Architecture Australia, January 2017
Architecture AustraliaProvocative, informative and engaging discussion of the best built works and the issues and events that matter.
Preview
AA January/February 2017 preview
An introduction to the January/February 2017 issue of Architecture Australia.
Projects
Nesting galleries: East Pilbara Arts Centre
A new gallery for the Indigenous art collective Martumili Artists, designed by Officer Woods Architects, is proving to be an important cultural facility for the small community of Newman in Western Australia.
Beyond breezeblock: Naranga Avenue House
James Russell Architect has employed complex layers of enclosure and transparency in the design of this home, inviting comparison with breezeblock houses of the Gold Coast of the past.
‘Undeniable colour’: Karratha Central Healthcare
Patient experience was of the highest priority in Coda Studio’s design for a new healthcare facility that services the remote township of Karratha, Western Australia.
Mountain retreat: Pirramimma
This Blue Mountains house by Peter Stutchbury Architecture deftly explores the relationship between building and landscape; moments of intensity and quietness, light and shadow, heighten the “real” in the everyday experience.
Elemental and abstract: Sydney 385
Smart Design Studio’s new mixed-use building in Balgowlah, Sydney has an elegantly composed, layered outer skin that brings an urbane character to the suburban streetscape.
Fresh-faced: The Hub on Echlin
Architects North has created a curious and elegant self-generated development in the Townsville suburb of West End that was conceived as “a breathe of fresh air.”
Creative Industries Precinct 2, QUT
This assured building by Richard Kirk Architect and Hassell enriches learning for the creative disciplines at the Queensland University of Technology, encouraging students to “lead the culture” in the spaces.
Botanical enigma: The Calyx
The latest addition to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, by PTW Architects with landscape architecture by McGregor Coxall, presents a striking geometric volume that is a protective layer and a lens that frames cinematic moments.
Forthright yet finessed: Australian Embassy Jakarta
Denton Corker Marshall has navigated the challenging requirements for a new embassy in Jakarta, creating a forthright yet finessed complex that successfully evokes a sense of “Australianness.”
Campfire gathering: Elements of Byron
On a beachfront site at Byron Bay, Shane Thompson Architects has created a multifarious resort complex comprised of neutrally toned cabins and a striking main building with double curved roof forms.
Dossier
Affordable and accessible housing
Lee-Anne Khor speaks with four architects about the role of architecture in delivering affordable and accessible housing, and the diverse and complex challenges inherent to the processes.
Could deliberative, architect-led housing boost affordability?
Andrea Sharam looks at the “deliberative” development model and the financial barriers that can prevent it from flourishing, sharing architect-designed Australian examples spanning three decades.
Platform
Socially grounded: Croxon Ramsay
Collaboration and social value are driving forces for Melbourne practice Croxon Ramsay, which, over a decade, has built a reputation for innovative civic design.
More articles
Occupied: How can architecture do more with less?
The recent Occupied exhibition at RMIT University’s Design Hub speculated on the spatial and material challenges facing cities.
A perfect formula: Intergrain
Intergrain finishes have been used to outstanding effect in this handcrafted, timber-clad interior by Bates Smart, designed as a compelling yet tranquil workplace for an architectural physicist.
Haven’t You Always Wanted …? 2016 NGV Architecture Commission
The second iteration of the NGV Architecture Commission, Haven’t You Always Wanted …? by M@ Studio Architects, explores dematerialization and the expression of the civic in Melbourne’s future outer suburbs.