Architecture & Design July _September 2019

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Vol 55 NO 3

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the maturing of aged care design Tone Wheeler ON WOMEN IN SUSTAINABILITY Landscape design for childcare Paints & coatings for healthcare P r i n t P o s t A pp r o v e d 1 0 0 0 2 8 2 8 0

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Suitable in wet areas

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Locking mechanism

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Editor’s Letter branko miletic

Building quality issues have prompted both NSW state and federal governments to legally fortify the position of future homeowners.

On the cover Artificial intelligence was ignored by most built environment professionals until

content producers

Nathalie Craig Nathan Johnson Prue Miller Hamish McDonald Davina Jackson Gina Calder Paul Gardiner Fiona Young Michael Peck Randall Deutsch

projects

Building industry reform

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People

victorian specialist centre

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queenstown country club

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Bundoora childcare centre

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Sections 2

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front 2019

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INTERVieW 1

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INTERVieW 2

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Practical

Essay 1

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ceilings

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Essay 2

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paints, stains & coatings

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security

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internal walls

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outdoor & landscape

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Stephanie Stefanovic

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ASSISTANT Editor

Contents

Promotion Sa 2019

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tone wheeler

30 Products showcase

co n t e n t s

Branko Miletic editor@architectureanddesign.com.au

during the 2000s, and now, inevitably, new ways of understanding and doing things.

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Editor

satellite-enabled telecoms caused widespread apprehensions during the 1990s, systemic disruption

Architecture & design

This does however raise a series of issues, none more put more clearly than The Australian’s chief economics editor Alan Kohler.

“Underlying the crisis are two things: deregulation and Australia’s practice of build-to-sell rather than build-to-rent.”

“In other countries apartments are built by institutions, usually pension funds and endowments, which then rent them out. They make sure they are well built, because these are long-term investors who want the buildings to last a long time,” writes Kohler.

In other words, the current approach to building our residential towers, especially in Sydney is well and truly proving to be unsustainable.

This leads me to another part of the sustainability debate – that is the 2019 Architecture & Design Sustainability Awards, to be held in Sydney on November 7. This year, we have an 11-member judging panel, one that I believe, is the best so far. You can of course take a lot more of an intimate look at our judges and what makes them tick on page 24.

Being the 13th year for our awards shows that far from becoming set in our ways, we have pushed the boundaries of highlighting the developments surrounding sustainability as well as implementing it ourselves.

Then it is of no surprise that six out of the total 11 judges are women, nor the fact that we will be focusing on Indigenous design and its impact on the built environment in our Sustainability Live panel event.

Sustainability as we all know comes in many shapes, sizes and forms, and it’s this that we need to fully understand before any new residential development gets the green light.

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Building industry reform redux

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WORDS Michael Peck

Recently, a number of troubling building failures have highlighted the need for construction industry reforms that will better protect the interests of the community, and in particular, the owners and occupiers of multiresidential buildings.

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The Shergold Weir Report to the Building Ministers Forum, presented in February 2018, made 24 recommendations for reforms to the sector.

Controls over architectural services In Australian jurisdictions, the Architects Acts and other regulations combine with educational and competency standards to ensure that registered architects are qualified – both to design and technically document buildings to a high standard, and to administer construction contracts ensuring that buildings are completed to meet design and technical documentation requirements, codes and regulations.

Current legislation, as well as a longestablished body of Common Law, defines clear boundaries for the responsibility and liability of architects in the provision of their services. It envisages a continuum of architectural services from design through to the completion of the building, providing professional accountability and consumer protection.

Such arrangements ensure strict control over every aspect of the building’s creation: the quality of the design, working documents, construction contracts, as well as the inspection and certification systems.

These safeguards present virtually no opportunity for those involved in constructing the building to deviate from the documented construction requirements, such as by substituting materials.

Current building industry practice In contemporary apartment construction, the comprehensive level of responsibility expected is often addressed by dividing liabilities for each part of the process. It is now common practice, in apartment and other high-rise building projects, to have the design architect’s services terminated at the end of the concept design, and then to have another practitioner appointed to prepare the construction documents.

One aspect of this practice is that it has the potential to lead to confusion over who is responsible for the project as a whole. It is a fundamental principle of good public policy that those who make decisions about resource allocation should bear the costs and receive the benefits of those choices. Because many parties are making decisions about which materials and techniques to use, the costs and benefits of those decisions are diffused, and sub-optimal decisions are made – a classic case of market failure, as it provides attractive financial incentives for those involved in the construction process to substitute materials and construction techniques not originally specified.

Owners and occupiers also have to make resource-allocation decisions; owners have to decide how much they are prepared to spend, and occupiers have to decide where they are to live. In the case of cladding, owners and occupiers lack the knowledge to determine if a material may be inflammable, or properly attached to the building, and the removal of the independent professional architect or engineer from the process deprives them of expert advice and assistance.

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The proposed reform would not generate any discernible additional cost to the construction industry.

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International findings International jurisdictions and authorities have recognised the dangers of the market failures identified previously, and have developed, to varying degrees, means for solving them.

1. The United States National Council of Architects Registration Boards (NCARB) discusses these issues in the publication Guidelines and Model Law/ Model Regulations. Guideline V11 states: “VII. Requiring that an architect be engaged during the construction of a project A. An owner who proceeds to have constructed a project having as its principal purpose human occupancy or habitation and not exempted under Section VI shall be deemed to be engaged himself/herself in the practice of architecture unless he/she has employed an architect to perform at least minimum construction contract administration services, including (i) periodic site visits, (ii) shop drawing review, and (iii) reporting to the owner and building official any violations of codes or substantial deviations from the contract documents which the architect observed.

B. It shall be the project design architect’s obligation to report to the state board and to the building official if he/she is not engaged to provide construction

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contract administration services described in Paragraph A.” 2. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Statement on Design for Fire Safety, which was commissioned as a consequence of the Grenfell Tower disaster, identified the following concerns about the procurement regime for buildings in the UK:

“Developments in building procurement approaches which mean that the Lead Designer (architect or engineer) is no longer responsible for oversight of the design and the specification of materials and products from inception to completion of the project, with design responsibility often transferred to the contractor and sub-contractors, and no single point of responsibility.”

“The virtual disappearance of the role of the clerk of works or site architect and the loss of independent oversight of construction and workmanship on behalf of the client.”

Proposed Legislative Reform The market failures described earlier can only be overcome by statutory controls, requiring continuous accountability for design, technical documentation and inspection through the building process from inception to completion

– similar to the principle of “continuity of care” espoused by certain health professions.

Hence, it is suggested that the simplest and most effective way for Australian jurisdictions to address this market failure is to modify existing legislation; namely, to ensure that when a project involves the construction of Class 2, 3, 5 and 9 buildings, that an architect of account be appointed to provide a full design, technical working documentation and contract administration services.

The architect’s responsibilities should include (i) periodic site visits, (ii) shop drawing review, and (iii) reporting any violations of codes or substantial deviations from the contract documents to the owner and the relevant authority.

Cost of Reform The proposed reform would not generate any discernible additional cost to the construction industry. Design, technical working documentation, contract administration and inspection services are already inherent components of the cost of a building, and the financial benefits of avoiding construction accidents contribute to a compelling argument.

It is probable that the cost of engaging a single, competitively appointed, professionally qualified provider would be less costly than contracting a series of disparate service providers.

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Bridging the Gap: Using Technology to Improve Home Handovers and Defect Management

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In Australia’s highly competitive market, it is critical industry professionals understand the role technology can play in solving common pain points during all stages of the construction process, including after construction ends.

Common pain points in residential construction include lack of effective communication and transparency. As construction finishes and a project moves into the handover and postoccupancy phase, teething problems may begin to show putting additional strain on the client-project team relationship. A negative client experience during this period can lead to disputes and harm to the project team’s reputation through word-of-mouth.

Handover and post-occupancy workflows are often overlooked. It is critical for professionals to identify technology-driven customer engagement solutions that address this gap.

The Lack of Consumer-Friendly Project Management In recent years, the construction industry has adopted technology to support paperless project management and communication. This includes AutoCAD, client portals and common tools like email and Excel. However, clients still tend to rely on printouts and filing cabinets to store important project documents, increasing the risk of complications and inefficiency post-handover.

Client portals help by storing important files in one location, but they often become redundant after construction is completed.

Without technology tools to address client communication and defect management during handover and post-occupancy,

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homeowners can feel as though they have been left with a house requiring ongoing remediation and no support. These situations can result in feelings of unnecessary grief and frustration in homeowners.

The Role of Technology in Home Ownership and Management Once construction ends, builders are required to conduct a handover. This is commonly done by providing the homeowner with printed project documents or files on a USB key. Lost or misplaced files can lead to delays, whereas printing files can be costly and time-consuming.

As home management tasks like paying bills and managing appliances become more onlinebased, it makes sense for builders to provide homeowners with a digital ‘twin’ of their home to enable convenient home management.

A cloud-based system would provide an accessible and organised means of document management. Appliance information, manuals and warranties can be accessed from one location, making resolving simple issues like operating alarms and ovens easy and straightforward. Tracking and digitising project information from the outset of the building process ensures no transition period is required.

The Value of Word-of-Mouth…

From Someone You’ve Never Met If the handover and post-occupancy phase is mismanaged, architects, designers and builders expose themselves to commercial risk and reputational harm. A project could be well-executed during the design and

construction phase yet fall over during the warranty period or perform below client expectations. This situation can lead to disputes and feelings of disappointment, loss of trust and frustration.

Negative client experiences can result in wordof-mouth that can harm the architect, designer or builder’s reputation. In the digital age, where growing numbers of people are trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations, this bad word-of-mouth can spread quickly across a wide network of consumers.

HouseLab Built with a passion for the design and construction industry, HouseLab is focused on closing the gap between the customer and the construction industry during construction, handover and post-occupancy. Aimed at improving communication, document management and workflows between all stakeholders when renovating and managing homes, HouseLab is an integrated customer engagement platform that offers an intuitive, user-friendly interface for architects, designers, developers, builders, real estate agencies, body corporates and homeowners alike.

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ABOVE Ruby Street handed over using HouseLab. Photography by Wiilem-Dirk du Toit (left). HouseLab website (right). OPPOSITE Nightingale 1.0 handed over using HouseLab. Photography by Peter Clarke.

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FRONT 2019: From looking to learning Globalisation and the ubiquity of new technologies have been key drivers behind the knowledge economy, skills that are less about the traditional tenets of industrial models of education, and more about how we learn.

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A search of the term ‘learning’ on Ngram viewer (an application using data from Google books to plot the frequency of words used over time) shows an exponential increase in occurrence in its use from the 1980s onwards.

At the same time usage of “education” has been trending down.

Coincidentally, the release of the 1984 USA report Museums for a New Century advocated that education be considered a primary purpose of museums and it was at this time the role of the museum educator was established. This was a shift from museums as institutions that primarily focussed on collection, storage and display of artefacts stemming from their origins as Cabinets of Curiosities, or Wunderkammers, housing the private collections of the elite.

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The shift in emphasis on learning within museums and exhibitions has been evident in my career as an exhibition designer over the past two decades. Exhibition design briefs from the early 2000s contained little if any reference to learning, however in more recent years learning has been a key aspiration for the visitor experience both through exhibitions, and in the increase in the number of dedicated “learning spaces” being developed by cultural institutions.

The shift from education defined as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction at a school or university, to more student-centred approaches to learning has influenced the design of alternate school models beyond the traditional classroom. These new learning environments are characterised by larger and more connected spaces, with a greater variety of zones ranging in scale and character from large to small group and individual settings. Spatial features allow them to be used in multiple ways, with mobile furniture enabling teachers and students to change spaces to suit differing learning needs. Increased size, greater diversity and visibility throughout learning spaces gives opportunities for educators to team teach multiple class groupings both within and across disciplines. These types of spaces enable both teacher-led instruction and more collaborative modes of learning that empower students in their learning and support the development of 21st century skills.

Other progressive pedagogical approaches include: stage-not-age learning, in which students progress based on where they are at

with their learning rather than solely with those of the same year-group; learning through themes rather than only through subjects; hands-on learning where students explore concepts through making and doing; authentic learning based on real-world issues; and using technology for collaborations and connections beyond school with other students and experts globally.

In the knowledge economy, it is critical that learning isn’t limited to schools but is something that continues throughout our lives. As such, there are great opportunities to translate the innovations taking place in the evolution of school design to other building typologies including museum and exhibition design.

Currently, cultural institutions struggle to engage adolescent audiences who have ready access to a multitude of competing options.

If we draw upon some of the engaging and empowering initiatives taking place within schools, and translate these to museums, galleries and exhibitions what might these look like?

As centres for life-long learning, museums and galleries would be dynamic and active hubs for the whole community including those from diverse socio-economic, cultural and educational backgrounds. They would be more accessible with a diversity of offerings, content and spaces reflecting broader and more intergenerational audiences.

To find out more about FRONT or to attend FRONT, visit front.design/news

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wintec.com.au / A&D x Wintec /

Australia is affected by more than 50,000 bushfire events every year. As a significant proportion of Australians live immediately adjacent, or very close to, bushfire prone areas, it is critical for designers and specifiers to understand how to construct homes that can withstand bushfire damage.

Understanding Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Ratings The risk of bushfire in different environments is measured in terms of Bushfire Attack Level (BAL). Under AS 3959-2009 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas, the BAL rating system is divided into six levels ranging from BAL-LOW (very low risk of exposure to fire, ember, or radiant heat) to BAL-FZ (extreme risk with direct exposure to fire, ember, or radiant heat).

Aluminium: A Fire-Resistant Solution When designing for bushfire prone areas, designers should consider non-combustible,

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fire-resistant building materials such as aluminium. Solid aluminium has a high melting point and high thermal conductivity allowing it resist fire for extended periods and making it less prone to ‘hot spots’ where concentrated damage can occur.

Compliance According to AS 3959-2009, all cladding and roofing systems used in BAL zones must be tested in accordance with AS 1530.8.2-2007 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures. This Standard covers the testing of building elements exposed to simulated bushfire attack.

To ensure compliance with the relevant Australian Standards when designing for buildings in bushfire prone areas, the following steps should be taken: 1. Consult the relevant State or Territory bushfire map to determine whether the development site is in a bushfire prone area. If so, any building work will require a BAL assessment.

Jul-sep 2019

Building safe homes in bushfire prone areas 2. Once the BAL rating is determined, the next step is to look for cladding solutions that correspond with the given rating.

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26/7/19 12:23 pm

“You need to make buildings that are around for 50 to 100 years” – Philip Thallis Sydney and Paris trained Philip Thalis is a founding principal of Sydney’s Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects, a councillor of the City of Sydney, and a professor of architectural practice at the University of New South Wales.

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WORDS hamish mcdonald

As well as winning numerous awards, he led the group that won the original design competition for Sydney’s vacated cityside container wharf area – now dubbed Barangaroo – only to have the design junked by the NSW Government and find himself the target of attacks by former prime minister Paul Keating.

A&D: How do you juggle your various roles?

Philip Thalis: For me architecture and the city have always been more than a ‘job’ – I have long juggled practice with university teaching, research, publication and public comment.

And our practice has always been known for its independent standpoint, involved as we have been in so many highly-charged projects. So I guess that’s why the lord mayor asked me to join the progressive independents on the City of Sydney. It’s certainly a demanding combination of activities – yes it’s hard to juggle at times, but also very stimulating due to the significant overlap, and the contrasts, between practice, politics and university. Certainly I don’t have time or reason to be bored!

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A&D: You recently warned that Sydney risked becoming ‘a throwaway city of junk buildings’ to be knocked down every 30 years. So are we just a jerry-built city where nothing of lasting value is being built?

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PT: This seems to be quite an acute problem currently. You must keep in mind that buildings are one of the main consumers of energy. So having buildings that are disposable is the least sustainable thing you can do. You need to make buildings that will last for at least 50 if not 100 years. Many buildings last way longer than that.

Even the humble terrace house – many of those are now 150 years old. You need to build for the long term. What’s particularly concerning with the examples that I cited: the demolition of Darling Harbour, the football stadium (SFS), the Parramatta stadium, The Powerhouse Museum, Sirius – major pieces of construction that lasted only 30 years. What it also shows is a government – and these are all government projects – seemingly hell-bent on shiny new things, rather than saying that Sydney needs to be a city that matures over time, that we build with a sense of permanence, that we build for the public good.

A&D: But is it actually the government, the public sector that is building, owning and running these places?

PT: What’s clear at Darling Harbour is that – and that was my first job after university in the mid-80s – for all its faults, and I’m one of the fiercest critics of the original scheme at Darling Harbour, it was actually a public project. It was designed and built by the NSW

Government. It had the National Maritime Museum, the aquarium, the exhibition centre, the convention centre, a Chinese garden, the Entertainment Centre next to The Powerhouse and the parkland in the middle, and it retained Pyrmont Bridge. All of these things were public goods. What’s happened now is that the bottom part of the area has been liquidated and passed to the developer to profit from, in order for them to build and run some reworked facilities over a 30-year period.

What we are seeing is the privatisation of the city, privatisation by stealth. But these sort of projects and practices have many problematic dimensions. Our city parades as a global city but operates more like a provincial company town, a city fashioned by deals. Instead of building genuine public buildings that are in the public interest, it’s as if some buildings are simply to subsidise commercial operations.

The Sydney Football Stadium – much the same thing: A 45,000-seat stadium swapped for a 45,000-seat stadium. Nobody thought the old stadium was bad, except that it needed more toilets and bigger bars. That would have been a routine renovation; not a complete knockdown and rebuild.

One of the things shrouded with the new stadium is how much of the public seating is being given over to expanded corporate boxes and sponsors’ whims? Is the SFS deal

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PT: I co-authored the award-winning book Public Sydney; Drawing the City (with Peter John Cantrill), so such issues are very close to my heart.

The great sandstone buildings of Sydney often occupy sites that have been used for public purposes since 1788 – perhaps longer if you account for the indigenous occupation of the land. Over time these sites were rebuilt, with the great sandstone public buildings dating from 1850 – 1915. Since then they’ve been repurposed, modernised, swapped governmental use, added civic uses. As the need arose over the years, a succession of NSW Governments have exercised what I call ‘public imagination’ to adapt and renew such sites and buildings in the public interest. Whereas this government, in the middle of an unparalleled property boom, with money coming from every corner through development, stamp duty and the like, sees fit to rupture the practice of 230 years of government, which held a longer term or enlightened view of what the public interest might be, and the value of keeping such treasured public assets in public ownership.

Privatisation at any cost seems to have been their mantra. This based on a bias that the

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PT: Has Sydney ever made a worse decision than scrapping its tram system in 1961? Sydney had one of the biggest tram systems in the world, much bigger than Melbourne. This decision was an economic, environmental and transport disaster but typical of the city’s planning mistakes in the latter parts of the

A&D: You’ve also criticised the sale of the Sydney GPO building and the distinctive sandstone state government buildings.

What would be the alternative?

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A&D: While we’re in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, what about the new light rail? Does it add much to the transport capacity of the area?

Does it pre-empt a longer term transport solution, like a metro under Anzac Parade out to Maroubra and beyond?

20th century. It’s great that trams and light rail are being reintroduced, but there are major questions about the Eastern Suburbs light rail, the regrettable way it’s been delivered, the questionable contracts, the disappointing urban design, the physical degradation.

Compare that with some of the new systems installed in Europe – which create the most pedestrian-friendly, beautiful public domain.

Even compared to the Canberra light rail and the Newcastle light rail, the way it’s been implemented has been substandard, which reflects poorly on the State Government’s management. Also the length of the trams, at 67 metres, some of the longest in the world; only a few other cities such as Marrakesh and Jerusalem run trams of that length, and that’s because it’s their primary transport mode. More Metros is clearly what we need, and the biggest risk with this light rail line is that it may not cope as transport. There is no question that the Anzac Parade corridor needs a Metro, which could then be supplemented by light rail as an auxiliary mode of transport with more stops, different route, etc. That’s the sort of long-term planning that we need to get right in Sydney. There is hope that the new Metro being planned from Parramatta could extend via Zetland to UNSW and Little Bay, perhaps to Cronulla as well. That would be a great project for Sydney.

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the public subsidisation of a cartel of private interests? Is this how the NSW Government sees its role? If so, what a societal loss.

There are ways you can do this for much less than the $735 million demolition of the football stadium. And that’s only part of the number, because they are knocking down a lot of the buildings around the football stadium.

What we’re finding again is subsidisation of Big Sport. There’s money for the Swans, there’s the move of things into the old showground halls, they’re building a new cricket ‘Centre of Excellence’ at Sydney Olympic Park because they’re knocking down the nets at the SCG – that’s maybe $100 million on top of the $735 million for the new stadium.

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“We are the biggest waster of urban land in the world. Surely we can use it more intelligently.”

corporatised world is the only thing of value and that public services and servants don’t deserve such fine buildings (as said quite explicitly at the time of sale). But this also displays an economic fallacy, seemingly perpetrated by Treasury. Businesses change offices or move to new buildings every 10 or 15 years because they get tax breaks and deals for office fit-outs, which also are available to the developers who erected the building. But government doesn’t receive such tax incentives. So what’s the reason for government to shuffle around leasing lesser commercial buildings, which are then an ongoing public debt when they could have first-class public buildings held for the longer-term?

Regardless of all the other substantial arguments, why even from an economic standpoint don’t Treasury and government appreciate the true value of public assets?

A&D: Turning to ‘disposable’ buildings, even buildings that are landmark award-winning designs are frequently subject to alteration.

It must be heart-wrenching for an architect to see their prize creations altered.

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PT: It depends whether the alteration is intelligent and sympathetic, or whether it’s simply vandalism. As ‘Public Sydney’ shows, virtually every public building in the city has been extended or changed use (the Department of Lands is one of the few that hasn’t). The 1815 military hospital on Observatory Hill became a model school and then it became the National Trust headquarters. Walsh Bay’s wharves have become the city’s most magical theatre venue. On the edge of the Botanic Gardens, the Macquarie-era government stables have been turned into the Conservatorium of Music.

If we look at the wonderful public group on

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Macquarie Street, almost all of them have changed dramatically. I don’t think those involve loss. Nor is it primarily a question of authorship. It’s about how their public purpose has been renewed, their history respected and their design qualities being brought up to a new consciousness and relevance. That can be done in all those examples that I’ve cited, incredibly sympathetically and well.

A&D: Your architectural practice Hill Thalis has long worked on the design of apartment buildings. What’s your thinking about that?

PT: One of the important obligations for architects is to improve the quality of housing, and that’s nowhere more important than in the design of apartments. Unlike many architects of my generation, I grew up in three-storey walk-up flats, three boys in 100sqm. And even as a child I thought we could do better, yet that wasn’t a major area of work I thought would be possible when I graduated. But it’s become a major theme for our architectural practice.

As I learnt working in Paris while undertaking my masters, the design of urban housing is critically important. Good housing is so important in creating the city’s fabric, in creating fine streets, in giving people a dignified place to live. Such buildings should have a considered environmental sensibility as, like all good housing, they’re designed with excellent natural light, cross ventilation, appropriate landscape and a sense of sociability about them. Urban housing is a very tough area to work in, both in terms of development and planning pressures, and to achieve construction quality. But we love the challenge, for as architects there’s a real sense of achievement when you can get all these things to align through good design.

A&D: What about the suburban and regional housing on the traditional block? The bungalows knocked up by local builders 100 years ago now stand out for high ceilings and nice windows and doors. What gets built today has often got little of this charm.

PT: There’s a touch of romanticism in that.

Australian suburbia right back to the mid 1800s has been spec-built standard housing. Housing in Sydney in the 19th century consisted of a mix of freestanding houses, semis, or terraces, with some used as boarding houses. Few at the time thought terraces were anything other than the most basic speculative housing.

Fundamental to mass housing is economy of land and construction, so you are going to have whatever the standard of the time replicated.

What’s different over recent decades is the growing size of the individual house and the decreasing number of people in each house.

Once there were five people per house; now the occupancy rate is only 2.7, yet the houses are double or quadruple in size.

Previously you had suburbs structured around the train line, the tram line or the ferry; but since WW2 we’ve seen poor suburban plans based on the car. So our cities have sprawled across ever greater areas, without the sense of physical or social structure characteristic of the more walkable suburbs based on public transport. Surely there’s no reason to subdivide another centimetre of fringe farmland, flood plain or environmentally sensitive land? For we are the most profligate wasters of urban land in the world. As we have shown in our urban projects over decades, informed urban design can produce more memorable and efficient plans than the standard suburban layouts.

26/7/19 4:49 pm

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10/7/19 5:31 pm

The unstoppable Suzie Hunt

Architecture & design

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People

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jul-sep 2019

interview Branko Miletic

Australia by Design host Suzie Hunt specialises in architecture and interior design across a range of sectors and provides strategic advice on design and heritage issues.

She talks exclusively to Architecture & Design about her take on regional design, fame and gender equality.

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A&D: What is the biggest difference between west coast and east coast architecture? How does the concept of a ‘sense of place’ translate to the buildings you design and how does this differ across the country?

Suzie Hunt: I don’t believe there is a big difference in relation to architecture on the west and east coast. While WA is a third of Australia or the total area of Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victoria, its population of only 2.6m population (2m in Perth) hugs the coast like most of Australia.

The different climatic zones are like the east coast even though our time zones are not! There are different state and local design policies throughout the state and Australia, and we, like all design professionals, have clients with unique briefs and budgets.

I believe a sense of place underpins all good architecture and as trained professionals, architects should consider all these elements along with financial sustainability for the future occupants of our buildings – including budget and on-going costs – as well as environmental sustainability for the good of our community and the planet.

But the real difference now is how easy it is to be inspired in real time by fellow architects with the many design sites on the internet – further breaking down the barriers within Australia and the world.

When I was young I watched my dad (also an architect) be inspired by the great masters – Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Frank Lloyd Wright through books and magazines and then in the 1960s after trips to Sydney, follow a group of architects in Australia who reacted against international modernism with a regionalist style of architecture often referred to as the Sydney School.

My childhood home was a rustic mix of clinker bricks – inside and out, raked tiled roofs, low gutter lines, and exposed rafters. What always struck me about my home was the total

lack of consideration for our West Australian climate – windy, hot summers, cool winters and loads of sunny days. The best place to sit in our garden to capture the views, the sun on a cold winter day and be protected from the wind any time of the year, was under the clothesline in the back corner, hidden from the living areas.

A&D: Do shows like Australia by Design help put architects on the same public pedestal as was done with chefs with shows like MasterChef and is this a good or bad thing?

SH: I think architects should be respected for their skills, commitment and passion but ABDA is not about creating starchitects! According to my foodie daughter ABDA is more like Chef’s Table and Masterchef is more like The Block.

Masterchef is a competition for amateurs; ABDA is architects having a chinwag with other architects celebrating the diversity of great Australian design. ABDA is positive and upbeat – showing our audience what is good design in a fun contemporary way appropriate for TV. I really respect our audience and their interest in design, and I try to ensure that the architects I interview talk in a language that everyone understands – not archispeak – and discuss things that the public are really interested in, not some obscure construction detail.

A&D: What would be your dream project and why?

SH: In over 30 years of practice I have had many. In fact, I would say 95 percent of our projects ranging from small projects with construction budgets of only $300,000 to projects over $8m are dream projects. But most importantly you can’t have a dream project without dream clients first!

These are clients that are enthusiastic, willing to listen to advice, engaged in the design process, and have a realistic budget – understanding the beer budget champagne brief phenomenon.

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“There are a lot of truly inspirational women running smaller practices and many are doing beautiful work...”

Architecture & design / People / jul-sep 2019

My dream clients also respect the environment and trust the integrity and professionalism of the architects and the consultant design team. I am great believer in mutual respect and honesty.

A&D: Is there something that you have learnt from being on the show that is an advantage for you in your practice?

SH: After three years I have been inspired by the amazing architects I have interviewed and the projects that I have seen. I am always asking questions off camera about some of the details of the build, including innovative ways to use new and old materials and different suppliers. That could be a great show in itself.

Personally, I am not as nervous as I was at the beginning, but I still need to learn to not move my hands around so much. This is my natural state so it’s difficult.

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A&D: I have seen over the past few years more and more women running practices that are also doing what one journalist described as ‘really cool things’ with urban design. Is this a trend that is set to continue and why has this trend become so dominant?

SH: There are a lot of truly inspirational women running smaller practices and many are doing beautiful work, but they often fly under the radar. Women in architecture often have non-linear careers as they step away from large practices or fulltime work as they have children or take on caring roles within their families or communities with parents, etc.

So, while 50 - 55 percent of graduates are women there is a significant drop off around 35 to 40 as they leave large practices, to have children. Setting up one or two person practices doing small projects, they also get involved in

committees and school construction boards using their lateral design thinking skills while ensuring that they have a work life balance.

My career is no different and I truly believe that this professional flexibility and agility has ensured that my practice is still flourishing in a tight construction market in WA. My history includes working in London as a graduate, in the WA state government as a design architect and in local government as a heritage architect and advisor, running a design practice with my former husband, divorcing with four children under 6 at 40, starting my own practice Suzanne Hunt Architect in 2004 and then throw in a few board positions. In 2017 I put my head above the parapet and was elected the first woman president of the WA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects since its establishment in 1896. It was during this period I saw a real need for a networking group for women in design.

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29/7/19 8:45 am

Who will lead our industry’s data-driven future?

Ar c h i t e c t u r e & d e s i g n

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People

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jul-sep 2019

WORDS Randall Deutsch

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Most still use Building Information Management (BIM) tools for document creation when they need to recognise BIM’s real value. For this to have a transformative impact on projects, the profession will require both a top down and bottom up effort.

Having the right people on board is critical, especially those who are predisposed or motivated to work with data and see the value in doing so. Brian Ringley, design technology platform specialist at Woods Bagot, suggests that “investment in multi-disciplinary project teams and new graduates with emergent technological specialisations will be key in managing this change”.

Interest in, and appreciation for what data can accomplish needs to be both a top down and bottom up effort. Leadership on the data front must start at both ends, and requires equal dosages of enthusiasm and understanding of how data can add value in the organisation and on project work.

Learning to capture, analyse and apply data is how many of us will take BIM – beyond visualisation, clash detection and coordination – to the next level.

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The BIM database can be queried and mined for project data. This has implications not only for the project team who query the model for data that is going to help make decisions, but also for management and leadership, and for business development and marketing of a firm’s services based on past experience that is captured – and now mined – in the BIM. In one specific example of data mining in BIM, consulting firm CASE has helped firms identify what content should make it into a content library. “Go and explore 50 projects that were done in BIM, then extract all the data, then do a data mining effort to understand what doors are used the most across the firm,” suggests David Fano.

Leadership in data Many design and construction leaders don’t know their firm’s data capabilities – the talent, the technology, processes and workflows. What will it take to enable this awareness? Will firm leaders tell their data stories the way they have been telling their collaboration and technology stories? And, most importantly, who will lead the data effort within an organisation? Who, in other words, will be the glue?

There are many individuals performing handson work with data in the AEC and planning space. Is there a need for hands-off management or leadership to help connect the dots?

“I believe strongly in project-based thinking.

That’s where ideas and methods are best derived, tested, refined and executed. Abstract exercises often lack authenticity, at least with respect to real-world decision making,” says Gregory Janks of DumontJanks. “I am also leery of ‘management’, especially when it leads to conformity, formulas and orthodoxy.

Orthodoxy can only be right for a brief moment in time, and then must have the capacity to renew itself. This is a very difficult process to manage (centrally).”

How does one describe the role of the leader of a firm’s data-centric efforts?

“A great leader of data-centric efforts is a person who is constantly seeking out new problems, expanding their toolkit, sharing their knowledge and advancing ideas that change the world – this last one meant quite literally – that result in actual and effective change in the world,” says Janks. “Let the Darwinian forces of success then allow these techniques to aggregate into a formal body of practice.”

The leader of a data-centric firm strives to understand what kinds of things can be measured, and which cannot, and how both can contribute to decision-making.

The leader of a data-centric firm works hard to allow data to speak qualitatively when it can’t speak quantitatively, and above all, to make data accessible through visualisation techniques and to express itself through storytelling – by telling their firm’s data stories much the way they have told their technology, innovation or collaboration stories in the past. “This last one is fundamental,” explains Janks. “We’ve all been through those endless presentations of number after number that amounts to not very much. If the data is meaningless, keep it to yourself. Find the meaning. Tell its story.”

How important is it that the leader of a firm’s data efforts be hands-on when it comes to technology?

“The first reorganisation of the traditional design team is to merge the BIM leader and the project architect,” says Jill Bergman of dsk architects. “The project leader must be – or must partner on the same leadership level with – the tools expert. I see many young talented design professionals, so well versed in the tools of their craft and either hiding it or making a very clear expectation that they see being a BIM leader as a career-ending path. We need to stop separating the two and merge tool knowledge with building knowledge and give value and reward with leadership.”

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Despite advances in technology and the opportunities to share, many firms are still cautious about sharing data and information.

Data and human behaviour

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People

What are some of the challenges for utilising data – and barriers to its use? There are several

Despite advances in technology and the opportunities to share, many firms are still cautious about sharing data and information.

“I think it is going to change,” says Jonatan Schumacher, director of CORE studio at Thornton Tomasetti. “We alone don’t have that much of an impact. But, by having open conversations on the web and at symposiums, and by learning more from the open-source mentality of computer scientists, we’ll be able to work it out eventually.”

To come up with their structural designs, Thornton Tomasetti makes use of databases.

Do these belong to the owner? Are there public or private sources that they turn to for data on a regular basis, or does it depend on the project?

Do they collect and warehouse their own data for use in projects or to improve performance?

“As part of our intranet solution, we have a private webpage for every project that features high-level project information – who is the key contact, services offered, construction date, etc.,” explains Schumacher. “We can use this intranet to ask: What do we do in healthcare?

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Obstacles to data use

Sharing of data

What do we do on high-rise projects? What do we do in Dubai? Every project page also has inputs for structural system, average building weight per square foot, and for embodied carbon. I have been considering adding the TTX model for every project in there, too. So that in the future, we can always look back and extract BIM and analytical data.

It’s just a database, so we’ll be able to open and read it. It won’t get outdated, like a Revit model or a Grasshopper definition would. And it doesn’t use up much storage capacity. We can open it in ten years and run very detailed queries down to a single BIM element or structural analysis node.”

“As far as giving away tools and ideas, there aren’t too many concerns from our leadership,” says Schumacher. “Everybody is interested in creating better buildings, and having more fun in the process, which is why we are encouraged to share.”

Architecture & design

The question of how the AEC industry will adjust to increasingly working with data raises a lot of questions. Can data be crunched into a form that can be analysed by non-experts? Or will architects and other design professionals need to adapt to working with, even alongside, analytics experts? And if so, how will architects adapt to working with quants? Is there a precedent for this situation that architects can learn from and model? And if so, what is it?

“To some degree, architects will be the data hackers,” anticipates Sam Miller, partner at LMN. “We’ve always been in this position of diving into the detail of what it takes to create a space or a building performs in however way we define the performance. In that sense, we’re kind of hacking into the code of the building and the code of the program and coming up with a solution. And this will continue. We won’t just be sitting among, but to some degree, becoming those coders and finding those solutions.

Manipulating the tools to create great spaces.”

Leaders will need to determine how data can be used to achieve the greatest benefits and outcomes for those involved: Will reliable, rich data help the firm’s architects do their jobs more effectively and productively? Will it help them win jobs and remain competitive? Will they use data to convince clients to go down a design path, or to increase value for owners and reduce waste for the environment? Or all of the above?

Leaders are needed to determine what the implications will be for using the manufacturer’s data-rich BIM objects that have embedded data and can be dropped right into a building project.

When is it appropriate to do this – and when is it best to modify the content?

obstacles – securing commitment within teams and the organisation, reinventing internal and external processes, and modifying organisational behaviour, to name just a few. Who will do this?

What are some of the human factors that need to be addressed before the use of data design and construction becomes habitual? What skills need to be developed? What training needs to occur? And what are the most effective ways to go about training, learning and unlearning past behaviours and paradigms?

What are the mindsets and behavioural changes that design, construction and owners’ organisations must make to become data driven? What role does intuition – even art and craft – play when data comes to drive the most important of our decisions on building projects?

Attracting and retaining employees to work with data Another challenge in teaching data in school is that data isn’t nearly as compelling as the generation of interesting form. We see this as an impediment to data use in the AEC industry, and this habit and misperception begins in academia. But there are signs that the current generation is moving away from the strictures of a formalistic approach to building design – they’re more concerned about performance and impacts on the planet – leaving the door wide open for implementing data in their designs. If there is one downside of learning data in school, it’s that graduates become attractive to other industries, sectors, markets and fields.

The firms that succeed in this new data-driven world will be led by individuals who rise to the challenge of making working with data as compelling and interesting as working with form.

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26/7/19 4:49 pm

Architecture, design and AI: Emerging visions

Architecture & design

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P eop l e

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jul-sep 2019

WORDS Davina Jackson - excerpt from her recent book data cities

Architecture and design are being transformed

by AI—artificial and augmented intelligence.

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Since 1936, when Alan Turing first theorised an a-machine (automatic), our world has been meshed with ‘intelligent’ devices. They process information and perform complex tasks that either cannot be achieved by humans or where most people, relying only on natural intelligence (NI), simply are not effective. The implications for architecture and design education seem immense and imminent.

Probably the most sophisticated and familiar examples of AI are the mission-critical computer systems which fly us around the world. Before 1914, when Lawrence Sperry demonstrated the world’s first autopilot mechanism (using four gyroscopes to stabilise a plane in flight), pioneer aviators frequently crashed. Today’s aeroplane control systems, when programmed with a flight plan, automate the take-off, ascent, level flying, descent and landing phases of flights. Also, they constantly detect the positioning and behaviour of aircraft in space: adjusting altitude, latitude, longitude, pitch, roll and yaw. Similar electronic systems now automatically supervise many essential operations of buildings which never leave the ground.

Autopilot systems control passenger drones— flying taxis—which herald the huge new urban planning challenge of how to manage cities like vast airports. The Ehang 184, made in China, flies with eight propellers on its four arms and a host of sensors streaming real-time data, and includes ‘failsafe’ backup systems in case of emergencies. Flights are monitored by squads of technicians watching giant screens in remote control rooms. The only task to be performed

by a ‘pilot’ is to key the destination on a smartphone app before automated take-off.

Drone taxis—coming soon from Uber, etc.— revivify H.G. Wells’ Victorian flying machine stories, which must have inspired the Wright Brothers before their first flight in 1903.

Arrays of sensors also feed performance data to America’s Cup sailors and cyclors flying hydrofoil catamarans; to managers of public surveillance, transport and emergency services operations, and to technicians maintaining ‘smart’ city buildings and precincts.

Architects now can be conveyed to their terrestrial sites in self-driving Teslas. But back in their studios – seriously, could machines really auto-generate building designs and city plans? Not independently (or not yet) from the mammalian architects and engineers who program the algorithms and supervise/select from the outlines of forms that they generate.

Yet there are some plausible progenitors of creative appliances toiling in future ateliers of design. For example, French inventor Patrick Tresset has built a troupe of robosketch artists whose electro-mechanical arms rapidly scribble portraits via their cameras and facial recognition software. Each has a ‘personal’ drawing style, which Tresset has programmed—like architects guide their drafting staff to follow ‘house’ drawing styles and specifications. The robots, all named Paul, are best compared after they have clustered around a single sitter, scrawling jets of ink across paper on old-school wooden desks, just like humans in life-drawing classes.

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/ P e o pl e / jul-sep 2019

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learn how to better display or interpret lakes of streaming data. The more data that computers are fed, the more capably they seem to crush complex tasks; partly through their suprahuman powers of pattern recognition.

Machine vision scientists depend on open-source datasets comprising images of objects that are classified and labelled to allow comparisons with new images containing similar objects. The world’s largest object dataset, ImageNet, contains more than 14 million crowd-labelled thumbnails, which can be downloaded to help identify, for example, different types of natural places, buildings, rooms, products such as fridges or dishwashers, furniture, fabrics, clothes, and apparel such as hats or sunglasses. Vision boffins classify database images according to whether they depict ‘things’ (box-frameable objects like chairs, people or windows) or ‘stuff’ (matter with no clear boundaries, like a patch of sky, an office corridor, a wall, a hillside or a street).

Ironically, the image databases now being assembled to support AI analytics all depend on the ‘artificial, artificial [natural] intelligence’ of humans working online to label and cross-check the images uploaded by database compilers. One busy conduit is Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (AMT) portal, which matches employers (such as public research groups) wanting freelancers to contribute to specific human intelligence tasks (HITs). One recent HIT, to assemble and correctly label 328,000 thumbnail images of ‘common objects in context’ for the Microsoft COCO dataset, required 70,000

Architecture & design

One of AI’s most promising uses is for robots to replace humans in performing extremely dangerous tasks: such as shimmying along narrow cavities to replace damaged wiring or record material stresses. Czech writer Karel Čapek first coined the term robot in his 1921 play R.U.R: Rossum’s Universal Robots – and today’s humanoid versions, such as Boston Dynamics’ Atlas and Honda’s Asimo, are astonishingly agile and sophisticated. Non-humanoid robots, swivelling from fixed bases or traversing across gantries, are already printing small dwellings in masonry or powder-resins, or assembling timberwork as adroitly as a master carpenter.

Artificial intelligence was ignored by most built environment professionals until satellite-enabled telecoms caused widespread apprehensions during the 1990s, systemic disruption during the 2000s, and now inevitably, new ways of understanding and doing things. Today AI brings another wave of unfamiliar technologies and terms – including augmented intelligence, where machines are intended to improve human abilities to decide and perform. This seems less threatening than artificial intelligence, where machines increasingly replace humans, to a tipping point known as the Singularity (the term popularised

by Ray Kurzweil).

All intelligence, artificial or natural, flows from competent processing of information.

Most AI researchers have abandoned their early reliance on pre-programmed rules to solve problems. Instead they are evolving machine learning, where computers use algorithms to

above Tianjin Library, Singapore.

Photography by Ossip van Duivenbode BELOW Richard Buckminster Fuller’s 1928 vision of a ‘4D Air-Ocean World Town Plan’.

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Architecture & design

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jul-sep 2019

All intelligence, artificial or natural, flows from competent processing of information.

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hours of human recognition. This kind of intellectual labour is only needed once to forever inform COCO-connected computers.

Powerful image-capture and data analysis techniques are becoming routine for managing major buildings and public places. As well as identifying people in crowds, security cameras and software can individually track clusters of moving vehicles, even at night. All of these observation systems are being integrated with traffic lights, smartpoles and building HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) systems.

These are just some on-the-ground examples of this century’s most ambitious computer science paradigm – to use satellite-enabled telemetry systems to deliver a massive ambition that is officially named the Global Earth Observation System of Systems’ (GEOSS). This United Nations-supported project is today’s update of Richard Buckminster Fuller’s 1928 (pre-electronic computing) vision of a ‘4D Air-Ocean World Town Plan’, which Al Gore updated with his 1992 prediction of a ‘Digital Earth’. The passion being pursued by today’s scientists is to massively extend familiar satellite weather mapping and radar monitoring to create a dynamic, ‘atlas’ of all of the Earth’s complex environmental systems.

Imagine BIM for our whole planet – it’s enough to blow the brain of any mere mortal.

Will designers of future urban projects be able to exploit the holy grail of quantum

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computing to crunch challenging environmental simulations? Editors at MIT Technology Review suggest that ‘practical’ quantum computers are imminent. To be useful, these must provide ‘quantum supremacy’ – much higher capacities than existing supercomputers.

The first serious q-machines will come from one or more of the main current research sponsors: Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM and QuTech.

Google has been testing a 49-qubit system that is intended to more than double the calculation powers of the fastest existing supercomputers – and experts predict machines with more than a million qubits by 2030. Qubits are the basic information units of quantum computing, and they offer massive parallel processing potentials compared with today’s binary processing of bits and bytes. Qubits can use both 0 and 1 to carry much more data in binary code than with electronic bits switching between 0 or 1.

How might designers exploit quantum computing? Simulations of complex systems evidently will become vastly more sophisticated and realistic, and automated flows of sensor data and machine learning will be massively accelerated. These potentials seem to challenge, at least partially, Patrik Schumacher’s ‘long wave of parametricism’ – where designs are generated within rules pre-coded by human programmers.

A more outré ambition, for ‘living architecture’ (LIAR), was proposed by Rachel

Armstrong in her Bartlett College doctoral thesis-book, Vibrant Architecture: Matter as a Co-Designer of Living Structures. After a series of international experiments, including ways to calcify Venice’s substructure of timber pylons, she advanced the morphogenesis theories of D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson and Alan Turing by integrating chemical and biological cellular generative processes with architectural structures and challenges.

Armstrong and a trans-Europe research group of ‘space architects’ have been funded to clarify how LIAR concepts could be applied to earthly or extra-terrestrial habitats. One of her Newcastle University students, Simone Ferracina, tested three types of curvy building blocks that could act also as programmable, hybrid, bioreactor units. As well as being stable units of a structure, they could activate life-enhancing processes: to extract nutrients and pollution from sunlight, wastewater and air, or generate enough oxygen, proteins and biomass (fertiliser) to sustain a healthy, closed-loop environment for occupants of a future ‘worldship’.

Armstrong’s ‘black-sky thinking’ – anticipating human living at least 80 years beyond the usual 20–30-year timeframe of blue-sky thinking – also has been informed by Christopher Alexander’s pattern language principles and his more recent concept of ‘living structures’.

In a four-volume treatise, The Nature of Order,

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A r c h i t ec t u r e & desi g n / / j ul - sep 2 0 1 9

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control systems, human-machine interactions and psychological testing.’

Beesley globally exhibits sensor-responsive suspended sculptures inspired by the ancient Greek hylozoic idea that all matter is alive.

In his techno-primordial jungles, artificial feathers and foliage delicately breathe, tremble, unfurl, sparkle and radiate vapours. He uses a laptop-programmed Arduino circuit board to control several thousand tiny touch and motion sensors, LEDs and actuators of robotic tremors.

But what do these virtual diversions have to do with actual architecture and cities?

Greg Lynn has clarified strong correlations between building and entertainment design.

He said: ‘Recent advances in automation linked with sensing technology gives people the ability to safely occupy intelligent robotic environments.

Motion is currently being integrated into buildings at an unprecedented scale and scope.’

Motion, automation, intelligence, illusion, kinaesthetics: we are on the cusp of amazing potentials to transcend static structures – beyond Ken Yeang’s and Patrick Blanc’s vertical gardens and other botanical accoutrements. Presumably Le Corbusier’s 1923 maxim, une maison est une machine-à-habiter will be superceded by a more auspicious precept: L’architecture est énergique.

Future buildings may be not only structural or even mechanised: In the theory of cybernetics, they could really live and breathe.

People

Alexander summarised his theory of ‘living geometry’—updating the cellular automata principles defined by John von Neumann and Stanisław Ulam at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1940s. While trying to design a self-reproducing machine, von Neumann defined life (including artificial life) as beings which could reproduce themselves and ‘think’.

One of today’s most advanced international groups researching and prototyping ‘kinetic and near-living architecture’ is the Living Architecture Systems Group led by Philip Beesley at the University of Waterloo in Toronto. Its teams focus on sensor-activated structures (led by Beesley), synthetic cognition (Dana Kulić), protocell and metabolic processes (Rachel Armstrong), human experience (Colin Ellard), interdisciplinary methods (Rob Gorbet) and theory (Sarah Bonneman).

Beesley explained the group’s shared goals: ‘Can architecture integrate living functions?

Could future buildings think and care? Might buildings begin, in primitive ways, to come alive?

Our research has potential to change how we build by transforming the physical structures that support buildings and the technical systems that control them. Our prototypes are integrating intelligent controls, machine learning, lightweight scaffolds, kinetic mechanisms and self-renewing synthetic biology systems. We also specialise in advanced structures, mechanisms,

above Kuka construction robots worked with humans to fabricate and assemble the Elytra Filament Pavilion, to a design by Achim Menges and his Institute of Computational Design at the University of Stuttgart. It has been shown in several locations: here in the courtyard of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A, courtesy ICD Stuttgart). opposite Night lighting around central Barcelona was data-mapped by the 300.000 Km/s team, led by Mar Santamaria Varas and Pablo Martinez Diez (300.000 Km/s).

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25/6/19 8:59 am

WORDS Branko miletic

Architecture & design

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jul-sep 2019

Meet the 2019 Sustainability Awards supreme judging panel The term ‘supreme judging panel’ could well be perceived to be a bit bombastic, however let me be clear, this year’s judges are of a calibre that we have not yet seen at the Sustainability Awards.

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That statement in no way should be given to infer or impugn that previous panels were of a sub-par or of a lesser quality – they were certainly not by any stretch of the imagination.

In fact, as far back as I can remember, each and every judging panel since the inception of the Sustainability Awards way back in 2006 was of the highest level.

It’s just that this year, 2019, we have managed to achieve levels of excellence and overlapping KPIs that previously were not possible or required for that matter.

By that I mean that this year’s jurist’s panel has what many would consider to be the perfect mix: unmatchable expertise combined with scintillating intellect, all in a group of people that are diverse in their outlook, experience and also understanding of what are the crucial elements in the sustainable built environment.

And speaking of diversity, also as a first for our judging panel, we have managed to surpass gender parity, a reflection of not only our determination to ensure a level of societal fairness and true equity in our panel, but also an indication of the talent and sheer skill of many women who are making enormous contributions to sustainability in the built environment. It is a template and a forerunner of what these awards will deliver in the future.

Following are 11 short bios and pictures of the Class of 2019 Sustainability Awards judging panel, so take a minute, have a read and get to know our esteemed and highly worthy jurists.

Dick Clarke Director & building designer, Envirotecture.

Dick Clarke is principal of Envirotecture, with over 35 years of experience focusing exclusively on ecologically sustainable and culturally appropriate buildings, as well as sustainable design in vehicles and vessels.

He is director of Sustainability for Building Designers Australia (BDA) and is a member of the Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA) and the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC).

This is Clarke’s 13th year on the panel and he is the Jury Chair.

Jeremy Spencer Director & builder, Positive Footprints.

Jeremy Spencer is a director, builder and energy rater at Positive Footprints, a multi awardwinning design and construction company that is working to show that energy efficient sustainable design and high-performance construction is a cost-effective option and can be a mainstream reality.

Spencer is passionate about spreading the message of environmentally sustainable design, and helping bring about change in the way we build homes. To this end, he gives lectures, teaches, builds, and currently sits on the board of the Building Designers Association of Victoria, where he continues to advise and advocate for energy efficiency and broader environmental change in the built environment.

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Sandra Furtado Co-founder, Furtado Sullivan.

Furtado says she enjoys the challenge of translating a project’s complexity into a design that works with its environment, combining large-scale efficiency and sophistication with a bespoke design approach. In the past, she has been involved in notable large-scale projects including 8 Chifley, Barangaroo Masterplan and International Towers, and One Circular Quay hotel in Circular Quay.

As a designer, Furtado has an extraordinary ability to understand urban complexity. Through holistic design thinking, she seeks synergies with multidisciplinary practices, harnessing collective knowledge in order to achieve goals creatively and drive the sustainability agenda.

Knut Menden Project architect, BVN.

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Having spent the previous five years working in Austria, Luxemburg and New Zealand, Menden’s project expertise ranges from commercial office developments, cultural and

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education projects to infrastructure projects. He excels across all project phases but is particularly adept at the translation of concept designs into realised construction. Menden was project architect for the Sulman Medal winning Mabel Fidler Building at Ravenswood School, and has since been involved in several significant learning and teaching projects for ACU and the Catholic Education Office.

Mahalath Halperin Director, Mahalath Halperin Architects.

Mahalath Halperin is an architect and environmental consultant living and working in regional NSW. As well as running an architectural practice since the 1990s, addressing everything from domestic renovations through to large commercial buildings, resorts and education facilities, she also conducts energy and environmental audits and assessments, and has always tried to tie the scientific with the aesthetic to achieve highly sustainable but liveable works where possible.

She has also developed and delivered courses on environmental and architectural issues,

and is a published author, including a book about her cat building a house. In 2010, she established HELP - Holistic Environmental Lifestyle Planning, which looks into the big picture beyond just the physical building itself, but can also drill down to the basics, provide audits and assessments, and offers a Green Concierge Service as well.

Sara Wilkinson Built environment lecturer, UTS. Wilkinson is a chartered building surveyor, RICS fellow, and member of the Australian Property Institute (API) with over 35 years of experience. She has worked on public and private sector projects across various scales, from commercial due diligence reports, to pre-contract design of adaptation and adaptive reuse projects in residential and commercial property. This year she became Australia’s first female professor of property, working at the intersections of sustainability, urban development and transformation. Her research focuses on local, national and international built environments and adaptation.

26/7/19 4:50 pm

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Kate Harris CEO, Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA).

Kate Harris is the CEO of Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) and brings an extensive background in leadership, capacity building and education aimed at finding sustainable solutions for the future.

She is on the Board of Directors of the Living Future Institute of Australia, the Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society (ALCAS) and the Centre for Sustainability Leadership (CSL).

Harris believes passionately in human potential and draws on her diverse experience to help individuals, organisations and communities to create a better future.

SANDRA LOSCHKE Associate professor and director of Architecture Design and Technology at the University of Sydney.

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Sandra Loschke’s research investigates links between aesthetics, design and technology in museum and exhibition architecture from the 1920s to the present, and focuses on how these linkages played a significant role in progressing new disciplinary paradigms, which expanded the culture of architectural knowledge at its interfaces with art and science.

Her work includes case studies, design projects, prototyping and exhibitions and endeavours to engage theoretical and historical frameworks with the reality of contemporary architectural design practice.

As an architect, her projects include award-winning cultural buildings such as the Pinkothek der Moderne (Museum of

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Contemporary Art) in Munich for Stephan Braunfels and the British Film Institute at Waterloo/London for Avery Associates. Her own work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale and subsequent exhibitions in Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney amongst others.

Michael Faine Registered architect, Faine Group Architects.

Michael Faine has been a registered architect since 1980 and to date, has worked on a multitude of building types, designs, construction and procurement methods.

His diverse career led him to a teaching position at the University of Western Sydney in the Bachelor of Building/Construction Management degree and saw him acting as the Head of School for a time. After 17 years as an academic, and juror positions on both the Building Designers Association of Australia and the HIA Awards, Faine is attuned to analysing the work of builders and designers and understanding the price in the work they are carrying out.

Rory Martin Sustainability manager – Residential, Frasers Property.

Previously named ‘Future Green Leader’ by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) for his ardent commitment to innovative sustainable design, Frasers Property Australia’s Rory Martin joins the judging panel for a fourth time. Responsible for the sustainability agenda of Frasers Property Australia’s large residential portfolio, Martin holds both an

Honours Bachelor of Architecture and Masters of Science in Environmental Design, as well as being a registered architect and Green Star Accredited Professional.

Having previously completed projects across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia, Martin is a multi-award winning professional who has solid experience in design, consultancy, development and industry standards. Martin sensibly describes sustainable design practises as simply “good design”.

Jean Graham Director, Winter Architecture.

Just over two years ago, Jean Graham established Winter Architecture, whereby she considers herself secondary to the practice, straying away from the fulfillment of a selftitled practice. Instead, Graham has elected to translate the quiet, introspective, site-specific qualities of winter – the season – into an Architectural dictum.

With varied budgets and a range of client backgrounds, Graham and Winter Architecture have opened up the possibility of architecture to a number of clients who did not feel architecture was accessible to them, due to low budgets, difficult site restrictions and the desire to build themselves.

Above (from left) Michael Faine, Rory Martin and Jean Graham. previous (top from left) Dick Clarke, Jeremy Spencer, Sandra Furtado and Knut Menden; (bottom from left) Mahalath Halperin, Sara Wilkinson, Kate Harris and Sandra Löschke.

29/7/19 2:55 pm

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29/7/19 4:56 pm

Women and their role in the history of sustainability Tone Wheeler talks (and muses via podcast) about Jane Jacobs and her activism to preserve quality of life in New York; Rachel Carson who connected the disappearance of birds to the use of DDT; Barbara Ward, the economist and her Spaceship Earth theory; and Donella Meadows, an ecologist who co-authored the book The Limits to Growth.

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WORDS FROM THE ORIGINAL PODCAST INTERVIEW BY Branko miletic

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What’s really interesting is that the 1960s was an era of reaction against post war modernism.

So after the Second World War you had a rise of modernist town planning, modernist building, modernist agriculture – it was a whole series of things that moved into the modern industrial era.

It didn’t take long before people could see that things were going wrong and by people I mean, mostly women. That period – the 1950s – as epitomised in things like say, the Mad Men show on TV – was a male-dominated world; so it was in architecture as it was in urban design. But I like to think that there were four or five women in the 1960s who reacted against that and established what you might call ‘environmentalism’ – you know the response to the degradation of the environment, which inevitably leads on to what we now regard as sustainability.

The first of those was Jane Jacobs who lived in New York and could see that the city was going to be under siege from a whole series of freeways. The pattern for New York in the 1960s was the epitome of say, Greenwich Village. It had been that way in Manhattan for so long that when it was suddenly challenged and they were going to put a perimeter of freeways and cut through it, it was seen to be potentially destroying the whole of New York but the reaction to it was mostly led by local activist groups – sort of resident action committees – and Jane Jacobs formed one of those committees for her village within Manhattan.

In doing so, she was drawing together a whole series of threads about the quality of life, the quality of the air and the quality of the resultant transportation. Because she had a

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journalistic and scientific mind, she was able to condense these things into understandable bits of information, which you could see that far from improving it or being the golden solution, it was actually going to make life a lot worse.

She measured it by what you might call the urban quality of life. Not just the normal factors in terms of health and happiness, welfare and income and so on, but also how the city sustained its people by having a life of its own – the streets were the arteries and there were various parts of the city where people would gather and they were parts of the lifeblood of the city. Particularly in New York where people didn’t need a car – not then, not now; why would you want to bring the cars in and then circulate them all the way around and destroy the street life?

Jane Jacobs wrote a couple of books on this, which become seminal texts for urban design and particularly the urban geography of cities in the economy of cities. The first is called ‘The Death and Life of Great American Cities’ and expands beyond her neighbourhood in New York, beyond Manhattan to the whole of the pattern of development of the great American cities – Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco, and she looks at how those cities are all different but they all have a life in them that is an organic growth out of, particularly the 18th and 19th centuries or the 20th century; you are the inheritor of an urban fabric – closely dense living conditions in the inner city, the idea of being able to get anything that you need within walking distance of where you live. There was a complex relationship between people living on the street – you were safe because people

knew you and would recognise you so that if you weren’t there, they will come looking for you.

There’s another book that runs parallel to this by Bernard Rudofsky, Streets for People in which he makes a very clear distinction that Jane Jacobs had done – that streets are for people, roads are for cars. These two words in English have a very different meaning.

The book The Death and Life of Great American Cities really changes the way people see cities from being almost a singular economic base to something which has a much more complex (what we would now call) triple bottom line that has a social fabric and an environmental fabric.

The second book she wrote after that was called The Economy of Cities; she started to look at the way in which the economic exchanges within a city can help to find the complexities of it and the richness that it has – richness in this particular case meaning rich in economy, in money, and richness in terms of quality, the richness which we now think of as diversity – the qualitative rather than quantitative things, not just the quantity of money you’ve got but the quality of what you’ve done with it.

So that’s 1961 when the book comes out and here it is 60 years later and I think it’s still one of the best books that you can read about what’s happening in urban life. One year later comes a book that looks at the rural life as it is feeding into the cities. This is a book called Silent Spring by a scientist, Rachel Carson and she starts to look at the disappearance of birds in the agrarian belts of the United States. It’s what we would now identify as ‘species loss’.

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(bottom left), Rachel Carson. Image courtesy of scholastic.com (bottom middle) and Tone Wheeler. Image courtesy of Tone Wheeler (right).

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or overtaking some of what was considered to be the First World, the pressure on resources has become even more demonstrable.

Donella Meadows the ecologist completes the circle of the four biggies from the beginning of the 60s to the end of the 60s and early 70s. Meadows is putting it into some sort of context where the key is in the title of the book The Limits to Growth – can we have endless growth? No. We’re on one singular planet, there’s a limit to resources, there’s an economic limit to that being established by the economics view of it, there is a biological limit to it, and there’s actually a social limit to it.

Jane Jacobs’ book is really talking about what’s the quality of life in the city; is it worth living in a city if you don’t get the qualities that the urban fabric brings to you? Nearby resources, nearby services, interactions with a large number of people, the qualities that you have in the city, so if you start to lose each of those things because you get endless growth, then it just becomes a system sustaining itself or a system that becomes unsustainable.

Each one of those particular stories from that 10-year period now plays out. I think it repeats itself again and again but it pays to go back to those original four books that established the reasons why. Some of it is a bit arcane, some of it is passé, but if you read it then you realise that the vast amount of material that we’re doing is refining the arguments that have been laid out in that 1960s explosion.

It is also an explanation of what happened prior to the internet but with the distribution of books on a massive scale, you’ve got the

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woman called Barbara Ward who was not nearly as well-known as Rachel Carson and Jane Jacobs, perhaps because she was English rather than American and she was from the wealthy upper class, but she had trained as an economist. So she starts to look at the issue of what ecosystems can be analysed in terms of economic systems.

She comes to a very interesting conclusion in a book that she writes and publishes in 1964 called Spaceship Earth, which is based on this idea of Earth as a closed system which in turn influences such things as The Whole Earth Catalog, a book published out of Menlo Park, San Francisco by Stewart Brand, Lloyd Kahn and others.

It’s called Access to Tools and it’s basically internet before the internet but what’s interesting is they use a picture of the Earth shot from space, the first time that NASA releases an image shot from space of the whole Earth is on the front cover of the second edition.

The Whole Earth Catalog is the catalogue – it has a double meaning; it is for the whole of the Earth but it’s also about the fact that we need to preserve this one Spaceship Earth.

It’s mostly down to that very fact that it grows but sustainability for the population was ahead of the actual population numbers until the 1960s. That’s the point I’m making – this is the tipping point in the 1960s when we start to see that the quality of life that you could have is going to be constrained by the amount of resources that you’re consuming.

The First World was relatively small at that stage but now that large parts of the Third World – South America, Africa in particular, and most of Asia – are now rapidly catching up

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She delves into it and she has one culprit – DDT – this one particular pesticide that’s being used to control the crops.

This leads to the idea that there is a silence in the surroundings; that there is a loss of biodiversity. It challenges the whole notion of big agribusiness; the notion that you had of a local family farm, say in the early 20th century.

It might have a diversity of crops, it might have both cropping and animals, it might have a richness in the sense of inputs to one that is actually a monoculture of farming. Again you can fast forward some of that into work that’s been done on how you can make a very sustainable organic farm – how to make a very small patch of ground support far more food production than you would get out of giant agribusiness.

The agribusiness was the target in her book.

Still to this day it’s one of the best pieces of writing about scientific subjects – the proof that there is a linkage between DDT and the loss of biodiversity. Of course, it continues on today with some pesticides being accused of causing cancer and there have been massive settlements in the United States in particular for the use of glycosides.

So here are these two women who are challenging the orthodoxy that comes out after the Second World War, the massive growth happening in what later became the OECD countries. There was a background to what both of them brought to the study, which I think is really interesting when you consider an English economist who started to look at not just the city or the countryside, but the whole of the country or indeed, the whole of an ecosystem. It was a

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Above Barbara Ward. Image courtesy of thegwpf.org (top left), Donella Meadows. Image courtesy of donellameadows.org (top middle), Jane Jacobs. Image courtesy of vox.com

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dissemination of this information into the populace, into that sort of popular culture.

They were people who weren’t urban designers, agriculturalists or world economists but they were reading these books because they actually touched on the quality of life. This resulted in a large number of people wanting to move to communes; the 1973 Aquarius festival is based on the idea of ‘back to earth, back to nature’, the 1976 Down to Earth festival and so on. They were all channelling the things that were in those books.

I believe too much of it is being made of the ecological studies, but not quite enough attention is paid to Jane Jacobs’ very first book The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

The city is an ecosystem and if we understand that, we can understand a lot more about the inputs and outputs of cities. But we are rapidly heading towards the point where the world will have 50 percent of people living in cities – what will be the quality of life in those cities?

It used to be that it was the rare urban flaneur – the person who lived in Paris, or in Budapest or London or New York who could walk the streets and take in the culture of hundreds of years around them. There were the restaurants, the cafés, the barber shops, and the variety of clothing shops that made that urban life rich.

I think we need to go back to that study of the cities so my first book for your reading list is The Death and Life of Great American Cities

by Jane Jacobs.

Many American cities have this hollowing out of the centre; in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to a certain extent, the centre of the city no longer has a lot of residential population with people having moved to the suburbs.

Detroit is interesting because there was a physical fabric of a city there that could sustain two million people. When it drops, there aren’t a number of people there to take care of all the buildings and things fall into disrepair. But other opportunities arise – with some buildings demolished people have actually established community gardens and they are growing food.

So one of the outgrowths of Rachel Carson and Jane Jacobs’ work is that perhaps we don’t need big agribusiness, perhaps we don’t need to grow fields of wheat, perhaps what you’re doing is growing vegetables or fruit, and you’re growing it locally. Also, because you can tend it at a much higher rate, you don’t need the pesticides. That leads to a different movement.

There was a café that opened up in New York that said, ‘We only use local food’. This was ten years ago and the beginning of the movement.

No food in this café comes from more than 100 miles away.

Those same cafés then started to have a fight between them as to how narrow they could make it – I think the narrowest one is now down to 300

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yards because you can grow food on the roofs.

One of the things happening in New York now is that abandoned warehouse buildings are being used to grow food. Not least of which is of course the knowledge that comes from growing under those conditions, under the lights and the use of water borne irrigation and fertilising through hydroponics. This means there is a possibility to reduce transportation and refrigeration.

One of the things with the spreading of the cities in the post Second World War and post1960 period, you had these huge industrial zoning areas where enormous warehouses and buildings were built. They covered hectares of space and were maintained at about minus four degrees or at four degrees. They are essentially giant refrigerators designed to store the food that goes to the supermarkets.

This has such an energy demand in it – if you look at the fertilisers and pesticides, the fossil fuel inputs from the use of machinery on the farm and then the transportation, the storage in these vast cold stores, the delivery to supermarkets and the refrigeration, it adds up to a lot of energy; as much energy is used in food as it is in the operations of those buildings.

That’s why some people have started talking about vegetarianism and veganism, and less meat, and local being a solution that attacks those issues.

When I was teaching very young architecture students – first and second year students – and asking them to design a building without much guidance, we had a program called ‘opus musivum’, which usually means piecing the city – every student would have to design a building and then you put all the different pieces together and made a city.

So if you just let somebody design it, a huge number of the students would fall into one of two categories: the building will be designed from the outside, often symmetrical, which is carried over into classical architecture – the columns across the front, the tympanum, the triangular piece on top of the pediments and so on.

Men – always it was the men – they made it big like a temple, didn’t matter what it was, it was big like a temple and it was symmetrical and quite often, it had no sides and back to it.

And then you’d find a building that would be just a bunch of bits from the outside and invariably women trying to solve the problem of how you negotiate getting around the building. The well-known Lever House in New York, designed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill – said to be the work of Gordon Bunshaft, the main architect – has really striking interiors designed by a woman called Natalie De Blois.

Is that the case then that women do the interiors and men do the exteriors? Is it chickenand-egg because if you go to an interior design

school now, predominantly it is women; if you go to the product days that are oriented towards materials and interiors, vast numbers of the readers will be women.

In his book The Triple Bottom Line, John Elkington asks whether a cannibal eating with forks makes it any more socially acceptable.

Anyway he possessed this idea that the economy should be divided in three ways: one is to do with money, one is to do with the environment and one is to do with society and people; often it’s called people, planet and profit, or the economy, equity and the environment.

Why I think it’s interesting is that it’s very hard to penetrate that stuff into this social negotiation.

If you’re a man skilled in the things about money, the brief to do a building or the brief to do a city or the brief to do an automobile or whatever it is, is a fundamentally economic matter.

If you’re involved in childrearing or childbirth, and your connection to the health system is through childbirth, rearing children, looking after them, looking after their health, looking after their psychological development and wellbeing and so on, and that’s predominantly women’s work even if much of it is stereotypical, then you have a view of society, you don’t have a view as an economy and I think that’s one of the things that has been a talisman for how people view the city.

Do you view it as an economic element? Is it an organism designed around exchange that can be measured in the economy or is it also about the social life that is in it and is also about the quality, of the special quality, which I would say is an environmental quality?

My experience is that most of the reading that I do in that social and environmental space is from women – from Naomi Klein whose body of work is really impressive, to social commentary like Joan Didion, to the way in which the economy is being represented on TV screens in many respects, the enquiry being made about social issues, it’s always women doing those discussions.

And it’s the broader view that comes from very seasoned commentators like Geraldine Brooks; my argument is that it is because of the emotional engagement that you have to have with the city around you – I think it’s higher with women than it is with men.

For the full podcast interview Search Talking Architecture and Design Episode 16: Tone Wheeler and subscribe. Now available on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Google, Buzzsprout and all your favourite podcast apps.

29/7/19 3:27 pm

Talking Architecture & Design Podcast Uncovering what really goes on behind the scenes in the world of architecture and design…

Talking Architecture & Design aims to uncover the industry’s most interesting personalities at the cutting edge of design, technology and practice. Find out who they are, what they’re doing, where they’re headed, and how we can learn from their experiences.

Lisa Sorrentino (pictured) is the head of Development at City West Housing overseeing projects from acquisition to completion.

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Search Talking Architecture & Design to stream or download episodes.

If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review.

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26/7/19 12:43 pm

WORDS gina calder

architect Buchan

photography Michael Gazzola

Architecture & design

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Healthcare centre design that promotes wellness via biophilia

Global architecture firm Buchan recently delivered a multimillion dollar healthcare facility with the design based on principles of wellness and biophilia.

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Led by Harvey Male, principal at Buchan, the Victorian Specialist Centre project in Lower Templestowe was designed to meet the client’s brief that sought to revolutionise the customer’s experience with a healthcare facility based on the principles of wellness and biophilic design. The building combines modern amenities with natural elements to create a calming environment.

Observing that design can support mental wellbeing, which in turn, has positive implications for physiological health, Male says, “Architects have the opportunity, through the design of form, space and materiality, to provide an improved sense of wellbeing.”

By focussing on nature, lighting, wayfinding and privacy, the Victorian Specialist Centre’s considered design aims to create the best possible experience for the customer from the moment they drive into the underground parking and enter the spacious waiting area

where a six-metre Ficus Hilii tree welcomes them as they walk in the door. The tree is a reflection of the health of the centre and was selected for its suitability for the environment.

The stylish reception area features soaring ceilings and contemporary furnishings to create a naturally lit, relaxing space for patients.

To ensure human interaction, visitors are greeted by a person and not a screen.

“Relationship and socialisation have positive health benefits, so whilst incorporating cutting edge technology throughout individual practices was essential, it was also important to preserve the opportunity for human interaction where possible,” explains Male.

Underground parking is available for patients and delivery personnel with internal access, considerate of the need for both patient and operational privacy. Patient discretion continues into the waiting rooms with sectioned waiting areas separated with chiffon curtaining.

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left The stylish reception area features soaring ceilings and contemporary furnishings to create a naturally lit, relaxing space for patients. previous The Victorian Specialist Centre’s design aims to create the best possible experience for the customer from the moment they drive into the underground parking and enter the spacious waiting area where a six-metre Ficus Hilii tree welcomes

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them as they walk in the door.

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Male attributes the successful delivery of the Specialist Centre to the collaboration with the client as well as the contractor, Hagta Group.

Hagta Group director John Hagopian described the project as a non-standard build that had the potential to be replicated and rolled out across Victoria. “The sense of connection with nature was one of the drivers behind the design and build,” Hagopian says.

“We’ve manufactured that connection to nature both internally through careful planning of the geometry of the building, and externally through landscape architecture.”

A combination of elements comprising of nature, organic lighting, inviting textiles and subtle privacy provides a restorative effect on patients so they can enjoy the space as much as is possible when visiting a medical centre.

“The Victorian Specialist Centre is a point of difference in the healthcare industry and will continue to attract patients as they realise they don’t need to feel uncomfortable in a stale environment when they await medical treatment,” Male says.

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“Architects have the opportunity, through the design of form, space and materiality, to provide an improved sense of wellbeing.”

Architecture & design / Projects / jul-sep 2019

above The building combines modern amenities with natural elements to create a calming environment.

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p r o m o t i o n f e at u r e

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jul-sep 2019

Powder coated aluminium: Cost effective design solutions for the education & health care sector

With Australia’s population growing and ageing, the demand for more facilities will increase, requiring the design and construction industry to identify cost-effective, safe and high performing design solutions that can withstand the demands of everyday activities.

Solid, powder coated aluminium products has the advantages of strength, durability, flexibility, lightness and low maintenance.

Installation Costs Designers and specifiers must think beyond the purchase price and consider the total installation cost of a building product including transport, labour and equipment. Lightweight, easilyinstalled, and flexible solutions with the ability to be pre-assembled offsite can significantly reduce costs by minimising the total hours of labour required. Solid aluminium products are a lightweight and high-performing alternative to heavy building products.

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Fire Safety Due to recent regulatory reform in Australia, specifiers must select reputable products with fire performance characteristics that comply

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with relevant Australian Building Standards to avoid incurring removal and replacement costs.

Solid Aluminium is inherently non-combustible and its powder coating will only char when exposed to a heat source.

Maintenance Costs An academic study found that initial building costs account for approximately two per cent of the total cost of a building over a 30-year period, whereas operating and maintenance costs amount to six per cent. Powder coated aluminium delivers long-term durability and aesthetics with minimal maintenance and ongoing costs. Some sectors simply don’t have the funding (and are time poor) to properly maintain a building, however failure to maintain building products can result in repairs, enhancing the total project costs.

Sustainability Aluminium is highly regarded as a sustainable building material because of its strength and durability. Timber-look aluminium is an ecologically sustainable alternative to timber.

Timber involves the destruction of forests, use

of paints that release harmful VOCs into the atmosphere, waste from timber that has not been treated correctly, aged, or is not straight.

Creative Freedom Versatile, high-quality materials and systems with a variety of design options can enhance a project’s unique visual appeal. Aluminium is very flexible product, available in a range of extrusions to suit all projects. Furthermore, there is an endless amount of powder coating and decorative finishes available to achieve any design.

DECO With their innovative finishing technology, high standards of customer service and commitment to creating high quality, sustainable alternatives to traditional building products, DECO meets the evolving needs of the Australian building industry and the wider community. DECO’s finishes are available in an antimicrobial finish for those sectors with strict hygiene safety requirements, as well as anti-graffiti and fade resistant. In addition, all their products have been fire tested and certified by CSIRO.

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Located between Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country neighbourhoods, Queenstown Country Club comprises over 230 private villas and apartments, a rest home and dementia care – but that’s where the similarities to the traditional model end.

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WORDS Sarah Campbell architect Warren and Mahoney Architects Photographer Marina Matthews

Architecture & design

Aged care and holiday resort crossover for the young-at-heart

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When it is completed, the Queenstown Country Club will fill a real need for graduated retirement living in the area, providing a resortlike lifestyle as well as wraparound aged care.

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A r c h i t e ct u r e & d e s i g n /

timber feature strongly but, rather than sliding into a pastiche of the local style, elements have been translated in a contemporary way.

gable and recessive colours share the style of notable buildings in the vicinity such as the nearby Amisfield Winery.

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jul-sep 2019

position on Ladies Mile and its symmetrical

When it is completed, the Queenstown Country Club will fill a real need for graduated retirement living in the area, providing a resortlike lifestyle as well as wraparound aged care.

Buildings of different scale and geometries are linked by laneways and courtyards to create defined public, private and semi-public areas.

The result is a development that steers clear of a monolithic imposition on the landscape with a mix of building forms that creates visual interest.

Situated on a prominent site on the approach road to Queenstown, it was important that the architecture embrace the regional vernacular.

Respect is paid to local forms and materials.

Gabled and pavilion-style buildings work well within the dramatic alpine environment and reflect the design of neighbouring properties.

Natural materials such as stone and timber feature strongly but, rather than sliding into a pastiche of the local style, elements have been translated in a contemporary way.

The project, set for completion in 2020 is the first of its kind in the Wakatipu Basin that will not only offer local retirees the option to stay in the region, but challenges the social thinking behind facilities of this nature, creating a multi-generational model that integrates rather than segregates.

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opposite The Clubhouse has a visible

Located between Lake Hayes Estate and Shotover Country neighbourhoods, Queenstown Country Club AT Ladies Mile, Queenstown, New Zealand comprises over 230 private villas and apartments, a rest home and dementia care – but that’s where the similarities to the traditional model end.

A civic space provides a lively heart to the wider residential area and the proposed retail centre, adjacent to the café, gym and pool, will contain services such as a florist, pharmacy, hairdressing salon and boutique bar. A clubhouse and medical centre are also part of the mix.

A central piazza is intended to be used for farmers markets and community events so the general public will have many opportunities to engage with the facility. Also planned is a childcare centre which will broaden the generational strata even further.

The Clubhouse has a visible position on Ladies Mile and its symmetrical gable and recessive colours share the style of notable buildings in the vicinity such as the nearby Amisfield Winery.

The 51-hectare estate is located within a Special Housing Area and a percentage of the properties within the development have been set aside to help address the district’s housing supply and affordability issues.

The variety of private villa types on offer are oriented for maximum sunlight and each typology provides private outdoor space.

Projects

above Natural materials such as stone and

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Bundoora Childcare Centre: An exciting space for play and exploration WORDS Paul Gardiner

The aesthetic

The number of children that the development deal was based on meant a design issue arose around how to provide adequately sized, integrated and varied outdoor environments.

Elevated outdoor play spaces were identified as a necessity, though it was important to ensure that these spaces moved away from the feel of verandahs hemmed in by high glass balustrades. A strong characteristic of the design became the tensioned mesh that runs right around the elevated outdoor areas. The design is first and foremost about the children and mesh is a more tactile, interesting and engaging surface. It also allows the children to be safe while prioritising more connection to the elements and surrounding views.

It was important to provide spaces that were adaptable, so they can be changed to house a range of different activities while also responding to the variation in seasonal and day-to-day

Internal spaces were designed to be flexible rather than too contrived or rectilinear. This allowed the operator and their staff to change the internal environment to suit different play activities expanding the possibilities of how the one room can be utilised and in turn extending the lifespan of the built space.

The palette of the project prioritised longevity and flexibility. Colour was used in a restrained way, most often to act as a visual identifier.

The doors to activity rooms are painted a deep blue while strong toned tiles distinguish the kitchen as well as the children’s bathrooms.

The rest of the colour can be infused into the spaces through the play equipment and art made by the children.

Architecture doesn’t have to compete with the range of elements and activities within a children’s learning space. It can instead set the backdrop for the people who

jul-sep 2019

Creating engaging outdoor play spaces

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weather conditions. The mesh creates a blending of playground and building. It becomes a moving and changing facet of the building experienced not only from within but from beyond. The mesh also allows for interaction between the raised outdoor spaces and the ground level outdoor space surrounding the cottage.

Pro j e c t s

There’s a strong demand for childcare in Melbourne, though the industry can often be more difficult than it first seems. Developers are often tackling difficult sites where residential developments don’t stack up by opting to build a childcare centre instead. This often means childcare centres are located on difficult sites with a plethora of design constraints that need to be responded to in order to ensure that the facility will foster a safe and enjoyable environment for children to learn in.

One of the essential issues at the beginning of the design process was finding the most effective way to refurbish the heritage cottage with minimal intervention to allow it to be repurposed into an interesting childcare space.

The priority was to have the cottage relate to the outside while also linking to the new, more program-intense new building.

For this project, Gardiner Architects was engaged by the developer who is a large property trust that specialises in childcare.

The architectural proposal and resulting building costs had to reflect the long-term rental agreement that the developer and operator had established. This can often prove challenging, especially on difficult sites. Architectural skill

is paramount to find ways to maximise the number of children that can be accommodated, make the building as efficient and therefore as cheap as possible, while also ensuring that it’s the best design outcome for the children who are going to be attending the centre.

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A childcare centre in urban Melbourne

Architecture & design

Located on a challenging, steep site, Bundoora Childcare Centre incorporates a retained heritage cottage and a new building with exciting elements that prioritise a child’s experience of the built space.

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above Architecture doesn’t have to compete with the range of elements and activities within a children’s learning space.

are taking care of the children, providing a changeable environment and avoiding creating an over-stimulating space. In terms of outdoor play areas, spaces that allow for active, cognitive and dramatic play don’t need to be too prescriptive. Architects must work with landscape architects to create outdoor areas that have a natural aesthetic that allow children possibilities to explore, be challenged and find new, imaginative ways to use the elements they’re provided. A few logs can be balancing beams one moment and form a story circle the next.

Spaces that foster food education

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One design feature that the operator prioritised was having the kitchen and a healthy eating program as an integral part of the children’s daily activities. Therefore, the

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kitchen was positioned next to the entry to the centre. Surrounded by glass, the chef is visible and everyone can enjoy the smells of the food being prepared.

The kitchen is connected to a dining area and courtyard with a kitchen garden. It was great to work with an operator that saw healthy eating and food education as a fundamental element to the centre’s functioning.

Sustainability A range of sustainable elements were incorporated into the project. A 60,000 litre underground water tank helps to effectively process stormwater while also being utilised for the flushing of toilets and garden irrigation.

PV cells on the roof generate electricity, while the whole building is very well insulated which decreases the demand on heating and cooling

requirements. The building’s orientation allows an adequate amount of north sun into the building while the hot western sun is managed through the introduction of motorised pergolas.

The building really becomes an organism that can be adjusted to suit the different weather conditions the children and carers find themselves in.

Overall, the main sustainable measure undertaken in this project was the adaptive reuse of old building stock. In this case, the approach was to retain the heritage cottage externally, only adjusting things where the new use ultimately forced it.

Knocking out walls to make bigger areas was avoided, instead creating openings through walls. This created spaces that retained the feel of an old home and resulted in a feel that is more homely and in turn more identifiable for children.

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A few logs can be balancing beams one moment and form a story circle the next.

Architecture & design / P r o j e ct s / jul-sep 2019

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JUL-SEP 2019 / ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

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SECTIONS2

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In this Sections2 we look at Collins House, which was designed by Bates Smart for the Golden Age Group.

Designed to enhance the western end of Collins Street with a bold and elegant landmark building, which derives its gracefulness from its slender proportions, the site’s main asset is the well-proportioned and decorative heritage building, which was built in 1908.

There is an opportunity to reinstate the original features and enhance the reading of the building through reconnecting internal spaces with the facade proportions and the use of a refined entry foyer, connected to the street through the re-instated original entry doors.

By setting the tower back from the existing heritage facade and reinstating its original grandeur, the proposed development seeks to create a landmark building both at street level and in the city skyline context.

The narrow site has required a rethinking of the structure of tall buildings. Through an inventive structural system combined with cutting edge construction techniques, we have been able to reinvent the tall tower completely.

Turning the building inside out and moving the structural core to the perimeter of the building eliminates columns completely, allowing the height and slenderness of the building to be maximised.

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“I have the privilege to work with some of the best in the industry...”

Key facts: • Collins House is the slimmest tower in Australia and 4th slimmest in the world • 480sqm footprint, the equivalent of one netball court • 184m height from the ground • 60 levels from basement to rooftop • 258 apartments • 4.5m cantilevered over adjoining building • 472 “HBS” (Hickory Building Systems) integrated facade and structural modules installed • 1,000+ tonnes of steel used

of the adjoining building, creating a unified and uniform skin over the eastern elevation.

All the facades are wrapped in a feature herringbone aluminium pattern that acts as a veil and a unifying element. The feature herringbone, with its reflectivity is a dramatic and lively component of the facade and an identifiable and memorable element that makes Collins House a landmark in the city’s skyline.

Amenities are located at Storeys 3 and 27, providing a resident lounge with a terraced area, kitchen and BBQ facilities on level 3, and a fully equipped kitchen, dining room, lounges, bar, cinema room and gym facilities overlooking the city on level 27.

CAMILLA TIERNEY Architect at Bates Smart

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The starting point in the design of the building is the expression and refinement of the structural system. The H-shaped vertical concrete structure is over-clad with glass on the North and South ends of the building and it is expressed on the East and West facades, contributing to a bold but elegant form.

This is accompanied by a crisply detailed component which cantilevers over the air rights

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“I commenced my role at Bates Smart in 2017 and have been involved in the architectural component of Collins House since the start of onsite construction.

“I have the privilege to work with some of the best in the industry, particularly under the leadership of Kristen Whittle, Mark Healey and Carlos Lara. I have had the opportunity

to collaborate closely with our interior team including Louisa Steffen (nee Watts), and structural engineer Vince De Stefano who has been invaluable from 4D Workshop. These strong internal working relationships at Bates Smart have been vital to my growth as an architect and have given me the opportunity to extend my passion for architecture.

“Collins House is such a unique project, not only for being the first of its kind in terms of modular construction and a building to have bought air-rights, but also its tight building constraints. Collins House has been such a landmark project to be involved with in terms of its scale and technical aspects – at the last count, we had reviewed 2,382 precast shop drawings alone.

“It was a pleasure to work with the client, Golden Age Group and the construction team from Hickory to deliver the project which is set for completion later this year,” says Tierney.

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p r o m o t i o n f e at u r e

Keystone Linings teams up with British antimicrobial supplier

d e s i g n c o r . c o m . a u / K e y- g u a r d / A&D x Key Industries /

About Key-Guard Key-Guard antimicrobial technology is an incredibly effective way to prevent the growth and spread of harmful bacteria. It’s effective against a wide range of germs from food poisoning causing E.coli and Salmonella to antibiotic resistant bacteria like MRSA and VRE. Key-Guard uses silver-ion technology, which is a natural antibacterial, and as it does not leach out, it is completely safe to use where food and water may come into contact with the surface.

Keystone Linings can apply Key-Guard to plywood, natural timber veneers and a range of other substrates including their colour through Palette Series MDF panels.

Where is Key-Guard used?

Key-Guard is ideal for use in hospitals, schools, age care, public, retail shop fit-outs, public transport and kitchens.

Potentially deadly bacteria can multiply quickly in these types of places and as such, there is a risk of contamination being spread from surfaces and equipment to humans. Those of us with healthy immune systems will normally have built up a resistance to common bacteria, but the very young, elderly and people with underlying health issues may be at risk.

Whilst disinfectants can be instantly effective in removing bacteria, after a few hours the effect wears off and contamination can occur again. Key-Guard helps to reduce bacteria growing between cleans and reduce the risk of infectious bacteria being spread.

jul-sep 2019

Key Industries, is a NSW based Australian family-owned and operated manufacturer.

Keystone Linings, which runs the acoustics, wall and ceiling lining operations of the manufacturing arm, have been working with Biomaster Antimicrobial to develop Key-Guard, a hard-wearing, durable antibacterial coating designed to reduce cross-contamination, protect against harmful bacteria and much more. KeyGuard is ideal for use on surfaces where good hygiene is key, such as healthcare, education and hospitality applications. Key-Guard is available in a range of gloss levels and can be tinted to a comprehensive range of colours.

Key-Guard is particular beneficial to use on projects such as childcare and day-care facilities, where the spread of germs is usually more prolific given the playful habits of most children.

Keystone are excited to be the sole distributor in Australia with the rights to use Biomaster technology.

More information Contact Keystone Linings for more information on Key-Guard, request samples or discuss your needs with one of our architectural consultants. designcor.com.au/Key-guard 51

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Dancing on the ceiling

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WORDS Prue Miller

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There is a magic involved in a ceiling that says one thing and does another.

Contemporary ceilings have storeys of stories where each and every one is a page turner.

This advance in design reflects the growing scope of adaptive materials and advances in fixing systems.

Ceiling panels, once the unstable camouflage for overhead wiring, and HVAC systems now offer sleek profiles that while delivering the same necessary service, also enhance the space in many other ways.

Timber products – frequently seen as veneers, have become an art form. While the finished profile is enormously variable, a common theme of spaced timber batons invisibly attached to various backgrounds, is a backbone design.

Plus, many producers offer quick installation, which is always a positive, but perhaps never more so than in healthcare where pressure for completion has added immediacy.

The Innowood InnoCeil range offers a wide choice of profiles that produce an elegant finish using hidden fixing systems or suspended grid fixing systems.

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The shiplap is a tight panel of broad strips, while the slatted ceiling system is available in varying densities, with straight slat lines from solid profiles with coverage as small as 16mm and spacing to suit any design – tweaked by the infinite choice of background colours.

With Innoceil the batons click onto a suspended carrier, creating a lightweight structure which can be a critical feature where load bearing is an issue. The overall effect has the emotional warmth of timber, in shades as pale as Lily White to the depths of Kiwi Black or Ebony.

In an educational setting, the value of the emotional notes created by building products should not be underestimated.

Biophilic design in education has been recognised as a having a positive coercive effect on learning, related to the biophilia hypothesis that people, especially kids thrive when connected to nature. Further research also suggests a link between the natural resource and lowered cortisol levels and associated stress.

BVN has recently won awards for the Knut Menden-led Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Primary School, in which timber plays a major role. However, it is timber used with a clear conscience.

According to the design statement “OLA is a model for sustainability through its innovations in construction by using engineered timber. The additions to the school feature Glulam, cross laminated timber walls and a CLT acoustic ceiling flooring system.”

The system chosen by Menden, whose previous educational projects include the haunting, light

filled Ravenswood design, was the Lignotrend Acoustic ceilings and Lignotrend Rippe/Block CLT prefabricated slabs with the same finish as the acoustic ceiling.

The end result has received rave reviews from fully grown people as well as those not yet fully formed.

The sound of learning The Taronga Institute of Science and Learning is another example of the educative experience in design. Australia’s most famous zoo’s learning building had a multitude of roles to fulfil, including crowds of kids visiting at the same time that serious research is being carried out. The multi-level, open plan space features various ceiling finishes, all of which had acoustic criteria to reach.

Keystone Linings and Acoustics supplied product for the zoological zone, including a long grain birch plywood lining in the education areas, that has satisfied acoustic and design benchmarks. Their Key-Ply range is perforated or slotted plywood, which comes in a range of elegant timber looks, as well metallic and pearl effects all of which offer excellent acoustic properties.

Where sound is a major issue, USG Boral offers products that satisfy the problem, including the perforated plasterboard range Echostops which has NRC ratings of up to 0.80, and acoustic ceiling tiles reaching an NRC of 0.95.

A star in their current range of acoustic ceiling systems is Ensemble which comes in a smooth profile, rather than the more common

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/ jul-sep 2019

So for those of us who fear scholastic failure, and are filled with white hot dread at the thought of surgery (or even a dental filling) finding design planes gently folding above us is a relief from stress.

However, sometimes you have to let the panic go, and fill the void with delight at simply cool design in an area where chic is all but absent.

In fact it is harder to imagine a less likely place to discover monumental interior design

Practical

Ceiling design as a calming presence

than in a dental surgery – yet there are superb examples to be found, not the least of which is The Urban Dentist in Germany.

Designed by Studio Karhard, The Urban Dentist has the aesthetic of a cool bar, or top end store. Concern for acoustic efficiency have been clearly superseded by the desire for a design experience, which in itself can be uplifting for nervy clients.

Raw cement slabs, gleaming and exposed HVAC channels are offset by fluted glass walls and colour changing LED lights. The Studio Karhard architects describe the atmosphere as “industrial and indulgent”, with the raw construction elements balanced out by lollipop pinks and bold granite. The effect is to make patients feel more like powerful, in control clients than withering patients.

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the panel,” he says, going on to explain the ease of application for clients. “It is a clear, invisible coating so it does not affect the acoustic or aesthetic qualities of the panels. It is perfect for health and food related projects.”

BioPanel is applied to prefinished panels before they leave the factory, essentially, according to Mitchell, acting as a road spike for any bacteria that lands on the panels.

Also in the Décor range is a very notable acoustic ceiling product, DécorLini which has an NCR rating of 9.1. Used by TKD Architects in the design of the SCEGGS interim library project, the two step ceiling level change is deliciously curved into a wave form.

What may surprise some old school designers is the flexibility offered by these large, easy to install and effective panels.

The use of curves in design is particularly useful in areas of stress such as healthcare and education – with straight lines possibly received by the human brain as threatening, where the curve is, well, not.

Architecture & design

perforated tile look. It still has high acoustic performance, with the panels able to absorb low and mid frequency sound in the plenum space, while the high frequencies are handled by porous acoustic veilings. Combined with an easy installation of screw attaching the panels to a ceiling suspension system, the range is very useful anywhere that noise is an issue.

Unwelcome sounds are perhaps even a bigger issue in healthcare, where noises can be deeply disturbing and the atmosphere highly influential to the experience outcome.

Far from the institutionalised look of years ago, healthcare now embraces the dual roles of dramatic design and medical efficacy.

It’s a growing market not lost on Keystone who have rolled out an antifungal, antimicrobial additive that can be added to their ceiling (and lining) products.

USG Boral offers a number of products for sound absorption in this arena, including panels designed to deaden that awful corridor chaos and nurses’ station hub bub that disturbs both patients and staff. Their USG Mars, Clima Plus Healthcare also offers a high NCR rating as well as antimicrobial performance, a welcome additive to an area where contagion is more than a movie title.

And again, the design from USG offers design options, with its just-introduced range of coloured panels that will help not just brighten the atmosphere but will also serve to help delineate areas and assist with traffic wayfinding.

Also in this arena is Décor Systems; their product BioPanel is in demand for good reason. Mitchell Faulkes from Décor Systems explains. “Bacteria explodes when it reaches

Open-plan classrooms are popular, but what about the noise?

According to Knauf, open-plan, collaborative learning spaces are on the rise in Australian schools, and while this design trend has advantages for students’ social development and teamwork, open-plan classrooms tend to be noisy. This can have a detrimental effect on individual learning.

The ceiling is often the only surface that lends itself to any form of acoustic control in these large, open-plan spaces. Partitions, furniture and other absorbing materials can stop soundwaves from travelling at a low level, but sound can often travel outwards and upwards relatively undisturbed. With a flat ceiling without any acoustical treatment, there

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Knauf says the Stratopanel “provides exceptional acoustic performance and is the ideal product for educational settings...”

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LEFT The Urban Dentist Studio. opposite Stratopanel was specified for a renovation project at St Monica’s Parish Primary School in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne.

suppliers/innowood-australia-pty-ltd Keystone Linings and Acoustics www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/keystone-acoustics USG Boral www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/usg-boral Décor Systems www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/decor-systems Sky Factory www.architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/sky-factoryaustralia Knauf architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/knauf

A r c h i t e c tu r e & d e s i g n

suppliers Innowood www.architectureanddesign.com.au/

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Sky Factory is an established name in the industry and has created countless escape hatches for stressed brains. A gallery of superb, ultra high-resolution photographic images are embedded in acrylic panels, with perfectly flat backlight illuminating the scene, easily included in a standard panel ceiling grid.

According to Sky Factory a recent hospital room based test found that healing was faster, stress levels were measured to reduce by one third and anxiety levels were halved. There is also a flow on effect to staff and staff retention.

The company also has a video or cinema product, at considerably greater expense, where an eight-hour loop of a sky can be offered to inhabitants.

Shifting of colour temperature is also achieved with programmable LEDs in the static panel configuration, which in itself can help in the growing area of dementia care, where carers are more than familiar with patient agitation caused by the change in late afternoon and evening light qualities.

Sometimes there is only an upside to telling our brains a different story to the one we expect – after all what’s the harm in a little azure blue lie?

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of the curved ceiling to be achieved due to the flexibility in the material,” she says.

But perhaps the most significant ceiling expression is one that mimics having no ceiling at all. The perfect biophilic design – tricking the mind and body into believing that it is in fact so very, very close to the outside world.

In a scholastic space, it is a freeing experience; who remembers the delights of having a class take place in the school grounds? Energy levels increased, spirits elevated, and for that brief, shining period school was enjoyable.

Schools, universities and colleges are increasingly being built vertically, rather than sprawled cross expensive parcels of land.

Light is harder to reach, and an undertone of claustrophobia is created.

Even more emotionally extreme is the effect of enclosure, and separation, experienced by patients in healthcare.

In the clinical environment, in particularly stressful areas such as nuclear medicine’s MRI zones, patients’ fears are escalated by a sense of separation from anything familiar or friendly.

It is in this area that LED lit panels are appearing. They mimic the most beautiful aspects of the outside world, a visual breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth if you will.

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is nothing to stop sound bouncing back into the room, creating reverberation.

Daniela Carloni from Knauf says the Stratopanel “provides exceptional acoustic performance and is the ideal product for educational settings. It is a seamless perforated plasterboard lining with a continuous look and built-in air purification.”

The product features a recycled gypsum core sandwiched between two layers of heavy-duty recycled paper. The face paper is ivory but can be painted to suit any new or existing design.

Stratopanel was specified for a renovation project at St Monica’s Parish Primary School in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne, and the result speaks for itself.

An under-utilised outdoor courtyard was turned into a modern multi-function area, accommodating six acoustically separated classrooms, a large central shared open learning area, and a presentation space. “One of the main features of the space,” says Carloni, “was a curved feature ceiling, with pebble shaped coffers and skylights with a steel structural support behind.”

“Stratopanel allowed excellent acoustic performance while the flexibility in the material allowed for the architectural feature

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Making the old new again: Achieving fire performance in heritage projects

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Across Australia, trends suggest a growing number of older structures are being classed as ‘heritage items’ and redevelopment and restoration projects are on the rise.

The preservation requirements of heritage buildings pose a challenge for design and construction professionals.

Given today’s compliance-oriented industry, practitioners must ensure that heritage-listed buildings comply with the relevant performance standards under the National Construction Code (NCC) without compromising their heritage value. Fire protection and structural performance are especially critical.

The Importance of Fire Protection The Grenfell and Lacrosse tower fires highlighted the risks posed by inadequate fire protection, specifically the potential for loss of life, property damage and significant economic harm.

Many historically-significant buildings cannot be brought into full compliance with the current Australian fire safety requirements without damaging significant building elements. The main problems associated with meeting fire safety requirements in historic buildings include: • meeting dimensional requirements; • space constraints; • aesthetic intrusions; and • the materials used.

Older buildings may also require relatively rare types of materials and labour, which can be more costly. Buildings with structural steel systems will also require additional fire protection.

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Understanding the Requirements The National Construction Code Australian heritage buildings must comply with the fire protection requirements set out in the NCC. Section C – Fire Resistance of the NCC requires that all loadbearing building elements, including structural steel members, have adequate fire protection.

In relation to complying with NCC Performance Requirements, the unique historical elements in heritage buildings make it difficult to follow the Deemed-toSatisfy (DTS) Provisions so individualised Performance Solutions are typically required.

Australian Standards The relevant Australian Standards that apply to fire protection systems in heritage buildings include: • AS 1530.4-2005 – Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures – Fire-resistance test of elements of construction, which sets out the general fire performance requirements of major building elements and the full-scale fire test conditions required to ascertain fire performance; and • Section 12 of AS 4100-1998 Steel Structures, which sets out the general design requirements pertaining to fire protection for steel structures.

Intumescent Fire Protection Systems: A High Performance Solution Fire events fall into one of two categories: cellulosic fire or hydrocarbon fire. Cellulosic fires are fuelled by cellulose materials such as timber, fabrics or paper, which are commonly found in

commercial and residential buildings. These fires spread gradually, reaching approximately 500ºC within five minutes with a peak temperature of 1100ºC. Fueled by combustible liquids, hydrocarbon fires burn more rapidly and at higher temperatures than cellulosic fires.

Intumescent fire protection systems and coatings are passive protection methods which protect against cellulosic fires. These coatings are applied to structural members and, when exposed to high temperatures, form a protective ‘char’ that thermally insulates and protects the substrate from flames. Structural steel systems require intumescent fire protection to preserve the stability of a building in the event of a fire.

Intumescent fire protection systems are ideal for heritage projects for the following reasons: • its thin coating will not damage substrate or add additional bulk; • easy application results in reduced time and labor costs; and • the wide variety of architectural finishes.

Permax Permax has led the Australian market in high performance and compliant fire protection systems. Favoured by builders, engineers and architects alike, this Australian company offers a carefully curated range of fire protection solutions.

This includes Nullifire, an internationallyrecognised passive fire protection solution that is synonymous with the best structural steel fire protection coatings technologies available today.

Download The Whitepaper bit.ly/Permax_19Q3

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WORDS Prue Miller

Architecture & design

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Should the first rule of paints & coatings be ‘do no harm’?

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Every material’s finish gives its surface a distinctive appearance and texture. However, finishes are more than skin deep: the chemicals they contain can adversely affect the brain, the heart and in the worst-case scenario, mortality levels.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – the poster child for what kind of chemical should be minimised at all cost – are so-called because they can ‘boil’ – releasing their molecules into the air – at normal room temperatures.

Formaldehyde evaporates from some paints from the ‘boiling point’ of just -19 degrees Celsius. The list of compounds and chemicals in what was once a standard paint mix is far longer, though also carefully monitored by authorities.

Paints are not alone in their complex chemical structure. As a subset of stains and other coatings such as resin, as well as some innocent looking products – air fresheners included, ironically – they have suspect loads of VOCs. In an industry of shifting compounds and technology, it is vitally important to stay aware of what the leaders in the industry are offering.

As we know, the use of these solvents is heavily monitored and regulated in Australia, resulting in clear branding of materials that are low or lacking in ‘troublesome’ compounds.

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Additionally, it goes without saying that the manufacturing industry of paints, stains and finishes has more codes than a B-grade spy film. The leaders worth noting for encouraging products made with environmental concerns in mind are the Green Building Code of Australia and Good Environmental Choice Australia.

VOCs weren’t added to paints without purpose – they assist in ease of application and extending drying times, which allows painters to work on the surface coverage. Removing them altered the application process.

Dulux Paints, a major player in this area, has addressed these issues and produced a recommended application regime that includes using synthetic roller sleeves, as the thinner film left behind when using this method can shorten drying time.

Similarly, when using a spray application, Dulux suggests a process of back-rolling to ensure an evenly-finished coat. VOC-free options exist in a full range of finishes, from

flat ceiling to gloss products – and each has an application solution found on the Dulux website.

It is apparent that the additional industry research into finishes and their chemicals results in a safer environment, which is especially important in areas such as healthcare facilities and schools.

Institutions for health and education deserve special consideration, as they host people who are more sensitive than others in many ways. Toxins and irritants in finishes can be harmful to patients with compromised immune systems or allergies, as well as to children and the elderly. When grouped together, these users constitute quite a large and growing demographic.

Another aspect to consider is the visualemotional irritants in colour and texture. It’s easy to see why the list of peculiar needs in these sectors must challenge, if not frustrate, designers.

There are unanimously encouraged elements in design for these buildings; for instance, timber

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left Timber finishes or timber-lookalike textures are very popular in education settings. Below Institutions for health and education deserve special consideration,

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as they host people who are more sensitive than others in many ways.

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finishes or timber-lookalike textures are very popular. The biophilic nature of the material is soothing and has been proven to be one way for interior designers to reduce stress levels.

These materials also offer several options.

Wattyl’s I.D. range is an interior paint with a surface finish that increases the effectiveness of being cleaned, effectively resisting the problems of mould and fungus growth. For the same reason, surfaces painted with this range resist stains. The overarching positive in all of the applications is the extremely low VOC formula.

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The Eco-Style range at Rockcote is another exceptional product in this arena, and while they too discourage the growth of fungus, the Rockcote name is synonymous with being able to withstand harsh conditions, including rigorous or industrial cleaning action. On top of that, they offer a touch up paint (which is very much in demand, especially in hospitals) which is low fume-emitting and quick-drying, a strong financial consideration in a healthcare context, where it is desirable to avoid closing patient rooms overnight.

But what about when you want to see that grain and texture, and really bring home the natural attraction of the medium?

Timber stains are essentially divided into treatments that really sink into the wood – using a dye rather than a pigment to carry the colour – and are commercially often combined in the one product.

Engineered timber products such as LVL or Gulam can be stained – Resene, Wattyl and Dulux have products suited from primer to third coats.

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above Wattyl’s I.D. range is an interior paint with a surface finish that increases the effectiveness of being cleaned.

Whether the colour is left unaffected, or is stained for enhancement, it’s really the top coat or final finish that can make the difference.

The concerns here of course are appearance, maintenance and durability. In a residential setting, the size of the task is so small by comparison that any finish is fine. However, in a commercial setting, a wax finish just won’t cut it.

A polyurethane finish is notoriously hardwearing, has a long cure time, but is available in a water based low VOC formula – that’s not to discount the more traditional polyurethane finish which is rated as relatively safe, despite using petroleum-based solvents.

Durability and maintenance have been key concerns that led buildings of high traffic numbers to be painted in generic white, or institutional grey and green. If you have just three colours to repair and a lot of government buildings that get scuffed, the economics of scale overrule the desire for diversity, beauty and visual relief.

Thank goodness science came through with excuses for a crowd of chroma, a blur of blues, a riot of reds, a purse of pinks. Science has proven the value of colour to our emotional comfort and productivity levels.

Think of colours as wavelengths – a visual representation of an energy that your brain can read. Once you do that, colour becomes like a secret language, one that bypasses familiar

sense interpretation, and finds its target deep within the cerebral cortex where our lizard brain is still playing hide and seek.

Orange – the colour of sunlight at dawn and dusk – represents an ideal time to hunt for food, change locations, and stay warm. All energyconsuming occupations. But wait – is that why we become more active with orange tones? Is that what make it a colour that inspires us to get up and go? Orange has the second highest wavelength interval (red is at the top) and is thought of as the wavelength of activity, agitating the brain into action.

If this is to be taken on board, it becomes clear why classrooms avoid orange like the plague, and instead opt for blue. Open skies, open water, and the second lowest wavelength interval – blue is calming, non-distracting, and creates the perfect effect for quiet learning, or even healing, as restfulness is incumbent on repairing the body.

However, the lizard brain lurking within our human one can be easily manipulated, and there is evidence to suggest that the immediate effect of the wavelength can be overridden by other stimuli.

So, despite all our references and investigations and theories, in most cases the effect of our chosen tones and palette will be somewhat ameliorated by familiarity. The insight to take away is perhaps that designers

and clients should not be married to colour schemes and theories for life; that revision and updates are beneficial, if not therapeutic, on many levels.

Perhaps we should rather be considering the mixing of stimuli. The power of positive and negative, or of too few or too many stimuli in a room – that includes all sensory inputs, not just colours – is one that can be more deeply understood.

You cannot look at a room as just colours, just sounds, or just textures – but rather as a holistic experience.

This opens the door to consider the growing acceptance of the Virtual Reality experience in designing learning and healing contexts.

The ultimate in design – where nothing is real, boundaries and building budgets do not exists, and everything is possible. Where surgeons can experience a surgery, in every sense of the world, before they even put on their scrubs.

It is also where patients will put on their goggles and leave the operating theatre, the ward, the dentist’s chair – and instead go to Disneyland, take a balloon ride over Provence or slay White Walkers in Winterfell.

It will be a world where students can immerse themselves in Da Vinci’s actual studio as they learn about flying machines or climb to the zenith of a Zaha Hadid building during a course on structural engineering.

SUPPLIERS Dulux architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/dulux Wattyl architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/wattyl Resene architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ 62

resene-paints-australia-ltd Rockcote architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/rockcote-enterprises

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Enhancing Indoor Air Quality in Schools with Window Automation

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In Australia, the demand for educational institutions is growing. Furthermore, more institutions are choosing to upgrade facilities to meet contemporary standards for health, performance and sustainability.

It is essential for architects and specifiers to understand the unique design requirements for educational institutions and account for the impact of designs on student health and wellbeing. This applies to window design – specifically window automation – and how this can improve indoor air quality and enhance health and performance outcomes.

Understanding the Requirements The National Construction Code (NCC) Volume 1 establishes the relevant requirements for schools and other educational facilities, which are categorised as Class 9b buildings. The key sections are as follows: • Section F establishes the health and amenity requirements for Class 9b buildings. In this section, FP4.3 sets out the performance requirements for ventilation, providing that, in a space used by occupants, ventilation with outdoor air to maintain adequate air quality is required.

• Section J establishes energy efficiency requirements for Class 9b buildings, which are detailed in JP1 and JP3 within this section.

JP1 references the need for a building to include energy efficient features for sealing

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the building envelope against air leaking and utilising air movement to assist heating and cooling. Window automation facilitates these requirements by enabling natural ventilation per the requirements in Section F4.

Window Automation: A Design Solution Remote window operation is a threepart mechanical solution involving the following elements: 1. The actuator is the component responsible for physically opening and shutting the window. When selecting an actuator, architects and specifiers need to consider: • fitness for purpose; • compliance with wind loads; • noise level of actuator when in operation; • safety features; • size of actuator; and • additional functions including interaction with building management systems (BMS).

2. Cabling should be determined at tender stage in line with functionality, window locations, desired control panel location, and the chosen actuator.

3. Controls should provide a clear interface between users and the actuator. Panel size, cost and functionality are key design considerations.

The Importance of an Integrated Solution Specification of a window automation system is ideally undertaken by a single contractor to:

• ensure each of the three components work effectively and efficiently together; and • enable cohesion across costing, technical capabilities and installation requirements.

When designing for schools, integration of window automation with existing systems can enhance operation and comfort. Integration with the BMS and security systems can enable automated window closure when the building is not occupied. Automated closure can also be enabled during inclement weather or a power failure. A “night purge” function can be implemented to exhaust stale air and CO2 from the classroom.

EBSA EBSA Pty Ltd is a leading Australian manufacturer and supplier of window automation and louvre installations, combining functionality and aesthetics. EBSA leverages the latest window and automation technology to deliver systems that support the natural flow of light and air in contemporary commercial, residential and educational buildings.

With offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and the recently launched New Zealand office in Auckland, EBSA solutions promote health, performance and sustainability across the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Download free whitepaper bit.ly/EBSA_19Q3

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WORDS Nathalie Craig

Architecture & design

Security solutions in the education and healthcare space

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command of their facilities as a whole”. This is a power that those tasked with managing security at education and care facilities would certainly value.

Users can configure locks, manage access rights and assign schedules from virtually anywhere. And greater control allows facilities to respond quickly in emergency situations.

Electronic credentials also provide an extra level of control by mitigating the risks associated with lost or stolen keys. This is because access rights can be deactivated immediately, and new credentials can be issued in seconds.

Allegion’s Schlage AD Series wireless locks, for example, are able to integrate into electronic access control systems. The locks feature builtin credential readers and access control sensors for simplified installation. The AD-400 enables a wide range of credential options including PIN and magnetic strip.

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When considering the specific safety and security needs for education and care facilities a whole new set of challenges arise. Luckily there are ample ways to address these through clever, cutting edge solutions out on the market.

From combined hardware and software solutions that stop trespassers in their tracks, through to designs that ensure exiting in emergency situations is as swift as possible.

Allegion, a company with several brands providing a range of security solutions for homes, businesses and schools is finding that when it comes to security, more and more people are transitioning from traditional keys to smart technology.

Marketing manager for Allegion in Australia, Craig Patterson, explains that the demand for electronic access control continues to grow “because it gives end users greater control over every connected opening, which means more

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You can’t put a price on peace of mind, which means security solutions are a vital part of the design and building process.

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A.B Paterson College, a private school based on the Gold Coast in Queensland recently engaged Burling Brown Architects to design a modern three-storey learning centre filled with natural light, featuring new technology and energy efficient glazing.

When it came to securing the main entrance to the learning centre, the architect, together with the client, opted for Assa Abloy’s SL500 automatic door.

“We sat down with the client and discussed what needed to be achieved. One of the major factors was that they needed to allow for the fluid movement of people in and out of the building,” says architect Andrew Brewer.

But naturally, with this fluid flow of occupants, the college also wanted to have the ability to control the security of the door from afar.

Assa Abloy’s SL500 automatic door had the flexibility to be retrofitted with the college’s existing SALTO security system. This system allows the college to have electronically programmed times where people can access the door and have an electronic locking system.

“The college is able to choose when to open and unlock the doors and in a security breach they can lock the door down,” Brewer explains.

The automatic doors are also the main path of escape in case of an emergency such as a fire.

“The door is linked to the college’s alarm system. If the fire alarm goes off, the door opens and stays open (rather than opening and shutting automatically) to allow the occupants to evacuate quickly.”

In an emergency if the power goes out, the door has its very own battery system that will allow it to still operate as needed.

There are so many factors to consider when securing a care or education facility, and these options are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of solutions around.

What’s clear though is that traditional locks and keys aren’t cutting it anymore – the future of security will largely be digital.

Case Study: Integrating Schlage AD Series wireless locks with BadgePass at The University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi has more than 20,000 students, including 40 percent who live in campus housing. Originally, students were using physical keys to access their residential hall and room. This posed a security threat as there was no way to deactivate a lost or stolen key.

There were also significant costs associated with replacing or rekeying mechanical locks.

To increase security and efficiency on campus they added Schlage AD Series wireless locks using BadgePass TotalCard to secure all of the resident’s doors.

TotalCard is a powerful campus card system that allows colleges and universities to easily identify, validate and track students and faculty members. Students can use their ID cards for a variety of things both on and off campus including purchases, attending events, accessing dorm rooms, tracking attendance in class and more.

By migrating to wireless locks and credentials for access, cards can be immediately deactivated in the system as soon as they are reported lost or stolen, minimising the risk of unapproved access.

Today the campus has installed nearly 3,500 AD Series wireless locks—adding security and convenience to every residence hall.

When it comes to security in aged care facilities, there are a whole new set of challenges that can differ substantially from those in the education realm. In aged care facilities resident elopement can be a serious concern – particularly among those suffering memory loss.

Allegion also offers a security solution here in the form of the Von Duprin CX Chexit concept. This controlled exit device, which is installed on exit doors, is designed to delay egress for 15 seconds.

The Chexit exit device can be integrated into a building’s emergency system and will release immediately in case of emergency.

Auxiliary locking, local alarm and a remote alarm output, along with an external inhibit input are contained in the Chexit assembly.

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CASE STUDY: SL500 automatic door at A.B Paterson College, Gold Coast Queensland

above A.B Paterson College, a private school based on the Gold Coast in Queensland, recently engaged Burling Brown Architects to design a modern three-storey learning centre filled with natural light, featuring new technology and energy efficient glazing. Photography by A.B Paterson College. Previous Assa Abloy’s SL500 Sliding Door.

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Photography courtesy of Assa Abloy Entrance Systems.

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Electronic credentials also provide an extra level of control by mitigating the risks associated with lost or stolen keys.

CASE STUDY: CHEXIT at the Royal Oaks Friendship House in Arizona Royal Oaks Friendship House is a 56-room twolevel building for those suffering from memory loss that forms part of a retirement community.

Designing this building meant finding the right balance between the desire for an open, welcoming home-like environment with the need to ensure that the residents suffering from memory loss were safe and secure in the building.

“Safety of the cognitive impaired while allowing them to make choices freely and move from one place to another in their living environment can sometimes be a challenge,” says Dina Capek, Royal Oaks director of Health

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Services. “We wanted to have a way to alert the companions when any resident walked from indoor to outdoor spaces.”

Royal Oaks needed a delayed egress solution for all of the facility’s stairwell, exterior and backof-house doors, and also the garden gates.

The Von Duprin CHEXIT delayed egress device was able to provide the facility manager with a secure and safe solution tailored for a memory care environment.

The CHEXIT reduces patient elopement by keeping the door secure for up to 15 seconds while alerting staff of the unauthorised exit attempt.

The device can also easily be integrated with access control systems, working in conjunction with a fire detection system to immediately allow

residents to exit in the case of an emergency.

Another company specialising in security solutions through their range of locks, doors, gates and entrance automation is Assa Abloy.

Assa Abloy’s national marketing and communications manager for Australia, Craig Armstrong says “unwanted guests” were not an issue for care and education facilities using their SL500 automatic door. This is thanks to the intrusion protection systems Assa Abloy can package in or retrofit to the door.

“Automatic sliding doors have been appreciated by our customers for years, and we are now taking security to the next level by equipping our sliding doors with a multilevel intrusion protection system.”

SUPPLIERS Assa Abloy architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/assa-abloy Allegion architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/allegion

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Antique Bronze Rich brown hues and golden undertones in a warm, welcoming appearance.

Antique Bronze

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Legge’s Luxe. portfolio has expanded with the introduction of four new finishes; oil rubbed bronze, satin black chrome, satin brass and antique bronze. These new finishes add to the original range of satin chrome, chrome and polished brass.

With a total 7 luxurious finishes, 16 lever and 5 plate designs to choose from, the New Zealand designed and assembled Legge Luxe. finishes portfolio is the perfect touch of luxury at every turn.

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WORDS NATHAN JOHNSON

A r ch i t e ct u r e & d e s i g n

A lot to learn: Specifying internal walls for childcare centres

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It must be said that designing an early learning centre (ELC) is a special beast. There’s the unique set of design standards and minimum requirements for things such as floorspace, fall zones, entrapment, amenity and storage.

left The joinery wall at Barangaroo ELC is a unique partition system which contains a range of storage options, windows, doorways, serveries and portals. The cabinets are a mixture of Laminex, painted MDF and hardwood. Photography by Kat Lu.

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above The floorplan of River Garden ELC is divided by low height partitions and amenity pods, which creates a heightened sense of space and an easier area to supervise for the centre staff. The glass mezzanine above is lined with a decal to frame views for the children to the areas below.

There’s the two (and very different) types of end users – children and educators. There’s the fact that childcare-aged kids are perhaps the most destructive and prone-to-incident group of human beings there is. And there’s also the very real responsibility that your design will impact upon the personal and physical development of the children occupying the space.

As the designer, balancing all these influences can be a very difficult task, one that demands immense attention to detail across all phases of a project as well as a thorough understanding of the forever evolving design standards and best practice education methods in the early learning sector.

The transition from “child-minding” to “early learning” in Australian childcare centres over the past decade is one of those influences which has had an enormous impact on the way architects and designers approach an ELC project. Floorplans, materiality and FF&E are now, more than ever, meticulously curated and tied back to the way ELCs in Australia principally operate - as an environment for a child’s cognitive and physical development.

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As with all building types, moving walls or altering linings in ELCs has a knock-on effect for structural, hydraulic, mechanical, fire and electrical services as well as Section J and other BCA requirements. But it also carries extra weight in an ELC because wall types and linings can impact the functioning of the centre and therefore the learning environment for its children.

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At Barangaroo ELC in Sydney, the architects chose a very unique partition method which, in a lot of ways, defines how the centre operates.

The Collins & Turner design employs a circa 100-metre long joinery wall with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry of multiple types, sizes and colours– an architectural feat its own right.

But the wall doesn’t just look good. By choosing this partition method, the architects provided the operator with a huge amount of storage options– something you cannot underestimate in ELC environments, as well as a unique system for displaying things like mandatory childcare provider information, educator documentation, kitchen menus and artworks by the children.

At River Garden ELC in Melbourne, SJB Architects employed a more traditional open floorplan divided by a mixture of low-height walls and amenity pods. This partitioning or blocking system follows the provider’s studentcentred education philosophy which encourages children to move about freely and learn how to use the spaces on their own terms.

River Garden also has a mezzanine level which is used as an art and workshopping area. The walls of the mezzanine are full height glazing, lined with a frosting decal. The decal lining, beyond offering a unique architectural expression and a play on the natural light that enters the room, is designed to provide circular frames of the views below and to teach children about different heights and perspectives.

Glass is also king at Queen Street ELC in Brisbane, where the children are afforded some of the best views available in the city through the building’s curtain walls. Inside, the BVN

design employs many traditional linings but the coloured mirrored acrylic insets in the level 5 bulkhead are certainly a feature. Light reflects off the mirrored surfaces and onto the ceilings, walls and floors surrounding them, providing a play on light and colour for the children below.

NATURE’S PLAY: TIMBER IS KING The use of timber as a building material in commercial construction is as popular as ever.

Touted for its sustainability, natural tactility, health benefits and, more recently, its structural performance, timber is widely regarded as the new [again] frontier for construction.

And the childcare sector hasn’t missed the beat. In ELC construction, timber is specified as a lining material to break up what is, generally speaking, an environment dominated by fit-forpurpose wall materials – think plasterboard, glass partitions, tiles, etc.

Timber provides tactility, which is an important aspect of early learning curriculums, but it also serves as a reference to the natural environment which is attractive for ELC providers in office towers where exposure to nature is limited.

At River Garden ELC, SJB specified timber lining to the building’s columns and lift core for this very reason. The linings were custom built by the builder but there are proprietry versions that come ready made. Cedar Sales manufacture a product called ‘Castleton Stepped Expression’ which provides the same texture and look.

Gunnersen’s suite of timber architectural lining products is another option for ELC environments. Its ‘DesignerPly’ range, which

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comes in Marine, Birch and Hoop Pine, has been tested in schools, universities and libraries with great results. DesignerPly can be powdercoated for added durability and it can also be perforated and lined with an acoustic backing board.

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KIDS WILL BE KIDS: SO SPECIFY ACCORDINGLY Children. Bless them, but they can be hard work. Give them a pen and paper and they’ll draw on the walls. Give them an abacus and they’ll eat the beads. Give them a set of toy construction tools and they’ll go to work on each other - they like to destroy everything and to do things their own way.

So, it’s fair to say that an ELC can be a war zone at times and architects need to keep this in mind when writing wall schedules. Plasterboard still rules in ELC construction and for good reason. It’s cheap and easy to install, it’s easy to fix and replace, and it’s also highly versatile in that you can clad it, paint it and use it in almost any room in a building. But there are always better versions of the best material.

Gyprock, James Hardie, Knauf and USG Boral all stock boards that provide a high resistance to damage by impact as well as range that can provide water, fire and impact performance all rolled into one. Another option is ‘Gtek Impact’ which is manufactured in Australia by Gtek and available through the company direct or through suppliers like Hume Architectural.

But if plasterboard is king then it rules only with glass at its side. If you’re going to specify

full-height plasterboard partitions, then glass needs to be incorporated into the wall purely for supervision reasons. The ability to see through walls and into other spaces is a big plus for centres where educators are, at times, looking after children at a rate of one to eleven.

Adding aluminium or MDF skirtings to walls is also a good idea, particularly in corridors between the kitchen and eating areas. Skirtings will provide some relief for walls from out-ofcontrol food trolleys and provides a neat finish at the floor and wall junction. Look for skirts by Altro Architectural Building Products, Studco and Criterion Industries.

QUIET PLEASE: SILENCING THE PERFECT STORM ELCs are quite possibly the loudest places on earth. They’re filled with children for one, but they’re also commonly designed with a maintenance-first mindset. Vinyl floors, glass partitions and vinyl ceiling tiles are all easy to clean and maintain but don’t offer much in terms of sound absorption.

Where possible architects need to specify acoustic treatments in ELC environments to address the problem of sound reverberation.

One of those treatments now popular in ELCs is acoustic pinboards which come in a variety of sizes, thicknesses and colours. The boards provide acoustic relief first, but they also serve as a great place to pin documentation which would otherwise be direct-stuck to plasterboard.

‘Echo Panel’ by Woven Image is one popular product as is ‘Quiet Space’ by Autex. Both provide excellent acoustic performance and are very simple to install. Woven Image and Autex also manufacture fabric linings which can be applied like wallpaper and are perfectly suited to ELC environments, particularly in areas like cot rooms and reading ateliers.

WET AREAS: THINK OUTSIDE THE TILE Tiles are still the most common wall lining in ELC wet areas, but they’re not the only choice.

Acrylic sheets and even high-performance laminates are being used more and more as an alternative to tiles as they are easy to clean (no grout lines) and can be installed by a joiner or carpenter which reduces wet trades onsite and increases construction speeds.

‘Akril’ is a commonly specified product as is ‘Plexiglas’ by Plastral. The only trade-off is that you’re restricted by sheet sizes so if you’re looking for a floor-to-ceiling solution in a long room you may still be better off with tiles.

Plastral also supply a product called ‘DesignBoard’ which is a high-performance partition board that can be used as a lining material. Both Laminex and Polytec stock their own version called ‘Compact Laminate’ which are long-lasting, low-maintenance and decorative boards that are impervious to moisture.

Another alternative could be running your wet area floor vinyl or lino up the wall which might be a bit retro but it does make cleaning a cinch.

left The fabric pinboards at River Garden ELC provide acoustic insulation as well as a place for educators and students to pin documentation. In this instance SJB recruited a product called Echo Panel which is supplied all over Australia by Woven Image.

SUPPLIERS Cedar Sales architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ cedar-sales Gunnersens architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ gunnersen CSR Gyprock architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ csr-gyprock James Hardie architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ james-hardie-australia Knauf architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ knauf USG Boral architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/usg-boral Gtek architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/bgc-plasterboard Hume Architectural humecommercial.com.au Altro Architectural Building Products architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/altro-buildingsystems Studco architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/studcobuilding-systems Criterion Industries architectureanddesign.com.au/ suppliers/criterion-industries Woven Image architectureanddesign. com.au/suppliers/woven-image Autex architectureanddesign.com. au/suppliers/autex Akril architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/ akril Plastral architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/plastral-pty-ltd Laminex architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/laminex Polytec 78

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WORDS Stephanie Stefanovic

Architecture & design

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P ra c t i c al

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Landscaping for modern design needs

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From the Gardens of Versailles to the common Australian backyard, landscaping has always played an important role in society. However, with the increasing densification of our cities, some believe these important spaces are being lost.

In some cases this may be true, with green spaces under attack in favour of high-rise developments and other more “financially viable” prospects. In reality, while this is happening, there is also a growing movement to green our cities and many of our new highrise towers include landscape elements such as a rooftop gardens or green walls.

This is also the case for education and care, where facilities are increasingly being housed in high-rise towers. Research shows that in both education and care facilities access to outdoor green spaces is crucial, improving mood, cognitive function and overall physical and mental health. While there is nothing like walking straight outside into nature, the benefits of landscaping can still be accessed in a vertical application – it just takes more creativity from the designer.

The relationship between children and nature is extremely important, says Paul Gardiner, director of Gardiner Architects.

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“Young children, particularly preschool age, are really eager to learn, to experience, to experiment. The exposure to nature through landscaping is extremely valuable in their quest to understand the world.

“As architects, we are called upon to design buildings and outdoor spaces for children constrained by all the boring adult issues, like development cost, town planning restrictions and building issues. But we never lose sight of the child’s experience.”

A view of the outdoors, seeing the sky, being faced with a climbing challenge and being able to get dirty are just some of the important things for children, according to Gardiner.

“In terms of successful landscaped space, children like to be challenged, so they will climb over something rather than go around like an adult does,” he says.

“They like hiding, getting up high and feeling like they are in the highest treehouse in the jungle, their special place. Outdoor play spaces

are best [when they are] non-prescriptive.

An object does not need to be overdesigned, as children will use their imagination to invent whether they are flying a plane, on the back of a dragon, or just sitting on a log.”

It is still possible to incorporate all the characteristics of a good space in a highrise tower – light and sun, access to green space and indoor-outdoor spaces – it is just more challenging.

“The difficulty is that you might not be able to run straight outside like a school on the ground, so access is more controlled, like visiting the local sports oval or basketball court,” says Gardiner.

“The advantage is the sharing of facilities between school and communities and the urban placemaking that might ensue.

“We have done designs for several early learning centres in multi-storey office buildings and have come to the realisation that what is “indoor” and what is “outdoor” is really

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With the increasing densification of our cities, some believe these important spaces are being lost.

right Children utilising a multi-storey place space at Bundoora

Practical

Childcare Centre, also featured on page 44. Photography by Tess Kelly. Previous Children enjoying the various physical

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challenges at Eltham North Playground. Photography by Tess Kelly.

characterised by the type of activity: outside has topography, natural materials like logs and rocks, climbing, running and riding, as well as fresh air. So the natural experience can be simulated, but it’s not really the same as being outside and climbing a tree.”

Indoor-outdoor spaces are essential in high-rise buildings designed for education and care applications.

Pergolas can be a good solution, allowing air flow and exposure to the outdoors while ensuring protection from the elements.

Renson’s terrace coverings for example, have been designed for high wind-resistance.

This makes them particularly suited to rooftop terraces, where winds are higher. The company tested its terrace coverings in Florida’s most hurricane-sensitive coastal areas, where the Camargue terrace covering passed every test and received the ‘Miami Dade’ certificate.

The company also creates windproof screens with a wind-resistance of up to 60km/hr, with an optional wind sensor that closes the roof blades

and pulls back the screens to prevent them from damage when the wind blows strongly. These are once again suitable for use on rooftop terraces and can be used on the sides of a terrace to ensure the safety of older people and children, and further protect them from the elements.

On the topic of safety, it is important to achieve a level transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, especially for children and the elderly.

One product which can achieve this is Qwickbuild by Outdure. Efficient and lowrisk, this exterior flooring system can support hardwood or composite decking, exterior tiles and synthetic turf, creating a level plane between indoor and outdoor spaces.

It has been used in a number of education and care applications, such as RMIT Childcare Centre and Brandon Park Ryman Aged Care Facility. Specifically, Qwickbuild was used to support Outdure decking and turf, used in RMIT’s refurbished four-storey childcare complex with play areas on an external roof terrace and outdoor play area. In the case of the

aged care centre, a 198sqm communal rooftop area required an ultra-low height solution to accommodate its multi-surface design. An additional three balconies were installed using Qwickbuild, which allowed safe transitions between surfaces while meeting strict compliance regulations.

While it’s important to consider what’s in the space, it’s equally important to define its boundaries and manage outsiders’ access to the space.

ModularWalls’ SlimWall is a good solution as it offers the durability and high-end aesthetic of a render-look finish, without the high cost of traditional rendered brick.

This product is particularly suited to education and care applications due to its fast installation, which significantly minimises disruption, and its ability withstand the rigours of play. It is also acoustically rated (delivering an average 20dB reduction), and at heights of up to 2.4m as well as a smooth wall face, it ensures no one can climb in or out of the space.

Suppliers Gardiner Architects gardinerarchitects.com.au Renson architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/renson Outdure architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/outdure 82

ModularWalls architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/modular-walls

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p r o m o t i o n f e at u r e

Building better bathrooms with customisation and care

p r o f i l o s m a r t. c o m / p r o d u c t s / A & D x H L S H ealt hca r e /

New Markets, New Demands Based on recent statistics, the proportion of people aged 65 years and over has been steadily increasing. In 2017-2018, over 20,000 people presented to hospital emergency departments across the country. Considering these trends, designers must create bathroom facilities that can accommodate heavy traffic volumes and anticipate a broad range of user types.

Design Solutions for Quality Bathrooms A careful, holistic approach is required when designing bathrooms for the healthcare sector.

All elements of bathroom design, including

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accessories and fixtures, must work together to deliver a safe, hygienic and functional environment.

Based on Universal Design principles, some of the key strategies include accommodating a wide range of preferences, abilities and physical characteristics, minimising safety risks and ensuring low physical effort is required.

Incorporating Flexibility and Adaptability Bathroom accessories such as washbasins, showerheads and shower seats should be height and sideways adjustable. Solutions that allow for customisation at the design and/or use stages ensure a wide range of use cases can be addressed.

Ensuring Low Maintenance and Easy Cleaning The risk of healthcare-associated infections in healthcare facilities requires that ease of clean be a key consideration when selecting bathroom components. This should be balanced with features that enhance overall user safety and comfort.

Balancing Beauty and Utility High quality products provide sufficient design flexibility to achieve different styles, from minimalist to ‘home-like’ aesthetics.

Environments that resemble home environments are recommended as they can contribute to a patient’s sense of belonging and comfort.

jul-sep 2019

Australia’s growing – and ageing population – has increased demand for healthcare and aged-care facilities. This presents a challenge for designers as healthcare environments must balance aesthetics, safety, comfort and hygiene while accommodating a varied range of ages and physical ability levels. This is especially relevant when designing bathrooms and specifying bathroom fixtures.

HLS Healthcare HLS Healthcare is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of high quality equipment and furniture solutions for the healthcare sector.

This Melbourne-based company sources only the highest quality healthcare products and accessories from Australia and internationally to deliver a comprehensive range of high performance, ergonomic and safe solutions that meet the needs of all users. The HLS range includes Profilo Smart’s Track & Cover, ZeroGravity Height Adjustable Washbasin Bracket and Toilet Lift-Up Arm Supports.

Download free whitepaper bit.ly/HLS_19Q3

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A&D x Stormtech

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Setting new standards in form and function What is design without solving a problem?

Tracing 21 years of Stormtech’s Linear Shower Channel shows that design which tackles both form and function can leave the biggest impact of all.

Up until the launch of Stormtech’s Linear Shower Channel in 1996, shower designs had followed a tried and true formula with a standard floor waste positioned in the middle of a centrally sloping floor, with all the tiles cut to fall inwards. Not only was it labour intensive and as Stormtech’s CEO Troy Creighton says, “limiting from a design perspective”, it also created another problem. This “traditional way of doing things” required a raised edge that limited wheelchair accessibility. Needing an aesthetic and functional drainage solution, two architects approached the then small-scale business, which led to the development of a product that would change the face of bathroom designs.

One of those architects was Sydney’s Ed Lippmann, founding director of Lippmann

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Associates. Sharing insights into the Camperdown Terrace project from 1996, Ed says: “The client was young and experimental, and happy to use anything that was out of the ordinary but practical.

The whole project was an innovative interior and that formed part of the language of the space.” Extending the overall design approach to the bathroom design, Ed specified Stormtech’s then newly developed Linear Shower Channel. “It looked so aesthetically superior than having a floor waste. We’ve been using them ever since,” says Ed. What may seem simple and straightforward, belies the level of knowledge and skill that went into the development of this now iconic product. Originally created by Stormtech’s founder John Creighton, Troy elaborates on the process to get the Linear Shower Channel designed and into the market. “This product was the first of its kind, and it was the product that changed our business.

There was a lot of work that went in to resolving the design to be fit for use as there were no domestic shower channels at the time, which also meant there were no regulatory standards to work within. My father, John Creighton, worked closely with the Sydney water board to ensure that it would meet building standards.”

Ultimately what Stormtech’s Linear Shower Channel has done is hit the nail on the head with solving not just a design problem, but a functional problem. Design wise, it creates a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing outcome, as Ed expresses: “It is much nicer to have a single grate and make the floor fall in one direction.” From the practical aspect, it creates a seamless transition that enables a wheelchair accessible shower. And more than 20 years later, it was Stormtech that was called upon to advise on the latest standards in disability access in the building codes. What could be more impactful than that?

29/7/19 10:13 am

Product Directory

PRODUCTS

To find out more about a specific featured product or to download a related brochure please use the unique product code provided on each module and follow these 3 simple steps:

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PRODUCT CODES

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Welcome to the Architecture & Design

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Visit architectureanddesign.com.au

STEP 2

Type unique product code into search bar

STEP 3

Locate and review further product and supplier information

JUL-SEP 2019

STEP 1

ONLINE Visit architectureanddesign.com.au/products/jul-sep19 to view all featured products from this issue in one place

EMAIL Subscribe to the Architecture & Design eNewsletter to receive product updates, news and projects directly to your inbox architectureanddesign.com.au/subscribe

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CeIlIng solutIons from Woven Image Woven Image releases a ceiling focused product collection providing practical, functional and designdriven acoustic solutions. Utilising the unique 24MM EchoPanel® colour palette and its superior environmental and performance attributes.

EchoPanel® Inline enables 24MM panels to be suspended horizontally from the ceiling. Inline is available in 3 colourways of Onyx, Ivy and Indigo all printed with a rich gold pigment ink boarder. Inline is available to order in a completed kit of 3 panels (1150mm x 890mm) and 3 Horizontal Component kits (which include ceiling mounts, steel cables, panel fixtures and covers, self-tapping screws and cable stoppers). The customised fixture covers create a slick, seamless finish. Our unique adjustable cable stoppers allow you to suspend the panels at varying heights above one another.

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EchoPanel® Element comprises a series of custom cut 24MM EchoPanel® blades which slot together to provide a direct fix, grid or suspended acoustic ceiling solution.

Utilising the Woven Image 24MM ceiling clips, the Element kit incorporates cleverly designed translucent clip attachments that create a seamless finish. Available in all 10 colourways from the 24MM EchoPanel® palette, the standard Element kit includes one complete system with clips for direct fix or ceiling grid applications.

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29/7/19 RITEK PERMANENT FORMWORK FROM JAMES HARDIE

11:55 am

Remove the time and cost it takes to batten out and plaster line internal walls with Ritek® XL Wall® and Ritek® XL Thermal Wall®. Sanded and ready for direct setting by finishing trades to a level four finish, panels are designed by an inhouse drafting team and delivered to site pre-fabricated and ready to install.

Panels are held in place with vertical and horizontal reinforcement before being core filled with structural concrete – a simple set-up and rapid pour with minimal interference from weather.

Created without battening provides an opportunity to increase floor space and increased profit within existing building dimensions. Electrical services, windows, doors and fire door frames can be cast in.

Ritek XL Thermal Wall® can achieve a thermal rating of up to R-value 4.8 with no extra work or trades.

Compared to traditional building methods Ritek® permanent formwork wall systems are: • Faster to erect with the potential to save days per floor on construction.

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Perfect for high traffic areas • Minimises construction debris and site disruption.

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29/7/19 11:55 am

LuxeWaLL ® – the neW standard in high perfOrmance residentiaL cLadding Bondor Australia is raising the bar for exterior finishes to the modern home with LuxeWall®, an affordable and high performance lightweight walling system with the launch of its new architectural matt and metallic colour range of prefinished coatings.

Architects, developers and building designers are embracing this advanced lightweight metal cladding technology for its architectural beauty, smooth finish and climate controlled comfort benefits, for sustainable and budget conscious residential developments and renovation projects.

LuxeWall® delivers faster construction times to timber and steel framed home with installation in less than a week and offers home owners a care-free low maintenance exterior walling product that doesn’t crack from building or ground movement as experienced with traditional masonry homes.

LuxeWall®’s integrated insulated core delivers superior thermal performance with up to R2.4 alone and capable of R4.4 with the assistance of traditional R2.0 bulk insulation, creating a more comfortable home in winter and summer and lowering energy usage from inefficient heating and cooling that in Australian households contributes up to 40 percent of a resident’s energy bill.

Enquiries: Bondor 1300 300 099 bondor.com.au architectureanddesign.com.au

11:53 am SW200i SWing door operAtor from ASSA29/7/19 ABLoY entrAnce SYStemS AuStrALiA

jul-sep 2019

Energy-efficiency ASSA ABLOY automated door systems are sustainable by nature and automatically convenient as they ensure opening only when needed to pass, eliminating unnecessary air infiltration and keeping climate zones separate. The innovative electronics in the ASSA ABLOY SW200i ensure minimal energy consumption for optimal door performance.

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The ASSA ABLOY SW200i swing door operator is the perfect choice where high performance and superior safety is of extra importance.

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Architecture & design

LuxeWall® is manufactured in Australia locally across six states by Australia’s largest insulated architectural walling and roofing manufacturer Bondor, proudly using Australian made Colorbond® Steel. LuxeWall® is BAL40 rated with BAL-FZ and prefinished Fire Rated Boundary Wall options, engineered and certified to the Australian Standards and Codemark accredited to meet the National Construction Code’s residential building requirements and regulations.

Safety The ASSA ABLOY SW200i is safe to use for all, despite age and physical ability. In case of an obstruction by a person or object, the obstruction control ensures stop on stall and reverse operation.

Furthermore, the ASSA ABLOY SW200i swing door operator is fully compliant with Australian and New Zealand Standards; one version for surface mounted installations and one for concealed installations.

Convenience An entrance equipped with a ASSA ABLOY SW200i operator is always accessible due to an optional battery backup.

Aesthetics The ASSA ABLOY SW200i swing door is providing maximum performance. The ASSA ABLOY SW200i can be retrofitted with existing doors and thereby keeping the overall door system design and environment aesthetically intact.

Enquiries: Assa Abloy Entrance Systems 1300 13 13 10 assaabloyentrance.com.au AA7825

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29/7/19 11:53 am

Masonry a Feature in a thoroughBred Centre oF exCellenCe Baines Masonry was chosen to supply the masonry content to FDC Constructions $110M project for William Inglis & Son to build a multipurpose, state-of-the-art, global centre of excellence for the display and sale of Australia’s outstanding thoroughbred horses that incorporates the latest technology in international realtime auction sales and the highest level of comfort and hospitality for its global clientele at Warwick Farm.

Known as ‘Riverside Stables’, the facility is established as a key venue in Western Sydney catering to a multitude of events and functions. The feature of the Warwick Farm precinct is a new 5 star luxury hotel, named The William Inglis, part of the MGallery collection by Sofitel.

Baines Masonry products were chosen because of their excellent qualities of finish, strength, tolerances and their high fire and acoustic capabilities. Although Baines supplied the masonry component the centre is built on, much of it is covered by a number of facades. The feature masonry that was chosen was a smooth face, AppinStone colour, to highlight the stables and a retaining wall near the luxury hotel, the blocks needed the strength and colour to blend in with the complex. The feature masonry has a silicone additive injected into the mix during production which helps supress efflorescence and provides a higher barrier to water penetration than masonry can achieve.

jul-sep 2019

To see the colours and finishes Baines Masonry can supply go to www.bainesmasonry.com.au, select Design Professionals and scroll down to TRY OUR NEW MASONRY DESIGNER SOFTWARE HERE, if fire and acoustics are required try our new Fire and Acoustic calculator under Technical Manuals.

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23/7/19 Posi-bly our sMArTEsT APP yET…

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MiTek’s PosiStrut App is an electronic catalogue giving you instant access to information about PosiStrut floor and roof trusses. It contains the latest installation guides, case studies, and links to short, instructional videos demonstrating the amazing versatility of this ingenious truss. Plus, there’s an inbuilt PosiStrut Calculator that provides you with detailed information on serviceability and dynamic performance to allow an informed choice of materials to be selected that best suit your needs.

The PosiStrut App is easy to navigate, even allowing the user to find facts fast with a ‘Search’ feature – plus a ‘Favourites’ section. There’s also a ‘Help’ area with standard Qs and As – and a ‘Contact’ feature where you can send in questions and have them answered by a qualified MiTek Engineer. Having a handy, on-site reference tool like the MiTek PosiStrut App makes so much sense.

Best of all – MiTek’s PosiStrut App is FREE! Download the App from the Mac App Store, the Google Play store, or visit: mitek.com.au

Enquiries: MiTek Australia 03 8795 8888 mitek.com.au

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PROMATECT ® 100: SinglE lAyER SySTEMS fOR wAllS And CEilingS uP TO 120/120/120 fRl EvEr Art Wood Aluminium ClAdding Covet brings the design community a range of stunning interior and exterior decorative cladding systems. Ever Art Wood® timber look aluminium cladding offers an economical and light-weight alternative to timber and steel: • Fire rated and BCA compliant

PROMATECT® 100 is a single layer lightweight, impact resistance (to NCC C1.8), acoustically tested board system for walls and ceilings that provides up to 120/120/120 FRL in accordance to AS1530.4. For higher FRL’s, -/240/240 two layers of PROMATECT® 100 is required.

• Suitable for commercial or residential projects • Exceptionally realistic with 20+ timber look colours and textures • Available in an extensive range of batten or panel profiles • 10-year manufacturer’s warranty

PROMATECT® 100 is resistant to the effects of moisture and will not physically deteriorate when used in damp or humid conditions.

PROMATECT® 100 is for internal applications only.

Enquiries: Covet International T 03 9398 8128 covet.com.au

Enquiries: Promat Australia T 1800 776 628 promat.com.au

• Designed and manufactured in Japan

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PROMATECT® 100 comprises autoclaved calcium silicate spheres (PROMAXON® is a synthetic hydrated calcium silicate in spherical form) bound in a mineral matrix. PromaX® technology provides excellent fire performance in most applications.

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DISCOVER THE MINIMAL MAINTENANCE VERTICAL GARDEN The Atlantis vertical gardens are ideal for foyers, entrances, outdoor features or wherever your creativity leads to.

The Atlantis Gro-Wall® systems are highly water efficient and require minimal maintenance. The Atlantis Gro-Wall® systems all provide generous living room for root systems of 6 litre capacity and feature built in water reservoirs for plant uptake and effective removal of excess water.

In addition Atlantis provides horticulturist growing media specifically designed for vertical gardens and plant longevity.

Louvretec/ADI retrActAbLe roof Louvretec’s Retractable range includes a selection of Retractable Opening Roofs and Retractable Sun Louvre systems. The LED light strips in the gutters and down lights are optional, being part of the “Teleco lighting solution” which fully integrates with the louvre remote controller.

Features: • Retract Opening Roof opens up to 135 degrees – when retracted the new 220/30 Slimline Retract provides over 80% of open space • Functional when needed, retracted when not in use

Our vertical gardens systems provide targeted watering control of individual plants, maximum water efficiency, last minute design changes and easy access to irrigation components.

• Install into existing spaces, or custom made all aluminium frames by Louvretec

Enquiries: Atlantis 1300 38 28 38 atlantiscorporation.com.au

Enquiries: Louvretec T 1300 695 688 louvretec.com.au

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• Optional LED lighting

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Morso: Outdoor living & cooking

Water resistant laminate flooring by Kronotex

Welcome to Morso Forno, and to the feeling, wonder and freedom of outdoor living. Cooking on the Forno you will discover that it delivers a superior cooking experience. The wide opening and cavernous interior also means that with the appropriate Morso Accessories, you can cook a whole lot more in your oven than just pizza.

Select colours from Kronotex’s premium laminate flooring ranges MAMMUT PLUS and MAMMUT have been optimised to withstand moisture penetration. The resin-rich pine from Germany and special gluing process ensure significantly reduced swelling of the laminate flooring.

Combining the ingenuity of German engineering with the beauty of timber, Kronotex delivers stunning, hard-wearing laminates now with the added benefit of water resistance.

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AUSTRALIAN GLASS GROUP: INSULGLASS ® RANGE

Stoneface™: A new concept in architectural masonry

Insulglass® offers a comprehensive range of Insulated Glass Units (IGU). From standard clear glass to the highest performing softcoat low-e coated Double Glazed Units (DGU). Insulglass® has all of your needs covered, no matter what environment or performance required. Manufactured, stocked and supported right here in Australia.

StoneFace™ is an innovative new concept in architectural masonry which draws inspiration from the Australian landscape and heritage buildings to create a unique and eye-catching stone finish. Baines Masonry developed a system where a reconstituted stone face finish is attached to the masonry block during the manufacturing process, creating a clean and stable finish that lends itself to a variety of uses.

AG7131

architectureanddesign.com.au/magazine/

Tourniket: World’s bestselling revolving door Tourniket is a high-quality Dutchmanufactured revolving door with an extensive range of options and finishes available. Tourniket is a highly versatile entrance solution, with current installations in a huge range of applications globally, including corporate, office, retail and consumer buildings as well as healthcare and other facilities. For higher security applications, a burglar resistant version is available.

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Quadra Plus: Premium instant filtered boiling and chilled drinking water systems plus mixer tap Enjoy all the benefits of Billi’s boiling and chilled system and more. Our Quadra Plus also features a separate sink mixer tap, complete with its own generous hot water supply allowing it to function as a hot water service for the mixer tap in addition to providing boiling and chilled drinking water.

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Ecoply ® plywood is proven, durable, and easy to work with

Transform & refurbish spaces with 3M™ DI-NOC™ surface finishes

Ecoply® Structural Square Edge plywood is structural-grade plywood.

With a range of uses throughout the building industry, it is commonly selected for uses such as bracing, interior linings, membrane substrates, hoardings and DIY projects, where known structural characteristics are required. It is available in a wide range of surface appearance grades, sheet sizes, thicknesses and treatments.

A quick and visually beautiful interior or exterior refresh can be easily accomplished with 3M™ DI-NOC™ surface vinyl finishes. Easy to apply, these self-adhesive and flexible products can be used on almost any surface – from walls and doors, to tabletops and even complex curved substrates. 3M™ DI-NOC™ surface finishes transform buildings and spaces with minimal downtime.

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ZIP HYDROTAP CELSIUS ALL-IN-ONE

DULUX DURATEC INTENSITY POWDER COAT RANGE

The Zip HydroTap Celsius all-inone Arc BCSHA is Zip’s premium residential water appliance. Featuring boiling, chilled, and sparkling filtered water alongside hot and cold dish water all from the same tap. As with the rest of the HydroTap range, the Celsius all-in-one has a single under bench command centre.

Duratec Intensity are a range of fun, bright solid colours that produce a big impact, delivered with warranty grade advanced super durable polyester thermosetting powder.

Duratec Intensity is ideal for warranty grade applications over architectural aluminium including perforated aluminium, steel (mild), bright/semi bright steel, black steel and blue steel.

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DP7920

architectureanddesign.com.au/magazine/

FLAMEGUARD ® FRL & NON-COMBUSTIBLE WALL

The industry leading EL 301 can move door weight of up to 1000kg, making it the benchmark for all automatic doors. The EL 301 has a proven mechanical platform and now has the option to connect to the IoT via the Entrivo communication device. You can connect the door to your building management software to check the status in real time.

FlameGuard® is a non-combustible and fire-rated walling product with a non-ozone depleting Mineral Wool core, encased in BlueScope® Steel pre-finished in Colorbond®.

FlameGuard® has been tested & certified to achieve up to a 3 Hour Fire Rating, also offering a range of cost-effective FlameGuard® wall configurations that can achieve project specific FRL requirements.

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HEALTHCARE LIGHTING AND LIGHTING CONTROL SOLUTIONS GLG brings world-class lighting technology to the healthcare industry to help create a positive ambience, increase comfort, and reduce anxiety.

In a society where we are living longer, demands placed on healthcare systems are increasing substantially.

GLG provides the ultimate range of lighting and controls to support all the aspects in Healthcare projects.

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Danish design and manufacture at its very best, Pressalit delivers an adaptable benchtop and wall cabinet system specifically designed for people with limited mobility. The Indivo range from Pressalit, is bespoke product that has been developed principally for people with limited mobility. All height adjustable solutions are custom built, enabling architects to cater to the needs of their client.

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INDIVO KITCHEN SYSTEM

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The Innotech Atira Drawer System

by Hettich is designed with the potential for individual creativity in mind. With a focus on the systems sharp contours, the system offers individuals the opportunity to make the most of their creativity. The system features an expanse of colours and a range of side elements which are enhanced by many different interior organisation solutions.

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PRODUCTS

INNOTECH ATIRA DRAWER SYSTEM

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DORMAKABA AUTOMATIC DOORS

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CONCEALED HINGE – CEILING HATCH: 1 HOUR CH The Fyreguard 1 Hour CH FYREHATCHES are designed to provide a flush set or flanged fire rated access hatch for ceiling applications where access is required, while still maintaining at least a 1 hour fire rating.

The CH -FYREHATCHES sit flush with the ceiling lining and have concealed hinges to limit visual impact.

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Decorative and frosted film for privacy or a unique touch Utilise a frosted film for your conference room or design a pattern to liven up your entry area.

Still allowing light to pass through, decorative and privacy films are a cost-effective way to liven up rooms and extend corporate identity throughout the building, for interior and exterior spaces. Simple application means they’re easy to change according to their purpose.

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Quattro stage system Select Concepts’ Quattro Stage System is the preferred portable or permanent stage solution across multiple industries designed and manufactured in Australia. Backed with a full 10 year manufacturer’s warranty on parts and labour, the Quattro Portable Staging System is currently used by more than 400 schools, TAFES and universities Australia wide.

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Architectural Powder Coatings from Interpon Interpon Powder Coatings is a global brand with experience stretching across 5 continents and more than 30 years in the Australian market.

By choosing Interpon Architectural Powder Coatings for your project you will be guaranteed the highest quality products and the experience and knowledge of the world’s largest coatings company.

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Decorative, exposed sliding door hardware Designed to add a special, sleek touch to all situations, Cowdroy offers a new product for the home or office.

The Exposed 90 sliding door set incorporates a stylish industrial look and a smooth functionality, featuring stainless steel and rust resistance modernising ordinary looking doors and doorways.

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Style on tap: Multitap™ 3N1 from InSinkErator With its bold Italian design and incredible range of practical applications, InSinkErator’s Multitap has got style and functionality “on tap”. The Multitap 3N1 dispenses cool water, hot water, as well as steaming hot water from the single kitchen mixer, delivering new levels of convenience to the modern kitchen.

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Uridan delivers the sustainable bathroom solution Architects and designers are well placed to influence building design, selecting products and materials which create increasingly sustainable developments. With amenities frequently accounting for 25-33 percent of water used in office buildings and shopping centres, there are great opportunities to achieve impressive water savings with uridan waterless urinals.

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The Barrington™ Series The Barrington™ Series is a contemporary, innovative and distinctive range of lightweight roofing products designed to withstand all the elements of Australian Conditions.

Combining the beauty of natural slate with all the benefits of modern day technology, the Barrington series offers a fully designed, premium roofing system that is found on all styles of homes across Australia.

CM7920

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Doric Ventus louvre Louvres are the ideal window solution to creating an open functional living environment. Ventus louvres are manufactured using the highest quality materials and are rigorously tested to Australian Standards so you can be confident Ventus Louvres are designed to perform. Ventus is designed in Australia to withstand the harshest of conditions.

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Frontier™ Acoustic Fins

Fytogreen Green FaCades

Frontier™ revolutionises what it means to have beautifully designed acoustics. With modular fins that can be arranged and spaced in countless formations, Frontier™ is available in five styles and is designed for targeted sound absorption for the commercial, education and hospitality sectors. With 16 colours available, Frontier™ brings your designs to life.

Green facades differ from vertical gardens by using climbing vines & creepers, planted in a lightweight and automated planter system with climbing trellis. The key benefits of planting a green facade is to reduce building A/C energy costs, and reflective light and heat. The installation process of a green facade requires minimal equipment access, reducing installation costs.

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Vertical wall and post mounted bicycle parking racks and hangers by cora bike rack

architectureanddesign.com.au/magazine/

Troldtekt & Troldtekt Plus Troldtekt and Troldtekt Plus are two of Himmel Interior Systems’ leading acoustic ceiling tiles. Troldtekt by Himmel Interior Systems is your classic acoustic panel. Troldtekt Plus uses a non-toxic PVA adhesive to back this classic panel with a 25mm or 35mm layer of Troldtekt acoustic panelling to add that extra layer of sound protection.

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Leading Fairview’s product portfolio, Vitrabond Aluminium Composite panel consists of two aluminium, or other natural cover sheets, enclosing a fire rated core. Vitrabond Aluminium Composite panel (FR and A2), has been thoroughly tested to the Australian Standards by the Australian approved CSIRO and/or Warrington Fire, including full room burn tests.

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Absolute Trimless Profiles for Strip Lights

Commercial: Resin flooring solutions

Linear Lighting Specialist BoscoLighting is excited to introduce a gamechanging innovation - Absolute Trimless Aluminium Profiles! Trimless lighting is installed within the plaster, so it has no bumps or protrusions, besides photons. Trimless linear lighting is the ultimate in modern and luxurious lighting, perfect for sleek lines and smooth edges.

With almost unlimited design capabilities, a huge range of colour swatches and a choice of finishes, the commercial flooring range from Flowcrete Australia can deliver the wow-factor in a wide variety of commercial environments. Flowcrete’s stylish and functional commercial flooring solutions can transform any commercial environment.

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Still retaining the fire-rating compliance, fast construction times and high quality that Hebel is known for, the Hebel PowerPattern™ range introduces a collection of patterns prerouted onto the Hebel panels to bring your creative vision to life. Modular in design and intended to work with the other panels in the collection, each panel is custom made to order.

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Cora Bike Rack manufactures and design bicycle parking systems to suit all applications including indoor, outdoor, surface mounted, vertical wall mounted and post mounted. Cora Bike Rack’s new E3VR vertical parking system provides the ultimate flexibility to allow unlimited layout configurations and options.

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Carillon basins by Kohler Carillon is a collection of basins that epitomise the meaning of simplicity, utility and beauty. Its understated elegance is defined by its fine lines, delicate contours and subtle lift at its edges. Available in a rectangular and round configuration, in white or black, the Carillon’s neutral palette blends in beautifully with a wide assortment of bathroom taps and fixtures.

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Screenwood Ceiling and Wall Panels Screenwood Ceiling and Wall Panels add warmth and texture to both interior and exterior surfaces, through the use of natural timber. The panels offer style and a timeless effect, topped off with the highest quality finish.

Panels are fire tested, VOC tested and acoustically tested to offer a complete solution. Screenwood also carries PEFC certification.

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Gorter Hatches’ range of Floor Access Hatches provide a simple and convenient solution for access to wine cellars and other underground spaces, including underground pump rooms, stores and for access to swimming pool equipment. Our PT and AL Floor Access Hatches are safe for use in any indoor or outdoor area.

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LED Timber Handrail System The Intrim LED Timber Handrail systems are eye-catching, elegant and energy saving. Perfect for aged care, health and commercial projects where visibility, safety and creating a warm and inviting interior is important.

Intrim’s soft LED lighting to further create a mood lifting ambience, as well as improving visibility in low lit areas and during the night.

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Korlok Click Vinyl Flooring

FaCade series commercial shutters

Korlok is a rigid core flooring product and is an ideal alternative to laminate and engineered hardwood click floors. Providing the same durable and waterproof qualities of luxury vinyl, Korlok offers quick and easy installation and the ability to hide subfloor imperfections. Offering a range of 12 authentic wood designs, Korlok also displays excellent acoustic properties.

For a long lasting facade solution that improves commercial buildings energy efficiency, Shutterflex offer the facade series commercial shutters.

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Concelo ® by Hideaway Concelo® by Hideaway is a brand new waste bin range that has been designed to deliver a bin without compromise. It takes all the best features expected from a Hideaway Bin and improves them, totally redefining what should be expected from a waste bin. Concelo redefines what you should expect from a waste bin.

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The facades are custom-made to fit any opening and available in a range of complementary colours to suit building architecture. The shutters have been developed for various commercial buildings and industries including both retail and hospitality.

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FR+ Group 1 fire rating for interior wall and ceiling panels The FR+ system is a factoryapplied intumescent treatment for Gunnersen’s DesignerSolutions timber substrates. FR+ treated panels achieve a Group 1 Fire Rating and are ideal for interior wall and ceiling linings. Available stocked in Clear and Whitewash finishes on Birch and Hoop substrates.

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architectureanddesign.com.au/magazine/

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OUTDURE QWICKBUILD MODULAR FRAMING & SUPPORT SYSTEM QwickBuild by Outdure is an external aluminium flooring system that provides strong, durable, stable structures to support decking boards, tiles, turf or a combination of these surfaces. QwickBuild is designed for installations over waterproof membranes, concrete or natural ground scenarios. Outdure is particularly effective for balconies and rooftop spaces.

OU7249

architectureanddesign.com.au/magazine/

CORIUM. BRICK EVOLVED. CORIUM from PGH Bricks & Pavers is a break through brick look, ventilated rainscreen facade system that combines the natural beauty of real brick, with cost effective, fast track installation of ‘system’ based cladding. It offers a genuine brick finish for projects where a lightweight cladding system is required rather than traditional brickwork.

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VENTIENT TRICKLE VENTILATION SYSTEM

Our natural world is alive with wonderfully concealed textures and materials that create beautiful arrangements of shades and colours.

Each shade of this new collection has it’s own NCS reference number as a guide, whilst exploring and creating truly bespoke schemes that support your design intuition. For colour. For choice. Think Palettone.

The AWS Ventient solution incorporates state-of-the-art trickle ventilation into Australia’s leading range of residential and commercial windows and doors. Without electric power, sensors or human intervention, AWS Ventient devices passively control ventilation volumes dependant on ambient temperatures, optimising ventilation without uncomfortable cold drafts.

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MAPIQ HELPS MAKE WORKSPACES MORE RESPONSIVE Mapiq are one of the greatest contributors to the responsive workplace globally. Mapiq were the company that created the brilliant workspace interface software for the acclaimed Edge project in Amsterdam, thus setting a new standard for the category. This much-admired project has gone on to inspire the design of other cutting-edge workspace environments around the world.

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Superior Screens offer an extensive range of products for privacy, sun control and security solutions. The range spans over Superior Slatting™, Superior Louvres™, Superior Steel Lattice, Window Screens and Fencing and Gates. All screens are custom designed to suit your specific project.

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COLORBOND ® STEEL AND ALUMINIUM SLATTING, LOUVRES, & LATTICE FROM SUPERIOR SCREENS

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SUPASLAT slatted panels create an atmosphere reminiscent of a maritime or rustic country themes as well as a contemporary feel. The finishes available include solid colours, natural and concept timber veneer, and natural timber including Western Red Cedar. SUPASLAT is a pre-finished modular slatted panel system suitable for both ceilings and walls.

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PRODUCTS

SUPASLAT MODULAR SLATTED WALL AND CEILING SYSTEM

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ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

PALETTONE: HIGH-PERFORMANCE VINYL FLOORING

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NEW KOOLTHERM K10 FM G2 SOFFIT BOARD Kingspan Kooltherm K10 FM G2 Soffit Board is a super high performance, fibre-free rigid thermoset phenolic insulation core, sandwiched between an upper tissue-based facing and a lower facing of highly reflective aluminium foil autohesively bonded to the insulation core during manufacture.

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Kombi Stairs & Platforms

by Sayfa Group

Vortex high-performance framing system

Kombi modular stair and platform systems provide the ultimate in flexibility and customisation. Kombi is easily installed and can be adjusted to suit the required stair angle whilst allowing each individual tread to be levelled and spaced accordingly, minimising the need for precise on site measurement and fabrication.

Skyscrapers are prone to make ‘groaning’ noises, which often raises concerns for residents and guests.

The groundbreaking new product, Vortex, from Studco is a genuine solution with validated results. Studco Vortex high-performance framing system is a reliable and practical solution for addressing the root cause of noise annoyance in skyscrapers.

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Inspiring Cricursa glass solutions in bent & curved glass Cricursa’s range of products includes oversized laminated, tempered and insulating curved glass, transparent low-reflective Low-e interlayers, screen-printed glass/films, cast glass and a large range of unique laminates combining different materials. These products can be used on any internal and external applications suiting both residential and commercial projects.

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ASI JD MacDonald’s Piatto™ Collection The elegance of less - ASI JD MacDonald’s unique Piatto™ Collection of Washroom Accessories is designed to stand apart by not standing out. Each washroom accessory is completely recessed, lying perfectly in the plane of the washroom wall. Phenolic doors add an air of sophistication, while concealed hardware adds to the collection’s minimalist, clean lines.

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Quick-Step Intenso timber collection The newest Quick-Step timber collection boasts an eye-catching chevron pattern, coupled with an unparalleled ease of installation.

Finished with an extra matte lacquer to protect and enhance the natural timber features, the Intenso collection will transform any project. With five colours available, there will be a hue to suit every colour palette and style.

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Customised Shutters, Louvres and Screen Projects OpenShutters is well known for its quality of Australian made shutters and louvres. The customised product category is about their problemsolving abilities, as much as it is the construction of products. In conjunction with the product design, we discuss the functionality in situ along with client expectations. These products are designed and prototyped from concept drawings and discussion.

OP7743

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UV Resistant Coloured Concrete Pigments by Ability Building Colours

AFS Logicwall ® fibre cement permanent formwork walling system

The Abilox coloured concrete paving range is designed to permanently colour concrete, asphalt, mortar, applied finishes, caulks and sealants, surface coatings, adhesives and other composite products and materials are used by both the construction and building industries. Coloured Concrete Paving Pigments are available in over 200 different colour shade.

AFS Logicwall® by AFS Systems is a fibre cement permanent formwork system suitable for external and internal application. The structural capability of the product when filled with concrete makes it an ideal solution for the construction of buildings. AFS Systems has been trusted, tried, tested and proven in thousands of projects across Australia.

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BARANGAROO

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Join 2000+ industry delegates at the forefront of commercial design and specification.

Register today and book your seat for CPD presentations and FRONT.design Forum seminars.

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Discover the subtle art of standing out.

COLORBOND® steel Matt is a highly attractive and versatile design material that utilises innovative paint technology to diffuse light for an elegantly soft, textured appearance. Available in a range of neutral colours, it can be contrasted with other COLORBOND® steel products to create sophisticated palettes for commercial, industrial or residential projects.

Visit Steelselect.com.au/COLORBONDsteelMatt or call 1800 064 384.

COLORBOND®, BlueScope and the BlueScope brand mark are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited. © 2019 BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. All rights reserved.

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