climate crisis
Events
“A journey into a whole new material world”: Plant Life at the NGV
Curator Ewan McEoin tells us about the NGV’s new exhibition on plant-based materials as alternatives to plastics, synthetic materials and other non-renewable resources.
Events
The inaugural Coastal Design Assembly is about to make landfall in Sydney
Sophie Lanigan, organiser of a new event centring on Sydney’s relationship to water, tells us what the event’s all about, who it’s for and why it matters today.
Workplace
New FK-led research bolsters the importance of adaptive reuse in workplace design
FK’s Nicky Drobis takes us through a recent poll of 1,000 office workers across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane that suggests a preference for reuse – despite an ‘awareness gap’.
Events
A straw odyssey: Australian architect heads to Europe for waste materials research
Byera Hadley Scholarship-winner Michael Jones is about to set off on a research trip across five countries. He tells us why his research focus, straw, is a sleeping giant in the context of climate crisis and built environment waste.
Events
Product Aware National Symposium: A shared framework for a sustainable future
Architects Declare and Suppliers Declare are uniting with the aim of making transparent, responsible specification the new industry standard.
Ideas
Comment: “Heritage architecture and climate resilience – don’t throw the baby out with the floodwater”
David Gole, principal at leading climate-resilient design practice JDA Co., comments on the intersection between heritage and climate in architecture.
Events
What is the role of design in a world in crisis?
At the World Design Congress in London, a simple idea threaded through two dense days: design is not an island. It moves inside wider systems of economics, policy, finance and ecology.
Events
Architecture as laboratory: Notes from the Venice Biennale with David Holm
In this comment piece, COX Principal David Holm reflects on Carlo Ratti’s curatorship in which climate, colonisation and gender equity took centre stage at the Venice Biennale.
Ideas
Comment: To reach net-zero, we must tackle the ‘too hard’ basket
In this comment piece by Dr Matthias Irger – Head of Sustainability at COX Architecture – he argues for an approach to design that prioritises retrofitting, renovation and reuse.
Events
“Transcendence, pluralism and progress”: Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners
The independent Master Jury of the 16th Award Cycle (2023-2025) has selected seven winning projects from China to Palestine.
Events
Speakers share their reflections ahead of fjcstudio’s Queensland event
As the next event in a series of discussions centring on Richard Francis-Jones’ book comes to Brisbane, we hear directly from the speakers on fences, villas and the importance of critical community.
Events
“Architecture is always about more than form; it is about meaning”: In conversation with Lina Ghotmeh
As French-Lebanese Architect Lina Ghotmeh prepares for lectures in Melbourne and Sydney, we hear about the philosophy shaping her internationally celebrated practice.
Events
NSW architect wins funding for coastal design
Nicole Larkin has been awarded the 2025 Marten Bequest, providing two years and $50k to research coastal resilience and adaptation.
Ideas
Australian Passivhaus Association clarifies one comprehensive standard
The Australian Passivhaus Association (APA) has released a guide outlining the process for achieving the international Passivhaus Standard, providing clarity on appropriate use of the term and the legal risks of incorrect assertions.
Ideas
Behind the Brand on the eve of Sustainable House Day with Helen Oakey
Helen Oakey is CEO of Renew and, with Sustainable House Day 2025 upon us, she talks to us about the climate crisis and what people can do at the scale of the home.
Events
Rethinking Plastics in Product Design: The new book aiming to guide sustainable transitions
Geoff Isaac’s book provides industrial designers and manufacturers with the knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable material choices.
Events
Arts precinct garden research take landscape and ecology design to new levels
Led by Hassell and The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Campus, the Melbourne Arts Precinct Plant Trials will evaluate over 1,000 plants under extreme conditions.
Events
Highlights from Stockholm Design Week 2025
From bio-based innovations to circular design, this year’s fair redefined the role of materials in shaping the future of interiors as sustainable materials and a thoughtful approach to the impact of design on our world took centre stage.
Ideas
Don’t demolish Flemington Estate, says OFFICE – ‘Retain, Repair, Reinvest’
Australia’s only not-for-profit architectural practice, OFFICE, is supporting the residents of Victoria’s housing estates in their fight to save their homes and communities.
Workplace
Gensler forecasts the trends of 2025
Let’s find out what’s in store for design in 2025 from Gensler.
Events
Climate crisis informs new graphic novel, Cabal
Andrew van der Westhuyzen, one of Australia’s pre-eminent creatives, has launched his debut book Cabal, the first in a series of illustrated science-fiction short story works.
Ideas
Newly released toolkit gives architects key strategies for climate-resilient design
Drawing on years of experience, Marra+Yeh Architects has made a new toolkit available online for everyone.
Project
Home Truth at NGV: Breathe confronts the elephant in the oversized room
Melbourne-based architects Breathe have constructed an unfinished house at the NGV that puts the question of house sizes in Australia on the agenda.
Events
Monumental Imaginaries: Energy transition and visual culture in the Hunter
This Tin Sheds Gallery exhibition delves into complexity and contradiction in the Hunter Region in the context of coal and climate crisis.
Ideas
Troy Uleman comment: Sydney Metro and why we need more great stations
The John McAslan + Partners Sydney studio lead and director writes on the importance of transport infrastructure.
Events
“Architecture is an act of love”: Sam Crawford Architects marks 25 years
As the highly respected and multi-award-winning Sydney practice celebrates a quarter of a century, Sam Crawford reflects on his the journey so far in this comprehensive Q&A.
Workplace
Video: Mass timber on the rise with Arup in Perth
Perth’s first timber hybrid office tower is complete, designed by – and home to – Arup in Western Australia.
Events
Light and materiality in outdoor spaces: Sally Evans reflects on Saturday Indesign panel
Sally Evans, Director at Nexus Designs, discusses outdoor lighting following her appearance as a panellist at Saturday Indesign.
Events
“The future lies in combining advanced technology, holistic thinking and circular economy”
With Tilt’s Tim Phillips having recently sat as a panellist on one of Saturday Indesign’s discussion events, we decided to dig a little deeper into sustainability with him.
Events
“Architecture is the silent scaffolding that enables the making and breaking of worlds”: Kabage Karanja Q&A
We caught up with Kabage Karanja, co-founder and co-director of Cave_bureau, ahead of the Living Cities Forum in Sydney and Melbourne.
Events
“We need to stop pretending it is for someone else to solve”: Carol Marra on climate crisis
We speak to architect Carol Marra following recent events focusing on climate-resilient design.
Ideas
Balarinji comment: Designing with Country offers a unique opportunity for designers
In this comment piece, Indigenous Creative Lead at Balarinji, Johnny Bridges, discusses designing with Country and the environment.
Ideas
Comment: Innovative playground design sets new benchmark for outdoor play spaces
In response to climate change, landscape architect and TCL Adelaide Director Damian Schultz shares important design evolutions for global play spaces.
Events
Learning from the Global South with Tosin Oshinowo
The Nigerian architect was recently in Australia for Melbourne Design Week. We spoke to her about the power of design in cities such as Lagos.
Events
New crises, normal solutions: Innovative design prototypes on show at Powerhouse
Building on its beginnings in Melbourne Design Week, A New Normal is a new exhibition presented by Vivid Ideas Sydney at Powerhouse Ultimo.
Events
Global crises and the architect’s social responsibilities under discussion at AIA Conference
Kate Goodwin, curator and Adjunct Professor (Architecture) at the University of Sydney, reports back from the AIA Conference in Melbourne.
Ideas
“A perfect example of the design of the future”: Patricia Urquiola and Mater in Milan
We spoke to Ketil Årdal, CEO of Danish green-tech design brand, Mater, as they unveiled the Alder collection at Milan Design Week.
Ideas
From cutting-edge projects to thoughtful interviews, seven stories on adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse is all the rage across the design industry, and rightly so. Here, we present a selection of articles on this most effective approach to sustainability.
Ideas
Radical logics of connectedness and circular economy with Chris Fox
We sat down with Chris Fox to speculate on the future of regenerative architecture, circular economy and experimenting with vegetation in and on buildings.
Events
Buildings Breakthrough at COP28: Q&A with David Ness
UniSA Professor David Ness played a key role in a UN report on CO2 emissions relating to buildings, construction and urban growth which underpins the Buildings Breakthrough official launch at COP28 in Dubai.
People
Russell Fortmeyer connects good ideas for climate action
As global sustainability leader with Woods Bagot, Russell Fortmeyer takes a clear stance on leaders’ roles in spotlighting sustainability as the reigning imperative of our times.