It was the end of the financial year as we knew it, as well as the beginning and continuation of a number of built environment narratives in the month of July, for the year 2023.

Here is our top 10, just in case you missed any.

Four Woods Bagot projects in World Architecture Festival awards shortlist

Four Woods Bagot projects have been announced as finalists in the prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF) awards, the largest live global awards program for architects and designers.

Read about the projects here.

Billion dollar boost for Sydney’s harbourfront in the offing

Findings made by not-for-profit partnership Business Improvement District (BID) anticipates that once fully complete, Sydney’s revitalised seven-kilometre stretch of western waterfront will generate up to $6.2 billion for the harbour city economy.

There’s three major projects that will provide the boost and we detail them here.

2023 National Architecture Awards shortlist reveals Australia’s best designs

Conrad Gargett, Cox Architecture, ARM Architecture and fjcstudio are among some of the architectural practices featuring in the shortlist of 70 projects nominated for the prestigious Australian Institute of Architects’ 2023 National Architecture Awards.

The entire shortlist can be viewed here.

Victoria prioritises housing crisis as it pulls pin on Commonwealth Games

Budgeting concerns and the demand for housing has seen the Victorian Government pull the pin on hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Premier Daniel Andrews indicates that it was a straightforward decision to make after costs blew out to a projected $7 billion, compared to the initial $2 billion outlay.

Find out more about the decision here.

Retrofitting for our future: What is required in race to net zero

There is many a personal anecdote told within the built environment surrounding the thermal performance of Australian houses. Foreigners who travel to the land down under are often sweating in the heat or freezing in the winter, despite coming from areas and climates that reach well below zero in the colder months.

Data is able to confirm that these anecdotes hold weight. Records on existing homes shows that the average Australian home sits between 1.7-2 stars on a scaling system that has a maximum of 10 as per NatHERS, the ratings system used for evaluating the energy efficiency of a home. It paints a pretty stark picture of what is required to improve the thermal efficiency of our existing homes in order to reduce strain on energy grids, which will gradually lower emissions.

Find out just what is required here.

Powerhouse unveils inaugural Fellowship trio

The Powerhouse has announced the recipients of its inaugural NSW Design (Early-Career) Fellowship – Powerhouse Residency Program, which will see three budding creatives each year given the opportunity to enrich their professional practice under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Read up about the trio and their future works here.

district living

AsheMorgan unveils major BTR concept

AsheMorgan has revealed plans for a 900-residence build-to-rent (BTR) development in Docklands, District Living, that serves as one of the country’s biggest ever BTR projects.

Find out everything about the project here.

Assessing the fallout of a potential axing of Metro West

Despite a number of built environment and government experts warning the state government of the fallout, NSW Premier Chris Minns refuses to rule out the scrapping of the Metro West project entirely.

Recent figures estimate that costs have blown out by some $12 billion, which is likened to 20 hospitals or 200 schools by the government. As a result, the government is reluctant to commit to the project.

The potential fallout is discussed in full here.

Victoria goes all in on all electric

The Victorian Government has announced that all new homes in the state will be all electric, with a plan to phase out gas by 2024.

With concerns around costs and supply, the government believes the move will both reduce emissions and energy costs of around $1,000 a year for Victorians. It follows on from the 2022 reforms to remove requirements for gas connections in new Victorian homes.

The major decision can be read about here.

housing

NSW Government to quickly boost housing supply as figures reach critical juncture

NSW Premier Chris Minns says that an increase to housing supply has reached “urgent” levels, with the state staring down the barrel of being 130,000 homes short over the next five years.

Read about the severity of the crisis here.

Architecture & Design Team

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