Intricate geometrical roofing made from COLORBOND® steel in the colour Basalt® crowns the nature-inspired Cumulus Studio designed Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, winner of the 2021 Australian Institute of Architects COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture (Tasmanian Chapter).
Cumulus Studio said “The choice to use COLORBOND® steel was made early in the concept design stage as it provided us with the opportunity to create a distinctive roof form, inspired by the geology of Cradle Mountain, made from a robust roof cladding material that would withstand the site's harsh winter conditions. We chose the colour Basalt® for the visitor centre not only for the way it allows the large building to settle against its alpine backdrop but also because the colour alludes to the dolerite rock from which the mountain is formed.”
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Episode 117: Paolo Bevilacqua, General Manager of Real Utilities talks about energy pricing & why sustainable energy is good for the bottom line.
Paolo Bevilacqua, the General Manager of Real Utilities, an authorised energy retailer and utilities business established in 2017 wholly owned by Frasers Property Australia, has 20 years’ experience in the property sector and is one of Australia’s leading sustainability professionals, responsible for delivering cutting-edge sustainability solutions to many high-profile projects across various sectors.
Paolo also currently leads Frasers Property Global Sustainability Working Group, overseeing sustainability strategy for the Group’s business units in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
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Uncovering what really goes on behind the scenes in the world of architecture and design…
Sustainability can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it’s problems and solutions, for others, it’s all about the environment and ecosystem, technologies and innovation, whilst many more think it covers social fairness, mobility, education and mindfulness, sustainable development and an ideal world.
To be fair, sustainability is all these things and more. It is as the World Economic Forum (WEF) says, “… much like digital transformation, driving sustainability requires organisations to transform every division of their business. Today, sustainability should be an integral part of developing corporate strategy.”
This is the exact approach to sustainability being taken by both big and small firms, by designers and corporates alike to give us an overall economy and a built environment that seeks to remove the harm and restore the renumeration into whatever it is that we want to achieve.
This was clearly obvious during this years’ Sustainability Awards. After 16 years of running Australia’s best known B2B built environment sustainability awards, it is now clearer than ever that sustainability, aesthetics and probability all co-exist in the same time-space continuum.
Take a look at this years’ winners; if they are not living proof of that maxim, then I don’t know what is. The Best of the Best and Single Dwelling (Alteration) category winner Pepper Tree Passive House, by Alexander Symes Architect is proof that all that glitters can be both gold and sustainable.
The charming Terrace House by Austin Maynard Architects, winner of the Multi-Residential Dwelling category, shows what style we can add to our inner-city housing and still make it good for the environment.
Four Pillars Gin Distillery 2.0 by Breathe which picked up the Commercial Architecture (Large) award, along with Adaptive Reuse winner Sue Hutton’s Stephenson’s Mill courtesy of Hector Abrahams Architecture, have shown that sustainability really is a business approach to creating longterm value, and in both their cases, a stunning outcome.
Let’s not forget those at the forefront of sustainable change, like the immensely talented Marni Reti from Kaunitz Yeung Architecture who is this years’ Emerging Sustainable Architect / Designer winner and AMP Capital’s Chris Nunn, who after two decades promoting sustainability, quite rightly this year was crowned with the Lifetime Achievement award. At this point, the message is clear – sustainability is much like technology, and so for it to flourish, the same evangelical-like approach needs to be taken.
But don’t just take my words for it, look at the winners of the 2022 Sustainability Awards, and I’m sure you’ll agree that they have very much deserved both the accolades and recognition they will get.
Congratulations to you all from Indesign and the entire Architecture & Design team.
ON THE COVER Pepper Tree Passive House is a small secondary dwelling to a young family’s home in the Australian Illawarra region, perched on a steep site and elevated into the canopy of the site’s 60 year old Pepper Tree. Built to the international Passive House standard, sustainability is at the core ethos of the project - embodied between the natural material palette, high performance design and strong biophilic connection. The ambition of this project was to do more with less - while light touches to the existing home were made to improve its thermal performance, building the new secondary dwelling to the Passive House standard has created a future proofed refuge to escape to in future peak temperature days.
PEOPLE
APPOINTMENTS 4 AFFORDABLE HOUSING 6 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE 12 CIRCULAR ECONOMY 16
PROJECTS
PICKET HOUSE 20 BLUE MOUNTIANS 26 LAKE HOUSE 30 2022 SUSTAINABILITY AWARD WINNERS 34
PRACTICAL
RECYCLING PROGRAMS 54 SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIALS 58 W ATER MANAGEMENT 6 4 ENERGY MANAGEMENT 72
SECTIONS2 80 PODCAST CORNER 84 SHOWCASE 89
EDITOR Branko Miletic branko.miletic@architectureanddesign.com.au
ASSISTANT EDITOR Jarrod Reedie jarrod.reedie@architectureanddesign.com.au
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Stephanie Stefanovic Tone Wheeler Matthew McDonald Nathalie Craig Gina Dahl Prue Miller
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HDR, has appointed Simon Dormer as Sustainability Leader in a move the company says cements its commitment to sustainable business practices and project delivery, and regenerative design.
With a background in sustainability strategy, sustainable design, emissions reporting and stakeholder engagement, Dormer’s transdisciplinary experience in leading, delivering and reporting on sustainability spans a multitude of markets and sectors, ranging from energy, water, waste and climate change across architecture, local government, corporate, retail and healthcare.
At HDR, Simon Dormer will be responsible for leading sustainable design across the business and mentoring and coaching design teams to drive a sustainable design culture. He will also work closely with HDR Architecture’s Health, Education, Science, Civic, Justice and Defence sector leads to design and deliver buildings that regenerate people, places and nature.
Matthews Architects has announced Adelaide native Claire Perperidis has been appointed as Project Leader to its team, after a 17-year stint in the UK as an architect.
Perperidis holds nearly two decades of national and international design experience across the education, commercial, health, care and residential sectors.
At Matthews, Perperidis will be responsible for running a variety of projects from initial evaluation and feasibility studies through to detailed design, contract administration and construction, working closely with clients, consultants, and contractors. She will assist the Graduates of Architecture within the team to carry out tasks and will provide guidance on both specific projects and wider career development.
Plus Architecture has announced a number of promotions and appointments this month which will strengthen its Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane studios.
Candice Ng has been elevated to the role of Principal and will now become a vital part of the development of the Melbourne studio. Involved in various Plus projects including 600 Collins, Galleria and VicUrban Logis Industrial Park in the last decade, Ng’s expertise lies in all aspects of project development, from feasibility, master planning, sketch design through to construction administration.
Plus’ Perth studio has been the scene of immense growth since its opening in 2017, which is reflected with four promotions on the western seaboard. Jonathan Ng has been promoted to Senior Associate with Kim Ling, Nicholas Putrasia and Giordana Vizzari set to take on the role of Associate. Jonathan Ng is a valued mentor of junior staff, with his technical expertise paired with his creative vision and innovative approach to design.
Anthony Tai joins Plus’ Brisbane studio in the role of Associate, bringing with him his hands-on and collaborative approach to working with clients and project stakeholders.
Troy King has joined Architectus’ Brisbane studio as its new Interior Architecture Principal. A widely respected interior designer with a portfolio featuring a number of education and workplace projects, King brings his design rigour and delivery know-how to a market the practice hopes to contribute heavily in the coming years.
Troy holds the bulk of his expertise in contemporary education and research spaces at universities, and looks to seamlessly intertwine learning, social and working spaces together. King is able to harness design and technology to assist with clientele navigate shifting landscapes.
Hayball has announced that Richard Weinman has joined the practice as a Principal, which reflects the practice’s expansion into the housing, commercial, industrial and tourism sectors.
Weinman joins the practice with some 25 years of international and local architectural experience, overseeing an array of projects across the country, adapting his design and management skillset across a number of architectural typologies.
Spowers has announced a change in leadership, with Robert Pahor, Annie Robinson and Scott Allardyce now handling the day-today operations of the practice.
Former Managing Director, Ros Magee, has moved into a consultancy role, with the new leadership trio’s expertise ensuring a smooth transition. Pahor, Robinson and Allardyce have all worked at Spowers for over two decades and possess skillsets that complement one another.
John Wardle Architects has expanded its operations to the north, with the appointment of Jasmin Williamson as the practice’s first Sydney-based Partner.
Existing JWA Partner Meaghan Dwyer says Williamson is a welcome addition to the team.
Williamson joined JWA Melbourne in 2006 and began her career working on large scale projects including Melbourne School of Design for University of Melbourne, Monash University Caulfield Library, and the 500 Bourke Street redevelopment. She returned to her hometown of Sydney in 2018 to establish
JWA’s Sydney presence and became a principal of the practice in 2020.
In addition to the promotion of Williamson, Luke Jarvis and Emily Kilvington have been appointed as Principals.
Emily Kilvington boasts extraordinary expertise in the design and delivery of large public projects and masterplans, having worked across several projects for Epworth, Scienceworks and Tasports Devonport.
Tine Van de Wiele and Tom Denham have become Associates and rounding out the promotions, Kristina Levenko has been elevated to the position of Senior Design Architect.
Interior design specialist Sonja Duric joins the board of Australian design practice Hames Sharley as a director. Duric brings over 20 years of experience in workplace strategy, interior design, concept design, project coordination and focus group facilitation to her new role.
In addition to Duric, the new hires include Kate McCann, Michael Edwards and Ian Piggott as associate directors; Pavel Ornelas and Suzi Wedd as associates; Alex Macdonald, Tracy Lo and Kylie Lord as interior designers; and Dion Wee as a graphic designer.
SHARLEY AS
ABOVE Sonja Duric.
ABOVE From left to right: Scott Allardyce, Robert Pahor and Annie Robinson.
ABOVE Troy King.
BELOW Richard Weinman.
“I found this stat buried where no one else would have paid attention,” says Propertyology boss, and confessed data nerd Simon Pressley.
“As of June 2020, there were 282,241 government owned, rental properties. We go back to 1991, which is, 29 years earlier and we have 395,049 government owned dwellings. So, we’ve been flogging them off. Secretly selling them off.” There is little chance to miss the exasperation in Simon’s voice.
“We sold off 100,000 properties. We needed them when we had eight million less people living here - so how come we don’t [need them] now?
The disparity in need and solution is confirmed by UNSW Professor of Social Housing Research and Policy, Hal Pawson, who has reviewed the entirety of homes used to shelter Australians experiencing housing stress.
“This reflects a quarter-century of near–stagnation in social housing stock in Australia. While the national population is now 41% higher than in 1996, social housing has expanded by just 3% over that period.”
It leads even the most optimistic amongst us to ask – what the hell has happened?
The more complex concern is how do we, as a country, fix it? What does social housing look like in 2022? Is it rental assistance, is it low cost loans for buyers, or simply more stock? There is a catalogue of acronyms of well-meaning folk who say they can help. But for the rent stressed, the near homeless and actual homeless, this mish mash adds to the merry-go-round of referrals, of legislations and shifting eligibility criteria that has made a mockery of statistics regarding waiting lists and applicants.
If one were to be Machiavellian in thinking, one might say how clever the puppet masters have been – making the application process so convoluted and laborious that it wipes out a lot of potential applicants who, defeated by the shifting goal posts and empty promises, have
simple given up trying, after which state and federal statisticians bask in the adulation of a system which has seen, wait for it, a fall in applications.
In Pawson’s revealing and detailed report, Managing Access to Social Housing in Australia; Unpacking Policy Frameworks and Service Provision Outcomes there is far more light than shade in the statistics.
In the three years to 2021 there was national, overall growth in housing waiting lists of 16 percent, represented by 164,000 households on hold, with some states (i.e. Queensland, who’s waiting list for housing by 2020-21 blew out over four years by 78 percent) in a much worse position than other states.
Compounding the housing dilemma is the Covid pressure; people and businesses lost income, though many received some limited financial support. People’s attitude to life in general took a hit, with many city dwellers moving to the rural zones, which put upward pressure on the market and saw the housing situations worsen for local people, who became priced out of the market. And finally, the displacement of more than 40,000 people due to a never-ending downpour from the heavens for much of 2021-22.
While other countries such as New Zealand have committed considerable funds during this time to protect those in housing stress, the Australian federal Government has sat on its hands.
“The national level of government has had less direct involvement or interest in this than any other country [examined in the research], including federations like USA and Canada,” says Professor Pawson.
It is a scarce commodity, so there had to be a way of rationing the resource. Here come the goal posts once again – citizenship is the first hurdle, followed by income.
The income component jumps around depending on statehood. The trigger for people getting off the list into a home is availability followed by the desperation priority – the direst get a key, the less go back down the list. It can, and does take years of waiting to find a home. The impact on legitimately needy families, and singles, is more than considerable.
Anglicare, a major force in helping the homeless and near homeless sees the situation as an emergency. Their point of view is well respected, as is their face to face experience with the people involved, and their focus on the over 55, single, demographic. Many too old to work, not due for a pension, and with failing health. Largely hidden from view, this group is truly running out of time to find a hand. On a positive note, and we need one about now, Australian architects are designing some marvellous homes for this sector, including those for the not for profit Abound Communities (established in in 1869) whose retirement villages should be the gold benchmark in design for independent living, as seen in their most recent MSG designed Old Colonists’ Association of Victoria Leith Park village in Victoria , which offers 118 self-contained independent living homes provided within vibrant and beautiful buildings, surrounded by bushland.
But it’s not enough, not by a long shot. Where then, do we find the housing, and what does it look like?
Pragmatist Simon Pressley sees four potential solutions; a house fairy may appear and sprinkle homes across the landscape, the Governments (state and federal) will find money under a rock and build them – but we’ve seen how that goes and let’s face it, housing is not the only priority for a government drowning in post Covid debt, or somehow existing homes will suddenly become available – and then, the final option.
If you didn’t know better, you would think someone is trying to hide the embarrassing detail of Australia’s escalating housing crisis.
“The fourth option is we say well, who’s actually got the money and the drive to fix this? Oh yeah, that’s those bastards we don’t like, those investors.”
Indeed, there has not been a stone left unturned in trying to find ways to drive investors out of the market – painted as gold chained, slick haired multimillionaires with more money than Zeus, investors have been forced from the market. However, the vast majority of investors were people who bought a property as their retirement nest egg, which they rented out ‘til their time came to put their hard-working feet up on the couch for a wellearned, and self-funded, retirement.
The home stressed are growing and their voices are rising. The new federal government has sensed the unrest and come out swinging with a plan that fits nicely into a ten second sound bite. $10 billion will be made available to fix homelessness in Australia. More or less.
There’s a sort of magician’s trick employed by governments; of making you look at his left hand waving a red handkerchief, while his other hand is stashing the rabbit onto the hat.
The nitty gritty of this grand promise is vague, beyond the “30,000 dwellings over 5 years”, from where is the $10b being sourced? What is being sacrificed to make this pledge? What sort of dwellings? Do we see a resurgence of the brutalist and institutional styled high rise blocks of the 60s? Or is it all 100sqm townhouses and strata levies? In CBDs or rural? And what about the percentage required for the elderly or physically disabled? And where will they be? Back ‘o Bourke, or CBD, or blissfully everywhere. And even more damning is the statement from the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) who say we need 25,000 new dwellings per year to make a dent in the issue.
Happily, and far, far away from Canberra, people with agile and informed minds, and a vision for the future, have been working on the problem of social housing in Australia for some time; they formed Nightingale.
The Nightingale Project, an architectled trial of low cost, sustainable, centrally located apartment buildings was the brainchild of Andrew Maynard, Clare Cousins and Jeremy McLeod.
This concept saw architects in the driver’s seat finding funding, designing and then managing the building of the dwellings.
Nightingale 1, by Breathe Architects opened in Melbourne’s Brunswick in 2017, seen by some as a blend of Kumbaya optimism and sustainable design, they did (and do) look great. A Camelot of sorts, it saw a bright and perfect low cost solution by creating affordable housing, funded by the many individual apartment owners, with a licensed national rollout a long-term plan.
In that first-year Nightingale produced 20 homes – fast forward to 2022 and according to a spokesman they have now 362 delivered homes, with a further 235 in construction, and plans for a further 570 in the works in states across the country. Community centric housing has found its market – and offers a solution to providing approachable prices (the Teilhouse homes in Melbourne, part of the Nightingale organisation, start out at a very approachable $275,000) thanks to means tests, resale caps and a non-biased ballot purchasing system.
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In 2021 Nightingale became a not for profit arrangement, which saw some of the original purity of concept take on a little shade – but hey, they are still part of the solution, even if the inner workings are, perhaps necessarily, morphing over time.
Looking overseas for solutions is for the most part, disheartening. The much-vaunted rent control apartments of New York are starting to age out. It was begun during and just after the inter-war period, when returning soldiers and new families were open to price gouging by landlords. The current NYC rent control applies to tenants who have lived in their apartments since 1971 (and their direct descendants) and also to old buildings built prior to 1947.
It has resulted in some landlords taking an estimated 40 percent hit. Once rent controlled buildings are sold off, there is evidence that building values rose by 40 percent as did neighbouring homes. Investor encouragement, to use the vernacular, it ain’t. And in any event, it still comes down to having the actual dwellings.
For a step into what the future may hold, and as a warning of what might be around the corner, there is nothing more intriguing than the Saudi project currently doing the rounds;
The Line, Neom City. A dystopian, completely manufactured city that extends as a 200-metrewide strip, for 170 kilometres, in a straight line. It is a revolution in design, concept, visualisation – call it what you will, and try not to use the word terrifying. A future where nine million people will inhabit a footprint of just 34 square kilometres. It offers answers to all the questions of sustainability, with a controlled environment. Funny how that word ‘controlled’ sends a shiver down one’s spine.
Is this where we are now? Looking toward a future that by necessity is so cheek-byjowl, so unnatural and overly engineered and yes, controlled, by government and mega companies? Surely not. We cannot, and should not leave all the work, and responsibility just to just a few. Australia has some of the best architects, designers and minds in the world, the vast majority of which I am sure have graceful solutions in cyberspace, just waiting for someone to say here’s the money, we’re behind you 100 percent.
The most capable people to say that are the private investors; what they need is the to be given the power to shoulder some of
the responsibility. They want to do it. What we need is government to stop limiting their potential. Australia is bigger than Sydney and Melbourne, we have to regulate and plan for all sizes of community. Allow local market forces, local investment and local buyers a chance to settle down after a couple of bloody hard years, and find their natural level. It’s not a matter of handing out incentives, it is perhaps a matter of letting, and assisting people find local solutions.
What will drive this change? Or will governments of all shapes and sizes (though State governments are deserving some praise here) continue to stymy our progress? When will we reach a point when something has to give, when people will actually rise and demand a solution that works long term? There seems to be just one answer, and it comes from Simon Pressley.
“It will only end when governments say we’ve had enough of the pain and that pain is in the form of having a small rental pool but huge global embarrassment when a great number of good Aussies will be living in caravans, tents, garages and other people sofas. That’s when it will end.”
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WORDS GINA DAHL
Gurindji Country is located about 460 km southwest of Katherine and is home to Wattie Creek and the Victoria River. The land holds the legacy of the historic Wave Hill Walk-Off, a significant landmark event in contemporary Australian history.
In August 1966, Vincent Lingiari guided over 200 Gurindji, Warlpiri and Mudburra pastoral workers and their families off Wave Hill Cattle Station, protesting poor working conditions, fair wages, and aboriginal land rights. The Wave Hill Walk-Off was an eight-year-long strike that changed the course of contemporary Australian history.
The Wave Hill Walk-Off initiated the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, a nationwide social movement and a keystone in local identity and heritage. The event is celebrated annually during the local Freedom Day Festival that celebrates the achievements, culture and resilience of the Gurindji, Warlpiri and Mudburra people. Today, the Walk-Off Route is a National Heritage listed site associated with this unique moment in contemporary Australian history. The community celebrated the 50th anniversary of this historic event during the 2016 Freedom Day Festival, which attracts thousands of visitors from across the Northern Territory and beyond.
The festival marked the official opening of the award-winning Wave Hill Walk-Off Pavilions initiated by the Gurindji Aboriginal Cooperation and co-designed and built in partnership with Bower Studio – a postgraduate design studio from the University of Melbourne School of Design. The pavilions sit along three key locations following the Walk-Off Route: Jinparrak, where Vincent Lingiari initiated the Walk-Off; Jurnarni at Gordy Creek, where the strikers sought drinking water; and Kalkaringi outside the Karungkarni Art and Culture Centre, close to the end of the Walk-Off journey.
The relationship between Bower Studio and representatives from the Gurindji, Mudburra, and Warlpiri language groups in Kalkaringi and Daguragu began in 2014. Bower Studio was invited to engage in a partnership with the community and develop an architectural gesture marking, acknowledging and celebrating the narratives and landscapes surrounding the Walk-Off Route.
The design process focused on participatory cross-cultural collaboration with local community representatives. As a result, the design approach was guided by the many stories of Wave Will Station as told in conversation with community elders and representatives.
Jinparrak is the location of the old Wave Hill cattle station. Historical artefacts are embedded within the landscape such as bed frames, remnant foundations, structural frameworks, or even a typewriter. Some artefacts have been preserved for educational purposes, whilst others remain as an intrinsic part of the landscape surrounding the old settlement. Each of the three pavilions uses the same architectural language and is grounded in meaningful cultural narratives that reflect stories and memories linked to specific locations along the Walk-Off Route.
Community elders requested the design be grounded in the landscape, allowing the pavilions to mark the Walk-Off route across Country. In addition, the architectural language frames the track passing through the structures and follows the contiguous journey of the strikers. The three pavilions provide opportunities for reflection, celebration, and acknowledgement of the significance of the Walk-Off journey to reclaim the land stolen from the strikers.
Contemporary western designers have a lot to learn from indigenous knowledge systems – a process that requires deep listening and respectful engagement over extended periods of time. Instead of focusing on a set goal, result, and predetermined linear design process –designers must work in partnerships that embrace flexible, ongoing, and cyclical design methodologies encouraging listening, feedback, and collaboration.
This approach opens the doors for culturally sensitive and effective cross-cultural consultations that guide the design process. In turn, this can encourage nuanced design thinking and challenge linear approaches to
time, design and collaboration. Process is a design methodology in and of itself that can guide relationship building by acknowledging that deeper connections and communications take time to become established.
Bower Studio began in 2008 as a postgraduate architecture studio at the University of Melbourne, initiated and led by Dr David O'Brien. Broadly speaking the studio follows a design/build process, however community-based research and consultation activities remain a key focus and partner with community groups to support infrastructure needs. The studio has worked by invitation at dozens of remote communities in Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Australia – these partnerships have resulted in co-designed and co-built culture facilities, classrooms, health hardware and housing.
This program provides a unique learning opportunity for students to engage with the complexities of local indigenous cultures and the value of indigenous knowledge systems. The studio prioritises the students’ engagement with community, their construction labour on-site and time spent on country prior to developing their own design contributions. The ensuing community consultations have accommodated knowledge-sharing opportunities and rigorous feedback developing a greater sense of community ownership over projects.
Following on from the Walk-off Pavilions, Bower Studio has maintained its relationship with the community and several additional projects have emerged from this collaboration.
In 2018, Bower Studio co-designed and coconstructed the Karungkarni Art and Culture Centre Extension. The existing building, a decommissioned power station, faced challenging environmental implications such as seasonal floods, overheating, and dusty winds.
Contemporary western designers have a lot to learn from indigenous knowledge systems – a process that requires deep listening and respectful engagement over extended periods of time.
The extension includes a shaded outdoor pavilion with weld mesh and louvered walls.
The permeability of the facade filters the visual connections into the artist workshop. An important design feature is the discreet horizontal break in the weld mesh that provide unrestricted views towards the town square when looking out from a seated position. Consequently, improving the capacity to observe the movement of people around the space. This design approach has proved highly successful and responds to both socio-cultural practices and country.
The blurred visual connection between the inside and the outside evokes a sense of calm and security during the heat of the day while subtle breezes cool artists as they paint and tell stories.
Three pavilions have been built by the local workers and Bower team: two in the local park and a third by the ‘town square’ by the shop. Nicknamed ‘big shadies’, the most popular is by the shop, close to the Child and Family Centre and a short stroll away from the Karungkarni Art Centre. The seating arrangements are carefully considered to accommodate intricate sociocultural relationships within the community. The shady has become a well-used feature in the town square of Kalkaringi – a highly successful social place perfect for observing the everyday life of the community.
Three sculptural shade structures were assembled in mid-2021 and officially opened with the Child and Family Centre later that year. Each structure builds on the same narrative and architectural language as the Wave Hill WalkOff Pavilions and feature a similar perforated screen cladding that speaks to the remnant artefacts of the old station. In addition, the screens filter the light and create a dappled light effect on the ground below speaking of the movement of the sun across the landscapes.
The long-term aspiration of the Gurindji community has been to establish a centre to accommodate their cultural heritage collection and include artist workshops, gallery and exhibition areas and space that supports local community gatherings.
The audience would include both indigenous and non-indigenous visitors keen to celebrate the Gurindji peoples’ stories and culture. The community’s vision was first shared with Bower Studio during the initial design consultations in 2014 and remains an ongoing aspiration for the community while funding is being sought.
Taken as a whole, the completed projects form an iterative consultation process where design and construction become a communication tool for co-imagining new projects. This provides opportunities to include design strategies already known to the community while moving towards appropriate design ideas leading towards the development of a facility that supports Gurindji heritage and culture.
In this context, it is important to address the complex and sensitive nature of crosscultural partnerships with remote aboriginal communities. Collaborators working with community have a responsibility to develop an understanding of the cultural, social, political, historical and environmental contexts.
The design process must be driven by culturally sensitive consultation methodologies grounded in deep listening and thinking. By challenging contemporary western design methodologies, collaborators can aspire to design with, and for, the cultural landscape. This approach can provide opportunities to establish meaningful relationships that draw on a deep respect for cultural engagement that can establish meaningful cross-cultural relationships over time. Through culturally sensitive consultation practices we can establish new ways of understanding what it means to design responsibly driven by the broader social context.
Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Dr David O'Brien for his feedback and advice in the writing of this article and for his support as an academic supervisor and mentor over the last year. Thank you for your continuous support and generous insight, it is greatly appreciated.
Gina Dahl graduated with a Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne in 2021. Here, she was invited to focus her postgraduate thesis on a cross-cultural collaboration with the Karungkarni Art and Culture Centre. ‘The River Land’ project looked at strategies to improve the existing art centre and was awarded the 2022 DesignInc Positive Legacy of Design Award.
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When we think about the pioneering industries embracing innovative methods to reduce their environmental impact, construction isn’t necessarily at the top of the list. Instead, we tend to consider construction as being synonymous with waste.
This is a fair assessment, at least in modern times, where buildings are largely made of virgin and non-recyclable materials, and are not necessarily built to stand the test of time. In fact, most modern buildings are rarely expected to exceed 100 years, and if we are talking about residential buildings, that figure is more like 60 years.
To drive this point further, let’s also note that the construction industry is one of the biggest consumers of resources. It constitutes around 50 percent of the total use of raw resources, along with 36 percent of global final energy use.1
These are some pretty significant figures, which suggests that if the construction industry can find a way to embrace sustainability on a broad, global scale, this could make a huge impact in the fight against climate change.
While it’s certainly not there yet, there is a beacon of hope in the industry’s growing recognition of the circular economy model.
As far as concepts go, the circular economy is complex. But essentially, it can be understood as an alternative economic system that replaces our current “take, make, dispose” ideology with one that is more akin to “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
To further explain the concept, we can imagine the “take, make, dispose” ideology as a linear economy model, where resources are extracted to create products that exist for a finite period of time before becoming waste. The circular economy model is instead inspired by nature’s ecological cycle, which creates a closed loop of material and energy cycles that are renewable.2
So, what would buildings be like if they were built based on a circular economy model? Well to start, they would be built with the intention of utilising the surrounding land in the most optimal way possible. And the buildings themselves, for example, could be modular, mixed-use buildings made from recycled and sustainable materials. These buildings would also be designed with ESD principles in mind, and would include plenty of shared and multipurpose spaces.
Clearly, implementing this on a wide scale poses a massive challenge to the construction industry, which is heavily embedded in the linear economy model. There are also many moving parts to a build, and the transition to a circular economy model would require cooperation from all stakeholders involved,
including consumers, producers and industry regulators. But the payoff is worth it: According to modelling by PwC, infrastructure’s transition to a circular economy model could enable Australia to generate $1,860 billion in direct economic benefits over 20 years, while saving 165 million tonnes of CO2 per annum by 2040.3
Shifting entire industries to an alternative economic model represents a colossal challenge, but there are a number of ways that architects and builders can support the transition.
As mentioned previously, the use of modular construction is a good example of circularity in the built environment. Some of the benefits include a quicker construction process, higher quality control and reduced waste. In terms of materials, architects should also favour recycled or reclaimed materials wherever possible, as these materials have the potential to be just as durable and aesthetically pleasing as virgin materials while significantly cutting down on environmental impact.
Another interesting prospect is the use of 3D printing in construction. Adoption of this technique allows buildings to be constructed at a fraction of the cost, while also significantly reducing the consumption of materials. And according to research by PwC, 3D printing for construction might add an additional 12 percent in capital and operating expenditures, but it can result in around 20 percent material savings and 32 percent labour savings.4
Throughout the lifetime of a build, it’s also important to prioritise shared and mixeduse spaces. Some possible examples include facilitating co-working spaces in commercial buildings; use of residential spaces as an alternative to traditional hospitality spaces; and shared use of school campuses as community spaces outside of school hours.
Once a building reaches the end of its lifecycle, disassembly should also be favoured over demolition whenever possible. This allows the materials to be recycled and reused, reducing the demand for virgin materials and the energy required to source and process them.
Finally, embracing the circular economy will require the widespread adoption of new business models among firms. In particular, the “design, bid, build” model will need to transition towards more progressive models such as “design, build” and integrated project delivery (IPD), as well as “design, build, operate”.
Located in Bellingen, NSW, Spiral Village is a trailblazing prototype for a circular economy village. The concept was developed by town planning consultancy PolisPlan, directed by town planner and political economist Dr Steven Liaros, as well as water engineer Nilmini De Silva, with design by Valentino Gareri Atelier.
“Our vision is for a network of high-tech, regenerative villages that strive towards self-sufficiency and zero waste within their bioregion. In our planning model, each village houses a diverse community of up to 200 people and will integrate affordable co-working and co-living spaces with water and energy micro-grids and a regenerative agricultural system,” says De Silva.
“We are envisioning a new way of living where people can experience a closer relationship with nature and the food they eat, building a strong sense of community in the process. At the same time, we are looking to incorporate technologies in innovative ways to improve our lives and reduce the cost of living,” adds Valentino Gareri, founder of Valentino Gareri Atelier.
The proposed ‘Spiral Village’ is the pilot for this new, replicable model of mixed-use development that is based on circular economy principles. Set on a 40-hectare site in northern NSW, its design is inspired by the spiral shape of a nautilus. It includes eight residential spaces that increase in density as they get closer to the centre of the spiral, with the lines of the spiral serving as roads and pathways.
The plan is to construct the buildings using materials sourced from the site, while also using 3D printing techniques. One of the key design elements is the roof, a circular structure that connects the buildings and is designed to harvest energy and rainfall. According to the architect, its shape and slope maximises sunlight capture, while its large size maximises rainwater capture and provides coverage for outdoor spaces.
Another key element is the village’s water system, which will be facilitated through the creation of a chain of ponds along a gully, feeding into a nearby river. The lowest pond will be a man-made wetland that functions as a means of cleaning water on the site, with some of this water being pumped to the topmost reservoir and recycled through the site. Other proposed functions for the reservoirs include recreational swimming and aquaculture.
To minimise waste, the village will have a waste-to-resources hub that converts inorganic materials into useful resources or new products. A diverse regenerative agricultural system will also help provide food for residents while managing organic waste.
According to Liaros and De Silva, the circular building model is best suited to rural and regional areas, like Bellingen, which are trying to attract post-COVID migration from the major cities. One of the biggest challenges with this model however, is the lack of precedent within the current planning system, which makes getting approvals difficult.
“[Spiral Village is] … about identifying a clear pathway for that to happen that can be incorporated in the planning system. [It’s also about enabling] developers and councils to work collaboratively towards an outcome that benefits both, rather than the antagonistic system that we have now, where councils regulate and developers try to push the envelope with the regulation,” says Liaros.
Embracing the circular economy model certainly requires “big picture” thinking, but it’s also worth highlighting some of the smaller, more specific solutions to the construction industry’s sustainability issues.
This is where innovative new materials like green ceramics come in.
The product of a collaboration between the UNSW SMaRT Centre and Mirvac, green ceramics were first trialled in furniture and artwork within sustainable multi-residential development Marrick & Co, a project in Sydney’s inner west that won the Waste Elimination award at the 2020 Sustainability Awards. Following the commercial success of the trial, green ceramics were then used as a construction material for the first time in the Pavilions multi-residential development at Sydney Olympic Park, where they were included in flooring, kitchen splashbacks and island fronts, shelving, feature walls, artwork, light fittings and furniture.
According to the SMaRT Centre, green ceramics are made with MICROfactorie technology, which uses heat and compression to transform waste materials into ceramics and other materials for the built environment. Specifically, the tiles are made from a combination of yellow bin glass and textiles. The advantage of using glass is that it is a strong material that can be recycled many times without losing its valuable properties. Textiles are also important for providing colour and aesthetic qualities while helping the tiles meet strict building standards.
Collaborating on the development of green ceramics is just one example of the industry-leading work that Mirvac has been
doing in the sustainability space. In FY21 for example, the developer ensured that 95 percent of construction waste and 69 percent of operational waste were diverted from landfill, significantly decreasing waste management costs and associated emissions. This is part of Mirvac’s pledge to achieve zero waste by 2030. A bold aspiration for such a large developer, it’s safe to say that if other firms were to follow Mirvac’s lead, we might just have a chance at making the circular economy a reality – not just another complex academic analogy.
1 Norouzi et al., 2021, Circular economy in the building and construction sector: A scientific evolution analysis.
2 PwC, 2021, Building a More Circular Australia.
3 PwC, 2021, Building a More Circular Australia.
4 Ibid.
Tying together the old and the new, Picket House engages with its streetscape and surrounding heritage character. Subtle and symbolic material transitions between the existing and the new acknowledges its contextual relationship.
IMAGES Sitting in a suburban context, the house’s corner site provokes a dialogue between its occupants and the surrounding community.
Architect FMD Architects
Builder Adam Construction
Year Completed 2020
The symbolism of the picket fence emphasises the careful consideration of the dwelling’s relationship to its streetscape and heritage through its public facing facades. The western elevation describing a relationship with its boundary threshold whilst the south preserves its past, adding a new layer to the series of gable roofs. Picket House activates a dialogue between the streetscape and its existing heritage context through a response that subtly reflects the conditions of its external boundaries and engages its occupants with the passer-by.
Sitting in a suburban context, the house’s corner site provokes a dialogue between its occupants and the surrounding community through the archetypal Australian picket fence. Offering opportunities for social engagement between the layering of fence, façade, existing and alteration – the rhythm of the pickets establishes moments of exposure and concealment between the street and inner private gardens.
The existing entrance and southern façade are retained and expressed internally through the floor surfaces that are then carried throughout the house. New living spaces are positioned to the north, with picket clad canopies both offering shade in summer and allowing sun to penetrate in the winter months – a daybed beneath offers an opportunity to sit and watch the inner workings of the house. Mirrors to both the kitchen and stairwell playfully mimic the geometric forms of the pickets, reflecting light deep into the floorplate of the house.
The addition of two studies to the ground floor enables the occupants to work from home, whilst the first floor offers bedrooms and a space for children. The bathrooms throughout again mimic the angular geometry of the picket fence.
The landscape surrounding the new addition continues the concept of layering, with garden beds embedded between the façade and fence. Roof gardens above extend the landscape vertically, adding insulation to the ground floor, roof and shading to the first floor.
When designing a new or renovated kitchen space, it’s important to consider the storage and functionality requirements of the customer in order to unlock the full potential of the space available. By making use of Blum’s space saving cabinet solutions, designers are able to use every inch of storage while also accommodating their clients unique style and workflow.
Blum’s practical cabinet solutions create valuable additional storage space without needing to change the dimensions of the room.
The SPACE TOWER, SPACE CORNER, sink drawer and SPACE TWIN can help transform hidden or tricky spaces into functional storage that substantially improve the ergonomics of the space.
Blum’s SPACE TOWER pantry makes perfect use of storage space and ensures that every item always close at hand through the use of individual pull-outs and allows users to access the contents from three sides. At full extension, users can reach items at the back of the drawer with ease, so no items are lost or forgotten in the depths of the cupboard.
With flexible design options such as gallery rails or glass elements, designers can give their customers complete visibility of the items to save time during busy meal preparation.
Depending on your storage requirements, the cabinet can be as narrow or wide to best suit their needs. The SPACE TOWER isn’t limited to the kitchen, it can also be applied for other living areas such as the bedroom wardrobe, bathroom and living room.
Corner cabinets are often wasted because they can be uncomfortable to access and quickly forgotten. Innovative cabinet solutions like Blum’s SPACE CORNER makes great use of corner cabinets. The spacious angled drawers utilise the available space to its full potential thanks to its full extension drawers allowing for easy access right into the back corner.
Make use of even the smallest storage space in the kitchen while maintaining a seamless design with Blum’s SPACE TWIN solution.
These cabinets are the ideal place to keep items such as bottles, chopping boards, herbs and spices and baking trays. To ensure good workflow in your kitchen designs, we recommend positioning these narrow cabinets close to the preparation bench or stove.
The sink is one of the most difficult elements to accommodate in a kitchen, making storage opportunities very limited. Blum’s U-shaped sink drawer contains a cut-out for the sink bowl to provide an additional, functional storage space. The sink drawer is the perfect solution for keeping cleaning utensils such as sponges and dishwashing liquids out of sight and stored close by for when they’re needed.
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This little Blue Mountains Artist Studio and its minimalist timber interiors have attracted a large amount of attention. While the exterior of the building is clad in hardwood timber that allows the building to recede into its semi-rural environment, the interiors, alternatively, stand in sharp contrast.
Architect Design King Company
Year Completed 2019
Location Blue Mountains, NSW
Light pours down through an operable opening at the peak of the building, flooding the timber clad interior in a wash of light. The walls of the space are kept sparse and clean, ensuring that this light fills the space uninterrupted.
As a result, the space achieves a minimalism that creates a sense of calm and focus. Designed to be versatile, this little building contains a mezzanine level, a living level with kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and an office on the lower ground level with its own bathroom. The aim was not to create a radical building but one that speaks to domestic comfort and well-being. It will be an artist’s studio providing a muchneeded teaching and painting space.
The minimalist timber interiors are designed to focus attention of shifting lighting conditions and the windows frame certain views that take advantage of the unique aspect. The lack of ornamentation in the joinery and materials draws attention to the decorative pieces that pop on the shelves, without making the small studio feeling cluttered and overcrowded.
The project ultimately achieves a meditative space that offers a clarity in interior design, that aims to reproduce this clarity and peace within the inhabitants who use it.
Designed by the award-winning architectural practices SANAA, Architectus and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, the Sydney Modern Project will see the region’s muchloved cultural landmark transformed into an immersive destination that doubles the exhibiting space of the current Art Gallery of NSW building.
While the revitalisation of the existing space will celebrate the original features of the gallery, the new structure is set to sympathetically assimilate with the surrounding landscape and further augment the visitor experience. Sika, Australia’s leading specialty chemical supplier and manufacturer for the building and construction industry, was engaged to provide premium waterproofing services for this world-class development.
Apart from elevating the character of this widely celebrated art institution, the project is also set to become Australia’s first public museum to achieve the highest environmental standard: the Green Building Council of Australia 6-star Green Star design rating. As a result, it was paramount for the waterproofing
roof solution to provide exceptional durability, thermal stability and long-term performance, while allowing for a large number of solar panels to be installed on top of it – without compromising the waterproofing performance of the building.
Sika worked closely with the architect and the waterproofing consultant in the initial design stages, and then collaborated with the builder to ensure that all aspects of the project requirements were captured, a comprehensive understanding of the system application was provided, and all environmental considerations were prioritised appropriately.
It also became apparent very early in the construction piece that the initial, non-Sika waterproofing solution would have to undergo a review. With the incredible cultural legacy of the gallery, it was clear that only the highestperforming and most durable system would be suitable for the new structure, and the project team selected the Sika Sarnafil® G410 system.
The Sarnafil® PVC sheet membrane system offers a 20 year product warranty and has been proven to deliver unmatched
performance over decades. It boasts high solar reflectance, which helps keep the structure thermally stable, and resistant to water and environmental influences. In addition, Sika provided a selection of accessories which enabled the installation of a large number of solar panels on top of the membrane, further advancing the project’s sustainability goals. And with Sika’s trained Sarnafil® applicators, The Superseal Group, available for any ongoing site reviews, the work was carried out to budget and completed on time.
Highlighting Sika’s extensive experience with high-end developments, Sydney Modern Project is yet another example of the organisation’s continuous ability to turn the masterful application of waterproofing membranes into an art form.
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Sitting amongst the Tasmanian scrub, the Lake House gains its name from the body of water that sits on the site. Designed by Biotope Architecture, the bespoke design is guided by sustainability, with passive design principles utilised by the client.
Year Completed 2019
Location Hobart, TAS
Heat gain is maximised through the orientation of the house, with two linear forms allowing the sun to infiltrate the interior. The building has been split into two levels to ensure the ground wasn’t overly breached onsite. The decision to split the home birthed a corridor and connected the bedrooms and living spaces.
The bedroom wing has its light filtered by eucalypts that sit above intrusions and skylights, while a daybed in the living wing to the west offers views of the lake and bushland. A geothermal heat pump with ground loop pipes in the lake powers the home in conjunction with 72 photovoltaic panels that release excess back into the grid.
Locally sourced stone and timber complement one another to create a robust facade for a home firmly integrated amongst its surrounding. The single storey home is grounded in nature, with the dwelling an embodiment of what can happen when designers work with the earth, as opposed to against it.
Designed in collaboration with Six Degrees Architects and enabled by HIP V. HYPE, Ferrars & York features 22 carbon neutral apartments, all powered by 100% renewable energy and representing best practice in climate-resilient design and construction. Situated 100m from the iconic South Melbourne Markets, this development encourages a lifestyle connected to the diverse local community, making self-sufficient living more convenient for its residents.
Following their success with the Nightingale 2.0 mixed-use apartment and retail project, HIP V. HYPE wanted to ensure Ferrars & York took optimisation, sustainability and innovative design to the next level. With low impact, responsibly-sourced products, energy-efficient heating, cooling and ventilation systems, and emphasis on natural light, this building takes its sustainability credentials seriously. In fact, Ferrars & York’s carbon-neutral design will be the first of its kind in South Melbourne with HIP V. HYPE taking the additional step of purchasing certified climate offsets from Climate Active for the embodied carbon used to construct the building itself.
With Ferrars & York, HIP V. HYPE aimed to create a development that achieved both
carbon neutrality and a targeted 8+ NatHERS energy rating. These lofty sustainability goals required careful consideration of the building’s window and door design, with the priority being to deliver exceptional thermal efficiency and airtightness.
Given the building’s central Melbourne location, acoustic performance was also important to protect residents from the illeffects of excess environmental noise. Easy operation, low maintenance and an aesthetic to complement Ferrars & York’s contemporary look rounded out the design brief.
BINQ offer some of the most thermallyefficient timber window and door systems on the market, making it possible for Ferrars & York to achieve an 8+ star energy rating and deliver more comfort, better acoustic performance, and significantly lower energy bills for residents. Using European design principles, the Archetto Series Tilt & Turn window, Lift & Slide door and IV68 hinged door maximise glass with their low profile and provide the ultimate climate control with continuous rubber gaskets that are uniformly compressed with multi-point locking systems.
Made from select grade timber and sourced from a local supply chain, BINQ’s quality assurance process of their timber is rigorous, ensuring that only the finest lengths of timber progress to the production floor. The contemporary styling of their Australian hardwood frames easily met the architectural aesthetic brief. Moreover, the smooth-operating design of their windows and doors give end users real confidence in the quality of the construction and a greater sense of connection with the building.
A development of this complexity, particularly one running amid a pandemic, called for an experienced supplier who could reliably deliver the project in time and in full. The BINQ production scheduling team worked closely with the building contractor’s project managers to identify a staged delivery plan and key site logistical constraints and together with the builder, Ironside, a detailed plan was set out and executed to ensure minimum disruption to all parties.
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How times have changed.
Nowadays it’s all about building the business case of sustainability.
“This is a unique time for companies on their sustainability journey, and the transition at large in the global economy,” says Dickon Pinner, senior partner and global leader of McKinsey & Company’s Sustainability Practice. “Doing nothing or doing just enough is not going to cut it. We have to act in this decade to avoid the most severe environmental and socioeconomic effects of a changing climate.”
Going further, an article from Stanford University noted, that more than 90 percent of CEOs state that sustainability is important to their company’s success, and companies develop sustainability strategies, market sustainable products and services, create positions such as chief sustainability officer, and publish sustainability reports for consumers, investors, activists, and the public at large.
This trend, albeit in the US, is also reflected globally and will not abate anytime soon.
Several US surveys show that 88 percent of business school students think that learning about social and environmental issues in business is a priority, and 67 percent want to incorporate environmental sustainability into their future jobs.
But as the Stanford article goes on to conclude, this does not mean that only business can generate solutions, although with its unmatched powers of ideation, production, and distribution, business is best positioned to bring the change we need at the scale we need it.
Which is why awards such as these are not only relevant, but they are also actually quite important, because let’s face, when it comes to sustainability, money talks, everything else walks.
As the wash-up from COP 26 found, the expectations on the corporate sector are increasing, and companies are recognizing the need to act on sustainability. Professional communications and good intentions are no longer enough.
Which is why, now in their 16th year, the 2022 Sustainability Awards are now more important than ever.
The last three years of both man-made and natural disasters has provided a direct look into the future of humanity for the next decade at least, and as such, what we have seen should have by now positioned all of us to seek a powerful impetus for change.
Then it’s not at all surprising then that events like the 2022 Sustainability Awards have received such increased scrutiny along with the high number of entries.
Overall, we had 210 registrations, 110 entries all up, over 50 shortlisted entries and now we have the final 16 winners.
And its these 16 final winners that we celebrate in this final issue of Architecture & Design for 2022.
But let us also pause for just a moment and think about how and why we got here.
It was way back in 2006, when Architecture & Design launched the Green Building Awards. Over the next 8 years, these awards became a mainstay of the Australian design and architecture sector.
In 2015, the awards were rebranded as the Sustainability Awards. In 2017, the highly popular panel event, Sustainability Live –now known as the Sustainability Summit was launched, an industry event that has now grown into a celebrated brand all its own.
So now, in 2022, we celebrate what has become an iconic part of Australia’s architecture and design sector.
This year of course, is the first year we are able to celebrate in person, after two years of zoom-infused isolation thanks to a pandemic no-one saw coming.
But what we do know is the hard work and ceaseless dedication architects, designers, engineers, builders, scientists and many, many others have put into their designs in order to minimise or in some cases, start the journey into reversing our damaging carbon footprints.
Over 250 projects, people and products were submitted to the 2022 Sustainability Awards, all of which exhibited such a high calibre and level of design that choosing the finalists was an arduous task, even for our highly experienced jury.
After careful and deliberate consideration, our jury managed to pick winners they believe push sustainability in the architecture and design industry to new frontiers, and that help propel Australia’s leading architects onto the global stage.
Now, after months of entries, judging, checking and now collating, following are the 2022 Sustainability Awards Winners.
Sustainability has come a long way since the heady days of using the word ‘green’ to denote anything even remotely resembled sustainability.
Recognises the adaptive reuse of a building (heritage and/or new) that has minimal impact on the historical significance of the building and its setting, while also pursuing a design that is sympathetic to the building in order to give it a new purpose.
HECTOR ABRAHAMS ARCHITECTURE
Stephenson’s Mill in Crookwell is exceptionally significant as a purpose-designed mill building built-in 1871 in a vernacular architectural style, using local bluestone walling 600mm thick. Zoned commercial, it is allowed to be used for residential use in return for conservation works to the historic fabric. This particularly enabled the retention of embodied energy, the first sustainability initiative. The second was the sealing of the envelope through new sarkings, new eaves linings, and new double-glazed window sashes in existing frames. A complete suite of low-tech energy systems was provided to address the harsh climate and local habits.
WINNER
S u E H u TTON’S STEPHENSONS MILL
A Class 5, 6, 7 or 8 building used for professional and / or commercial purposes of over 500sqm in floor size.
WINNER
The project is surrounded by mountains, temperate rainforest, oaks, and elms and throughout the design we acknowledge Four Pillars’ origin, their history, and their deep connection to the place where it all began. The project nearly triples the capacity for visitors, as the expansion delivers a much-needed new production space, an outdoor gin garden, tuckshop, dedicated gin shop, a custom-built bar, and events space cementing Four Pillars as the largest gin-focused distillery in Australia.
PRO u DLy PARTNERED B y
FO u R PILLARS GIN DISTILLERy 2.0 BREATHE
The design of the project not only included carbon neutral operations but was also about building a branch that reduces its carbon footprint, that was a part of the circular economy, where items could be reused rather than sent to landfill when the branch changes over time.
A Class 5, 6, 7 or 8 building used for professional and / or commercial purposes of under or equal to 500sqm in floor size.
A childcare centre, preschool, primary, secondary or tertiary educational facility or a facility where an educational institution is a partner.
S.E.E.D. - A NEW DEMO u NTABLE CLASSROOM BETTI&KNUT
The challenge was to rethink the very established Australian ‘demountable’ which features throughout most schools in Australia, and achieve a modern solution aligned to our strong advocacy for sustainability. The goal was to build sustainable portable classrooms at a cost and time frame equivalent to traditional
portable classrooms and attain the International Passivehouse Standard using timber as the primary construction material.
The result is s.e.e.d.; a prototype for a new sustainable environmental education space and the antidote to traditional demountables.
A cohesive bathroom design, with matching taps, fixtures, fittings, and accessories that work together in harmony, is needed to convey a sense of comfort and relaxation. However, with the diverse range of bathroom products and brands available, achieving a cohesive design both functionally and aesthetically can be a challenge.
Selecting tapware, fittings and
Tapware has come a long way with a growing range of styles, shapes and finishes now on the market. You may opt for a contemporary-style tap, with a sleek design highlighted by soft curves and on-trend finishes such as brushed nickel, gunmetal and black. Alternatively, you may consider more classic designs evoking provincial or Victorian styles.
Ideally, all tap sets between the vanity, bath and shower should be of the same visual style. Sourcing all fittings and fixtures from one manufacturer or from a single themed collection makes it easier to achieve a consistent design language across different bathroom elements.
Who will be using the bathroom and how is a major consideration that will dictate the types
of tapware and fittings that will be suitable for the project. You may consider lever tap handles or sensor-operated taps to improve accessibility. Showerheads with variable spray options and toilets with advanced hygienic design can be specified to add further convenience. For environmentally-conscious owners, tapware should have a high WELS star rating.
How the finish is applied should be considered carefully as it will impact the coating’s quality and longevity. Durable coloured finishes (e.g. electrostatic/electroplating or PVD, and to a lesser extent powdercoating) provide longer lasting design synergy across different fittings and fixtures by minimising the impact of wear and tear on their colour and appearance.
The colour scheme of an interior space can impact user behaviours and mood. For example, traditional white bathrooms convey a sense of cleanliness and purity. Green can be used for calming, balancing and healing. Bright and bold colours energise the space while darker tones transmit feelings of relaxation and intimacy. A fully coordinated colour scheme can make the final design more impactful.
Achieve design synergy in your bathroom design: Caroma Urbane II and Liano II The key feature of a Caroma bathroom is that all products are designed to integrate seamlessly with each other to form considered and functional bathroom collections.
The Caroma Urbane II Collection sets a new benchmark in contemporary Australian design. Combining refined thin-edge details and a considered design language, this extensive bathroom collection includes toilets, basins, tapware, accessories, showers and baths.
The refined and minimalistic appeal of the Liano II Tapware Collection is the perfect foundation to any bathroom. Designers can mix and match elements and select from the stunning range of colour finishes to coordinate a unique bathroom vision.
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Open to architects / designers in their first five years of their career and recognises an outstanding achievement or development in the field of sustainable and / or environmental architecture planning or design across any of the building categories.
WINNER MARNI RETI KAUNITZ YEUNG ARCHITECTUREMarni Reti is a proud Palawa and Ngātiwai woman, born and raised on Gadigal land. She graduated from the Masters of Architecture at the University of Technology, Sydney, where she was one of the first recipients of the inaugural Droga Indigenous Architecture Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship aimed at fostering new Indigenous talent in the world of architecture.
Marni also holds a specially-created position for an Indigenous architecture student at award-winning firm, Kaunitz Yeung Architecture. She has dedicated her professional and academic career to engaging Indigenous knowledge keeping into architectural practice and design.
A building product that is renewable, environmentally responsible and where the impact is considered over the entire lifetime of the product.
SR2
BVN
SR2 is the world’s first 3D printed air distribution system. Developed from a research collaboration between BVN and the University of Technology Sydney, it is made from recycled waste plastic and designed for circularity. In 1928, air conditioning systems revolutionised the way we occupy buildings. Since then, we have seen the development and evolution of many building technologies, but little attention has been paid to how we deliver air onto commercial floorplates. Despite the inherent inefficiencies of both the system and the product, steel ductwork technology has remained essentially unchanged for almost a century.
The construction industry contributes around 40% of global carbon emissions. Building services alone account for approximately 33% of the total embodied carbon of a typical office building. Steel ductwork continues to contribute 60% of the embodied carbon of mechanical services.
SR2 (patent pending) is a radical approach to how we deliver air in buildings – a new air distribution system designed to replace traditional steel tertiary air distribution systems in applications without suspended ceilings. It is designed to connect to standard VAV terminals, or similar, and combines the functionality of ductwork and diffuser into one cohesive product.
A renovation or fit-out of the interior of an existing building where the sustainable design is involved with such factors as determining the efficient Design firm and effective use of space, selecting construction materials that offer low environmental impact and lowering pollution, waste, and the lowering of the overall energy consumption.
FJMT Interiors worked together with Built to determine which floors of the new development would best suit their business needs and heritage Levels two to four were selected to create the 2410sqm mix of client-facing and open plan workspace.
The two existing buildings are Heritage Listed along with the fit out targeting a 6 Star Green
Star Interiors and WELL Platinum Rating. The combination of all three of these governing bodies and rating systems added an extra level of complexity and challenges to the project that were incorporated from the onset.
The design centres around respecting the heritage and celebrating the new, while incorporating an industrial aesthetic befitting a construction company. The introduction of biophilic elements and materiality for occupant comfort and well-coordinated technology inclusions compose the future-forward workplace.
Buildings or non-building projects at the intersection of architecture, landscape design and urban planning. Examples include parks, pedestrian bridges and walkways, pools, shelters, picnic facilities, toilet blocks and playgrounds. Can also include green roofs, green walls and other urban garden and similar installations.
The most sustainable element of Riverside Green is its landscape – which is low maintenance. Riverside Green extends the adjacent rainforest by 650sqm, boosting the urban tree canopy of South Bank Parklands with more than 50 new trees. The resilience and sustainability of Riverside Green landscape and Pavilion is centred around being well-made and built to last. The pavilion itself uses materials chosen for their longevity or designed to be able to be easily replaced. An example of longevity is the copper roof and ceiling, the primary material, which has a lifespan of 100 years, while locally sourced Australian timber decking will last 15-20 years.
WINNER
The design of a new townhouse, duplex or residential complex that contains multiple residential dwellings. Projects nominated under this category are classifiable as Class 2 or Class 3 buildings.
Terrace House is an ethical, beautifullydesigned, highly sustainable and 100% fossil fuel free building in Melbourne.
Terrace House takes a revolutionary approach to housing and delivers community-focused, environmentally, socially and financially sustainable homes that are robust and resilient in the face of the growing climate crisis.
Multi-residential buildings are required to achieve 6 stars, within the Australian building code certification method. Terrace House is 8.1. Internationally equivalent to a 6-star Green Star rating (considered world leading) and ‘Platinum’ LEED and BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ classification.
Designed with extensive cross system compatability.
Bold, strong, durable.
Comprehensive range of window, door and framing suites.
At Capral we are committed to designing windows and doors to meet the needs of the Australian market well into the future.
We are proud to introduce AGS™ A reinvigrated range of commercial window, door and framing systems.
capral.com.au/ags
Designed specifically for commercial applications, suitable for architectural homes. The AGS range has been a hallmark of the Capral offering for many years. With updated design cues, extensive glazing options and complementary lineal drain and vent systems the AGS range can be depended upon to satisfy even the most complex project needs. Large spans, infinite configurations, strength and integrity – that’s AGS.
A view to the future.
WINNERGlenroy Community Hub’s centrepiece is a new contemporary library. Framing the Hub as a ‘social connector’ was a key strategy to build community resilience while bringing together diverse groups and encouraging community regeneration and inter-generational connection. The library is co-located with a kindergarten, Maternal Child Health, a community health provider, neighbourhood
learning facilities, and space to socialise. In a first for community buildings in Australia, the Hub is Passive House certified, while also built to achieve Living Building Challenge Petal Certification and Zero Energy Certification. Both certifications rigorously measure environmental performance and demand high comfort standards that support the health, happiness and wellbeing of users.
GLENRO
HIGHLy COMMENDED EDEN PORT WELCOME CENTRE COX
Extensions and/or alterations to at least 50 percent of a Class 1a building.
SYMES ARCHITECT
From the project’s outset it was critical for the design to use both materials and landscaping in a way that strengthened the biophilic connection to the Pepper Tree, as well as regenerate the biodiversity of the site. Despite the small building footprint, it was critical to the project’s success that the site’s natural environment was disturbed as little as
possible. The building’s two wings each host an extensive roof garden and collect excess rainwater for the dwelling and the Shou Sugi Ban timber cladding allows the building to blend into the landscape. Internally, timber products with no-VOC finishes were used, reducing total embodied energy while still providing a warm material palette.
HIGHLy COMMENDED PHOENIX HO u SE HARLEY GRAHAM ARCHITECTS PRO u DLy PARTNERED B y WINNER PEPPER TREE PASSIVE HO u SE ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPH y Barton Taylor.The design and construction of a single-residential building which is also a Class 1a Building category.
The Hütt 01 Passivhaus is inspiring contemporary architecture that sets a positive example for regenerative urban densification, reconnecting a forgotten piece of land with its environment. Regenerative design, Passivhaus & biophilic design are core values of this project,
together with being energy-efficient, carbonneutral/negative and an easily maintainable near-net-zero-energy approach.
It obtains “Passivhaus Premium” certification (the highest possible category), utilising highefficiency appliances with heat pump technology,
solar photovoltaic and battery, integrated active shading, and recycled and/or natural materials throughout. A green roof and a raingarden assist with stormwater retention as part of the WSUD concept, that calculates to keep and use over 90% of stormwater on site.
A building that uses smart design or a range of automated processes to automatically control the building’s operations in order to help improve asset reliability, performance, and energy use.
WINNER GABRIELLE’S HOME BLUKUBE ARCHITECTURELocated in northern New South Wales near the Richmond River in Ballina, a certified ‘classic’ passive house home has been built. This subtropical location, together with the site environs, aspect and typology fused together with a detailed client’s brief and contributed to the final home design. As the client placed accessibility as a high priority, spaces and ideas developed into functional elements that have proven to work well post construction.
The bulk insulated timber framed dwelling is the first residential building in Australia to be fully built with structural OSB-3 covered with an adhesive water-resistant airtight barrier, followed by continuous wood fibre insulation.
PRO u DLy PARTNERED B y
SMAR
Chris is a sustainability expert with 20 years’ experience.
Chris is the Head of Sustainability at AMP Capital Real Estate. AMP Capital has a Real Estate portfolio valued at approximately $28 billion, mainly in Australia and NZ, consisting of approximately 100 shopping centre, office and industrial assets.
Chris has experience in: corporate social responsibility; green buildings; renewable energy; operational performance improvement; environmental management systems; environmental law; sustainability
reporting; sustainability communication, education and training.
Chris worked for 5 years as an Environmental Lawyer for MinterEllison, followed by the Environmental Defender’s Office in Sydney, then was awarded a Chevening Scholarship to study a Masters of Sustainability at the London School of Economics. Chris then spent 5 years working in London as Associate Director of Sustainability for Atkins. In 2011, Chris moved back to Sydney as Sustainability Leader at Norman Disney & Young, then worked as Sustainability Director for JLL, joining AMP Capital in September 2015.
PHOTOGRAPH y totalfacilities.com.auA person who has over their career, shown exemplary efforts in advancing the progression of the sustainable built environment in Australia.
PRO u DLy PARTNERED B yA new category for 2022, Editor’s Choice is an award given by the Architecture & Design editorial team. All shortlisted projects are assessed for their suitability for this award on the basis of their contribution to and consultation with their local community.
Bay Pavilions is an Aquatic, Arts and Leisure Centre for Eurobodalla Shire Council located in Batemans Bay on the picturesque south coast of NSW. Situated in a prominent location between the town centre and Mackay Park sports grounds, the design for Bay Pavilions has been inspired by the stunning natural landscape and features an organic design language that makes extensive use of sustainably sourced timber. The project exceeded numerous aspects of the NCC requirements in
Section J for thermal insulation and airtightness to minimise heat loss particularly to the pool hall zone. Equipment and lighting selections, monitoring and zoning similarly provides for reduced energy usage. The neighboring waterways have sensitive ecological communities and support a large aquaculture industry and all surface runoffs needed to be carefully filtered in rain gardens to ensure compliance with NSW DPI catchment requirements.
Selected from among all the category winners on the basis of both sustainable outcomes and aesthetics and/or innovative design principles.
The ambition of this project was to do more with less - while light touches to the existing home were made to improve its thermal performance, building the new secondary dwelling to the Passive House standard has created a future proofed refuge to escape to in future peak temperature days.
PRO u DLy PARTNERED B y WINNER
According to the Circularity Gap Report 2021, globally the mining industry extracts around 100 billion tonnes of raw material from the earth annually. As the EU notes, about half of these raw materials are used within the built environment which, in turn, contributes to more than 30% of the world’s annual waste.
Here in Australia, as the National Waste Report 2020 finds, the construction and demolition sector’s relative contribution to total waste is even higher. During 2018-19, the industry generated 27 million tonnes of waste (or 44% of the nation’s total).
Thankfully, amongst all these extraordinary figures, there is a silver lining. The report also found that, across the same period (201819), 76% of the waste generated by the local construction and demolition sector was recycled. In other words, 76% did not end up as land fill. While a figure closer to 100% would be preferable, one take-away from this is that many within the sector are already on the right track.
Equitone, a manufacturer of lightweight building solutions for the cladding of ventilated façades, is one such company.
Equitone Sustainability Product Manager, Maarten Milis openly acknowledges the scale of the waste problem. “Rather than talk our way out of it, we acknowledge the need for change and embrace it by strengthening the bridge between science and industry and connecting ideas, people, businesses and resources,” he says.
In concrete terms, the company has committed to the production of light impact materials and of zero waste to landfill by 2030.
“We’re working on developing a new generation of fibre cement by shrinking our environmental impact throughout all processes from design to production. We’re targeting zero potable water use, zero landfill, low carbon emissions and are exploring ways to increase the recycled content of our materials.
While it is true that construction is a major contributor to Australia’s waste management problem, the high rates of recycling across the sector are providing grounds for optimism.
PREVIOUS TacioPhilip, iStockphoto.com RIGHT wsfurlan, iStockphoto.com
By 2030, our panels will have minimal impact on the environment and maximum durability, without compromising quality,” says Milis.
In addition, where these initiatives are concerned, the company is committed to what it calls “Radical Openness and Collaboration”. Aware of the scale of the environmental challenge, Equitone is sharing its progress and actively seeking innovative partnerships with experts in the field, including architects, academics, fabricators, and installers. The company has also organised several sustainability sessions with architects to identify the most urgent needs of its customers and define its new global sustainability commitment.
“We want to relieve architects by cutting through the spaghetti of information and give them the tools to transform the industry, one building at a time,” says Milis.
In a similar vein CSR Gyprock, the manufacturer of plasterboard products, already has measurable waste reduction targets in place and recycles 95% of its manufacturing waste either back into the production process or through conversion to by-products such as soil conditioners for use in agriculture.
Gyprock plasterboard products are manufactured from gypsum, paper, and a small number of additives. The paper liner board used for plasterboard and cornice is made from 100% recycled newspapers and cartons and the additives are benign materials such as gypsum, starch, and detergent.
As the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) pointed out in its 2007 report, Potential Earnings Impacts from Climate Change: Construction, the energy used in the manufacture of plaster products is amongst the lowest of any building product. This means that, apart from those associated with its natural gas consumption, the emissions from CSR Gyprock’s plasterboard manufacturing operations are limited to water vapour.
In terms of recycling, the company recommends that builders and contractors consider recycling their plasterboard waste. This helps the environment by reducing landfill and lowering tipping fees and site clean-up costs; and, through better resource management, also helps improve site safety.
Significantly, CSR Gyprock practices what it preaches. Its manufacturing plant in Wetherill Park, NSW features an on-site recycling service which takes clean offcuts of Gyprock Plus, Standard 13mm and Supaceil, removes the paper, and returns the crushed core back into the fabrication process.
For floor covering specialist, GH Commercial the concept of a circular economy is a key influence. Interestingly, the reason for this focus extends beyond environmental considerations to economic and community concerns. According to this thinking, the handling of waste and recycling is a proven way to benefit the local economy by creating jobs and reducing reliance on supply chains that are dependent on virgin materials. As such, the company is intent on increasing the recycled content in its flooring products. For example, it is aiming to achieve 70% recycled content on average across all its carpet tiles by 2030. As it stands globally, GH Commercial’s product range already includes more than 500 items that include recycled content.
Several yarns used in the company’s products include recycled materials. For example, the Duracolor yarn, which is used in many of its premium tile products includes 30% recycled content; and the Envirobac Plus and Quickcomfort backing systems are made from recycled PET.
The company aims to use renewable fibres like wool and its Sorona fibre, which is made from over 30% biopolymer, where possible. Beyond their environmental benefits, both these fibres provide built-in stain protection, look better for longer, and deliver many other benefits to the end user.
As part of Mohawk Industries, the largest recycler in the flooring industry, GH Commercial is connected to some truly significant operations, like the plant in the US that recycles over 3 billion plastic bottles per year to be used in carpet fibre. At the same time, however, the company retains its commitment to waste reduction efforts of all types and sizes.
It already bales and recycles its finished carpet waste and is committed to developing the capacity to further process and reduce factory waste, for example by stripping remnant yarn from cones so that both the cones and fibre can be recycled. All guided by the circular economy principle, such initiatives have become commonplace at GH Commercial.
It’s worth remembering that recycling is only part of the waste management story. As the case of The Brick Pit attests, whoever came up with the slogan ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle’ was onto something, because while it may be known as Australia’s oldest brick ‘recycler’, the company is actually more involved in the second part of the process, the ‘re-using’ of products: in this case, bricks from demolished buildings.
Another way to put that is ‘upcycling’. When pre-1950s brick structures are demolished, the bricks are rescued (instead of being crushed as demolition waste), and then upcycled for reuse in new projects. Because it does not involve the destruction of an original product to produce something new, upcycling is more energy efficient and more sustainable than recycling.
To ensure the suitability of the recovered bricks, each of them undergoes the proprietary ‘Brick Rescue’ automated cleaning process. Unique to The Brick Pit, this process ensures quality assurance and a product that is easily specified by architects and designers.
Established in 1975, The Brick Pit is still passionate about its place in the industry and continues to lead the market with its internationally patented automated brick processing system. Today, the company sits at the centre of Australia’s love affair with recycled bricks, as an authority and supplier of products that are regularly included in high profile and award-winning projects.
Façade cladding specialist, Fairview has published data on the recycling of combustible cladding at its custom-built factory in Lithgow
NSW, with the impressive topline that it has diverted 309 tonnes of cladding rectification waste away from landfill projects in NSW, Victoria, and the ACT.
The Ecoloop recycled cladding plant, which is the first facility to receive and process problematic ACP material, was also able to offset 2.254 tonnes of CO2. It can repurpose any brand of at-risk or unsafe combustible cladding.
Another key statistic revealed that Ecoloop diverted a full 100% of received materials away from landfill destinations across all types of combustible cladding collected from several leading cladding brands and products.
While the facility only opened in January 2021, the report shows the valuable and very encouraging results that were attained in the premises’ first full year of waste recovery. Ecoloop became just the fifth organisation to be accredited under the Federal Government’s Voluntary Product Stewardship Scheme, for its commitment to ensuring combustible cladding components are given new life. Sustainability is becoming an important part of construction and ESG requirements for governments and for private developers alike, which makes Ecoloop a very timely initiative.
After one full year of cladding waste recycling and repurposing, the $1.6 million Ecoloop facility is demonstrating that the processing of ‘non-compliant’ cladding waste from façade rectification projects can produce tangible benefits and results.
Acknowledging the civil and landscape construction sector’s increased emphasis on sustainability and the circular economy SVC Products, a specialist manufacturer and supplier of precast concrete products, has resolved to target carbon neutrality and to increase its use of recycled materials.
One example of this is the development of the company’s Ecoblox product, which involved turning the excess concrete left over from concrete mixes into modular outdoor blocks that are suitable for retaining applications or for use as weights.
In addition, almost all concrete products manufactured by SVC now include a percentage of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). This reduces the ratio of cement in the products and lowers the carbon emissions associated with cement production (which currently accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions).
SCMs include fly ash and slag, which are byproducts of steel and iron ore production and are toxic to the environment in their natural state. Using them as a cement replacement has the dual benefits of reducing greenhouse emissions, and removing these harmful materials from circulation.
SVC has also committed to using recycled soft plastics across its civil product range. Specifically, these products will soon feature Polyrok, a lightweight aggregate that replaces natural stone aggregate, and which is made from 95% consumer-grade plastic bags collected by Coles and Woolworths. Once up and running, SVC forecasts that this initiative will prevent approximately 107 tonnes of soft plastic ending up in landfill every year. The company intends to investigate the possible roll-out of the program across its full product range.
Established in 2002, Smartstone is a leading supplier of engineered stone surfaces. Made from quartz, the second most abundant mineral on earth, these surfaces are suitable for countertops, backsplashes, walls, and so on.
Acknowledging sustainability and product responsibility as priorities, the company developed a new surface that not only reduced the quartz or silica content to a maximum of 28% but also uses recycled glass sourced from demolished buildings.
As part of its ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility products, Smartstone recently launched the low silica ‘Ibrido’ collection that sets an industry standard on many levels. Apart from its new low silica formulation, all products in the collection contain 56% recycled material.
In addition to recycled content, Ibrido also marks a turning point for Smartstone in terms of product sampling. Recognising the environmental impact of sample wastage, the company introduced Ibrido eco-sample sets with precise surface reproductions on 100% recycled cardboard and presented in bio-based recyclable vacuum pouches made using carbonnegative laminates derived from renewable plant materials.
Smartstone surfaces are highly durable, which means they last longer and need to be replaced less frequently than alternatives. In cases where a home is being renovated and a surface needs to be removed, the material can be cut and repurposed to create smaller benchtops, vanities, and so forth.
SUPPLIERS Equitone architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/equitone CSR Gyprock architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/gyprock
The Brick Pit thebrickpit.com.au Fairview architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/fairview-architectural SVC architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/svc-products
Smartstone architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/smartstone GH Commercial architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/gh-commercial
Architects are constantly searching for products and materials that align with the sustainable goals for clients.
Sustainability can seem a bit surreal until it becomes something tangible. With many companies looking to drive down emissions to mitigate climate change, new products that roll off the production line are now causing less harm to the environment during their lifecycles.
Certification is now non-negotiable in many industries these days. For a product to be certified, it must be put through its paces and judged on its merit and benefits, both to its users and to the wider world. Taking it upon themselves, Australian suppliers have sought the accreditation of many reputable entities to certify their products.
Timberlink’s NeXTimber arm is an innovative extension of the renowned timber entity, which provides Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) members.
An inherently sustainable alternative to other building products, both CLT and GLT have made waves both at home and abroad due to superior durability, functionality, and bushfire performance. NeXTimber’s timber options are Australian made and offer purchasers peace of mind in terms of sustainability and safety.
Timberlink holds a Responsible Wood Chain of Custody certification, and therefore mutual recognition status with the international PEFC system for solid wood products and by-products. The company also endeavours to halve its emissions by 2030.
With wood being the ultimate renewable – for every cubic metre of timber, 699kg of carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere – NeXTimber’s catalogue offers modern solutions for everyday adversities faced by modern architects.
A carbon neutral organisation with carbon neutral products, Autex is constantly altering and improving its operations in the name of sustainability. Last year saw the debut of the company’s first certified carbon neutral product, Acoustic Timber, made entirely from polyester fibre.
Sustainability equals durability, and Autex’s products are most certainly durable. Holding a 100-year life expectancy, the entirety of Autex’s products is designed to be 100 percent recyclable when disposed of. Accounting for the cost of carbon in its production phases, Autex sees itself at the forefront of sustainable change within the construction industry.
The impacts of Autex’s products are communicated via an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), with the company having an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System in place to manage and mitigate environmental risks. But perhaps the most prestigious certification of them all comes from GreenRate, with Autex products accredited with a Global GreenTag Level A, the highest rating possible.
BELOW Laminex’s AbsoluteMatte laminates, available in an array of colours, are a clear demonstration of the sustainable and functional qualities the company’s range possesses.
Founded in 2021, Kaolin has certainly made a splash in a short space of time. Producing highend porcelain tiles, the company’s catalogue varies in shape, size and pattern and can be used in a multitude of contexts.
Offering products seldom seen on the Australian marketplace, Kaolin’s tiles replicate the look of natural stone and marble tiles. Porcelain is a sustainable, non-harmful, non-toxic, and VOC-free material, which is, wonderfully, completely recyclable. Kaolin’s partner, a factory located in China, recycles 100 percent of production waste, with 100 percent recycled water. Some 11,000 hectares of forest that surrounds the factory helps to offset carbon emissions, with both the factory and company ensuring the forest remains intact.
Kaolin Tiles has achieved a Level A GreenRate from Global GreenTag, with the organisation’s facilities, suppliers and products assessed. Once recycled, Kaolin products can be reused for tile production, or even used for roadbase. With circular economy a major cornerstone of sustainability moving forward, Kaolin’s range is most certainly futureproofed.
Laminex specialises in Australian made highpressure and compact laminates. The company is intent on reducing its emissions and works with suppliers and other industry bodies to mitigate its impacts.
Ahead of many of its peers, Laminex adopted water-based resins and cleaning systems in the early 2000s. Fast forward to 2022 and solar panels have been introduced at a number of key manufacturing sites.
Laminex’s credentials are endorsed by numerous industry qualifications. The laminate giant was the first in their industry to be accredited with a Global GreenTag certification and has also been given an LCARate PLUS dual certification for the life cycle of its raw and decorated MDF products. Laminex’s AbsoluteMatte laminates, available in an array of colours, are a clear demonstration of the sustainable and functional qualities the company’s range possesses.
The entirety of Laminex’s timber is sourced from FSC and PEFC-certified forests. Specified in several residential, hospitality and commercial projects.
Siniat’s Opt-in Carbon Neutral Program, certified Climate Active, is the only program in the entire industry of its nature.
The Opt-in Carbon Neutral Program has support from the Australian Government, which assists in voluntary climate action. The program was developed with Lendlease in 2015, at the time when the Barangaroo Project was under construction.
From a product point of view, a range of Siniat’s plasterboard products have achieved a GreenRate Level A by Global GreenTag. Siniat partnered with Lendlease once more to supply plasterboard and metal for the build of Sydney’s most exclusive address, One Sydney Harbour.
Sika’s Streetscape System’s biggest strength is its versatility. It can be used for roads, streets, landscaping, and urban projects. A proven system designed to be paired with natural stone, pavers and cobblestones, Streetscape removes the need for manual labour and complies with several standards (NF, UNI), with all Streetscape products made with low volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Sika offers both trafficable and non-trafficable Streetscape Pavement options. Easy application and cost effectiveness tops the list of features, with the installation process based on a bonded system of laying mortars, jointing mortars and auxiliary products for transition zones.
Sustainability is a fundamental pillar of Sika’s operations, with the company consciously reducing resource consumption throughout its departments. As a member of the UN Global Compact, the company is committed to global sustainable development.
Of course, this is only just a handful of a suite of Australian businesses creating carbon neutral, sustainably sourced and certified products. The efforts to drive down emissions in order to achieve legislated targets cannot be undertaken solely by governments, and the initiative taken by our privatised entities makes designing sustainably a far easier exercise than previously possible.
Network Architectural, since its inception in 2020, has quickly become renowned for delivering quality facades and architectural finishes that possess environmentally friendly qualities.
The Australian distributor of Mitsubishi’s ALPOLIC NC/A1 aluminium composite panel, the company is glowing in its appraisal for the product, both for its aesthetic and sustainable qualities.
The panel is accredited with an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) produced by Good Environmental Choice Australia. One of the few aluminium facade panels to hold an EPD, ALPOLIC NC/A1 comes tested and compliant to the building code.
With the New South Wales Government’s Project Remediate – in which flammable cladding is removed from buildings – in full swing, ALPOLIC NC/A1 is completely noncombustible. The panel also comes with a 20-year full cover warranty, underpinning its durability.
ALPOLIC NC/A1 is currently being utilised in the recladding of Canberra’s Manhattan Apartments and has also been used on Defence Housing Australia and NSW’s Parliament House.
SUPPLIERS NeXTimber architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/nextimber Autex architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/autex Kaolin architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/kaolin-tiles Laminex laminex.com.au Siniat architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/siniat
Sika architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/sika-australia Network Architectural architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/network-architectural
The efforts to drive down emissions in order to achieve legislated targets cannot be undertaken solely by governments.
WORDS NATHALIE CRAIG
As Australia moves toward a more sustainable future, manufacturing and design industries are becoming more clued into helping find water resource management solutions. From water saving, water recycling and water storage, to a range of water minimisation strategies there are many concepts on the market designed to keep usage of water down to a minimum.
One such company dedicated to finding solutions in this area is Australian designer and distributor of bathroom products, Caroma.
Senior Brand Manager at Caroma Nick Swan says while traditionally metering water was the only way to understand how much had been used, nowadays it’s extremely important to not only know how much has been used but how it has been used and what can be done to improve water usage.
“After the Covid lockdowns, building managers got to see and understand how much water a building is using with and without people in them, so areas such as leak detection have become extremely important, as well as transparency around fixture water usage,” he says.
“With tenants reducing their use of public transport and an increase in cycling and the lifestyle facilities close to the office, end-oftrip facilities are becoming more important than ever. Building owners and managers are arming themselves with the best facilities to attract the best tenants, whilst minimising water consumption”.
To help customers be transparent with their water usage and improve water efficiency, Caroma has developed Smart Command, an eco-system of Bluetooth-connected bathroom fixtures that aid in the day-to-day water, hygiene, and maintenance management of the building.
Caroma Smart Command provides building managers with never seen data and insights into their building’s water usage.
This assists with informed, proactive decisionmaking to help save every drop of water.
The Caroma Smart Command eco-system includes touchless tapware and toilet flush panels, smart electronic urinal rough-ins, intelligent shower interfaces, and an Australian first – a smart leak detection valve. All can poll data in real-time to the Smart Command Cloud where building and facility managers can understand their water usage, track trends, run reports, and receive alerts.
“Our Caroma Smart Command Eco-Valve can detect and isolates major or minor leaks which can save a significant amount of water, and damage, for the building,” Swan says.
“To help with the demand for the end-of-trip, we have the Caroma Smart Command Intelligent Shower, which uses a touch screen interface to display the duration, the temperature and the water used in the shower to enhance the experience, whilst also encouraging significant water saving through restrictions, behavioural nudges, or water recapture,” he explains.
The full product suite of Caroma Smart Command can be seen in the bathrooms across all floors of Melbourne’s Market Lane development. Positioned just east of Melbourne’s famous South Melbourne Market, Hickory’s Market Lane development is being dubbed the ‘non-office’ office. The five-level, mixeduse commercial building is made up of office accommodation, ground floor retail space as well as a hotel-standard end-of-trip facility in the basement.
A total of 145 Caroma Smart Command fixtures and fittings were installed across the bathrooms. So far, a total of 37KL of water savings have been seen with 486KL of total yearly projected water savings.
Smart Command is also having positive results on water management at The Glasshouse, a 35,144sqm office building in Macquarie Park, Sydney. With a total capacity of 3,000 people, it’s essential that the Glass House building operates as sustainably as possible to minimise water wastage.
Caroma was contracted to install sustainable fittings in all bathrooms throughout the building. This saw 237 Touchless Toilet Panels, 44 Automatic Urinal flush Valves, 156 Sensor Taps, and 12 Leak Detection Eco Valves from the Caroma Smart Command range installed. The 449 Caroma Smart Command fixtures and fittings provided a way to measure and reduce water usage; cut water usage in bathrooms by 10% and provide insight on how to improve that figure. The Smart Command system is also helping the building and facility managers understand how to drive costs down by providing a pathway to maintenance cost reductions.
At current occupancy levels, Caroma Smart Command has delivered 117KL in water savings through a combination of leak detection and
optimised tapware usage. The data gathered was able to demonstrate clearly where behavioural improvements in half-flushes and greater usage of male urinals rather than toilets could have a measurable impact on water consumption. If these direct water savings and monitored behavioural improvements are extended to full occupancy, the eco-system is expected to drive a total 2,309KL in water savings across direct and behavioural measurements, saving more than $8,000 in costs and almost 2000kg of carbon emissions.
Galvin Engineering also sees the water-saving benefits of sensor-operated tapware combined with either Bluetooth or a monitoring system.
Galvin Engineering’s Business Unit Manager - Health and Corrections, Clive Berrell says when it comes to water systems, many contemporary approaches to design and daily operations focus on water conservation. While this is positive and water-saving measures help hospitals and other health care facilities adhere to sustainability benchmarks, he noted that there can be negative,
unintended consequences when it comes to the risk of contamination of water systems. He says this is a result of many facilities “harbouring water in their systems for much longer than they were previously”.
“In addition, many facilities do not have systems in place to be able to determine how their water system is performing in terms of temperatures and levels of flow,” he explains.
“Preventing conditions that lead to biofilm, growth of bacteria, and disease spread, all start with best-practice design of hydraulic systems. Various configurations for the design of water systems will be shaped by the type and layout of a building and its use, however, a key requirement for such systems generally is the need to incorporate a means of disinfecting and draining the system”.
He said Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles are not at odds with maintaining healthy water systems. It’s more accurate, however, to say that developing better methods to control water quality risks can be a neglected aspect of sustainable design.
To maintain healthy water systems whilst still being conscious of saving water, Galvin Engineering has hands-free sensor tapware that enables automatic flushing and thermal disinfection of fixtures for optimal Legionella control.
The tapware can be integrated with Bluetooth connectivity to enable easy adjustment of run time settings and sanitary flushing from a mobile device or with a wireless cloud-based CliniMix TMV Monitoring and Compliance System which provides high-level insights into product and plumbing systems. These added features help to accurately gauge water flow and temperatures.
“A key difference between CliniMix and other solutions on the market is the integral Flow Switch, which measures real-time water movement and the timing of water flow to within one second,” he says.
“The solution identifies which specific valves have been used, and for how long, alerting about valves that remain unused for more than seven days so they may be flushed”.
All information from the water system is collected and stored, providing effortless record-keeping and reporting. It also gives the opportunity for a deep dive into the data: to compare performance over time to track progress, revise targets, or inform operational improvements.
Another popular water solution that helps people reduce their reliance on single-use plastic bottles while ensuring a safe, clean water supply is filtered taps.
Zip Water’s HydroTap offers boiling, chilled, and sparkling water at the press of a button. Every HydroTap comes with a smart under-bench command centre that features customisable settings with three energysaving modes including ON/OFF timers and a sensor-activated ‘sleep when it’s dark’ mode to help conserve energy during periods of low or non-usage. The tap’s closed refrigeration forced air-cooled systems are 100% water efficient with rapid chilling and heat transfer capabilities delivering consistently colder chilled water. Forced air cooling removes waste heat that is
generated as part of the refrigeration process for cooling water.
This means no water is used as part of this process, making it 100% water efficient.
Manufacturer and supplier of quality drinking water and washroom systems, Billi, also offer instant filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling water systems.
Billi’s Eco and Quadra environmentally friendly water filter systems, for example, use technology that recovers and reuses energy. They help to meet the Green Building Design objectives by applying thermodynamic heatexchange technology which recovers and reuses heat energy, deploying high-performance polyethylene insulation that retains water temperature and saves energy, and offers standby modes that conserve power during set non-use periods.
When it comes to considering more sustainable water usage in built environments, it’s also important to look right back to where manufacturing begins, says Cosentino vicepresident of Oceania Itay Shimony.
LEFT Zip Water’s HydroTap offers boiling, chilled, and sparkling water at the press of a button.
Ultimately, water is an incredibly precious resource, and this is becoming increasingly front of mind in the manufacturing and design industries.
“The building industry is currently one of the most responsible, for both the depletion of natural resources and the generation of emissions and waste. Therefore, there’s a great opportunity to implement improvements in the construction industry that try to solve the problems of modern cities in terms of water resource management,” he explains.
Cosentino is not only known for its state-ofthe-art architectural surfaces but also for its genuine commitment to sustainability.
Shimony notes that at a product manufacturing level, the water used is 99% recycled origin.
Cosentino’s philosophy is that every drop of water has an owner: society as a whole. That is why they strive not to waste a single drop: instead reusing it in the production process or in the irrigation of green areas. They practice a policy of water recirculation in the production process, which allows them to be increasingly efficient in the use of available water.
“In 2022, we will inaugurate our own wastewater regeneration plant, which will allow us to ensure that all the water used in the manufacturing process is 100% recycled,” Shimony says.
Ultimately, water is an incredibly precious resource, and this is becoming increasingly front of mind in the manufacturing and design industries. This means companies are seeking out more effective water resource management solutions to deliver to the growing number of eco-conscious clients who want to play their part in a more sustainable future.
SUPPLIERS Caroma architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/caroma Galvin Engineering architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/galvin-engineering
Zip Water architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/zip-industries Cosentino architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/cosentino Billi architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/billi-australia
While the industry assumption has always been that it is more cost effective to manufacture and source building products offshore, this is not necessarily the case given the current instability in global supply chains. Issues with quality control and rising costs for transportation, delivery and insurance must also be considered as their impact will be passed to the customer. When you consider all the factors required to deliver a successful building project, there are many more benefits from local manufacturing that make it the superior option.
COVID-19 and beyond: The impact on global manufacturing and supply chains
In most industries, manufacturers have turned to overseas suppliers and subcontractors to realise efficiencies in large-scale manufacturing. The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic exposed many vulnerabilities in global supply chains and raised concerns about their longterm viability.
In the early stages of the pandemic, activity restrictions and lockdowns in China and other countries lead to production issues, with Australian firms reporting delivery delays and
difficulties sourcing products from overseas factories. Global supply chain issues continue to this day due to unprecedented demand, constricted effective logistics capacity, rising prices in shipping rates and schedule delays.
Beyond the satisfaction of supporting Australian businesses, buying locally designed and manufactured products provides you with a number of logistical and financial advantages. It is a myth that Australian manufacturing is more expensive or less efficient than outsourcing production overseas. In fact, not only can Australian manufacturing be just as cost-effective, in some cases it is even more so. That said, cost is only one factor driving your decision when selecting and purchasing drainage solutions. Other benefits of local manufacturing include:
• supply chain stability;
• higher quality assurance;
• reducing emissions, pollution and waste;
• good working conditions (including compliance with modern slavery legislation); and
• adherence to safety standards.
Going Local Amid the Global Supply Chain Crisis: Considerations to Ensure Product Availability for Building Projects takes a close look at the current global supply chain crisis and tackles the question of whether it is better to manufacture building products locally or outsource them from overseas. We look at the impact of COVID-19 on global production and transport, and the current issues with global shipping costs and delays. We then look at why local manufacturing options provide stability and certainty for design and construction professionals, and consider the benefits of working with local manufacturers when designing drainage systems.
Stormtech produces high quality (ISO certification) architectural drainage solutions that are high performing, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Stormtech’s dedication to the Australian-made ethos has ensured it has weathered the global supply crisis, having pre-existing, reliable, and closely vetted supply chains, and delivering high quality products to their customers.
DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER bit.ly/Stormtech_22Q4
For architects, the breadth of products and systems designed with the express purpose of reducing energy consumption and improving environmental outcomes is an unambiguous positive. Here is a sample of some of the best of these.
Over time, as our understanding of concepts like climate change, sustainability, consumption and energy alternatives have changed and deepened, so too have our definitions of terms like energy management. Whereas, at one point in time, the term would have been concerned with energy sources, electrical circuitry, and so forth, it has evolved – and expanded – to encompass a broad range of systems, products and materials designed to help avoid and limit energy consumption.
With this in mind, the following selection of the latest energy management systems and products includes not just electrification systems and solar panels, but also software, window systems, and more.
“With more than half the world’s population living in urban areas, and those same urban areas forming the larger contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, we need to see a dramatic rise in the implementation of smart energy management in our buildings,” says Mario Macri, Head of Smart Buildings & Smart Power, Electrification, ABB Australia.
“If unchecked, the world’s power generation will need to increase by 60% over the next 20 years –with more than half of that used in buildings.”
The good news is that much of the technology needed to take this leap to net zero carbon and sustainability is already available.
While the ‘Smart Building’ concept is not new, and architects and developers have been installing separate systems to control lighting, heating and ventilation (HVAC) for decades, what is new according to Macri, is the addition of web-based platforms that allow these verticals to integrate seamlessly with each other.
“They can deliver a single view of how efficiently and effectively a building operates. Armed with this data, managers can take proactive steps to avoid waste and improve use, resulting in reduced emissions and potential cost savings,” he says.
ABB Ability Energy and Asset Manager is one such building-management tool.
While solar energy clearly is part of the sustainability equation, for both commercial and residential applications, one factor that caused some architects to hesitate before including it in their projects is the negative aesthetic effect of solar panels.
The case of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, otherwise known as the world’s tallest building, demonstrates its effectiveness. In terms of automation, initially the Burj Khalifa team decided to begin with the relatively small step of retrofitting existing air circuit breakers with digitally upgraded ABB Ekip UP plug and play devices, so that their existing equipment could start collecting and communicating operational data.
Later the decision was made to employ the ABB Ability Energy and Asset Manager. The state-of-the-art cloud solution helped reduce operational costs by up to 30 percent, using smart equipment to conduct continuous condition monitoring, deliver real-time insights, and continually optimise operations, instead of waiting for scheduled manual inspections and tests.
While building management systems enable businesses to manage and monitor energy usage, they often do not supply specific information regarding the carbon impact of buildings. Extracting this level of insight from energy data in a non-specialised system can be challenging, complex and time-consuming.
As Manish Sharma, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Buildings, Honeywell puts it - “… it’s critical for a company to know – and to clearly communicate to stakeholders – how its facilities are optimizing energy baselines to reduce their carbon impact. We’re helping customers create new metrics for success and removing the complexity of carbon management while balancing healthier spaces with our ready now solutions.”
Innovation in building technologies software, and products like Honeywell Carbon & Energy Management, are making measuring energy performance and carbon use monitoring easier; and helping management discover where and how electricity, gas, water and other utilities are used across an organisation’s building portfolio and where this corresponds to direct or indirect carbon emissions.
Honeywell Carbon & Energy Management establishes an energy performance baseline using up to a three-year usage history, live meter data and environmental factors to determine which assets are driving energy consumption. The enterprise-level Carbon & Energy Management software provides a realtime dashboard of critical sustainability KPIs; aggregates carbon data from energy-related emission sources in a building – gas, electricity and fuel sources; reduces energy consumption using advanced building control capabilities; and reduces carbon footprint without compromising occupant well-being or comfort.
Carbon & Energy Management continuously collects 24/7 energy use data, logged at 15-minute intervals, and submeters all energy-consuming assets to collect granular consumption information. This data allows Honeywell to help customers establish a rigorously derived baseline, provides a roadmap for carbon neutral, and helps customers to execute the roadmap to help meet their carbon neutral goals.
The solution allows building owners to avoid capital outlays for technology upgrades to meet sustainability reporting demands and minimize the time required to implement solutions.
Particularly in commercial and industrial settings, optimisation of electrification, wiring and power solutions is one key aspect of energy management.
Established in 1979, CMS Electracom is a leader in this field. One of the company’s most recent contributions is CMS Engage, a product designed to facilitate desk and space booking and enable hybrid working in commercial environments. Apart from helping workplaces run more smoothly, it reduces the use of standby power at desks and workspaces and helps reduce energy consumption.
Comprising both hardware and software, CMS Engage has a no check-in nopower feature, which not only eliminates unnecessary energy consumption but also encourages behavioural change in-line with optimal business requirements.
CMS Engage hardware is made up of: a Gateway (devices controller), Smart Cell (essentially the brains of the desk), a Desk Sensor (to measure occupancy and usage data), and RGB status indicator (driven by the Smart Cell), and an RFID/NFC reader (to enable check in and out using access control cards).
The product is a Zigbee based solution. The Gateway provides communication, via ethernet connection, to the network between the cloud and the Engage hardware (i.e. the Smart Cell and Sensor, which are placed at workstations, in meeting rooms and/or collaboration spaces).
The Smart Cell controls and records power to desks or spaces and drives the status of the desk (as either available, booked, in use, or do not use). Status is denoted by colours displayed through indicators at desks or in rooms.
Using PIR and thermal technology, the Sensor is able to record occupancy and usage levels of each desk or space. The time-of-flight sensor provides data on sit to stand desk usage; and the RFID/NFC Reader enables check in and out of a desk or space by using their access control or digital pass.
Meanwhile, CMS Engage software consists of a CMS Engage booking App and CMS Engage Dashboard Portal. When an employee arrives at a booked, a notification is sent to his/her phone asking if they wish to checkin. The Engage Dashboard portal provides analytics in the form or graphs, tables, heatmaps (on both energy and occupancy) and more.
While solar energy clearly is part of the sustainability equation, for both commercial and residential applications, one factor that caused some architects to hesitate before including it in their projects is the negative aesthetic effect of solar panels. They are not particularly attractive and often involve design constraints that architects would rather avoid.
George Fethers & Co’s Avancis Skala, a range of thin-film PV modules used to create a solar-generating façade, is designed to overcome this reluctance. Suitable for many building types, including commercial buildings, industrial and multi-residential projects, Skala modules create an additional shade skin on the building's exterior, which keeps it cool.
As specified in an eight-storey $40m building planned for Spencer Street in West Melbourne and designed by architectural firm Kennon, the product is intended to add to the buildings visual appeal.
When complete, the building will include 1,182 solar panels, which are approximately as thick as a typical glass facade. Together, they are expected to reduce the building’s CO2 emissions by 70 tonnes per annum. Combine with some additional solar panels on the roof, it is hoped that the Skala modules will allow the building to be carbon neutral a couple of years after completion.
They weigh just 10kg, which is lighter than standard solar panels and require fewer building materials to support their installation.
This translates to a more sustainable rooftop solar system as less emissions are created with the building of a new home.
The first products of their type that can generate the same amount of solar energy as standard solar panels, Volt Planum solar tiles deliver the highest wattage available. They are compliant with Australian standards; are and built to withstand Australia’s harsh climate conditions; and are certified to Australian standards. They are available through a partnership with Bristile Roofing, part of the ASX-listed Brickworks Group.
LEFT According to BINQ, a manufacturer high- performance windows, one important factor for Australian specifiers to note is that traditional Australian window systems tend to fall well short of global performance levels.
Conceived with passive design – and an understanding that things like shading, adjusting a building’s orientation and maximising natural ventilation have as important a role to play as air conditioning –Breezway Altair Powerlouvre Windows open wide to allow two to three times the airflow of standard windows. This means clean, fresh air can circulate throughout the indoor environment, filtering out allergens and pollutants and creating a comfortable, refreshing atmosphere when temperatures are mild.
Custom made, they can be specified to fit into unusual wall spaces to maximise in all applications. Tested to Australian Standards, they deliver impressive acoustic performance, are fully WERS rated and BAL-40 compliant.
When installed thoughtfully and in the right places – as at the Breezway head office, which is located 5km from the city centre in subtropical Brisbane – these products represent a sound energy management solution. Highly energy efficient, they are able to seal in warmth during winter and substitute for air conditioning in the summer.
With a floor area of 900sqm over three floors, the office also features a weather station on its roof.
Information collected here feeds into the building management system, which decides how many of the windows should be open and whether the air conditioning should be running at any given moment. In other words, the building management system electronically opens and closes the Altair Powerlouvre Windows and turns the air conditioning systems on and off as needed.
In this way, through spring, autumn and winter, the windows are generally open and the air conditioners are turned off for around 40% of the time the building is occupied. With no air conditioners running through a significant portion of each working day, electricity bills are substantially reduced, Breezeway’s carbon footprint is reduced, and the company’s employees are able reap all the benefits of natural ventilation as they work.
According to BINQ, a manufacturer highperformance windows, one important factor for Australian specifiers to note is that traditional Australian window systems tend to fall well short of global performance levels. Considering that BINQ, itself chooses to specialise in European designed systems, like the Archetto series, this is not a problem for its own customers.
A high-performance range of products crafted from thick 68mm timber profiles, products in the ranges are incredibly thermally efficient.
The Archetto series provides a glazing rebate of up to 36mm and comes with double glazing as standard, with triple glazing options available. Achieving uVals as low as 1 & SHGC's as low as .258, the series provides a solution for Passive House requirements. On top of that, the windows can be made from both Victorian Ash to achieve a BAL19 certification or Blackbutt to achieve BAL29 certification.
Products from the The Archetto series have been Specified at Ferrars & York, a multiresidential development that is set to become the first such building in South Melbourne to include carbon neutral apartments. As such, it represents best practice in terms of sustainable design.
As some of the most thermally-efficient timber window and door systems on the market, the Archetto Series Tilt & Turn window, Lift & Slide door and IV68 hinged door are set to help the building achieve an 8+ star energy rating. At the same time, their attractive hardware frames help meet the architects’ design ambitions, and mark the development as a success in not just environmental terms but also aesthetic ones.
From a macro perspective, the breadth of products and systems designed with the express purpose of improving environmental outcomes is an unambiguous positive. It’s over to architects and others to put them to good use.
ABB architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/abb-australia Honeywell buildings.honeywell.com CMS Electracom cmselectra.com/au
George Fethers & Co architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/george-fethers-and-company Leeson Group leesongroup.com.au
Breezeway breezway.com.au BINQ architectureanddesign.com.au/suppliers/binq
Kingspan Water Tanks have been helping Australian homeowners and businesses harvest and store water in their premiumquality steel water tanks since 1934. You’ll find them in every part of the Australian landscape, from farming heartlands and coastal areas to suburban and urban homes.
Kingspan Water Tanks offers a wide selection of tank styles, sizes, and colours to compliment the architectural feature of your home and outdoor space. They also have a range of innovative online tools that make designing and selecting your ideal tank easier and more interactive than ever.
Kingspan Water Tanks has recently launched a new e-commerce site which makes finding the right water tank or accessory a breeze. You can view and shop their entire range of Urban, Rural and Commercial water tanks and accessories.
Kingspan’s Urban water tanks are madeto-measure so you can choose the exact dimensions, shape, colour, and any add-ons.
There are four tank shapes to choose from, each made-to-measure for your backyard for a perfect fit. Slimline tanks are perfect for compact and narrow spaces while maximising water storage with styles measuring from just 550 millimetres wide, 1020 millimetres high and 1200 millimetres long.
You can also select from the full range of Colorbond colours so you can match your tank to your home’s architecture.
Designing your own water tank is easy with Kingspan’s 3D Water Tank Builder tool. The online tool uses Augmented Reality technology to allow you to see how your water tank will fit in your location! See your tank come to life before your eyes - and before making your purchase.
The tool will also show you how many toilet flushes, hand watering hours and washing machine loads your water tank can save you.
Work with Kingspan on your next commercial project
Kingspan pride’s themselves on their longevity, experience, continued innovation, and unrivalled customer service. As a market leader and trusted source of expert advice for commercial projects, you can trust Kingspan for your next project. Kingspan offers a range of commercial water tanks ranging from 26,000 to 2.3 million litres in capacity, ideal for a variety of applications.
Kingspan recently supplied two Modline water tanks to provide 15,000L of water storage at stunning double story tiny home in Venus Bay, VIC.
Below is a testimony from the customer, Ryan McCormack, director of Base Cabin. “Base Cabin and our clients have worked with Kingspan on a number of projects and their Modline tanks are the perfect solution for anyone seeking a tough, high-quality tank that looks good and seamlessly integrates into almost any project. The Kingspan team are always a pleasure to deal with and are always keen to work with us on even the most challenging projects.”
DISCOVER MORE AT kingspanwatertanks.com.au on your phone or tablet and locate the 3D Water Tank Builder Tool. Once you have selected the shape, size, colour, inlet and outlet positions, you will see a 3D render of your tank. You can then click on the AR function and point your device’s camera to the area you expect to install your water tank. Enjoy the freedom to try out different tank shapes and colours, as well as different installation locations in your space before you make a decision.
IMAGES Left: 3x Round Kingspan Urban Water Tanks. Project: PALMYRA. Photography by Brett Boardman. Top Right: 3D Water Tank Builder Before and After.Welcome to Sections2, where we highlight the very best section drawings from architecture and design students from our universities.
On Heritage: The Patina of Paradox
A building changes, cities around a building change, modes of inhabitation change.
Yet, ‘heritage’, as a framework for recognising value, favours tangible matter over intangible significance and use. Effecting change continuously, inhabitation resists the singular point that heritage is predicated upon.
This is the paradox of patina: the accreted markers of use and age are valued for the history they embody yet they are often discouraged from further development, at odds with the continuous flow of history.
This thesis proposes a reconception of the heritage object into a self-evident signifier of its own history, key themes of display and amplification have been explored as a means of bringing forth the patina of a building whilst facilitating its continued development.
The idiosyncratic history and occupants of the Nicholas Building (built 1926) has here been dissected, its internals exposed to bring the building and its occupants into productive confrontation. Resulting in a frictional yet generative tandem: With each other and their own tangled histories.
FRANK BURNE THOMPSON is a soon to be graduated Masters of Architecture student at the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne School of Design. Prior to embarking upon his architectural studies, Frank completed a Bachelor of Science (Zoology) also at the University of Melbourne.
Drawn to design by a deeply engrained passion for making and physical craft, Frank has chosen to pursue architecture for its unique position that straddles creativity and artistry, and science, philosophy and engineering. This keen interest in junctions and how materials come together form the basis for Frank’s design approach, with an awareness of making carried from concept through to detail with a continuous reciprocity throughout.
This project, as a culmination of his Masters degree, has used a juxtaposition of new against old tectonic systems as a means of examining how our cities too often reduce historic buildings into untouchable and overly simplified objects, instead proposing an amplification of unseen histories in order to preserve buildings whose age threaten obsolescence.
Sustainability: As hosts of the 16th Sustainability Awards, we know a thing or two about the value and importance of sustainability of our urban environment.
Launched in 2017 as part of the Architecture & Design publishing and news network, Talking Architecture & Design podcast interviews industry leaders, innovators, personalities and a range of industry movers and shakers. With no subject that is off-limits, we talk to those that not only make change happen, but also those that turn that change into industry norms and trends. In this issue we are featuring our Sustainability podcast series, proudly partnered by Interface.
Coast4C is aimed at unlocking the potential of regenerative seaweed farming and the circular economy to deliver benefits for communities, conservation, climate and commerce. Nick has a PhD in seaweed farming and fishing livelihoods and was also the co-founder of Net-Works and Our Sea Our Life programs. In this exclusive interview he describes how seaweed can be an answer to our climate change woes.
EPISODE 121: INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF REEF DESIGN LAB ALEX GOAD TALKS ABOUT THE AMAZING THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH CORAL REEF RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY
Alex Goad is passionate about using design for marine restoration and the role it is playing to communicate research to the wider public.
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Alex explains the amazing potential of new ideas and technologies in design, architecture, engineering, science, the humanities and the arts and how these disciplines and design innovations can help address the urgent issues of our times.
bit.ly/TADPodcast_129
bit.ly/TADPodcast_121
EPISODE 118: KITTIPHOT BOOCHANGKOOL, GROUP SUSTAINABILITY LEADER AT DWP ON SUSTAINABILITY, GREEN CERTIFICATION AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Kittiphot Boochangkool is the new Group Sustainability Leader at dwp overseeing group sustainability initiatives and helping architects and designers unlock their full sustainability potential.
Boochangkool was raised and educated in the United States, Thailand and United Kingdom with a background in law, international relations and public policy and a specific focus on climate and energy.
bit.ly/TADPodcast_118
Proudly sponsored by
EPISODE 129: NICK HILL, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF COAST4C ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SEAWEED & ITS ROLE IN HELPING TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGEOliver Heath is the founder of Oliver Heath Design, and has been a television presenter on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and National Geographic Channel for over 20 years Author of 4 books on sustainability and interior design, most recently: Design a Healthy Home
As the Biophilic Design Ambassador for Interface, he is also the author of the Positive Spaces guides In this recently recorded interview, he explains the connection between human-centric and biophilic design principles.
Interface Product Development Manager Jan Peter van Deutekom, or JP as he’s known talks about the flooring maker’s approach to product management and concept design to support its many customers.
JP gives us a global perspective of how to approach designing products with sustainable thinking as well as how its possible to design products that will suit the needs of many diverse markets around the world.
EPISODE 1: Talking with Robin Mellon, CEO of Australia’s Supply Chain Sustainability School - 5,861
EPISODE 52: Koichi Takada talks about sustainable design and how COVID-19 has forever changed how we work, live and design our buildings - 2,578
EPISODE 97: My sustainability journey by 2021 Sustainability Awards Lifetime Achievement winner, Tone Wheeler - 2,445
EPISODE 91: Stephen Choi talks about biophilic design and the opportunities it brings to architects - 2,386
EPISODE 2: Talking with Helen Lochhead, president-elect of the Australian Institute of Architects - 2,321
For more information on our podcasts, go to: podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au
Visit podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au for the full list of podcast episodes or search for us on your usual podcast platforms.
If you would like to be interviewed on Talking Architecture & Design, send an email to podcast@architectureanddesign.com.au
EPISODE 110: OLIVER HEATH EXPLAINS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HUMAN-CENTRIC AND BIOPHILIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES EPISODE 106: INTERFACE’S JAN PETER VAN DEUTEKOM ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY DESIGN A SUSTAINABLE FLOORING PRODUCT
As the first and only flooring manufacturer to achieve third-party Carbon Neutral Enterprise certification, Interface neutralised its carbon impact across its entire business, including all operations and its full value chain. The Carbon Neutral Enterprise certification builds on our history as a purpose-driven flooring company and sets the stage for our future, guiding everything we do.
For more information visit interface.com/carbonneutralenterprise
Sustainability is a deeply multifaceted, incredibly comprehensive and often quite overwhelming notion - particularly when it comes to product design on a global scale. Here, we get an insight into what that looks like for Jan Peter van Deutekom, Vice President Product Design and Portfolio Management at Interface - a flooring brand that prides itself in designing innovative products with sustainability in mind.
JP, as Jan Peter is also known, leads the product portfolio team across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia with his efforts centred around new product development, product management and concept design to support Interface’s diverse group of customers. Here, he explains why sustainability is like a mountain - and how Interface is scaling all of its different slopes.
“For us design is much more than the pretty picture, what the product looks like, the pattern or the colours,” says JP. “It’s really about how it is constructed, but also what it does for the user, or in a bigger context for the planet. So, we started to use lifecycle analysis as a management tool, and carbon as the magic metric, to understand product footprint. Because carbon runs through every aspect of sustainability.”
Using this focus on carbon to conduct life cycle analyses, Interface found that close to 70% of a product’s impact is caused by the raw
materials and the production stage – a part that manufacturers can absolutely control on their own terms.
“That inspired us to adhere to a couple of design principles, which we see as different slopes to climb that sustainability mountain. Reducing, recycling and redesigning,” says JP. “By reducing, we refer to dematerialising – using less material, like yarn, and backing, in our carpet tiles. Then we use more recycled content in all layers of the product, or completely redesign the product. And that can be done by developing new technologies to create a product or find alternative raw materials.”
But as with any design venture, Interface fuses the drive for more sustainable products with the aspiration to make beautiful products – with nature often a backdrop to both of these ambitions. “In my team, I have seven product designers and 35 concept designers working in markets in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and a similar size team in the US. And they translate not only customer requirements, but also sustainability objectives into product development,” says JP.
“One of the really interesting concepts we use in this regard is biomimicry,” he adds.
“Learning from nature, and how nature would design products. And it’s really very interesting to follow those principles, because nature uses cyclical models that are actually closed loops. So, we asked ourselves the question,
‘how would nature design a flooring product?’. And as a great example of random design, we looked at how a forest looks with leaves coming down in autumn. And they’re on the floor in a completely random way, but still showing an interesting picture from a distance.”
“We used that idea to design a carpet tile that could be installed in a random way, which really had a major impact on installation speed, on waste, plus operational benefits, because we could use obsolete yarns in the product, which usually wouldn’t be done or thrown away. So it reduced waste,” JP explains further. “And it’s a great example of how biomimicry, as a design principle, can be used in designing great products that are more sustainable.”
Biomimicry aside, Interface is undoubtedly one of the most advanced design businesses when it comes to sustainability, with initiatives that cover every stage of the product lifecycle, and even go a step past carbon neutral - to carbon negative products. Find out more about JP’s work and this innovative company, by listening to the full Talking Architecture & Design podcast episode.
ABOVE Jan Peter van Deutekom from Interface.
LISTEN TO PODCAST EPISODE 106 bit.ly/TADPodcast_Ep106
Ecoply® Plyfloor® is a durable, pre-sanded panel suitable for structural and non-structural flooring in commercial, industrial and residential applications – particularly where added strength is required.
Plyfloor plywood flooring is manufactured under a third-party audited quality control program and certified by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA) as compliant with AS/NZS 2269 for Structural Plywood.
Available in a range of thicknesses, Plyfloor panels feature machine-grooved long edges with a blue plastic tongue to form a tongue and groove joint between sheets.
Key features of Plyfloor include resistance to rain and exposure during construction; low formaldehyde emission; and ability to withstand the stress of underfloor heating systems. It is available untreated, H2 glue line treated or H3 LOSP treated for external or wet areas.
Locally made Plyfloor can be used for a range of applications including modular buildings, garages, offices, factory mezzanine floors, sports stadiums and houses.
Enquiries: 1800 338 463 www.ecoply.com.au
CH7539 architectureanddesign.com.au
Tonality® combines 150 years of ceramic tradition with innovative German system technology for exceptionally strong facade tiles with rapid install.
Tonality’s ultra-fast ‘Lift & Lock’ installation requires no clips, gaskets or sealants, making it a truly economical choice. Avoid the cost and time of less efficient, more labour-intensive cladding alternatives.
The Keralis® sinter firing process produces a sealed surface that resists weathering, dirt, stains and graffiti, keeping your facade vibrant and maintenance-free for decades to come.
More than 50 standard colours plus a choice of standard surface finishes allow design freedom for even the most ambitious project. Custom colours also available.
Enquiries: 137175 networkarchitectural.com.au
NA1039 architectureanddesign.com.au
Geostone polished concrete floors provide warmth and natural beauty. Using a regionally sourced stone, polished concrete offers a stylish flooring solution that is durable, practical to maintain and provides a contemporary finish to any home.
Recognised as a leader in internal concrete solutions, Geostone by Holcim has a diverse range of polished concrete floor solutions to suit any space. Our range is designed to assist architects, designers and builders to create stunning yet functional spaces, both indoors and out.
Like a fine wine, the natural variations of our regionally sourced Australian stone add character and personality, while the thermal qualities of the concrete regulate the heat and provide a natural ambient temperature. With Geostone polished concrete create a seamless space, from one room to the next, from inside to outside.
Enquiries: 0429 790 600 geostone.com.au/our-range/indoors/polished-floors/ HA4918 architectureanddesign.com.au
Keystone’s KEY-INK Digitally Printed, Non-Combustible (Group1 Fire Rated) panels come in a range of slotted and perforated options - with the versatility of hi-resolution custom prints - giving your decor a unique look.
KL4923 architectureanddesign.com.au
Glasshape® offer a comprehensive portfolio of fully certified internal and external specialist architectural glass for commercial or residential settings, and compatibility with security, thermal and decorative glazing.
Glasshape® has the capabilities to bend its Glass in many ways, shapes, and sizes, providing a limitless array of options for custom curves. We are proud to offer a toughened and laminated solution that can also be curved to your specifications.
TemperShield® is a versatile premium glass product, backed by a company with more than 35 years international experience.
Enquiries: glasshape.com/tempershield/ or 1800 042 716
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HARDIE™
Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding cement panels are connected with shiplap joints, bringing subtle shadow lines and a gentle vertical rhythm to the facade. The surface has a texture reminiscent of fine render.
CLINIMIX® CMV2 – SAFETY AND WATER CONTROL HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER
Our latest handsfree POU mixer is designed to deliver safe water temperatures for handwashing and comes in a modern look offering Bluetooth, colour and activation options. CliniMix® Lead Safe™ CMV2 comes with hygiene flush, thermal disinfection and temperature monitoring.
Locally-made Ecoply® Formrite® is a high quality formwork plywood suitable for modern optimised form systems such as table forms and jump forms. Applicable to a range of frame spacings, concrete slab thicknesses and surface tolerances. Formrite provides builders and formworkers with an ideal surface for pouring concrete with a Class 2 concrete finish on the first pour. CH4530
EQUITONE
Embodying an honest and pure appearance, the material features a texture reminiscent of the moon. Naturally occurring colour differences emphasise the originality of the fibre cement material, while forming a consistent and unmistakable aesthetic throughout. A randomised surface treatment means no reoccurring pattern and no two boards being the same. Each façade is unique.
Moddex Assistrail disability and public access handrail systems ensure that the public can traverse your site safely and with ease. With 15 configurations, you have the peace of mind of knowing that Moddex Disability Handrails comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), AS1428 and the National Construction Code (NCC).
The Verto™ aluminium acoustic blade suspension system, has been recently engineered to integrate directly into the Rondo KEY-LOCK® system. This exclusive installation feature can directly clip the Rondo 139 joining clip to the Verto extrusion giving a seamless system integration.
Automated blinds and curtains add style, convenience, and comfort throughout an apartment, lowering utility bills and increasing the apartment's value and security. Crestron's motorised blinds feature exclusive Digital Quiet Motor Technology for virtually silent operation with convenient one-touch control.
Totalmove is the unique cantilevered hoist, delivering outstanding performance both as a car parking lift and a goods lift. Maximising the platform size for minimal internal shaft dimensions. Incorporating all the benefits of the rest of our range, it’s capable of carrying great capacities (up to 4 tonnes) to a great height (up to 16 metres).
Soundlag® is a high-performance composite acoustic lagging with exceptional noise reducing properties. Soundlag breaks the vibration path between the pipe substrate and mass barrier layer, whilst allowing the product to remain flexible. With various lagging materials in today's market, only one can tick all the boxes.
abilox® permanent colours are ideal for all concrete work such as urban sculpture, simulated rock or concrete landscaping features. Ideal for pavers, all types of casts, slab, precast and tilt up concrete; masonry, grouts and renders with over 240 shades or in a custom colour are also ecologically friendly, UV & weather resistant.
Meteon is engineered for exterior coverings, facade cladding, alfresco kitchens, balcony panelling, sun blinds, furniture and other outdoor applications. A broad selection of innovative finishes and striking effects, bespoke and standard colours allows creative variations as well as natural finishes that don't fade.
External venetian blinds by Warema are custom-made in Germany, then installed by Shade Factor’s local specialist team. Highly effective in reducing heat gain and provide privacy and light control, external venetian blinds are perfect for commercial and residential applications.
BeefEater barbecues are not only stylish in design, they are built to withstand the harsh Australian climate. They come in a great range of sleek, powerful and durable built ins, free-standing or portable styles to complement any outdoor setting.
Stormtech’s new 120SCS Linear Drain featuring integrated support for glass shower screens allows surface water to drain from both sides of the shower screen for perfect floor draining. Made in Australia, Stormtech’s Shower Screen Support is available in our complete range of grate styles and colour finishes.
Milano Collection offers a wide range of selection when it comes to European Oak flooring. Durable and easy to maintain this product is suited for high traffic commercial spaces
Blum’s diverse range of AVENTOS lift systems and cover cap designs brings finesse and elegance to kitchens and throughout the home. With cabinets that lift up and out of the way, homeowners can experience complete freedom of movement and greater accessibility to overhead cabinets.
Cost effective, attractive, lightweight, and easy to use, the FC1 Permashield Folding Closure is a proven security option. The system uses a series of continuous extruded aluminium hinged panels, making it a low friction system with fewer moving parts. Minimal maintenance requirements and easy to operate, the system can serve a variety of purposes.
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BILDSPEC’S KONNECT DOUBLE GLAZED OPERABLE WALL SYSTEM
Bildspec’s Konnect Double Glazed Operable Wall System ensures effortless operation and maximum visual connectivity between spaces, whilst preserving acoustic separation. Our CSIRO certified Rw46-wall system complies with AS1288 Glass-InBuildings, perfect for commercial applications and schools.
The Aqua Advanced Wastewater & Irrigation System is a residential wastewater system that is designed to treat and recycle wastewater from the Laundry, Kitchen and Bathroom. Built with above or below ground irrigation capabilities, making our system the complete solution to recycling household wastewater.
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Introducing the latest door jamb innovation, the Euro Jamb Vario - a push to open door jamb that can be installed flush to the wall. Suitable with 3D concealed hinges and magnetic latch system. The Vario exudes the most minimal and modern look highly sought after by architects and interior designers.
VERGOLA® is the Australian original, energy efficient open close roof system that adds versatility, style and functionality to homes and commercial premises. Creating comfortable spaces to be enjoyed in all weather conditions.
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Precast architectural concrete is a great material to include in outdoor spaces, thanks to its excellent strength, durability, resistance to harsh weather and the wealth of design possibilities available. SVC’s team of concrete specialists works with designers and specifiers to help translate their bespoke concepts into built form.
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Excellence in design is achieved with balance of aesthetics and functional performance. The Gyprock range of perforated plasterboard allows architects and designers to create beautiful ceilings and walls that achieve high levels of acoustic performance.
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The Geberit DuoFresh Odour Extraction Unit integrates directly into the toilet cistern and extracts unpleasant odours straight from the source. It purifies the air through a ceramic honeycomb filter and then releases the clean air into the bathroom. The technology is hidden behind the button and features a downwardfacing orientation light that shows the way to the toilet at night.
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European Design and Engineered, BINQ’s Tilt & Turn windows are locally hand crafted from 68mm thick timber profiles, which creates a glazing rebate of up to 32mm, achieves uValues as low as 1.5 & SHGC’s as low .58, and suitable for Passive House requirements. Made from either locally sourced, Victorian Ash timber suitable for BAL19 or Blackbutt for BAL29 requirements.
EzyJamb door jamb systems eliminate the need for architraves and conceals the door frame to create square set interiors, as the unique frameless jamb system wraps the plasterboard during framing and blends seamlessly with the wall.
EzyJamb Inswing Door is ideal for creating flush doors along a wall face, while allowing them to open inwardly, including hallways and corridors.
Scalloped timber meets plywood allows Maxi Deco profiles to bring a soft, whimsical, touch to your interiors. Maxi Deco will bring that extra sense of depth, texture and, well, pizazz to your project. Available in any of our 18 Maxi colours and in several profiles.
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The portfolio of Weldlok Access Products encompasses grating, flooring and handrail systems, designed with safety and longevity in mind. Weldlok can provide the complete solution with products available in a variety of materials, finishes and sizes, fabricated to project specifications.
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Trimless linear lighting is the ultimate in modern and luxurious lighting, perfect for sleek lines and smooth edges. Best suited for rooms with minimalist design features. The profiles can run across walls and ceilings, creating three-dimensional continuous lines of light.
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Flush Fit Track is a track recessed into the ceiling. The track sits inside the ceiling lining and requires no brackets for installation. Flush Fit track is 13mm high. The track has a 5mm flange either side of the glide channel for the cut edge of the ceiling sheet to sit on, making for a superior finish.
Inspired by the “number 7 boomerang”, Leah Bennet, a proud descendant of WA’s Wudjari Noongar mob, created a furniture piece called the Sevens Sofa. Designed to be holistically Indigenous, the sofa was created to encourage positive and productive gatherings across work, public places and education environments through the chosen fabric and shape. SB0008 architectureanddesign.com.au MA1934 architectureanddesign.com.au BP7919 architectureanddesign.com.au
Altro Tegulis™ is an innovative wall solution that has the appearance of tiles but without the hassle of grout. Tegulis is an extension of the Altro Whiterock range, so you get Whiterock's hygiene and impactresistant qualities in a brand-new look. Quick to install, easy to maintain and suitable for wet rooms. Available in an extensive colour and design palette. AF0635 architectureanddesign.com.au
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Anston’s range of reinforced pedestal pavers offers the beauty and functional performance of its classic architectural concrete offerings, while being the only Australian product that incorporates a safety feature in the body of the paver, providing extra security for pedestrians.
Be a part of Australia’s longest-running and most prestigious awards program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating excellence in sustainable design and architecture.
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