January/February - Australian Institute of Architects

chapter newsChapter Manager’s reportWhile 2011 proved to be a very challenging yearfor the Chapter, I am pleased to report therehave also been many achievements forarchitects and architecture in New South Wales.We welcome Gillian Redman-Lloyd to theChapter Office. Gillian will be managing theNSW Architecture Awards, and all our eventsand marketing, including exhibitions atTusculum and the Institute’s involvement inthe Sydney Architecture Festival.The delivery of CPD was enhanced with theintroduction of live streaming of many Instituteevents. This will be increased in 2012 with moreopportunities for our Newcastle and CountryDivision members to access National andstate-based CPD seminars. The inauguralNewcastle Division Awards were verysuccessful, and from 2013, will also feed intothe National Architecture Awards program.Communication with the broadercommunity grew substantially in 2011. SydneyArchitecture Festival (SAF) boasted a programof nearly 90 events held around the greatermetropolitan area. The publicity campaigngenerated a significant increase in online andradio coverage, and many lifestyle publicationsfeatured SAF events, with follow-up onlineduring the festival period. The SAF websitesaw a 60 per cent increase in visitation. TheInstitute’s Architecture on Show programwas well received, with more than 200 peopleattending events at nine local council venuesaround the metropolitan area. This popularseries will continue throughout 2012.I’d also like to take this opportunity tofarewell Anne Higham, our Heritage Officer,who retired in November after 10 years ofservice at the Chapter. Anne will focus on herother passions, although she remains on theHonours and Heritage Committee. Dr. NoniBoyd, who shares a similar enthusiasm forheritage, joined the Chapter in December2012 as Anne’s replacement.Finally, on behalf of everyone at theChapter, happy new year! We look forwardto working with you all in 2012.Roslyn IronsNSW Chapter Manager2012 architecture awards openEntry to the 2012 NSW Architecture Awardsis open until 24 February. Enter online at theChapter website, www.architecture.com.au/nsw. Email enquiries gillian.redman-lloyd@architecture.com.au .Bricks, mortar and moreHot on the heels of Austral’s new showrooms,the website www.designplace.com.au haslaunched to give specifiers access to all productsin the Brickworks group, including AustralBricks, Bristile Roofing and Austral Masonry.Disorder in the houseFrench connectionTimber Design AwardPatrons newsBates Smart recently completed a 15-levelfitout for the new Clayton Utz offices at 1 BlighStreet (above), as well as a new activity-basedworkplace for Goodman in the Sydney CBD.The firm also won an invited design competitionfor Landcom’s new head office fitout in theEclipse Tower in Parramatta with a designconcept inspired by Landcom’s own approachto community building. Landcom works acrossa range of scales from the mapping of land usedown to the selection of public art. Bates Smart’sfitout also uses scale and mapping conceptsas well as rigorous planning and sustainabledesign principles that complement the basebuilding. Photo: Richard GloverCox Richardson Architects & PlannersPhilip Cox, Philip Graus and Bob Meyer havecollaborated on a new book (right)on Australianhousing, called Home: Evolution of the AustraliaDream. Prompted by an interest in the planningand architectural aspects of housing and thebroader debate about what housing and citiesshould be doing, the book looks at the dwellingas the building block of our cities, tracing thedevelopment of housing from Australian urbanand dwelling prototypes, to the contemporarycity. The book includes with more than 50watercolour illustrations by Philip Cox. It’savailable online at www.exislepublishing.com,at Architext and major bookstores.Group GSA had a busy 2011: a year of changeand opportunity that saw a new office in bothMelbourne and Beijing, for which a Sydneybasedprincipal and locally based BDM’s inChina were appointed. This new chapterconsolidates the strategy of collaboration withpeer firms locally and partner firms globally.Group GSA have worked with alliance partnersin the US, EU, China and India, and severalfirst-tier local firms. A recent alliance in Rio deJaneiro will explore opportunities for the 2016Olympic Games. Pictured (right) is the RouseHill Town Centre, a collaboration with AllenJack+ Cottier and Rice Daubney.Photo: Brett BoardmanTanner Architects’ recently secured projectsinclude a master plan for St Andrews Collegeat the University of Sydney, the adaptationof the former Lidcombe RSL as a libraryand community centre for Auburn Council,and strategic advice for the renewal of the1964 Sulman Award-winning GoldsteinHall at the University of New South Wales.Tanner’s growing Brisbane office is involvedin the renewal of MaCarthur Chambersand adaptive re-use opportunities for theformer Boggo Road Gaol. Thomas Marshall,a University of Newcastle student workingat the firm, has been selected to helpconvene the 2013 SONA conferenceon the renewal of Newcastle.Masterclass 10–16 March 2012Join Peter Stutchbury, Richard Leplastrier,Rick Joy and Lindsay Johnson for a designcharette exploring architectural strategiesfor coastal and harsh climate locations.Jemby Rinjah Lodge, Blackheath. Detailsand registrations at www.ozetecture.org.Engineers and architects matched wits for theinaugural comedy debate at Parliament Houseon 3 November 2011. Amusing shots were firedfrom both sides of the House, but engineersAndrew Prately, Veena Sahajawalla and RowanPeck won the day. Below, from left, are ourarchitect debaters Tone Wheeler, Helen Norrieand Adam Haddow. Photo: Chantelle KemkemianHarry’s ParkHarry’s Park (below) was opened in November2011 by Penelope Seidler. Bounding the cornerof Glen and Dind Streets, Milsons Point, thepark was designed by Harry Seidler andAssociates in honour of the late Harry Seidlerand embodies the architect’s leitmotif ofcurves, concrete and public art, including asculpture by Robert Owen. Photo: Dirk MeineckeUIA President Louise Cox is invested byFrédéric Mitterrand, French Minister of Cultureand Communication, with the rank of Knightin the Order of Arts and Letters (below).The Ministry of Culture and Communicationmakes this award to individuals distinguishedin the arts and literature, or for contributionsto culture in France and around the world.Sydney Architecture FestivalThe 2011 Sydney Architecture Festival (SAF)saw around 90 events in 50 venues acrossSydney, reach around 1,700 people. SAFcoincided with Grand Designs Live at DarlingHarbour, who hosted public talks (to a further2,000 attendees) with the series’ British hostKevin McLeod and Australian host, PeterMaddison, in conversation with award-winninglocal architects. The SAF program of talks, tours,exhibitions and workshops (program at www.sydneyarchitecturefestival.org) also includedbespoke events such as the musical evening(at the Austral Bricks showroom) where youngarchitects put their lesser known musical talentsto work. Architecture on Show took public talksby architects to libraries across Sydney; this willcontinue in 2012. Ideas for SAF 2012 can be sentto gillian.redman-lloyd@architecture.com.au.Ngari Community High School (above) in theSolomon Islands received the 2011 TimberDesign Award for an Australian-designedinternational project. Designed and built byEmergency Architects Australia and the Ngaricommunity, the project is a community schoolbuilt with local materials by local volunteers andcarpenters using traditional skills and newdesign principles to mitigate risk in thisearthquake-prone area. Its design has beenadapted for other schools rebuilt after the 2007earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands.Photo: Richard BriggsAustralia House in JapanAndrew Burns Architect’s design (above) forthe new Australia House in Japan, was selectedfrom 154 competition entries in 2011. AustraliaHouse is an art project launched as part of theEchigo-Tsumari Art Triennale in 2009 as a basefor exchanges between Australia and Japan.The previous building — an old Japanese-stylefarmhouse collapsed after the earthquake ofMarch 2011. Burns’ design met the judges’criteria of being ‘reasonable, robust and small’.The building is due for completion in July, intime for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2012.4Architecture Bulletin January / February 2012 Architecture Bulletin January / February 20125