with the CBD, provide more exhibition space, and introduce an outdoor public square. In reorienting the museum, the main entrance would face the Goods Line – a shared pedestrian pathway and cycleway that connects Central Station and Haymarket.

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Revised concept designs for the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo have been released with designs by Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Architectus and Tyrell Studio. Image:

Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Architectus and Tyrell Studio

The updated museum arrangement would seek to enhance visual access to the historic facades of the original power station built in 1899 and the Turbine Hall built in 1902, as well as improve flow and access to support increased visitation.
The axed redevelopment plan had proposed to demolish the Wran building, a 1988 extension on Harris Street designed by NSW government architect Ian Thomson and project architect Lionel Glendenning, which had earned a Sulman Medal: the highest accolade for public architecture in the state. The government scrapped the previous redevelopment proposal on an election promise to preserve and renew the Wran building in line with heritage guidelines.
Powerhouse Museum Ultimo CEO Lisa Havilah said the new designs would permit them to present more frequent international exhibitions and allow them to host increased learning and industry programs on a larger scale through the integration of a purpose-built space for their Powerhouse Academy initiatives, which was also part of the previous proposal.
“The concept design includes the Powerhouse Academy, which will offer increased levels of access for secondary and tertiary students from regional NSW and beyond, providing immersive learning experiences that enable pathways into industry and tertiary learning,” Havilah said.

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As per the new plans, it has been proposed Powerhouse Ultimo be reoriented to connect with the CBD, provide more exhibition space, and introduce an outdoor public square. Image:

Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Architectus and Tyrell Studio

The revitalization project will be led by Infrastructure NSW in line with the museum’s Conservation Management Plan.
Minister for Arts John Graham welcomed the new concept plans in what has been a drawn out and contentious project.
“This is the next step in the process of reimagining the future of the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo. After 9 years of divided opinions of this site, we are hopeful these new designs and a renewed focus on applied arts and sciences are more in line with the community’s expectations of this much-loved institution,” he said.
Powerhouse Ultimo will close on 5 February 2024 for building and conservation works anticipated to take up to three years. Estimated timings for construction commencement and project completion is subject to the outcomes of planning and procurement processes. More

Australian projects have taken out a suite of awards at the 2023 World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors Awards.

In the interiors category, SJB were the recipient of three accolades. SJB’s 19 Waterloo Street received the prestigious World Interior of the Year award, as well as the Residential Single Dwelling Award. The jury lauded the project as a “pocket sized tour de force,” for its generosity of space within a limited 30-square-metre footprint. The practice was also named winner of the Temporary/Meanwhile Use category for its interior design of a temporary space for an exhibition titled Eucalyptusdom.

“I’m always in awe of the calibre of projects presented at WAF and Inside, so to have received not just one, but three awards feels pretty surreal. I’m so proud of the work we do at SJB, and I’m incredibly honoured to lead a team that’s producing such exciting, forward-thinking projects that are not only beautiful but actively working to solve real-world issues,” said SJB director Adam Haddow.

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Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios. Image:

John Gollings

Day two of WAF/Inside saw six Australian projects either winning or being highly commended.
In the Completed Buildings category, Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios won the Higher Education and Research classification, while the Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett (now merged with Architectus) and Wardle took out the accolade for Health. Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay by Misho and Associates was highly commended in the Hotel and Leisure division.

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Alexandria Health Centre by Warren and Mahoney. Image:

Warren and Mahoney

Under the Future Projects category, Alexandria Health Centre by Warren and Mahoney received the award for Health, while the Resource Recovery Learning Centre by Terroir was awarded in the Education section. Lighthouse in Darling Park by Henning Larsen and Architectus was highly commended in the Commercial Mixed-Use category.
Woods Bagot and Shop Architects earned the Futureglass Prize for 55 Pitt Street and Hillcrest Rose Bay, Sydney by Woods Bagot was highly commended for the Visualisation prize.
The 2023 World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors was held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore until 1 December. To view the day one winners, visit here. More

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