INTERNATIONAL
Alexander and Lloyd, in association with Ben Handen, has won the design competition for the new Madang Court Complex in Papua New Guinea // Lab Architecture Studio has won a limited competition for the Guardian Towers in Abu Dhabi and been commissioned for a cultural showcase building in Dubai. Lab is setting up a Dubai offi ce, with Lewis Hunt and Adam Jackson from the Melbourne offi ce, and has appointed Adam Osbourne to its London offi ce // Gehry Partners in Los Angeles has appointed Australian architect Gavin Langley as a senior associate // Woodhead has made the following appointments: Graham Bolton as regional principal in Singapore, Lucas Gallardo as associate in Beijing, and Ada Jin as associate in Shanghai // Melbourne-based architectural lighting designers Andrew Jaques and Nathan Thompson, of The Flaming Beacon, received an Edison Award in New York in May for their work on the Amanyara Hotel // Australians Studying Abroad, in conjunction with RMIT University, is running an architecture tour to Finland, the Netherlands and London.
Led by Prof Shane Murray, the tour runs until 16 July.
NATIONAL
The Lake House, the winning entry by architecture graduate Joel Kelder of Bligh Voller Nield to the James Hardie Scyon Design Challenge.
BlueScope Lysaght and the RAIA have widened the eligibility criteria for the Lysaght Research Scholarship // Australians for Affordable Housing is campaigning for a comprehensive housing policy // Architecture graduate Joel Kelder from Bligh Voller Nield has won the James Hardie Scyon Design Challenge with the Lake House // Stephen Tan, immediate graduate of landscape architecture, RMIT, Melbourne, has won the 2006 Hassell Landscape Architecture Travelling Scholarship // Interior designer Stacey Nichols has won the PMDL Biennial Design Scholarship // The 2007 Australian Timber Design Awards will be presented on 29 November at National @ Docklands, Melbourne. Entries close 31 August.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth Samplings 2007 is a new monthly forum to discuss architecture and urban design, coordinated by the WA Office of the Government Architect // Cameron Chisholm Nicol (WA) is now operationally carbon neutral // Urban and landscape design practice Tract (WA) is merging with advisory firm UrbisJHD as a new practice, Urbis // Emiliano Roia and Dr Ursa Rosner have joined the staff at UWA // An exhibition of the Australian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2006 opens in July at Perth’s Holmes à Court Gallery // Woodhead has appointed John Nichols as regional principal in Perth.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Mawbey Place, London. From Richard Glover’s photographic exhibition, An Im-Modern Vernacular.
Digital Origami, a collaborative installation by Chris Bosse of PTW and UTS students.
Jørn Utzon, Jan Utzon and Richard Johnson of Johnson Pilton Walker plan to restructure the Sydney Opera House’s main Opera Theatre // Goat Island, just west of Sydney Harbour Bridge, with some of the earliest constructions in the area, is to be redeveloped as a cultural tourism destination // McGregor + Partners has appointed Christian Borchert, Rupert Carmichael and Larissa Ward as associates in Sydney // Group GSA has made the following Sydney appointments: Kate McCann as interiors associate director; Melisse Lee as interiors associate; and Rajat Khanna, Heike Barth, Rosemary Kelly, Milan Busina, Darren Woodman, Jane Furner and Mati Yogev as associates // An Im-Modern Vernacular, an exhibition of Richard Glover’s portrait-like photographs of apartment buildings, was held at Peloton in May and June // Alexander and Lloyd has appointed Graham Turner as senior director and Hamish George as associate director, following Peter Champion’s retirement // Nettleton Tribe is the project architect for workplace6, a speculative commercial building under construction that is aiming for a six-star Green Star rating // The City of Sydney has established a Design Advisory Panel.
Members are: Ken Maher, Prof James Weirick, Kerry Clare, Peter Mould, Maria Atkinson, Liz Ann McGregor, Rob Adams and Richard Johnson.
The panel will also include a member of the new Public Art Advisory Group // Peckvonhartel has appointed Julie Campbell as a senior interior designer in its Sydney offi ce // The University of Technology, Sydney, has appointed four new staff: Anthony Burke, Adrian Lahoud, Ben Hewett and Niall Durney // Chris Bosse of PTW and UTS students collaborated on an installation, Digital Origami, held at 72 Erskine Gallery in May // The new Sydney Forum is a series of sustainable built environment discussions // UWS is holding an open competition for the design of a major student hub. Jurors include Tony Caro, Richard Francis-Jones, John Wardle and Frank Stanisic as competition director // Danish architect Jan Gehl visited in May to study public spaces and pedestrian movements in Sydney’s CBD // Rice Daubney has appointed Andrew Coomer, Jose Sanchez and Mark Sim as associate directors; with Guy Antonini, Belinda Campbell, Alessandro Filippi, Simon Grimes, Mike Kehl and Hasan Syed appointed as associates // A group exhibition, Tactile Imagination: Design Research Processes, was held at UNSW in May and June // Harry Seidler’s last public commission, the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Ultimo, is opening in July.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Four controversial major amendments to Canberra’s National Capital Plan have been approved by the Senate. They propose high-rise development and subdivision of public lands in central Canberra and the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffi n // Winning: The Design of Sport, the second Canberra Biennial, will be held throughout November. The festival of design and architecture will include exhibitions, symposia and a public art display // Peckvonhartel has appointed Sara McAlpin as an interior designer in its Canberra offi ce // The federal government’s budget commits to funding two major projects associated with the Griffi n Legacy: the duplication of Constitution Avenue, a “grand boulevard” stretching from Vernon Circle to Russell; and a fl yover at the Kings Avenue–Parkes Way intersection.
VICTORIA
Richard Blythe, Terroir director, has been appointed Professor in Architecture and Head of the School of Architecture and Design at RMIT // The third Melbourne Design Festival, presented by the National Design Centre, is being held in July // Lab Architecture Studio has made the following appointments to its Melbourne office: Faris Hammady, Gregor Strachotta, Ben Edwards, John Tucker, Matt Irvine, Ed Carter, Oliver du Puy and Tim Fowler // Architects for Peace is setting up a network to connect architects with pro bono project opportunities in Melbourne and overseas // EDAW has appointed Jon Shinkfield as principal, Helen Day as a senior associate, Kevin Radford as an associate architect and Phil Black as a new associate // Interior design studio Webb+ has merged with NHInteriors, part of NHArchitecture, to become NHWebb // The 25th annual SAHANZ conference will be held 5–8 July 2008 in Geelong, preceded by a symposium, Intangible Heritage, 3–4 July in Melbourne // Echuca Wharf, on the Victorian/New South Wales border, has been added to the National Heritage List // Peter Mitrakas has bought Robin Boyd’s McClune house in Mount Eliza, commissioning Buro Architects for refurbishment // Sean Godsell Architects in association with Peddle Thorp Architects is designing RMIT’s new postgraduate design research school on the former CUB site // Winners of the City of Port Phillip’s Design and Development Awards are Leeton Pointon Architects, Kerstin Thompson Architects, Neometro Architects, Fender Katsalidis Architects, Idle Architecture Studio and Neil + Idle Architects, Sunpower Design, DesignInc Melbourne and The Office of Housing, and Geoff Nees in association with Studio 505.
QUEENSLAND
Group GSA has appointed Jason Hedges as architecture principal and Sally Macnaughton as interiors associate director in its Brisbane office // Hassell was the interior designer for KPMG’s new workplace, over five floors of Harry Seidler’s Riparian Plaza // Australia ICOMOS’s national conference, Extreme Heritage, is being held in Cairns in July // Nettleton Tribe has appointed David Royce as associate in its Brisbane office // Prof Bart Verschaffel, Ghent University, Belgium, will be a keynote speaker at UQ’s August conference, Architecture, Disciplinarity and the Arts // Hassell will develop a master plan for Fortitude Valley in response to the South East Regional Plan, which requires an additional 11, 500 infill dwellings, and will prepare a Local Growth Management Strategy for Brisbane City // The RAIA Qld Chapter’s mid-year conference, Drawn to the Water, was held in late June with Richard Hassell from WOHA Architects, Singapore, leading off the programme // The International Urban Design conference will be held on the Gold Coast 6–8 September. The theme is “Waves of Change – Cities at Crossroads” // Rice Daubney has appointed Ari Pitkanen as director and manager of the Brisbane office, and Peter Martin as an associate // The 2007 Queensland Smart Designer of the Year is Kirsti Simpson, managing principal Hassell, Brisbane // The RAIA’s Queensland Regional Awards have been announced.
The Central Queensland Building of the Year is Sea Breeze by Aardvarc Architects. Commendations went to The Heritage Hotel, Rockhampton, by Brown, Evans and Associates; and Zilzie Sustainable Home, Emu Park, by Architectural Practice Academy. The Darling Downs Building of the Year is UQ Ipswich Activity Centre by Wilson Architects. Commendations went to Boilerhouse Community Engagement Centre, Ipswich, by Suters Architects; SQIT – Block B, Toowoomba, by Project Services; and Westhaven Residential Aged Care, Roma, by Project Services.
A Mackay/Whitsunday commendation went to Azure Sea, Airlie Beach, by Bligh Voller Nield. The Sunshine Coast Building of the Year is Sunrise Beach House, by Wilson Architects.
Commendations went to Hervey Bay Airport, by Woodhead; Studio Addition at Moffat Beach, by Roger Todd Architect; The Cosmic Shed, Witta, by Gomango Architects; Caloundra Court House and Watch House, by Guymer Bailey Architects; Noosa Youth and Community Centre, Noosa Junction, by Middap and Ditchfield; Hervey Bay House, by Bark Design Architects; and University of the Sunshine Coast Building H, Sippy Downs, by Hassell. The North Queensland Houses of the Year are Lilliesmere Lagoon, Ayr, by Phorm architecture + design; and Thuringowa Riverway Arts Centre and Lagoon, Thuringowa, by Cox Rayner Architects and Planners. Commendations went to Watermark Townsville, North Ward, by Brand and Slater Architects; Courtyard House, Townsville, by Stephen de Jersey Architect; Middle School for Townsville Grammar School, North Ward, by Tippett Schrock Architects; Sports Medicine Centre, Thuringowa, by Stephen de Jersey Architect; School Boarding Facility, Kirwin, by Jon Kuskopf and Associates; and Riverway Pioneer Park, Thuringowa, by Cox Rayner Architects and Planners. The Brisbane House of the Year is Sanctuary Place House by James Russell Architect.
Commendations went to Balaam Residence by Arkhefield; KP House by KP Architects; 103 Residence by Push; S House by Biscoe Wilson Architects; The Bay House by Fairweather Proberts Architects; Dekkers Residence by Richard Kirk Architect; Lantern House by Arkhefield; New Farm House by Shane Plazibat Architect; H House by Donovan Hill; Bowman Residence by Steendyk; Newstead Residence by AB+M Architects; The Cornwall Apartments by Donovan Hill; Story Apartments by Plazibat + Jemmott Architects; W4 Apartments by Donovan Hill; Saville South Bank by Fairweather Proberts Architects and dKO Architects; Hartopp Lane by Arkhefield; Domain Resort by Donovan Hill; Alderley Residences by Archibett Architecture; Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland, by Architectus; Hillbrook Chapel by Brand + Slater Architects; St Paul’s School – Peter Krebs Centre by Heathwood Cardillo Wilson; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation by PDT Donovan Hill Architects in Association; State Library of Queensland by Donovan Hill Peddle Thorp; Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology by Jackson/S2F Architecture Joint Venture; QUT Human Movement Pavilion by m3architecture; Whynot Street Tea Room by Phorm Architecture + Design; Brookes Street Office by James Russell Architect; Ross Street by LaSpina Architects and Coop Creative; Riparian Plaza by Harry Seidler and Associates; SW1Melbourne Street by Cox Rayner; Glenelg Street by Deicke Richards; Suncorp Metway Office Fitout by Cox Rayner Architects and Planners; The Met by Kevin Hayes Architects; 151 Robertson Street, Fortitude Valley, by ARK atelier; MurphySchmidt Solicitors by Deicke Richards; Janda Furniture by Fairweather Proberts Architects; Brisbane Square Library and Customer Centre by City Design – Brisbane City Council; KPMG Workplace, Brisbane, Queensland, by Hassell; Viret at Clayfield by The TVS Partnership; Sustainable Home Brisbane by Bligh Voller Nield; and Roma House, Lady Bowen Precinct, by Project Services.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
A $500 million redevelopment of the Balfours and Franklin Street bus station sites in Adelaide is underway, designed by Denton Corker Marshall in conjunction with Woodhead. It will include 1300 new dwellings and an extensive recreation deck for residents.
FIXES
• Apologies to Ian Tatton, whose name was spelt incorrectly in his photography attributions in “Surburban Curiosity” (Architecture Australia, vol 96 no 3, May/ June 2007). • In “Bridging Sydney” (Architecture Australia, vol 96 no 2, March/April 2007), Jody Pachniuk was credited as the photographer for the exhibition installation images. It should have been Paolo Busato. Our apologies.
