Our offices close down for a summer break from next week, returning January 7. So from the team here, have a wonderful Christmas and we look forward to keeping you informed in the New Year!

Now here’s our Top 10 news articles for the year.

Flinders St Station Design Competition shortlisted unveiled

The shortlist of architects for the Flinders Street Station Design Competition has been released, including some of the world and Australia’s most renowned design teams.

Sydney University architecture faculty protest attempts to poach students

The head of architecture at Sydney University has resigned in protest over what was claimed as an underhanded attempt by the school’s dean to poach students from other institutions.

Lend Lease unveils design for world's tallest timber apartment building in Melbourne

Lend Lease last unveiled plans to build the first high rise apartment building in Australia and the tallest in the world using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), which it says heralds a new era for the construction industry.

National Architecture Awards shortlist revealed

The Australian Institute of Architects’ 2012 National Architecture Awards has unveiled the shortlisted projects in the lead up to the November 1 presentation ceremony in Perth.

Winner of the Residential Architecture - Houses category at the National Architecture Awards: Flinders House (VIC) designed by Wood/Marsh Architecture. Image by Jean-Luc Laloux.

New billion dollar tower approved over Sydney's Wynyard Station

$1.3 billion tower to be built above Wynard Station in Sydney received approval from the NSW Planning Assessment Commission last week.

SOM' BIG global design names compete for Barangaroo master planning job

International architecture firms including Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) are vying for the chance to provide master planning services for Barangaroo Central.

World’s tallest going up: kilometre-high Kingdom Tower gains finance [video]

Saudi Arabia’s new record-breaking 1,000 metre plus Kingdom Tower is a step closer to realisation, the developers announcing the project has gained financing.

1 Bligh Street named a best tall building in the world for 2012 in Australian first

For the first time ever an Australia building, 1 Bligh Street (Ingenhoven Architects and Architectus) has been named a best tall buildings in the world by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the international not-for-profit association.

Australians dominate at World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards

Australians have won a swathe of awards at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2012 which got underway in Singapore from October 3.

AAMI Park named 'World’s Most Iconic and Culturally Significant Stadium'

AAMI Park Stadium, Melbourne, has received the “World’s Most Iconic and Culturally Significant Stadium” Award at the Stadium World Congress 2012 in Doha.