Architectus

What can public schools teach Australia’s stadiums? Stadiums host the highs of public life – from sporting grand finales to musical mega-events, they are cultural powerhouses for cities. But they are only used to their full potential approximately 10-20% per year. Considering the vast expense, how can we all get more out of these significant structures? One answer might be found in our public schools. Similarly open approximately 25% of the year, they have successfully helped to create healthier suburbs thanks to their sports and gym facilities, chapels, halls and libraries that they share with their communities. How do they do it, and can stadiums do it, too? If you look at overseas precedents, the answer is yes. We sat down with Dr Kellee Frith, Associate Principal and Education Environments Strategist to discuss the mutual benefits that stadiums, local communities and our cities can gain from one another. Read more by hitting the link in the comments.   #PublicSchools #Stadiums #CommunityInfrastructure Pictured below: Mickleham Secondary College Forecourt | Victoria

Australia’s demand for services in healthcare, aged care and childcare is outpacing the growth of the workforce. How do you make these critical vocations attractive to the next generation? That was the brief for the Kangan Institute Health and Community Centre of Excellence (HACCOE). Tasked with attracting and then supporting our future caring workforce, the building was thought of as an anchor for the growing Broadmeadows campus, all while being a good neighbour to the adjacent parkland.  Externally, the building’s facade clearly defines two interlocking forms – the rhythmic, and the organic.  The strong, rhythmic colonnade frames the park, gently buffered by extensive new native gardens that connect the building to the public domain. The colonnade provides a sheltered thoroughfare that directs pedestrians past world-class tech-enabled learning environments. This planning not only brings visibility to the interesting learning happening within, but connects students to daylight and landscaping while they learn. Curved, organic brickwork becomes the counterpart to the rhythmic elevation. Tactile brick patterning (with a casual 76,000 bricks laid across four levels) began as an interpretation of the local waterway and developed to be an artwork about the flow of life, with cellular patterns reminiscent of an ultrasound image.   The contrast of the two distinct architectural elements helps the building respond to its different civic roles – one of a gateway, good neighbour and facilitator to future campus growth.  #education #skillsshortage #Victoria Hutchinson Builders | Photos by Trevor Mein meinphoto | Broadmeadows, Victoria

Rapidly decarbonising our built environment relies on new ideas, which counterintuitively involves the use of an ancient material: timber. So, why wood? As trees 'breathe in' carbon dioxide, they effectively convert it from a gas in our atmosphere to being sequestered in their growth.   The benefits of timber go far beyond sequestered CO2. Naturally non-toxic, fast and low-impact construction, recyclable with strong thermal properties, timber interiors are also an example of biophilia at work – calming and improving the wellbeing of people. But building with timber in Australia has unique challenges. We reached out to long-time collaborator, Arup to put together our top 4 learnings: ▪️Locally sourced, recycled timber should be the starting point for lowering your impact on the planet. ▪️Where available, mass timber Australian products should be sourced locally, but check if the manufacturing facilities use renewable energy or have a carbon neutral certification. ▪️European timber can have lower embodied carbon, but transporting it burns through significant energy and the use of international timber needs to be evaluated on a project-by-project basis. ▪️Prioritise an FSC certification when sourcing products by using the FSC public search. In Australia, a PEFC certification is more common. Like all building materials, timber structures need to be designed for a building’s end of life. Mechanical fixings, as opposed to glue or adhesive based fixings, allow the timber to be dismantled and repurposed. It may come as a shock to learn that Australia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. While the major causes for deforestation are largely agricultural, our industry has a duty to source timber responsibly. Avoid using products that don’t have the FSC or PEFC tick of approval. Head to our website for more useful links and resources. Hit the link in the comments. #masstimber #timber #embodiedcarbon

A new chapter has begun this week as we open the doors to our first studio in Newcastle. Outgrowing its reputation as ‘Sydney’s little sister’, Newcastle has been described as a melting pot of innovation and rapid change, which is exactly why our new studio leader, Associate Principal Craig Earley, loves his hometown. “When I studied here in the mid-90s, pollution from the BHP steelworks would settle like a fine blanket on anything exposed to it, including washing on the clotheslines. Since then I’ve seen the city move away from a reliance on heavy industry and reinvent itself as an innovative hub with a strong focus on education and research.” As a Newcastle resident – with strong relationships with the School of Architecture and Built Environment – Earley is perfectly placed to spearhead the studio. Newcastle is in a unique position, both geographically and in breadth of industry, to support the regions with the best of big-city innovation. Craig sees himself as a similar connector, facilitating knowledge sharing across our diverse workforce of experts with local and regional operators. Earley and colleague Trent Russell have set up shop on Bolton Street in the old Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Building, starting with four desks and plans to grow (know any local graduates?). Congratulations on the milestone Newcastle team, we’re looking forward to seeing good things come out of the studio. Hit the link in the comments to learn what’s in store.

Our Education team is leading the way for five new public schools set to serve Victoria’s growing communities in 2026. Catering to children from infancy, up to 4-year-old kinder – the five sites span Melbourne’s growth areas, from the northern reaches of the city to the southeastern and southwestern suburbs. Our design narrative revolves around a ‘letter to Country’, which imagines each site as ‘an all encompassing learning landscape’. The letter was informed by our cultural advisor and Ngunnawal woman, Kat Rodwell, who supported engagement with the Traditional Owners of the land on which these schools and kindergartens stand, including Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, and Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation. This narrative informs architecture that connects with the pre-colonial landscape, learns from past projects, and fosters future growth. Our design prioritises natural light, strategic shading and cross-ventilation while the interiors offer views up and out to ‘Sky Country.’ “We’ve been working with the Victorian School Building Authority to bring these schools to life, creating adaptable buildings and spaces to meet the community’s critical needs today, while preparing for tomorrow,” said Group Director Communities and Principal Mark van den Enden.   The projects are the latest collaboration between the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) and Architectus, forming part of the New Schools 2026 bundle of work. Slattery | Johnstaff | Formium Landscape | Matter | LCI Consultants | McGraw Hill | WSP | Engineering Folk | Balert Mura | Urbis #education #schooldesign #victoria #designingwithcountry 

Congratulations to Principal and Health sector leader Rebecca Moore who has been awarded the honour of a Life Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Architects. “I love the process of architecture, it’s a fantastic thing we do every day – balancing the creative, with the political and the financial. We constantly dance between vision and reality, carefully crafting design with current politics and the weight of cost – an ever changing game of balance and innovation.” The prestigious award acknowledges Rebecca’s significant contribution to the wider field of architecture and pays tribute to Moore as a “highly experienced architect with recognised leadership in the design of complex health facilities alongside expertise in a broad range of building typologies”. “Rebecca has consistently championed the advancement of women in architecture both within practice but also in the broader construction industry with her involvement in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).” Passionate and accomplished, Moore was made a director of Conrad Gargett in 2003, before becoming a Principal at Architectus Conrad Gargett after the practices merged in 2023. She joins the ranks of fellow Architectus Principals Ruth Wilson and Laura Cockburn, who were elevated to Life Fellows in the 2024 honours. Read more on Rebecca’s journey by clicking the link in the comments.   #leadership #designleadership #australianarchitecture 📸 Victorian Heart Hospital in partnership with Wardle and Queensland Children's Hospital in partnership with Lyons.

Today the Kangan Institute Health and Community Centre of Excellence was officially opened, with Victorian Premier The Hon Jacinta Allan MP touring the ‘game-changing’ facility. Australia is facing a dire skills shortage in critical care services. How can a TAFE campus make these courses more visible to attract the next generation of caregivers? Our design response sought to answer this question by putting learning on display. The strong and dignified colonnade shapes a major thoroughfare for the campus, while the transparent ground level lets passersby see classes at work.  “We want to show people with vocations in the caring professions that they are valued, by giving them a state-of-the-art environment in which to study, build their skills and build the collegiate relationships and friendships that will follow them in their careers.”- Ruth Wilson, Principal  Home to a range of courses including nursing, pathology, aged care, childcare and disability support, students will have greater autonomy than ever before. Context is key for the building which sits at the crossroads of a campus entry, a major shopping village and the town park. The form and facade work hard to respond to vastly different neighbours on all sides, while forming the cornerstone for future expansion of the campus.  Congratulations to our design team, our wonderful client Kangan Institute and all our collaborators on delivering the first step in the transformation of Broadmeadows campus. We look forward to sharing more design stories on this impactful project. AECOM, TTW, Mala and Meza Architectural Wayfinding Signage #Healthcare #Victoria #Architecture

Africa Hall spreads across nine pages of Monocle magazine’s February edition. “This building will be a symbol of what renovation can bring back to life – how we can look back at our history and reimagine our future.” - Mewded Wolde  Congratulations to our project team and client team on this incredible body of work: Simon Boundy, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Learn more on our website.     Photos by Rory Gardiner  #Heritage #Restoration #AfricaHall #UnitedNations 

Congratulations to Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA recipients of the Royal Gold Medal 2025 for Architecture from RIBA.  The lifetime achievement offers a moment to reflect on the 8 years our project team worked alongside SANAA as Executive Architect to deliver the Art Gallery NSW new building, Naala Badu in Sydney. “Architectus applauds Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, collaborating as SANAA, on their conferment with the prestigious RIBA Gold Medal. It was a great privilege for our team to work as Executive Architect alongside SANAA on one of their most recent and globally significant arts and cultural projects, Naala Badu.” - Luke Johnson, Group Director Design    Sydney Modern was cited by RIBA as a notable example of the firm’s user-centred design approach, demonstrating that “architecture can be both functional and profoundly elegant, offering a sense of calm amidst an increasingly complex and chaotic world." It was an honour to work with SANAA to deliver one of the most significant cultural additions to an Australian city in recent years. Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA |⁠ McGregor Coxall |⁠ Richard Crookes Constructions⁠ |  Arup⁠ #PublicArchitecture #AustralianArchitecture #Sydney   Photos by Iwan Baan  

Wishing State Library Victoria a belated 5th birthday as we celebrate half a decade since reopening the doors of this Melbourne institution. Completed in 2019, the renovation increased public space by 40%, seating by 70% and returned the Ian Potter Queen’s Hall to Victorians after being closed for 15 years. The Library has become a hub in the city once again, providing a dedicated sanctuary to learners and readers alike. We have loved watching this Melbourne institution go from strength to strength as we look back on what the library has achieved in the last 12 months. The project was a collaboration with SHL - Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Learn more on our website. #heritage #library #architecture #melbourne #heritagearchitecture #melbournearchitecture #australianarchitecture #visitmelbourne