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    Edwina Bennett of Woods Bagot on the hospital as an ecosystem

    Edwina Bennett, principal and global health sector leader at Woods Bagot, has long been advocating for empathetic design when it comes to hospitals and health precincts, arguing a people-centric approach can have positive health outcomes, leading to an increase in individuals willing to present for treatment, shorter hospitalizations and retention of healthcare staff.
    With more than 25 years of experience managing a broad range of global architecture projects, Bennett has been vocal about the need to reinvent the traditional “white box” hospital typology.
    Ahead of her presentation at the upcoming Health Care Health Design virtual symposium, Edwina Bennett speaks with Adair Winder about the pillars of a people-centric design model, including deep community engagement, treating the hospital as an ecosystem and implementing culturally safe practice.
    ArchitectureAU: Healthcare design has evolved to consider not just physical spaces, but also the needs, preferences and wellbeing of users. What lessons can architects and designers learn from past healthcare facilities to improve future designs?
    Edwina Bennett: The typical hospital model of the past is a product of the Industrial Revolution – places where there is disease, containment and suffering. Their design seemed to be centred around an old-fashioned factory model, where they were functional, sterile, and efficient. Central to the design was this focus on treating illness and disease, rather than treating the person as a whole.
    However, there are other examples of historical facilities that have taken a bigger-picture approach. Sanatoriums built in the 1920s, particularly in Finland, were remarkable in their design. They were built and oriented in a way that would maximize exposure to sunlight, fresh air and connection to the outdoors. It’s interesting because the buildings seem to function as medical tools themselves by considering the person in its entirety, not just their illness.
    When designing the facilities of today, we still consider all the clinical and sterile requirements of a hospital but we also try to create an environment that is inviting, culturally safe and prioritizes social interaction for all users of the hospital, not just the patient or clinician. What has really shifted is that the hospital has become almost like a little ecosystem in itself.

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    Adelaide’s New Women’s and Children’s Hospital will offer a diversity of spaces. Image:

    Woods Bagot

    AAU: When you use the phrase ecosystem, are you referring to all the different user groups?
    EB: Absolutely. A hospital is a community facility and it’s a place of work. Often we think of hospitals as a place that people visit to experience the best day of their life or the worst day of their life, but it’s also a workplace. Healthcare workers are under an incredible amount of stress and that’s something that really came to light during the pandemic. When designing we need to consider it from the angle that it’s a workplace and workers need respite, fresh air, connection to the outdoors and good amenities just as the patients and visitors do. To be able to walk out of an operating theatre and have that respite, have a cup of tea or write up your medical notes can be really beneficial for staff in terms of well-being and for the hospital in terms of staff retention.
    Another component of the ecosystem is the community connection. We are a multicultural country and cultural safety absolutely has to be at the forefront of healthcare design. Cultural safety has been proven to affect clinical outcomes. First Nations people will hesitate to present at a hospital for clinical care if they don’t feel safe turning up. If we address that early on by recognizing the country we’re on and by incorporating a First Nations perspective or narrative through artwork or dual language naming or signage and wayfinding, it can create an immediate sense of cultural safety. Cultural safety makes people feel welcome when they walk in the door and that goes a long way in terms of making people feel like the place is accessible and safe to present and could result in them staying for the duration of their clinical care or inviting their family group to visit and support them.

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    Adelaide’s New Women’s and Children’s Hospital by Woods Bagot. Image:

    Woods Bagot

    AAU: Just to delve further into this topic of inclusivity – has inclusive practice and cultural safety been a key focus for Woods Bagot’s Chengdu Angel project and the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital?
    EB: Very much so. Particularly the Australian projects with our First Nations history. We are really passionate about telling those First Nations perspectives and stories, as well as weaving the narrative of place and history in our designs. We work with Aboriginal advisory groups on the project from the outset in a process we call co-design. It’s very important for us to engage early rather than tack a concept into the design at the last minute. Starting with the First Nations narrative is the right starting point and by telling their story, it becomes more welcoming to other cultures as well.
    AAU: A main point that I’m noticing here is that you are consulting with these groups and working collaboratively with them, rather than just doing it for them and making the assumption they will like it and be comfortable with it. Am I right in saying that?
    EB: We can’t do that because they’re not our stories. We need to ask permission for them. We need to be open to deep listening when it comes to cultural safety because we’re there to learn, understand and translate that story. Hopefully, by integrating these cultural elements it can contribute towards a kind of healing but also it just means so much to people to see that recognition of Country.
    AAU: You’ve talked previously about this concept of people architecture being one of Woods Bagot’s guiding principles when designing – people architecture meaning placing the human experience at the centre of the project. How does this apply to health design.
    EB: People architecture is really the ethos of what we do. To me, health design is the absolute epitome of people architecture, which again circles back to the hospital being its own ecosystem of a community. Everybody will experience a hospital in some way, shape or form. You might work there, you might visit, you might be a patient there, a helicopter pilot, a courier. It’s a touch point for most, if not all, people in the community. Health design really epitomizes people architecture because it has such an important function within the precinct but it also creates a lot of offshoots into other parts of the community, such as accommodation for families who are staying with patients or the research facilities that grow up around it.
    AAU: While we’re on the topic of accommodation, it seems like across all the projects that you’ve been referencing there’s this desire to integrate comfortable features that you might find in a hotel or a home. Is that correct?
    EB: That’s the idea of moving away from the traditional white box model, with the bright lighting and the pot plant in the corner. Hospitals shouldn’t do that anymore. They should connect to nature and have a sense of place. When we’re talking about a paediatric setting, it should feel like home and children should feel safe. When we’re referring to maternity or birthing wards, they should incorporate details that allow you have to more control over your environment – that might be through light levels, sound, outlook, or by offering spaces where a person is able to go and make some food for themselves. Again, that’s been clinically shown to shorten hospital stays – people having a say in their care.
    AAU: Does integrating those aspects, where you can control your own environment, have an influence on behaviour?
    EB: Yes, it really does. It has an influence on behavioural and clinical outcomes. The birthing mother scenario is a good example where controlling music, light levels, privacy and developing that relationship with the midwives or the nurses works well and actually can result in reduced pain relief and anaesthetic requirements. If people have a say in their care and can control the environment around them, that can distract them or enhance their experience, which can mean the requirement for clinical intervention is lessened.

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    Woods Bagot were conscious of incorporating sensory and neural elements into the design of the Xi’an Angel Paediatric Hospital. Image:

    Justin Szeremeta

    AAU: Speaking of distraction, one of the features that really stood out to me in the Chengdu Angel project was the colours, shapes and textures that were incorporated into the paediatric facility. These aspects could be used to distract children from feeling nervous about being in a strange environment. How did the design team determine what would best suit the needs of the patients?
    EB: When we say paediatric, it’s anything from age one to 17, so you have a really broad range of users. You’re designing for babies and little kids, but you’re also designing for adolescents. One thing we’re really conscious of now in hospital design is diversity, particularly sensory and neural diversity. We engaged with youth advisory groups from the hospital and external consumer groups as well, comprising a diverse range of members. Among them were families with children who have disabilities, parents of very young children and siblings of patients who had spent a significant amount of time in hospital. We received some great input.
    We found that kids want distraction because it helps with pain, boredom and the entire experience of being in a hospital. That distraction could be providing a playground that they can use while they’re waiting, rather than having them sit around in that white box clinical space or older kids might want somewhere to plug into a USB port while they wait. We received some really interesting feedback that some kids, who may not necessarily have the same ability as other kids, would rather be able to sit and read a book in a window and look at those kids playing. Some children might have sensory and neural needs and they might actually just need a really quiet room to sit in and wait.
    It’s about breaking that typical mould of what the waiting room looks like and instead consider the different kinds of user groups. Having that diversity, particularly in a paediatric environment, is really important. You can be really clever about incorporating diversity and it doesn’t necessarily need to cost more, but it does need to be factored in from the outset.

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    Woods Bagot have made connection to nature a priority in the design of the new Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Image:

    Woods Bagot

    AAU: What are some of the people-centric methods the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital project incorporated in the design?
    EB: For the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital, [designed with Bates Smart, Jacobs and UK practice BDP], we really tried to create an appealing workspace to be in. The Women’s and Children’s Hospital is within a parkland setting, so we really tried to bring forth that biophilia. When you’re in the building, you can see through to the outdoors in most parts of the building, you know what the weather is doing and you can orientate yourself in the building quite well because you have the outside as a reference, and I think that is a better workplace for people. It also creates a better patient experience.
    Looking at the entire user experience is the key and that might be anything from the drop-off, to the accessibility of the building, to walking through the front door and experiencing that cultural safety. In a way, the human experience overlays the building as a functional space.
    AAU: In some cases, walking in or the moment just before you walk in can often be the more daunting part of the process because of the uncertainty.
    EB: Absolutely. In a paediatric environment, it’s about integrating scale, colour and friendliness. From a cultural safety point of view, it might be about dual naming or integrating something that’s recognizable and familiar to a culture, providing that sense of safety. It’s also about the diversity of spaces – playgrounds, quiet spaces or prayer spaces. There are a whole lot of different users and that’s where the people focus is really important. I always remind everyone that the project is for people.

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    Xi’an Angel Paediatric Hospital uses texture and colour to create a welcoming and inviting space. Image:

    Justin Szeremeta

    AAU: You mentioned before the hospital is a touch point for everyone. Is it difficult to think from the perspective of everyone?
    EB: You need to wear so many hats but I also think that’s what makes hospital design really unique and interesting. So many people use it, keep it operating and are impacted by it. You have to come at it from a lot of different angles but that’s where the engagement piece with people is really important and important early.
    Edwina Bennett is one of several experts to discuss how innovative design can improve the quality and user experience of healthcare systems at the Health Care Health Design forum. Bennett features in session one, People-Centred Healthcare: Designing for Community Impact. The session is now available to be streamed on demand. Tickets can be purchased here.
    Health Care Health Design is a program of Design Speaks, organized by Architecture Media. More

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    SA Government commits $15 million to Thebarton Oval project

    The South Australian government has announced it will commit $15 million toward the new Adelaide Football Club grounds at Thebarton Oval. The club and appointed design team, City Collective, will be required to undertake a second phase of community consultation before progressing through the approval process. The multi-purpose facility will offer elite female and male […] More

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    Three-tower proposal resubmitted for Sydney’s Green Square

    Three mixed-use buildings in Sydney’s Green Square town centre, previously approved by the City of Sydney, have once again been proposed – the latest in a series of urban renewal plans for the former industrial locality.
    The development has been in progress for a long time, with Bates Smart appointed as the architect in early 2016 through a design competition.
    Approval for the three buildings (known as site 7, 17 and 18) had previously been granted by council across two development applications, however, a shift in the market reflecting a desire for larger owner-occupied dwellings drove a design re-think.
    A new application has been filed with all three developments comprised in the one single submission. Outlined in the plans are proposals for a 160storey building and a 13 storey-building, designed by Tzannes, and a 20-storey building by Bates Smart, to be located at 960A Bourke Street, Zetland.

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    Approval for the three buildings (known as site 7, 17 and 18) had previously been granted, however, a shift in the market reflecting a desire for larger owner-occupied dwellings drove a design re-think by Bates Smart. Image:

    Bates Smart

    Key design changes for site 18 include a reduced retail offering from two storeys to a single storey at ground level, increased communal amenities with a wellness centre, business lounge and music room proposed across the second floor totalling 147 square metres and a 46 square metre lounge bar on the roof, a single level of penthouse apartments has been replaced by three levels of penthouse apartments, the lobby has increased in size and integration of operable shading to the Northwest and Southwest facades.
    Proposed for the building frame and balustrades at site 18 are powder coated aluminium in matte white and charcoal, alongside clear glazed windows. The base of site 18 has been designed as a stone plinth with punctured window openings. Expressed sandstone corners and a dynamic stepped form at the building’s base along Paul Street, provide an opportunity for a highly visible public art integration.

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    Updated designs for sites 7 and 17 by Tzannes. Image: Tzannes

    For sites 7 and 17, the building separation distances remain the same as per the previous application. For floors affected by window glare and privacy issues, mitigating measures have been adopted including glazing angled away from the boundary, directing views down the street, recessing living spaces behind balconies, as well as the integration of internal blinds and window modifications.
    Previous plans for the facade of the buildings considered the two sites as siblings in their expression, forming a cohesive backdrop to the plaza. The updated form of the buildings feature more accentuated curved lines and a change in brick colour for site 17. Both buildings have been designed to complement one another, while also displaying individual identities through differing materials, vertical and horizontal articulation. Apartments placed at the centre of the site 7 tower and wings of the site 17 tower, as well as a residential podium above site 7’s retail offering, again provide variation between the two building facades.
    The proposed communal open spaces on site 7 and site 17 also remain consistent with the previous application, however, a desire to embed biophilic design into the architectural character of the development led to the proposal of edge planting on all levels.
    All residential parking for sites 7, 17 and 18 remain located in the integrated basement carpark, accessible via Tweed Place.
    Planning documents state Green Square “has undergone radical change in recent years” through the completion of public domain and community infrastructure projects such as the Green Square Library and Plaza, Community Centre, Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre and the Drying Green. Ensuing project endeavours include the Green Square Public School, as well as more retail developments.
    The development application has been filed with the City of Sydney, with plans now on exhibit. More

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    Exhibition to support Indigenous-led housing collaboration

    An exhibition and online auction seeks to raise funds to a new innovative organization aimed at creating better housing for remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.
    The Wilya Janta Housing Collaboration is an organization led by Warumunga elder Norman Frank Jupurrurla, a resident of Tennant Creek, and medical doctor Simon Quilty.
    The exhibition Papulu-ku Nyinjjiki (seeing houses), hosted by Office at its Melbourne studio, includes works from artists from Tennant Creek Brio art collective as well as photographs, drawings and architectural models from Wilya Janta.
    The works will be auctioned online, and the proceeds will contribute to the construction of a demonstration house, which will be home to Norman Frank Jupurrurla and Serena Morton Napanangka.

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    Wilya Janta Housing Collaboration. Image:

    Courtesy Office

    “Facilitated by Office and Troppo Architects, the design has evolved over the last year through ongoing conversations about how they currently live and would like to in the future,” said Simon Robinson, director of Office. “This is something no one has ever asked them nor any other Aboriginal person in Tennant Creek.
    “The home is Norman and Serena’s design, it is unique and responds to how they want to live. It is also a demonstration home for the process that will be undertaken by Wilya Janta for other Aboriginal people. A process of listening and respect, asking them how they would like their own home to be.”
    One of the key challenges for the housing in remote Northern Territory is the extreme climate. Government-provided housing is often poorly designed, with little to no insulation, forcing residents to rely on electrically powered heating and cooling. Residents of remote communites access electricity on a prepaid system, and can experience disconnection when the credit runs out.
    A study in 2021, co-authored by Norman Frank Jupurrurla and Simon Quilty, found that 91 percent of households using prepaid electrictiy have experienced diconnection and that they were more likely experience disconnection on very hot or very cold days.
    The co-designed housing also consider cultural practices, such as bedrooms that allow residents to sleep east to west, and separated bathrooms that adhere to kinship avoidance practices.
    Wilya Janta also seeking philanthropic support. The online auction closes on 15 October. More

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    Shortlist announced in competition to reimagine Bankstown’s Griffith Park

    The City of Canterbury-Bankstown has announced four shortlisted teams that will proceed to the second stage of a competition to design a community space in the centre of Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west. More than 100 expressions of interest were received in the first stage of the competition to transform the Griffith Park Precinct. The four […] More

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    Australian projects shortlisted for 2023 Dezeen Awards

    Global design blog Dezeen has announced the architecture shortlist for its 2023 awards, with 85 projects making the cut across 15 categories. Australia was among the top three countries in the shortlist with seven projects, just behind Mexico with eight and the UK with 20. Australian projects fared particularly well in the residential categories with […] More

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    Editor’s picks: 2024 MPavilion program

    Melbourne’s MPavilion celebrates its first decade by announcing a line-up of more than 100 free events to be held over five months, from November, 2023 to March, 2024.
    Launching 16 November in the Queen Victoria Gardens, the festival has been divided into three themes inspired by the architect of the 2023 MPavilion, Tadao Ando. In November and December, programming will consider Memories of Place, the links between water, gardens and changing landscapes and how we benefit from nurturing their existence. In January and February, the festival will honour Craftsmanship, and the artistry and devotion required. A Blank Canvas in March will close out the festival with a celebration of Ando’s design philosophy, sparking creativity through his minimalism, masterful conception of space and use of light, shadow and water.
    ArchitectureAU rounds up the top architecture and design events:
    Whose Backyard? NIMBY’S, YIMBY’s and the Future of High-Density Living
    Wednesday, 22 November, 6:30pm — 8:00pm

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    Whose backyard? NIMBY’s, YIMBY’s and the future of high-density living will delve into the merits and pitfalls of increasing density in urban areas. Image: Supplied

    As Australia’s housing crisis deepens, higher-density living will be a crucial part of any effective solution. Building upwards rather than outwards can be more economically and socially beneficial. In this discussion, experts Nemesia Kennett, Dr James Lesh, Dan McKenna, Colleen Peterson, and Gerhana Waty will delve into the merits and pitfalls of increasing density in urban areas, often characterized as the “Yes-In-My-Backyard” (YIMBY) or “Not-In-My-Backyard” (NIMBY) movements. Through the lenses of planning, design and community care, this discussion asks: how do we respect memories of place while also responding to the need for centrally-located, high-density housing?
    Holistic Design for Health
    Friday, 24 November, 6:30pm — 8:00pm

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    Bendigo Hospital by Silver Thomas Hanley, Bates Smart, Oculus and Paul Thompson. Image:

    Peter Clarke

    The Office of the Victorian Government Architect works to ensure Victoria’s buildings, infrastructure, and public places are functional, durable, efficient, sustainable, inspiring, and enjoyable, now and into the future. The office will host a discussion with leading thinkers, researchers and design practitioners exploring the topic of holistic architecture and urban planning, with a focus on natural systems and environments.
    Blakitecture
    Monday, 4 December, 2023, Monday, 22 January, 2024 and Monday, 18 March, 2024

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    MPavilion’s seventh annual BLAKitecture forum will be held across three dates. Image:

    Bradley Kerr

    MPavilion’s seventh annual Blakitecture forum aims to centralize Indigenous voices in conversations about architecture, the representation of histories, and the present and future states of our built environments. Blakitecture was created by MPavilion and led by Sarah Lynn Rees until the last season. This year’s event will be curated by MPavilion’s program consultant Bradley Kerr. Event times will be announced closer to the date.
    Place as Protagonist
    Tuesday, 5 December, 6:30pm — 8:00pm

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    Place as Protagonist explores memories and place in Melbourne through sharing stories. Image:

    Leanne Hodyl

    Place as Protagonist explores memories and place in Melbourne through two modes of storytelling: an online map-based community engagement platform Crowd Spot, and a storytelling event that brings a mix of voices together with a prompt to share a story about a time when the city made them laugh or cry. So many places in Melbourne hold significant memories for different people, and bring a richness and nuance to public spaces and landscapes and sharing stories can provide a guide to how the city can embody the stories of its community over time.
    Inflection Journal Vol. 10 — Housing: Ever Learn to Dwell
    Thursday, 7 December, 6:30pm — 8:00pm

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    Reflect on the sensorial and social value of housing at the launch of the 10th volume of Inflection journal. Image: Supplied

    Reflect on the sensorial and social value of housing at the launch of the 10th volume of Inflection journal. Inflection is the annual student-run journal curated by the Melbourne School of Design. Now in its tenth year, the 2023 event will look at evolving memories of housing as both a primitive yet complex assembly of contemporary living and urban conditions. Are there alternative patterns of living that tackle these issues, as well as nurture the memories? Come contemplate and celebrate the past and future of our daily lives.
    If These Walls Could Talk
    Thursday 14 December, 6:30pm — 7:30pm

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    Younghusband redevelopment project by Woods Bagot. Image:

    Woods Bagot

    The Younghusband Woolstore Redevelopment reimagines a 122-year-old redbrick wool store and adjoining network of industrial early 20th-century buildings as a new mixed-use community precinct. Using an approach that seeks to “lightly touch” the existing historic structures, Woods Bagot will retain the rich heritage and character of the brick warehouses. Come along to this panel discussion and hear from speakers who have worked across all angles of the project, from the architects to the art consultant and the caretaker who has cared for the buildings since the 1970s, as they discuss what will be Melbourne’s largest net-zero carbon, adaptive-reuse precinct.
    Crossing Borders: Immigrant Women Designers and the Built Environment
    Sunday, 28 January, 2024, 5:00pm — 6:30pm

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    Crossing Borders hopes to foster a deeper understanding of the obstacles that female migrant designers encounter in their professional lives. Image: Supplied

    Explore the experiences, challenges, and stories of migrant female built environment practitioners working in Australia. Through discussing the challenges they have faced and overcome, this panel hopes to foster a deeper understanding of the obstacles that female migrant designers encounter in their professional lives as well as how it plays into their interests in the chosen field. The discussion will delve into the complex interplay between design, culture, identity, and migration, considering the diverse stories, tensions, and interactions these designers and academics have within the Australian context. By inviting these culturally and linguistically diverse designers and academics to speak, this talk aims to provide a platform for marginalized groups to build communities and bonds, and explore how their cultural backgrounds and identities shape their interests and professional practices.
    NAM (New Architects Melbourne) #42
    Wednesday, 31 January, 2024, 6:30pm — 8:00pm

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    NAM (New Architects Melbourne) #42 will discuss relationships between the mastery of materials, site-specificity and emerging technology. Image:

    Qunzhang Nam

    NAM (New Architects Melbourne) #42 brings together emerging architects, experienced practitioners and allied professionals to discuss the enduring importance of craftsmanship in shaping the built environment. With the discussion centred around the nuanced relationships between the mastery of materials, site-specificity and emerging technology, attendees are invited to learn more about craft traditions and about collaborating with artisans and local communities to sustain craft techniques. Speakers will each share their encounters and experiences with craft in a rapid PechaKucha-style presentation, with 20 slides and 20 seconds of commentary each.
    Taking Care: First Nations Design for a Changing Climate
    Tuesday, 27 February, 2024, 6:30pm — 8:30pm

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    Taking Care is an invitation to celebrate designing on, with, and for Country, through First Nations-led transitions towards material practices of connection and care. Image:

    Michael McMahon

    As our climate changes, the celebration, support and amplification of inclusive and non-extractive material practices has never been more urgent. Taking Care is an invitation to celebrate designing on, with, and for Country, through First Nations-led transitions towards material practices of connection and care. Taking Care convenes voices from key First Nations-led projects across the contemporary field of design, introducing the ways in which material practices of care and connection are reshaping the fabric of our grown and built environment.
    Robin Boyd Foundation Panel: Tradition and Innovation
    Sunday, 3 March, 2024, 2:00pm — 3:00pm

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    Walsh Street (1957) Robin Boyd. The Robin Boyd Foundation Panel will explore the relationship between traditional and modern aspects of everyday life in Japan and connections to architecture in Melbourne. Image:

    Mainroad Property Marketing

    This panel discussion will explore the relationship between traditional and modern aspects of everyday life in Japan and connections to architectural and design innovation in Melbourne. The event will accompany an exhibition curated by NMBW Architecture Studio at Robin Boyd’s iconic Walsh Street residence. Participants are invited to explore the exhibition before or after the talk.
    Architectural Photography Workshop
    Sunday, 3 March, 2024, 6:00pm — 8:30pm and Saturday, 9 March, 2024, 6:00pm — 8:30pm

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    Learn how to photograph the MPavilion structure and showcase its best angles in a workshop with Australia’s pre-eminent architectural photographer, John Gollings. Image:

    John Gollings

    Learn how to photograph the MPavilion structure and showcase its best angles in this workshop with Australia’s pre-eminent architectural photographer, John Gollings, known for his expansive work documenting both cultural and contemporary architecture. Suitable for serious photographers, in this workshop Gollings will replicate full architectural coverage of the structure, showing both the constraints and opportunities of ground level and drone photography.
    The Excellent City Series: Festival of Design
    Saturday, 23 March, 2024, 12:00pm — 9:00pm

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    The Excellent City Series: Festival of Design invites you to speculate on what design excellence could look like in Melbourne and how we might work together to achieve it. Image:

    Rory Gardiner

    Celebrating craftsmanship, subversive tactics and inclusive ways of creating, this festival invites you to speculate on what design excellence could look like in Melbourne and how we might work together to achieve it. The Festival will explore interdisciplinary co-creation and how unlikely partnerships may influence ways of doing things, for the better. Join artists, agitators, provocateurs, built environment professionals, academics and activists for an afternoon of sequential collaborative workshops, discussions and performances. Designed for diverse participants to freely contribute and interact through a range of activities, this event welcomes people of all ages, genders, cultures, abilities and walks of life.
    The Canvas is Never Blank
    Wednesday, 27 March, 2024, 6:30pm — 7:30pm

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    All living recipients of the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal prize, as invited by the AIA, discuss and debate critical regionalism versus global modernism. Image:

    Daniel Moore

    To what extent should architecture consider or ignore the natural and contextual environments of buildings? When architects consider the local climate, culture, and history of a project, they can design more energy-efficient, functional buildings that respond to the needs of the people using them. On the other hand, some architects believe that considering nature and context can limit the architect’s creativity and lead to less innovative buildings. Listen to all living recipients of the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal prize, as invited by the Institute, as they discuss and debate critical regionalism versus global modernism. More

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    Updated designs for Crows Nest over-station development

    The proponents of a three-tower over-station development in Sydney’s Crows Nest have announced plans to create affordable housing for key and essential healthcare workers in the area. The Woods Bagot-designed proposal, to be located on Pacific Highway above a future Crows Nest Metro station, was first approved by the then-planning minister Rob Stokes in 2021. […] More