Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Architecture Australia

It is a great honour to be elected president of the Australian Institute of Architects. I am encouraged by the number of passionate and engaged members who volunteer much of their own professional and personal time and I look forward to collaborating with you over the coming year. Reflecting on my experience as a member of the Institute, I’m proud of the collegial culture within our organization and industry and the immense value of the professional relationships and friendships I’ve formed. The Institute has a full agenda of projects as part of our Strategic Plan, including the promotion of an inclusive culture for all members, whether they are small or large practitioners, SONA or EmAGN members or working on the periphery of practice. We are committed to growing an organization…

Our cities are now well understood to be an essential part of our cultural and economic wellbeing. A city that is equitable and celebrates diversity is a city that demonstrates insightful governance – an emblem of leadership. Melbourne is regularly considered to be one of the world’s most liveable cities and it should be acknowledged that this doesn’t happen by chance but through foresight, planning and patience by skilled architects, designers and planners. It is not a coincidence that Melbourne has been under the custodianship of one person for over thirty years, who has, through sheer dedication and skill, made this city one of the world’s greatest. I am therefore delighted to announce the awarding of the 2018 National President’s Prize to Professor Rob Adams AM, who has dedicated his…

Christina Na-Heon Cho is awarded the 2018 National Emerging Architect Prize in recognition of excellence in architectural practice, leadership, community engagement and contribution to the profession. Christina graduated from the University of Queensland (UQ) as valedictorian with first-class honours in 2007. In the same year she began work at Donovan Hill and moved to Cox Architecture in 2010, where today she holds the position of director. Christina and her colleagues have received multiple state, national and international architectural awards. Christina’s professional accolades are extensive and include finalist in the Australian Financial Review Boss Young Executives 2018 and the 2011 Dulux Study Tour to London, Barcelona and Copenhagen. She has dedicated herself wholly to the profession and tirelessly provides leadership through her affiliations with the UQ School of Architecture Advisory Board,…

Dirk Yates is a graduate of multiple disciplines and has combined careers in architecture and creative arts. He graduated from the University of Queensland’s Master of Architecture program in 2009 and from Queensland University of Technology’s Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) in 2001. Dirk is a registered architect and has practised and collaborated with local firm M3architecture for over ten years. His involvement with the practice began as an artist and then evolved into an architectural role over the course of his studies and beyond. His referee highlighted Dirk’s contribution to several award-winning projects. Most recently, he was a project architect on the St Joseph’s Nudgee College Hanly Learning Centre. His capacity and resolve to translate ideas between disciplines have been evident throughout. He has contributed to journals as an…

Joseph O’Meara is an associate at BVN Architecture. He is deeply committed to the profession and our built environment and this can be seen in his many diverse pursuits. Joseph’s interest in the fields of sustainable design, innovation and new materials and technologies led to him gaining Green Star accreditation and being appointed site project lead on a significant new research facility for the CSIRO. A graduate of the University of Sydney in 2009, Joseph has continued his involvement with education through various tutoring and lecturing positions, including at his alma mater, the University of Sydney and Billy Blue College of Design, and for the Australian Institute of Architects’ Practice of Architecture Learning Series. His gift for teaching and broad practice knowledge led Joseph to take an active role in…

Curra Community Hall is a good news story in country Australia, a regional council’s investment in social infrastructure for a new and growing rural residential community of two thousand people. The hall, designed by Lindy Atkin and Stephen Guthrie of Bark Design Architects for Gympie Regional Council, is an equally glowing achievement, a demonstration of the architects’ ability to extract beauty and meaning from the tightest of budgets. There are thirty-three community halls in the small rural townships that surround Gympie. In my distant youth I frequented a few of them for the Saturday night 60/40 dance – 60 percent old-time ballroom dancing, 40 percent youthful rock-and-roll. The halls were generally elevated, gable-roofed structures with an entry porch at one end, a stage at the other, side aisles lined with…

What research is actually happening in large architectural practices in Australia? How are practices pursuing research and what are their motivations? What do they see as the benefits and how are they justifying the cost? What are the challenges and constraints? More importantly, what are the big-picture opportunities for how research could be increased, in quality and quantity and effect, across the entire sector? Furthermore, how could the large-scale research happening in practice, and that in academia, be brought into closer alignment for the mutual advantage of the profession, the academy and the built environment itself? “… this year’s the sweet spot for research in practice; everybody’s talking about it … there’s momentum in academia and in practice for research to have a higher profile.”– Michaela Sheahan These questions seem…

Reinier de Graaf is a partner at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and co-founder of the practice’s research arm, AMO. As an architect, an architectural and urban theorist, a writer and an educator, he regularly works well beyond a narrow definition of architectural practice. As evidenced most recently in his 2017 book Four Walls and a Roof: The complex nature of a simple profession, much of de Graaf’s writing is concerned with situating the architect and their work within a broader political and economic context. Alex Brown interviewed de Graaf virtually, via a video call, in late February 2018. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation. Alex Brown: I want to start by asking you a little bit about a comment you made in a 2016…

The first time I asked Alec about the office culture, he declared that Tzannes’ survival rests on clear, distinctive and relevant values. Now, you won’t find a values page on its website. And this is not a practice that goes in for illustrated posters or decals on glazed partitions – there are no doors, for a start. I was intrigued. How well had he met the primary task of being a leader: to make sure that the organization knows itself? Consider, too, that this is also a practice that has thrived with many other significant demands on the founder’s time in the past decade. Alec was the national president of the Australian Institute of Architects in 2007–2008 and then dean of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University…

Current team Melynda Barrett Arddy Berylian Yi-Han Cao Bruce Chadlowe Nicholas Cheung Devonne Coll Juliana Conceicao Connor Denyer Karyn Dodman Karina Dorman Amy Dowse Jonathan Evans Lyndsey Fitz-Gerald Bronson Fung Matilda Gollan Ben Green Carl Holder Paige Horton Elanor Hyland-Falle George Korban Tony Lam Peter Langford Nicole Larkin Dan Layden Nicolas Locane Ronald Lum Chi Melhem Kimberley Merlino Luke Novotny Charmaine Pang Mladen Prnjatovic Joanne Quach Sarah Reid Jocelyn Ricamara Amanda Roberts Tasman Shen Georgia Spence Jessie Spencer Kate Stanistreet Lily Tandeani Dijana Tasevska Christopher Taylor Aaron Tregent Katharine Turner Alec Tzannes Maree Zafiropoulos Iris Zhu Former team members Lynette Apostolou Phillip Arnold Sarah Ash Danilo Astudillo William Austin Vera Batalha Judy Benjamin Stephen Bergin Paula Birch William Blake Georgina Blix Charbel Bou-Francis Jacob Boutkan Natalie Brcar Claus Bredow Michael…

The work of Alec Tzannes and his firm Tzannes is at the vanguard of architecture in Australia today, recognized internationally for its consistent elegance of planning and detailing, but also for Tzannes’ continual research of a specific solution for each project, attuned to the site and the client. While a number of high-profile residential and commercial projects are very much in the public eye, Tzannes has also undertaken a series of works for public settings that have engaged with more modest programs. What is most striking throughout the practice is the ongoing research into combining interest in the challenges of an architecture of sustainability and ecological responsibility with the creation of environments that enhance the public life of the locality or of an institution. Exemplary in this regard, for instance,…

The centrepiece of this issue is a celebration of the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2018 Gold Medallist, Alexander Tzannes, founding director of Sydney-based practice Tzannes. The cover image, by Toby Burrows, captures Alec in a moment of deep contemplation – set against the atmospheric volume of the grand central hall at Tzannes’ recently completed Dangrove building – an art storage and curation centre in eastern Sydney. The 2018 Gold Medal, which was announced in June at Edge, the 2018 National Architecture Conference on the Gold Coast, is the Institute’s highest individual honour and the cornerstone of the National Prizes – a suite of awards presented annually and recorded in this magazine. Congratulations to each of this year’s prize recipients (page 13). Architecture Australia’s celebration of the 2018 Gold Medal emphasizes…

Since starting his Bachelor of Architecture at RMIT in 2015, Troy Borg has proven himself to be a dedicated and hardworking student with a passion for giving back to the student body. After assisting in the Victorian Architecture Awards’ Presentation to Juries in 2015, Troy joined SONA as the RMIT representative in 2016, was the national vice-president in 2017 and was recently announced as the network’s national president for 2018. During his time with SONA, Troy has volunteered at the National Architecture Conference in Canberra and attended National Educational Committee and National Council meetings. Most significantly, he has worked with the Institute to reconfigure SONA’s social media platforms in a way that increases engagement and facilitates contact between different universities. This has led to improved awareness of events and opportunities…

As an exemplary leader for the architecture profession in the broadest sense, Melonie Bayl-Smith has excelled in practice, education, research and policy development over a sustained period. Her leadership in gender equity is particularly evident through her mentoring, advocacy and acting as an exceptional role model for many students, graduates and emerging architects. She directs her own architecture practice Bijl Architecture, is an elected member of the NSW Architects Registration Board and has been an Australian Institute of Architects Chapter Councillor in the New South Wales chapter. Melonie has maintained a substantial commitment to excellence in architectural education as an adjunct professor at the University of Technology Sydney School of Architecture. As a member of Women on Boards, Melonie has advocated for improving women’s representation on boards by regularly speaking…

Kim Bridgland is a director and co-founder of Melbourne-based practice Edition Office. He is a registered architect and graduated from the RMIT Master of Architecture program in 2013. He also has a background, and ongoing practice, in the visual arts, which continues to inform his architectural approach. While Edition Office has a short history, with Kim’s leadership it has developed an outstanding body of award-winning residential projects and small public projects. Kim has contributed to projects in different Australian states and the challenges of working across the country have informed his engagement with questions of the Australian landscape and connection to site. The clients of key projects, such as the Fish Creek House and Gertrude Contemporary, attested to Kim’s ability as a highly engaged and collaborative design leader who is…

The William J. Mitchell International Chapter Prize is awarded biennially in recognition of a significant contribution by an Australia-linked practitioner to architecture globally. In 2018 the International Chapter has selected Dr Liu Thai Ker FRAIA to receive this important acknowledgement. Thai Ker was born in Malaysia, but grew up and practises in Singapore, where he was influential in the conceptualization and implementation of the urban structure and landscape of the city-state. He received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 1962 and a master’s in city planning from Yale University in 1965. UNSW later awarded him an honorary doctorate (1995). In Singapore, he received the Public Administration Medal in 1976 and a Singapore Institute of Architects Gold Medal, among other prizes. Returning to…

A new building designed to house an architect’s own studio is an interesting typology – it becomes an expression of their way of practice. Their ideals and aspirations, often tempered by budget, are laid bare for all to see. Throw in the fact that this project is actually a collaboration, between Raffaello Rosselli Architect and Luigi Rosselli Architects, and an interesting working dynamic ensues. The project has been dubbed the Beehive by the architects. Beehives for the most part are robust, pragmatic and tough on the outside, while activity consumes the interior. What architect wouldn’t be drawn to such an analogy when designing a new building for themselves? The project documents the influences and evolution of two generations of architects working in close collaboration. Raffaello Rosselli was the lead designer,…

Two conditions seem self-evident. Firstly, architectural practice is permeated with research: how else could things be so varied or be able to change so rapidly? Secondly, though, architects in Australia, Britain and elsewhere are hugely ineffective at defining or describing their research contributions. This results in diminished respect shown toward the discipline as well as the loss of potential fee income – errors, incidentally, not made by doctors or lawyers. Hence there is a strong collective need for architects to rectify the situation, with probably the greatest responsibility falling on larger practices, not least as their research work is inherently likely to be more diverse than that of smaller firms. What, then, might be a more productive relationship between the research in larger practices and the institutional constellation of universities,…

The challenges that humanity and by extension the built environment will face in the coming decades are well known but worth emphasizing. Atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are at their highest in some 800,000 years, fed by our insatiable reliance on fossil fuels for energy.2 The impact on our climate is widely documented, but effects are accelerating in frequency, with record heatwaves, extreme weather events and Arctic ice losses regular occurrences. We know buildings play a huge role in this, being responsible for 39 percent of all global energy-related CO2 emissions – a figure far higher than industry or transportation.3 There exists, then, an undeniable need to rapidly reduce the impact our buildings are having on the environment, not just in terms of the energy we use to operate them, but…

The Gold Medal, the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour, recognizes distinguished service by architects who have designed or executed buildings of high merit, produced work of great distinction resulting in the advancement of architecture or endowed the profession of architecture in a distinguished manner. The 2018 Gold Medal is awarded to Emeritus Professor Alec Tzannes AM LFRAIA. The outstanding contribution Alec Tzannes has made to the architectural profession exemplifies the highest level of achievement within each of the criteria. He has executed an exceptional body of work across a broad spectrum of architectural practice. Alec has given exemplary service and leadership within the profession, academia and related fields. His exceptional talent was recognized at an early age when he was awarded the University Medal upon graduation from the University…

Since starting his Bachelor of Architectural Design in 2011, Paul Violett has shown a passion for giving back to the student community. After representing University of Queensland students on SONA, he sought to bring architecture students and design professionals together. In his role as SONA representative, Paul had the opportunity to initiate a number of events, including a student forum to deliver feedback to the head of school, an Architecture Bar Tour and Q and A panel with professionals, and the inaugural One:One event in Queensland. Paul continued his passion for events as the SONA vice-president in 2014, using his position to guide other students to achieve the success he had enjoyed as a representative. This included facilitating collaboration between interstate universities when One:One was run concurrently between six states.…

Jason Licht completed a Master of Architecture at the University of Tasmania in 2008 and is an associate at Cumulus Studio in Tasmania, where he has worked for the past four years. In 2013 Jason was awarded a Rotary Vocational Scholarship to Italy and this opened his eyes to the power of the architecture of tourism. Jason is a registered architect and his work at Cumulus – on projects such as the Cradle Mountain Master Plan and Devil’s Corner, winning several awards – has consolidated his passion for tourism-related architecture. This passion has been recognized by Tasmania’s professional and tourism industries, which have identified Jason for leadership programs within their organizations. He has made many exceptional contributions as vice-president of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Tasmania Chapter and as chair…

Leah Gallagher graduated from the University of Queensland in 2012 with a Master of Architecture. Her genuine and infectious enthusiasm for the built environment and the people who inhabit our cities has led to her involvement with advocacy and social justice issues. As co-chair of EmAGN Qld (2015–17) and a council member of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Queensland Chapter, Leah was a critical part of the public campaign to achieve better heritage and public domain outcomes for the controversial Queen’s Wharf Redevelopment in Brisbane as well as working to develop a register of significant Queensland buildings that do not have heritage protection. The knowledge and experience Leah has gained from these achievements is shared with students through her significant contribution to teaching at both Bond University and the University…

Standing on the rooftop of Barwon Water’s headquarters in the Victorian regional city of Geelong, by GHDWoodhead, you can see more than 180 degrees over the bay and city surrounds. Avalon Airport is twenty minutes away and will soon take international flights that will pass overhead. As Barwon Water workers gather for a barbecue in the rainwater-irrigated roof garden and terrace, they can easily contemplate the changing city around them in a space symbolic of the urban renewal of the city’s cultural and civic precinct. Barwon Water is Victoria’s largest regional urban water corporation, covering an area of approximately 8,100 square kilometres, and has occupied this site since 1910. Adam Cunningham, project manager at Barwon Water, has guided the project from inception to completion and describes the organization’s goals as…

Architect Adolf Loos is taking a lakeside stroll in a small alpine village. The sky is blue and the lake a shimmering green mirror that doubles the clouds, mountains, church spires and rooftops. Loos is admiring the serenity of his surroundings when he rounds a bend and is confronted by the unexpected sight of a newly built, architect-designed villa. The effect is as if long fingernails have suddenly been raked down a chalkboard or the needle shunted off a spinning record. The tranquillity and cohesion of the setting have suddenly been ruptured. Describing this encounter in his seminal 1910 essay (simply entitled “Architecture”), Loos asks: “Why is it that any architect, good or bad, desecrates the lake?” In the early days of the twentieth century, Loos was already concerned about…

In this Dossier, we examine some models and motivations for design research in large architectural practices. We reflect on what kind of research might be conceptually and practically possible within the vicissitudes of sizeable commercial practice, given its scale (and the opportunities that brings), but equally given its economic and other constraints. Large architectural practices in Australia are often interested in research in order to increase their market share, develop new markets, position themselves as “thought leaders,” develop niche expertise and specialization, build their reputation, generally improve their practice (including culture, retention and staff development) and contribute to better design and built outcomes. Not all of these objectives have financial ends; some are also altruistic or seek to advance knowledge in the discipline. But it’s fair to say that many…

Architectural firms are great at creating knowledge and value through design. But when it comes to R and D, architects are good at doing the R but not so good at the D. Arguably, the disintermediation of architects in procurement processes, the rise of partial services and the easy replication of architectural services by others are the result of an endemic lack of both research and development in architectural practice. Retaining research knowledge as tacit expertise in the brains of practice directors or designers, the so-called genii of the office, is not enough these days. Nor is the development of research ideas about merely doing competitions or speculative design projects or teaching a studio at the local architecture school. Nor does R and D mean conducting applied research into trivial…

Architectural history has a tendency to pigeonhole its protagonists, often assigning them a place based on a small number of buildings and from the limited purview of a single building type. For gifted architect Alec Tzannes, this happened early. A series of elegant, formally composed townhouses, designed in the 1980s, caught professional attention and captured effortlessly the mood of a swing to history. His urban houses had (and all those ever since have also had) the pedigreed echo of Sydney’s colonial Georgian past and the work of its early-twentieth-century inheritors such as William Hardy Wilson and John D. Moore, as well as the Mediterranean rightness of Leslie Wilkinson’s houses, which negotiated Sydney’s steep harbourside sites with artful informality. Tzannes’ houses also demonstrate a complete understanding of mass and its embrace…

Tzannes is the recipient of more than one hundred international, national and state awards, from which the following have been selected. 2017 The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, International Architecture Award, International House Sydney 2017 Australian Institute of Architects, National Architecture Awards, The David Oppenheim Award for Sustainable Architecture, Central Park Sydney 2017 Australian Institute of Architects, New South Wales Architecture Awards, The Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design, Central Park Sydney 2016 Good Design, Award, Urban Design and Public Spaces, City of Sydney Public Domain Furniture 2016 Good Design, Award, Furniture and Lighting, City of Sydney Public Domain Furniture 2016 Red Dot Design Awards, Red Dot Award for Product Design, City of Sydney Public Domain Furniture…