The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Architecture

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There are $1.8 million hopes for Rush House, a mid-century design by Harold R. McCauley at East Killara.
The modernist house at <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-east+killara-129595642" target="_blank">145 Springdale Road</a> comes with floating staircases.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/11/9/5c8dffa7b9c24ab485992ad116891800.jpg" alt="">
It has raked ceilings.
The house features timber, glass and stone.
There’s also a self-contained studio attached to a private bathroom.
It goes to auction on November 17 through LJ Hooker agent Vanessa Coles.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Harold R. McCauley-designed East Killara modernist trophy home listed

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Both men and women having access to baby changing facilities is one of many issues that gender equality mapping can help tackle.
Inequity in cities has a long history. The importance of social and community planning to meet the challenge of creating people-centred cities looms large. While planners, government and designers have long understood the problem, uncovering the many important marginalised stories is an enormous task.
Technology – so often bemoaned – has provided an unexpected and powerful primary tool for designers and makers of cities. Crowd-mapping asks the community to anonymously engage and map their experiences using their smartphones and via a web app. The focus of the new <a href="https://www.genderequalitymap.vic.gov.au" target="_blank">Gender Equality Map</a> launched today in two pilot locations in Melbourne is on equality or inequality in their neighbourhood.
How does it work?
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242390/original/file-20181025-71029-y7dglt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/242390/original/file-20181025-71029-y7dglt.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a> 
Participants can map their experience of equality or inequality in their neighbourhood using locator pins. 
Crowd-mapping generates geolocative data. This is made up of points “dropped” to a precise geographical location. The data can then be analysed and synthesised for insights, tendencies and “hotspots”.
The diversity of its applications shows the adaptability of the method. The digital, community-based method of crowd-mapping has been used across the globe. Under-represented citizens have embraced the opportunity to tell their stories as a way to engage with and change their experience of cities.
<a href="http://crowdspot.com.au/" target="_blank">CrowdSpot</a> and <a href="https://www.monash.edu/mada/research/labs/xyx-lab-monash-space-gender-communication-lab" target="_blank">Monash University</a> have developed the <a href="https://www.genderequalitymap.vic.gov.au" target="_blank">Gender Equality Map</a> with support from the Victorian government. It will enable local government to tackle the issues of socio-cultural exclusion that have proven so elusive. The map will help uncover real experiences of gender inequality in public places, from local sports facilities to public transport, community services and infrastructure, to simply walking down the street.
How will the data be used?
Melton and Darebin city councils will pilot the project. These councils are committed to engaging with the data in future decision-making with direct impacts on their communities and neighbourhoods.
The map is open to all genders with residence of Darebin and Melton encouraged to use the web app to tell their story. While we expect to see stories from women and men of a range of ages, the <a href="https://www.genderequalitymap.vic.gov.au" target="_blank">Gender Equality Map</a> is also an opportunity to hear about the nuanced experiences of LGBTIQ+ people.
More than a new narrative of city life, the Gender Equality Map and crowd-mapping projects more broadly reflect a shift in how we understand cities, architecture and urban planning. To understand patterns of inclusion and exclusion, to consider individual perceptions of cities – ones that may not align with our own – is one of the greatest challenges place-makers face.
Trained as an architect and landscape architect and as the director of a <a href="https://www.monash.edu/mada/research/labs/xyx-lab-monash-space-gender-communication-lab" target="_blank">university research lab</a>, my research is committed to understanding the nexus of urban place and gender inequity. My <a href="https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315163956-13" target="_blank">recent research</a> focuses on the possibilities and power of crowd-mapping as a method for shaping urban space. Recognising that cities need to be gender-sensitive, I seek to understand the stories of gender, equity and identity in cities – not fictional ones but real-life stories of individual people.
Leading to more inclusive urban design
As a democratic process, crowd-mapping can lead to action that helps solve real-world issues. To design “inclusively” is more than a matter of providing community buildings, public transport and amenity. It’s about the determination to seek out the tricky stories of social justice – those of access, equity and diversity – and to actively shape our cities with these goals as our priority.
Considering how communities can advance agendas and unlock many of the complex and diverse needs of cities requires a tactical approach. Feminist architect and activist Lori Brown <a href="https://architectureau.com/articles/lori-brown-feminist-activist-architect/" target="_blank">states</a>:
Design is not a passive act. It is a critical engagement with community and you have to be cognisant of the power that you have and how you use it.
Crowd-mapping engages with community but also brings with it a particularly powerful form of activism – especially when it comes to gender inequity. Projects such as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=evefryday+sexism&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enAU803AU804&amp;oq=evefryday+sexism&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2907j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Everyday Sexism</a> in the UK; <a href="http://safetipin.com/projects" target="_blank">Safetipin</a> in New Delhi, Jakarta, Bogota and Nairobi; Harassmap in India; and <a href="http://planfreetobe.org/" target="_blank">Free to Be</a> in Australia and internationally, have publicly charted the ways women, in particular, experience inequity in cities.
One obvious advantage is that web-based crowd-sourcing can challenge the historically disproportionate contribution of usually male voices in urban policy and design. One of the reasons crowd-mapping has been successful at engaging with women and girls is that it allows them to report when and where it suits them. What more will we learn about inclusion when we open up the tool to all genders?
The ubiquity of smartphone technology over the past decade has driven exponential growth in the volume of data about cities and their citizens. We have less data, however, about gender and inequity. More data and deeper insights will make these issues central to the design and strategy of local, urban decision-making.
Nicole Kalms, Director of XYX Lab + Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Monash University, Monash University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. 
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Crowd-mapping gender equality tool launches in Melbourne: Nicole Kalms

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One of Canberra's iconic mid-century modern homes has hit the market after a recent renovation.
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-act-deakin-129218218" target="_blank">Deakin home was designed</a> by the late architect Miles Jakl, who was best known for the carousel restaurant Onred atop Red Hill, in the 1960s.
The three bedroom home was featured in 100 Canberra Houses: A Century of Capital Architecture, published in 2013 to time with the Canberra's centenary. 
It has been updated since it last traded for $1.44 million in 2016, the first time it had been offered for sale when bought by the Muller family.
It has been listed for auction this weekend through Belle agents Leanne Palmer and Louise Harget.
Set on an 850 square metre Beauchamp Street block, the property features a landscaped courtyard, established gardens and a solar heated swimming pool.
It still has a feel of a 1960s entertainers' offering.
This article was first published in Weekend Australian. 
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Iconic mid-century Canberra trophy home set to go under the hammer

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I recently caught up with Founding Directors of <a href="http://www.odo.co/">One Design Office</a>, Samson Tiew and Jon Liow to discuss the cross-disciplinary approach of their office and their work, in addition to the ability to offer a comprehensive suite of services from architecture to marketing and branding.

We also chat about the office's involvement in the Southbank by Beulah competition and how that whole process came together, culminating in the Future Cities Symposium.

The topic of prototyping and the important role it can play in the design is also raised. Please note, the podcast was recorded on the 13th of September. And remember to subscribe to our <a href="/guides">weekly podcast</a> through your favourite podcast app.

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Laurence Dragomir

Weekly Podcast: Episode 34 - One Design Office

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On this week's episode I catch up with an old friend in <a href="https://www.figr.com.au/">Figr Architecture</a>'s Michael Artemenko and discuss his experiences during the course of his architectural career and how these ultimately helped him in founding Figr along with co-director Adi Atic. 

Michael and I briefly reminisce about our time working together at Kerstin Thompson Architects, which is where we met and the influence this had on both our careers.

We also discuss the challenges of establishing your own firm and the massive learning curve of such a decision and ensuring a good office culture is fostered in which staff look forward to coming into the office and aren't required to do unnecessary overtime.

The value architects add to projects and how the industry could do more to promote this also rates a mention, with Michael citing Open House as a great initiative, and one which Figr have found to be extremely beneficial in communicating their work to the public.

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Weekly Podcast: Episode 29 - Figr Architecture's Michael Artemenko

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Research shows humans don’t like being caged in, preferring to be in larger, more open spaces. And different factors – such as the shape of rooms, the colour of surfaces and the positioning and brightness of lighting – all influence how we perceive space.
These are the elements designers and architects consider when creating spaces. And there are several tips you can use yourself to make your apartment, or any living space, seem roomier.
Extending space
If your apartment has outside views, you should use these. By facing living areas and furniture towards the window or balcony, the outside landscape becomes an extension of the inside space, increasing the perception of the room’s size.
Architects (including Frank Lloyd Wright in his famous work Fallingwater, pictured above) have long used this tactic to draw the eye outside, as a contrast to smaller spaces with low ceilings. A window doesn’t need to be large to create this effect, but some research has shown it needs to take up about 20% of the wall to improve satisfaction with the interior space.
You can also place a mirror opposite that view, which will reflect the outside and contrive another illusory kind of “outside”. A mirror’s view into another room would have a similar effect.
Ceilings with light fittings tend to shrink a space. Lights are best located on walls, about 300mm below ceiling height and directed to shine up across the ceiling and down the walls. This spreads light over the surfaces, rather than concentrating it in a single direction, creating an illusion of size.
Standing and desktop lamps provide the same diversity of spread and reflection.
Using colour
Interior designers do follow guidelines based on studies of colour and light theory to create the appearance of more space, though these may be seen as subjective and relying on intuition.
Lighter colours, for instance, best reflect light and so create the appearance of space. Darker colours, decorative wallpapers and patterned fabrics shrink space and absorb light. Studies have shown lighter ceilings are perceived to be higher than darker ceilings.
Dark colours for floors can constrict a space. Deeply ornate textures and fabrics also shrink volume, as do exaggerated patterned carpets and rugs. Open and continuous flooring surfaces, like timber boards, engineered flooring, broadloom carpet and tiles, create an appearance of space.
Flexible space
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/227731/original/file-20180716-44082-obq7hq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
A wall at door height doubles as a cupboard that faces the bedroom side of the divide. Jason Busch/Stanhill Studio renovation by Normam Day&amp;Associates, Architects., Author provided
You could reorganise the apartment to change the functions of the rooms. Think, for instance, are the bedrooms well placed, or should the living areas be relocated?
Generally, external views are best adopted for the daylight hours and so for the living and working areas. And bedrooms rely less on broad outside views.
Melbourne’s heritage Romberg’s Stanhill Building was designed in 1950 with flexible apartment spaces that could be used as residences, offices and medical suites.
Later renovations repurposed the dining and living spaces as smaller bedrooms. The original bedrooms were redesigned as open-plan living and dining spaces, with views to Albert Park Lake.
A studio renovation (see photo above) in the building adopted a storage unit (facing into the bedroom area) to door height, which acts as a screen to divide the nominal “rooms”.
Things that normally work for a single purpose can take on more functions, which aids in using a small space for many purposes. For instance, if you own the apartment, you could replace a normal brick or timber dividing wall with a built-in cupboard which can face, back-to-back, into both rooms.
For the apartment renovation in the same building, a storage unit was designed to be a bookshelf taking up most of a wall (below).
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/227733/original/file-20180716-44097-1ds5gox.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
A wall can become a storage unit to save space. Trevor Mein/Stanhill Aptartment 2013 Norman Day &amp; Associates., Author provided
Using furniture
While there is limited research on the perceived spatial dimensions of furniture and its effect, studies do show the more furniture you put into a space, the smaller it appears. And most of us know the less “stuff” we have in our apartments the bigger they seem.
Fitted living room furniture with built-in side tables that hug the wall is better than having large single units and isolated tables. TVs and sound systems incorporated into storage are more space-efficient than stand-alone units.
Big furniture, like settees and coffee tables, ornate bedheads and oversized loose chairs, also overcrowds space. It’s not comfortable to have to walk around large pieces of furniture rather than through space.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229222/original/file-20180725-194149-1hlygxl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229222/original/file-20180725-194149-1hlygxl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
The less stuff you have, the more spacious things appear. <a class="source" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BilnL1FHdIb/?taken-by=elisabeth_heier" target="_blank">@elisabeth_heier/Instagram (screenshot)</a>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98941/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">The best types of furniture to use in small spaces are simple open-framed chairs and tables, furniture with light frames, steel or timber, and open backs.
Kirsten Day, Course Director Interior Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/live-in-a-small-place-an-interior-designers-tips-to-create-the-illusion-of-space-98941" target="_blank">original article</a>.
Main photo:  <a href="https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/highsm/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Carol M. Highsmith Archive</a> collection at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Congress" target="_blank" title="en:Library of Congress">Library of Congress</a>.
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An interior designer's tips to create the illusion of space: Kirsten Day

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As Open House Melbourne 2018 draws ever closer, a number of architectural practices will be throwing open the doors to their offices, allowing the public a glimpse at their working environments and providing them with a better understanding of the work architects do.

For the 2018 program the following architects are opening up their offices:

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/archier-studio-hardwick-building">Archier Studio</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/architects-warehouse">Idle Architecture Studio</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/building-no2">Wolveridge Architects</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/cox-architecture-studio">COX Architecture</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/fieldwork-studio">Fieldwork</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/phooey-architects-carpet-couch-and-office">PHOOEY Architects</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/orica-house">Bates Smart</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/melbourne/buildings/techne-architecture-interior-design-office">Technē</a></li>
	<li>K2LD</li>
</ul>
But the focus for today's piece will be K2LD’s newly refurbished office space over three levels at <a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=49+Exhibition+Street,+Melbourne&amp;entry=gmail&amp;source=g">49 Exhibition Street, Melbourne</a>.

K2LD is an Architectural and Interior Design studio that has a wide range of expertise across a diverse portfolio of project types such as individual houses and community precincts, through to multi-unit developments, educational projects and large-scale commercial projects. K2LD believes that no built outcome is identical and their key focus is on the design journey and the establishment of ongoing client relationships.

In late 2017, K2LD moved from its humble office into a new larger studio space. The new studio not only caters for the practice’s growing team but is a showcase and exemplar of the work of K2LD Architects and Interiors.

The new studio also sees some of K2LD’s closest business partners and companies come together and share the space, bringing together a melting pot of creativity, skills, and ideas.

The design of the office focused on the theme of integration, collaboration, functionality and intimate creativity, coupled with an aesthetic vision around the use of strong dark lines against a neutral palette and splashes of greenery.

This has resulted in a large hub with central kitchen-and-dining space, where staff gather at lunch or after work for various events and celebrations.

Additionally, concepts of fluidity, seamlessness and personalisation are optimised in this new space inspired by the works of Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier.

Alongside the hub are a variety of different sized meeting rooms, designed to promote engaging design critiques and client meetings of varying sizes.

The expansive boardroom dismisses notions of sterility in such formal environments and is softened via its materiality in the form of boomerang lights, plush carpeting, sheer linen drapes and timber ceilings.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/k2ld2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="K2LD's newly refurbihsed space"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/k2ld2.jpg?itok=X0GmBQtI" title="K2LD's newly refurbihsed space" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>K2LD's newly refurbished space. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
As designers, we have the ability to greatly influence how a person experiences and moves through space, and as such we deliberately set the tone of the boardroom to debunk the traditional corporate ambience that would be expected,says

- Tisha Lee, K2LD Director
</blockquote>

The neutral background and supportive materiality, continues through the entirety of the office, allowing for different stories to be created while bespoke furnishing and objects complement the space. 

The transparent and inclusive environment of the office allows for activity-based working through formal and informal break-out areas, large open-plan zones and a central kitchen and dining hub which acts as the Studio’s focal point, much like a kitchen in the heart of the home.

A unique gallery space on level one also allows for gatherings and talks, and offers an opportunity for artists to exhibit their work, promoting multiple layers of creativity within the organisation.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/k2ld1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="K2LD's office will open its doors Saturday as part of OHM 2018. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="835" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/k2ld1.jpg?itok=DCJPYAIu" title="K2LD's office will open its doors Saturday as part of OHM 2018. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>K2LD's office will open its doors Saturday as part of OHM 2018. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure><h2>Open House Melbourne 2018 Program:</h2>

Photography Restricted: Yes

Open: Sat 10am - 4pm

What's Open: Level 2 hub, office space and board room. Level 1 meeting rooms and gallery space

Tour Details: Tours at 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, running for 20minutes, in groups of 10

Special Programming: Hands on activity for kids including colouring and take home materials.

Building Type: Workplace

Access: Pram accessible, Fully accessible

Tour Type: Guided, queue
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Open House Melbourne 2018: K2LD's 49 Exhibition Street offices

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In keeping with Apartments.com.au's awards theme over the last two weeks, Woods Bagot last week announced that seven of its projects had been shortlisted finalists in this year's World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards program and its sister program, the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors.

The WAF Awards are the world’s largest, live architectural award, combining keynote presentations from leading international figures alongside live judging presentations from over 400 award finalists.

Woods Bagot’s project shortlist comprises three future projects and four completed buildings. The six shortlisted WAF projects are:

<ul>
<li>Younghusband Woolstore Development, Melbourne</li>
	<li>Melbourne Innovation Precinct, Melbourne</li>
	<li>Elwood House, Melbourne </li>
	<li>Short Lane, Sydney </li>
	<li>St Mary’s Calne School Library, London; and</li>
	<li>Sunshine Insurance Plaza, Beijing</li>
</ul>
While West Hotel, Sydney in conjunction with Fitzpatrick + Partners is shortlisted in the INSIDE World of Interiors Awards.

Selected from a record number of entries, WAF's 536-strong shortlist includes projects from 81 countries across 39 prizes and categories.

<blockquote>
Being a multi-project finalist at WAF affirms Woods Bagot's place on the international stage. It’s immensely gratifying as a global studio to now present these projects to the exceptional talent of our national and international peers.

- Domenic Alvaro, Woods Bagot Global Design Leader
</blockquote>

Woods Bagot will present each shortlisted project to judges in a series of live events at the festival in Amsterdam, 28 to 30 November. The awards will be decided by over 130 judges from more than 35 countries.

More info on the shortlisted projects is available below:

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/younghusband&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH68YWKIqqKOQV8BZ8K3qb-8r4SfQ" href="https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/younghusband" target="_blank">Younghusband Woolstore Development</a>, Melbourne

Category: Commercial Mixed Use – Future Project

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/130430_n5_screenhd_yh.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Younghusband Woolstore. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="478" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/130430_n5_screenhd_yh.jpg?itok=TeRCLwPs" title="Younghusband Woolstore. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Younghusband Woolstore. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>Younghusband transforms a former 100-year-old wool factory in Melbourne’s inner-west into a community-focused commercial site. Co-working, education, food, retail and wellness spaces have been woven into the buildings diverse spaces, allowed to co-exist thanks to modifications made in the floor plate to bring light into previously unlit spaces and to create connections through the spaces for the movement of air and people.

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.woodsbagot.com/news/plans-for-melbourne-s-new-innovation-precinct-approved-by-victorian-government&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEfiKcyFaUWAyShWKhmUhVtKntKFg" href="https://www.woodsbagot.com/news/plans-for-melbourne-s-new-innovation-precinct-approved-by-victorian-government" target="_blank">Melbourne Innovation Precinct</a>, Melbourne

Category: Commercial Mixed Use – Future Project

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/130395_n19_screenhd_mip.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Innovation Precinct. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="437" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/130395_n19_screenhd_mip.jpg?itok=IZlq-95E" title="Melbourne Innovation Precinct. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Innovation Precinct. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>The Melbourne Innovation Precinct seeks to establish Australia’s leading campus-centred, multi-disciplinary innovation precinct where university, industry, government, entrepreneurs and researchers co-locate and collaborate to enhance Australia’s innovation, productivity and sustainability agendas. Situated on the corner of Swanston and Grattan Streets in Carlton at the site of the former Royal Women’s Hospital, the precinct is the main ‘gateway’ vista into the Melbourne Innovation District, announcing its bold ambitions.

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/sunshine-sanya&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGAo-Scx8V3MorSMD3GsBedGTEXPg" href="https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/sunshine-sanya" target="_blank">Sunshine Insurance Plaza</a>, Beijing

Category: Mixed Use – Completed Buildings

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/320028_n589_screenhd_sunshine.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sunshine Inusrance Plaza. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/320028_n589_screenhd_sunshine.jpg?itok=bibvhd5F" title="Sunshine Inusrance Plaza. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sunshine Insurance Plaza. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>Inspired by a string of pearls, Sunshine Insurance Finance Plaza provides a soaring new addition to Sanya Bay’s rising skyline. Located at the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island, the mixed-use development features a 35-storey tower above a tiered retail podium and lush gardens. The tower comprises A-grade offices, a 4-star Park Hyatt Hotel, a private clubhouse and a rooftop pool.

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/elwood-house&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEgwn_nTW4j82HdP1l4yjJr4pmzYw" href="https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/elwood-house" target="_blank">Elwood House</a>, Melbourne

Category: Small Scale Housing – Completed Buildings

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/130148_n21_screenhd_elwood_3_shannon_mcgrath.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Elwood house. Image: Shannon McGrath"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/130148_n21_screenhd_elwood_3_shannon_mcgrath.jpg?itok=XQy_3MNd" title="Elwood house. Image: Shannon McGrath" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Elwood house. Image: Shannon McGrath</figcaption></figure>With 30 finely crafted residences, Elwood House challenges the genre of medium density residential against the values of community and gathering, neighbourhood texture and scale, memorial to its past, and owner experience. Reflecting the local grain and scale of its beachside village, the development evolves the location’s heritage into a more refined solution for the area that transforms the typically low-scale residential language of the area into a modern interpretation of multi-residential living.

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/short-lane&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGWS0Tz0B5xyXcHfGv3pYXEJA-U9w" href="https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/short-lane" target="_blank">Short Lane</a>, Sydney                                                             

Category: Small Scale Housing – Completed Buildings

Conceived as an urban garden, Short Lane is an undertaking in providing humans with a connection to nature in a dense, inner-urban setting that lacks greenery. The mixed-use development retains the diversity of its local neighbourhood and creates places for more of it to happen – with new botanical spaces, walkable laneways and venues for local participation.

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://architectnews.co.uk/2018/03/13/woods-bagot-receives-planning-permission-pioneering-school-library-wiltshire/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGQR5JpDaHYJJ8BN0M9aZ-WG4RRgw" href="http://architectnews.co.uk/2018/03/13/woods-bagot-receives-planning-permission-pioneering-school-library-wiltshire/" target="_blank">St Mary’s Calne School Library</a>, London

Category: Education – Future Project

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/15905_st_marys.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="St Mary's Calne School Library. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="319" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/15905_st_marys.jpg?itok=qTcJjZDv" title="St Mary's Calne School Library. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>St Mary's Calne School Library. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>With a vision to design an inspiring academic environment which fosters a love of learning, creativity, debate and scholarship in its pupils, the St Mary’s Calne School Library is a rich, academic haven. Designed as a stand-alone pavilion, the library is at the heart of the school. The building layers from solidity to lightness and from internal to external, creating a sense of arrival and then discovery, culminating in framed views of the orchard beyond.

<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/west-hotel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1530575430547000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHCvpO6TN_ghuDrdFWUCgEWPaONfg" href="https://www.woodsbagot.com/projects/west-hotel" target="_blank">West Hotel</a>, Sydney (Woods Bagot and Fitzpatrick + Partners)

Category: Hotels (Inside World Festival of Interiors Awards)

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/120904_n42_screenhd_west_hotel_2_felix_forest.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="West Hotel. Image: Felix Forest"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/120904_n42_screenhd_west_hotel_2_felix_forest.jpg?itok=c_YPPR41" title="West Hotel. Image: Felix Forest" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>West Hotel. Image: Felix Forest</figcaption></figure>West Hotel, Curio by Hilton, is a botanical oasis nestled in the heart of Sydney on an iconic street that is going through a period of renewal due to its proximity to near the city’s newest precinct, Barangaroo.Wedged between an office building and an old Sydney heritage pub, the faceted glass box is an escape from the city. The restaurant, bar, rooms all surround a sunlit, jungle-like atrium within. Woods Bagot has used the crystal-like façade of the base building by Fitzpatrick and Partners as the reference point for the interior design.

Lead Image: Short Lane, Trevor Mein
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Woods Bagot's seven shortlisted for WAF and INSIDE Awards

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The second in Apartments.com.au's Road to the Victorian Architecture Awards series in the lead up to the awards dinner which take place on 29 June and recognises the achievements of architects' contributions to our built environment.

John Wardle Architects is one of the most recognised practices in this year’s 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards, shortlisted for 7 awards ranging from residential architecture, urban design, interior architecture and educational architecture.

Apartments.com.au took the opportunity to speak to Meaghan Dwyer, Principal at John Wardle Architects, about how to respond to the many changes faced by the built environment. Meaghan also discusses some of the projects the practice has been shortlisted for.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/jwa_caulfield_library.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="John Wardle Architects' Caulfield Library shortlisted in these year's awards. Image: Dianna Snape"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/jwa_caulfield_library.jpg?itok=zn2tnkSy" title="John Wardle Architects' Caulfield Library shortlisted in these year's awards. Image: Dianna Snape" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>John Wardle Architects' Caulfield Library shortlisted in these year's awards. Image: Dianna Snape</figcaption></figure>Apartments.com.au: The way we work, live and play continues to constantly evolve. As an architect, how do you design buildings and spaces that will stand the test of time?

Meaghan Dwyer: Firstly, designing for change requires us to drop past assumptions and explore new potentials. We employ a number of strategies to create buildings and spaces that will stand the test of time.

We begin by firmly anchoring our design response in place. We do this through forming a deep understanding of the context within which we design and we respond to this in a nuanced way. We create flexible buildings that can respond to change. We apply the principles of good design – orientation, natural daylight, accessibility, and the like.

We select enduring materials and detail our buildings to last.

U: Tell us about some of the projects you’ve been working on that have been shortlisted in the 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards

MD: We have been fortunate to be the architects for two buildings for Monash University as part of their $750 million spend to upgrade their educational infrastructure. The Learning and Teaching Building and the refurbishment of the Caulfield Library are both shortlisted in the educational and interiors categories.

The transport interchange that formed part of our commission at the Clayton Campus is also shortlisted in the urban design category. These projects all follow the university’s aspiration to create vibrant settings for university life.

In addition, our Main Ridge House is shortlisted in the residential alterations and additions category. This is an existing house that has been completely reimagined as part of a larger plan for the rural site where it is located.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/jwa_tl_clayton.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Learning and Teaching Building at Monash Clayton also shortlisted. Image: Trevor Mein"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="575" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/jwa_tl_clayton.jpg?itok=fpaKOLWd" title="The Learning and Teaching Building at Monash Clayton also shortlisted. Image: Trevor Mein" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Learning and Teaching Building at Monash Clayton also shortlisted. Image: Trevor Mein</figcaption></figure>U: With the student experience being at the centre of your approach to educational architecture, how do you design for millennials and cater to the university of tomorrow?

MD: One thing for certain is that the higher education sector continues to experience rapid change. Just this week we have seen the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia announce that they are considering the merits of a merger.

Consequently, there is much speculation as to what the future university will look like. We understand that while every university is unique, they are all tackling the challenges of increased student numbers and the introduction of online learning.

This requires an intimate understanding of the organisational strategy, pedagogical approach and the characteristics of the student body. We certainly appreciate that millennials engage with technology in a very intuitive way.

They appreciate the flexibility to work anywhere they like, and are used to accessing all kinds of information and services at any time they like. They also tend to be very connected with their peers.

For these reasons the university campus needs to be a vibrant and activated place that supports peer to peer learning in any location. This impacts both the classroom setting, and also the spaces and places around the campus that support university life.

U: When approaching public projects, how important is it to design spaces that mean many things to many people?

MD: We believe that the public realm is experienced by all and so should be responsive to a broad range of aspirations and requirements. In our view it is highly desirable that every project display civic generosity, or make a positive contribution to the public realm, rather than reflect the interests of one stakeholder, or another.

U: In your opinion, do you think the education sector is leading the way in dealing with the design challenges presented by our changing environment (e.g. population growth, technology etc)?

MD: Universities have been subject to rapid growth in student numbers for many years now. They have also been grappling with the impacts of technology on learning and teaching. As there are a relatively large number of universities in Australia, and while each of them has invested substantial funds, there has been a constant iteration of responses to these circumstances.

Other public institutions that build less often have been slower to respond to the challenges resented by rapid population growth and technology. Our recent work with the justice system suggests that the courts are beginning to tackle these challenges. Likewise, our recent work in the cultural sector suggests the same.

In some ways, these organisations have a lot to learn from the higher education system.

U: Do you think architects need to play an increasingly collaborative role with clients to ensure their vision aligns with creating spaces that are future-proofed?

MD: We certainly pride ourselves on our ability to work with a client to understand their strategic requirements. We also appreciate that many clients are navigating change in the way that their organisations are offering services.

We believe that there is a place for spatial problem solving and we feel very able to join with our clients to align their strategy with their built environment. We also believe that their objectives can be supported by good design.

U: How important is it to engender communities through the built environment and how can this be achieved?

MD: We are firm believers that a good public realm is essential for the public life of a city. A good public realm is achieved through creating civic generosity, that is a built environment that responds to a broad range of aspirations and requirements, rather than responding to the interests of one stakeholder, or another.

This approach underpins all our project work, be it in the education sector, commercial, or any other sector.

U: Why do John Wardle Architects work on such a diverse portfolio of projects?

MD: We often describe ourselves as fabulous generalists. Our ability to move across project types comes from our curiosity to explore unrealised potential, rather than rest on past assumptions. Our ability to problem solve and design at all scales stands us in good stead, and nothing delights us more than a fresh challenge.
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Road to the Victorian Architecture Awards 2018: Q&A with Meaghan Dwyer of John Wardle Architects 

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In the lead up to the Victorian Architecture Awards dinner, to be held on Friday 29th June, Apartments.com.au will be profiling a number of architects who have had projects shortlisted for the awards, in addition to commentary on current issues and challenges within our built environment.

Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA) - where I worked for five years and continue to admire from afar - has been shortlisted for four awards this year ranging from residential, heritage, interior and educational architecture.

The practice is highly regarded amongst peers for its continued contribution to the built environment, which is not only reflected in the impressive body of work completed to date but also the office's success in consistently recognised for its achievements, particularly over the last 4 years for the following projects:

<ul>
<li>2017 AIA Commercial Architecture Award, Victorian Chapter for TarraWarra Cellar Door</li>
	<li>2017 AIA Residential Architecture Award – New, Victorian Chapter for Seaberg</li>
	<li>2016 Eat Drink Design Awards TarraWarra Estate – Highly Commended</li>
	<li>2016 IDEA Interior Design Excellence Awards TarraWarra Estate – Highly Commended</li>
	<li>2014 AIA National Architecture Awards, Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) for House at Hanging Rock</li>
	<li>2014 AIA Harold Desbrowe Annear Award for House at Hanging Rock</li>
	<li>2014 AIA Heritage Award for Wertheim Factory Convrsion – Studio 9</li>
	<li>2014 AIA Public Alterations &amp; Additions for Birralee Primary School</li>
</ul>
Apartments.com.au caught up with KTA founder and Principal, Kerstin Thompson to discuss how the studio continues to design a diverse portfolio of projects, which draw on and make meaningful connections to their context.

Apartments.com.au: KTA has worked on a diverse range of projects and typologies over the years - how do you continue to develop original and creative work?

Kerstin Thompson: We approach every project from first principles which is easy when it’s a project type you haven’t worked on before because you don’t have rote thinking to fall back on, but even with repeat project types like our police stations, the combination of a generic brief with wild variations in context and community provides plenty of opportunity for original thinking on each project.

We certainly value the fact that KTA doesn’t specialise but rather maintains a curiosity for any kind of project assuming an alignment between the client’s aspirations and KTA’s core values.

U: The Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables is a highly recognised project in the Victorian Architecture Awards shortlist this year. How do you achieve leading design across different realms such as outstanding heritage architecture and interior architecture?

KT: Every project starts with pre-conditions. Even a site without any built form will have strength of context whether this is its ecology, cultural history, patterns of use etc. Our work with heritage buildings is simply engaging with the richness of existing built form and for us this presents a fascinating launching pad for transformation to enable new uses and understandings around a site.

Also, we always approach every project through a clear conceptual intent that guides our thinking across landscape interior, architecture &amp; site infrastructure. For us boundaries between interior and exterior architecture are false.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/vca_stables.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victorian College of the Arts Former mounted Police Stables. Image: Trevor Mein"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vca_stables.jpg?itok=6ANpN67s" title="Victorian College of the Arts Former mounted Police Stables. Image: Trevor Mein" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victorian College of the Arts Former mounted Police Stables. Image: Trevor Mein</figcaption></figure>U: How have you balanced maintaining what was existing in the space while entirely changing the purpose of the building?

KT: With VCA, as with much of our work on heritage or adaptive re-use projects, we strive for an ease of fit between old forms &amp; new uses. In this case the already cellular nature of the stables as collection of horse stalls, their remarkable light-filled double height voids was a superb fit with studios for 165 arts students; two art students for one horse.

Similarly, with the former riding school this beautifully proportioned and generous space is now a performing arts space which can accommodate a range of performance practices and formats.

U: What was it like working on an education project that is also expected to serve various other functions such as studio and performing arts spaces?

KT: The Stables and entry octagon needed to serve many purposes. Primarily the school’s studio-based philosophy required mixed-mode spaces that could easily switch from studio to exhibition areas. So the design incorporates a series of sliding panels that enable the school to reconfigure itself – for events, exhibitions, seminars and working studios for a range of art practices as required.

U: When working on a new residential project such as Park House, what influence does the existing streetscape and surrounding architecture have on the design?

KT: Of course, all projects need to be responsive to the people and the place for which they are designed. As a counter to the bland contemporary style of much new one-off housing, KTA uses the architecture of new residential projects to reinforce some valued aspect of the locale to achieve a distinctly local character.

In this instance, its location on the edge of a suburban park influenced its form. In its gradual shift of scale from street to rear, Park House wavers between a suburban modesty and grandeur. The house has an enigmatic neighbourly presence and its low-key street façade belies its size.

The draped roof over the length of the plan creates a gentle silhouette beside the park to the east. Holding the eastern façade together is a veil of woven mesh, which softens morning light and allows daytime views out to the park while maintaining privacy.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/kta_park_house.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Park House has been shortlisted in the Residential (New) category for the 2018 Vic Awards. Image: Trevor Mein"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/kta_park_house.jpg?itok=8HwOx3SY" title="The Park House has been shortlisted in the Residential (New) category for the 2018 Vic Awards. Image: Trevor Mein" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Park House has been shortlisted in the Residential (New) category for the 2018 Vic Awards. Image: Trevor Mein</figcaption></figure>U: Can you provide an insight into some of the other projects you are working on at the moment?

KT: In line with my earlier comment, our current range of projects are across many different sectors. We are making a foray into the commercial one with a major redevelopment on a prime Melbourne city block. We’ve also recently started work with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne on imagining what a new herbarium as part of a nature &amp; science precinct might be like.

It’s fascinating to be working with RBGV again in such a different setting to our former work for the Cranbourne Visitor Centre. Our work on the Riversdale site, part of the Bundanon Trust, for a new gallery celebrating Arthur Boyd’s legacy is another project through which we can pursue our commitment to a more integrated vision for buildings and landscapes in sensitive cultural and environmental settings.

We are also working on a number of multi-residential projects in Melbourne’s inner-north which are exciting for their precinct-wide impact and opportunity. Parallel to that, our ongoing interest in civic projects includes Broadmeadows Town Hall, currently under construction, which will repair and revitalise the currently car park-dominated town centre.

We’ve just received planning support for the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Elsternwick, which aside from being a very interesting program, also sets a precedent for alternative ways in which heritage buildings can be embedded within new architecture.

U: Through your projects you’re known for breaking new ground. Do you think the intention to break new ground is becoming increasingly common across Australian architecture today?

KT: Depends what we mean by breaking new ground. Sometimes formal gymnastics and façade flamboyance can be mistakenly construed as this, especially in the housing sector, a dress-up of otherwise conventional apartments.

We like to think that it can be more about the invention of new typologies and the sometimes invisible but potent spatial connections that can be forged within our cities and suburbs to create a sense of place and opportunity for many.
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