This Month
As timber buildings go up, emissions come down
The growing use of engineered wood products allows for less embodied carbon in buildings, but that alone won’t make construction clean.
- Michael Bleby
Why this pine stool is a design standout of 2023
A piece of furniture with a carved curved seat has been chosen as this year’s chair at MPavilion, a summer-long architecture and design festival in Melbourne.
- Stephen Todd
This asset has climbed 38pc in real terms to $11b over 10 years
Here’s how the true value of the Sydney Opera House – a national icon that inspired 90 per cent of Chinese tourists to visit the city – was calculated.
- David Redhill
Why the new Jacksons on George feels familiar
Creating subtle hints of the original, legendary venue in an entirely new building was the job of creative team Richards Stanisich.
- Stephen Todd
September
Deloitte partner turns love of interior design into a side hustle
Elyse Henderson made an offer on a house in a remote part of Tasmania, sight unseen. Using local female designers and artists, she’s turned it into a singular short-term rental proposition.
- Julie Hare
Mirvac has created a park that’s always full
Mirvac took four times longer to build a community park, but its success changed the way its development team works.
- Michael Bleby
Why you should take a closer look at this Australian sculptor’s work
Morgan Shimeld’s angular bronze shapes appear brutalist, at first sight. Study them awhile, however, and you’ll see something quite different.
- Stephen Todd
This young Victorian architect designed The Ritz-Carlton Gold Coast
“There’s been a lot of trust placed in us, which is unusual,” admits Pete Kennon, who founded his practice from his kitchen just on five years ago.
- David Meagher
Why Australia’s top garden designer is embracing natives
How Paul Bangay, Australia’s most celebrated garden creator, went from sustainability to ostentation and back again.
- Stephen Clark
Shortage of Indigenous architects drags on building work
Country-centric design doesn’t seek to erase the post-settlement history of a site, but add to it. Demand is growing even with a skills crunch.
- Michael Bleby
August
This French château restoration has reached its final stupendous stage
Ten years ago, a Perth couple bought a château in the Pyrenees. Now their castle is finally a home.
- Susan Gough Henly
A first look at Paul Bangay’s dream English cottage garden
The landscape designer created one of Australia’s most famous enclosures, then moved on. Now, he opens the gate on his latest passion project.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Recession fears not driving workers back to office: survey
More than three years after the start of the pandemic, the corporate world is still grappling with workplace productivity and management.
- Michael Bleby
This diamond-shaped house just won a national award
Architects Chenchow Little strive to design properties that are uniquely of their place. Shiplap, on Sydney Harbour, won them Best New House over 200 square metres.
- Stephen Todd
- Exclusive
- Property development
Nightingale building gets $517,000 ‘social value’ boost
If a building makes residents feel safer, cuts out noise and increases social interaction, it’s better to live in – and worth more.
- Michael Bleby
July
UK architects WilkinsonEyre look to muscle up Down Under
Director Ed Daines is relocating to Sydney, as the elite firm looks for fresh Australian opportunities in high-rise, transport infrastructure and beyond.
- Hans van Leeuwen
How an architect of luxury digs designed his own (3.3m-wide) home
Built on a tiny strip of land, this house – and others just as surprising – are at the cutting edge of making Australian cities function better.
- David Meagher
How this interior designer became the epitome of modern elegance
Excess is back in vogue, so it’s time to revisit the man behind some of Sydney’s signature hospitality and residential projects – Iain Halliday.
- Stephen Todd
Tiny jewel of an apartment wins top award for bold design
The vibrant home of former Sydney Morning Herald food critic Michael Dowe has caught the eye of the Australian Institute of Architects.
- Stephen Todd
Inside a modernist marvel - Barbie’s Dreamhouse
The new film about the children’s doll has a strong mid-century design aesthetic, but Barbie has lived in a variety of Dreamhouse styles.
- Michael Bleby
