community
Project
“It’s a privilege to be able to support”: OFFICE works with Victorian Aboriginal Health Service
The Melbourne-based, not-for-profit practice has designed a new fit-out and outdoor gathering space for the Victorian Aboriginal Healthcare Service.
Project
“Density can be done well”: JPW project increases social housing offering by 300%
As a significant renewal of an established social housing project, JPW’s recently completed Cowper Street Housing in Glebe, Sydney aims to bring sustainable and community-focused density to an inner city suburb.
Ideas
Comment: The design story behind storytelling spaces
What exactly does a theatre consultant do, and why are they an important part of designing the spaces in which we tell the most dramatic stories? Charcoalblue’s Erin Shepherd tells us more.
Project
A place of water in the Park Lands
Designed by JPE Design Studio with Warren and Mahoney and cultural creative designer Karl Winda Telfer, Adelaide Aquatic Centre — Kauwingka — recasts civic leisure as landscape, gathering place and cultural story.
Ideas
STORIESINDESIGN with RIBA Royal Gold Medallist, Níall McLaughlin
Recently in Australia as plans for the first new cathedral in over a century in Sydney were announced, Níall McLaughlin met Timothy Alouani-Roby during his visit to discuss community, tradition, inspiration and the history of architecture.
Project
HOME Parramatta and the question of renting well
As build-to-rent gains ground in Australia, HOME Parramatta asks what architecture can offer beyond supply: stability, shared amenity and a less provisional model of rental living.
Project
A vertical hospital shaped by Country and community
At Peninsula University Hospital, a people-centric design approach brings together healthcare, culture and landscape — redefining the experience of care on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Project
Designed for better education
Taking inspiration from nature, the design of St Francis Xavier College Berwick GPFLA by Bellemo & Cat provides an educational environment that enables best practice in learning and teaching.
Project
Preserving heritage with Yatofu Creatives
Cycling culture and heritage seldom converge, yet the AITASHOP flagship in Beijing is a space where both coexist.
News
Taylor Square Pride of Place event in Sydney
An event at Qtopia Sydney explored the past, present and future of Taylor Square, highlighting its role in LGBTQI+ community life.
News
Design stewardship with John Walsh
Following his appointment as Principal at Plus Studio’s Sydney office, architect John Walsh speaks with us about design culture, integrated typologies and why stretching the brief is often where the most meaningful outcomes emerge.
Project
Sydney Fish Market: Roundtable podcast with 3XN, BVN and ASPECT Studios
Fred Holt, Catherine Skinner and Louise Pearson join Timothy Alouani-Roby at The Commons to discuss Sydney’s new fish market just weeks after its grand opening.
Ideas
Five years on: What The Pacifica taught us about vertical living
Designed by Plus Studio for Hengyi, The Pacifica reveals how climate-aware design, shared amenity and ground-plane thinking can reshape vertical living in Auckland.
Ideas
The evolution of Queensland’s interior design
As Plus Studio’s newly appointed Principal, Kate Ockwell discusses how the 2032 Olympics, climate-responsive design and a maturing design culture are reshaping Queensland’s interior landscape.
Project
Rhodes Central: A 20 year vision for community-centred urban growth
Billbergia and SJB complete Stage Two of the $3 billion Rhodes masterplan, delivering critical infrastructure alongside 1,600 new homes in Sydney’s evolving inner west.
Ideas
The making of Melbourne’s apartment culture
From six-pack flats to design-led city living, Neometro’s four-decade trajectory offers a lens on how Melbourne learned to see apartment living as a cultural and architectural aspiration rather than a temporary compromise.
News
Five projects embracing the next wave of circular design
From radical material reuse to office-to-school transformations, these five projects show how circular thinking is reshaping architecture, interiors and community spaces.
Project
Designing infrastructure and care at Kampung Mrican
SHAU’s Kampung Mrican revitalisation transforms community life through social architecture, local collaboration and sustainable design.
Ideas
The future of urban liveability
At Melbourne Design Week, Plus Studio brought together planners, designers and local government voices to unpack the realities of urban densification.
News
Parliamentary Friends for Australian Urban Design reconvenes for the 48th Australian Parliament
The Parliamentary Friends reconvened at Parliament House, uniting political and professional leaders to champion architecture and design.
News
Auckland Design Week 2026 launches with bold vision for People + Place
Auckland Design Week returns for its third edition in March, unveiling an expanded programme and a renewed focus on the relationship between people, communities and the places they shape.
Project
GroupGSA designs MUFG Pension & Market Services’ Sydney HQ
GroupGSA delivers MUFG Pension & Market Service’s Sydney HQ with a dual Japanese–Australian identity, blending precision, warmth and workplace flexibility.
News
Australia’s 2025 national landscape winners
Community, Country and climate were centred at the 2025 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Awards in Lutruwita/Tasmania on 21st October.
Ideas
In Addition on designing with intention and heart
Founded by Ana Ćalić McLean and Josh McLean, In Addition is a design studio creating thoughtful, client-focused architecture and interiors.
Project
Oyster terrazzo by the harbour
Pier Pavilion by Besley & Spresser provides a refreshing, architecturally thoughtful and versatile public space by the water at Barangaroo.
News
Plus Studio and ICD Property unveil plans for major West End riverside precinct
Plus Studio and ICD Property have submitted a proposal for a development on Brisbane’s Donkin Street, using a 1.68-hectare former industrial site as a new riverside residential and community destination.
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.
Project
Retirement living that feels “grounded, adaptable and unapologetically architectural”
Designed by DKO, the latest Ingenia Lifestyle Element resident clubhouses at Fullerton Cove and Natura at Port Stephens focus on the lifestyle needs of a changing over-55s demographic.
Events
“The junction of the rational and the poetic”: Glenn Murcutt’s award bestowed upon Francis Kéré
With the inaugural Glenn Murcutt Symposium set to take place in Sydney in September 2025, Pritzker Prize-winner Francis Kéré receives the Murcutt Pin.
Project
Bar, bistro and bowling in rural NSW: The Kinross Woolshed strikes it lucky
Technē’s latest pub project gives an iconic old woolshed new life, blending family-friendly community spirit and sentimentality with nostalgic design.
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.
Project
Clubhouse class in India
The Godrej Woods Clubhouse is the jewel in the crown of a residential development in Noida, India, offering every facility curated with style and finesse by Studio IAAD.
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
Funding cuts are an existential threat to Australian Design Centre
The Australian Design Centre (ADC) is facing a crisis as core funding cuts leave NSW without a government-funded organisation dedicated to craft and design practice.
Project
Growing space: grovve by FARM and WY-TO reimagines youth wellness with design empathy
grovve sets a new benchmark in youth mental wellness design – an empathetic, biophilic sanctuary where mental wellbeing is nurtured through choice, comfort and co-creation.
Events
The cultural value of craft: How craft communities strengthen regional identity
As a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, Ballarat is hosting Craft Lab and The Great Takeaway this month. Nicole Durling, Executive Director at Craft Victoria, tells us more.
Project
Hints of New York in Hammond Studio’s Sydney office renewal
Global e-commerce tech company ROKT has a revitalised, art-filled workplace in Sydney thanks to Hammond Studio’s reuse-focused design.
Project
“A precursor of what’s to come”: Cox Architecture in the Hills
A new residential building is paving the way for great design in northwest Sydney and Cox Architecture is at the forefront of making change for the better.
Project
How can architecture be a good neighbour?
As an entry to The Multi-Residential Building category at the 2024 INDE.Awards, NH Architecture and Bird de la Coeur Architects have achieved an exemplary outcome with a project that addresses the challenges of social and affordable housing.
Ideas
“Density used to sound like a betrayal of the Australian dream”: Matthews Architects Q&A
Gerald Matthews of Matthews Architects provides insight on South Australia’s 2024 Future Living code amendment, focusing on co-located living.
Project
CONTEXT’s community park features First Nations art
A vacant plot in the heart of Wolli Creek in Bayside in South Sydney has been transformed by CONTEXT into a vibrant community park.
Project
A case study in the evolution of public art
The Heffron Centre in Maroubra, Sydney, stands as a testament to how authentic public art powered by collaborative project teams can transform urban spaces.
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.
Ideas
Comment: Designing for community harmony in mixed-use urban renewal
“The primary objective is to mitigate noise at the source” – this comment piece by Daniele Albanese, Head of Acoustics APAC, Cundall delves into how this pre-emptive solution can be soundly integrated.
Project
A win for high-quality housing with EM BE CE
EM BE CE’s competition-winning design for an inner-city affordable housing development achieves efficiency and durability without sacrificing elegant design.
Ideas
Stories Indesign: MP Max Chandler-Mather on housing crises and the politics of architecture
In this episode of Stories Indesign podcast, Timothy Alouani-Roby speaks to Greens MP and spokesperson for housing and homelessness, Max Chandler-Mather.
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.
Project
Story-telling in one of Australia’s largest public libraries
Yellamundie Library by fjcstudio in Liverpool, Western Sydney features an extensive array of options for community use, as well as a striking façade design.
Project
Towers of senior living
Architectus Conrad Gargett lead the way in design for health and wellness for seniors with this latest project in Brisbane.
Events
OMA’s David Gianotten kicks off Sydney Design Week
OMA Managing Partner – Architect David Gianotten made a fleeting visit for Sydney Design Week, catching up with our editor before his talk, ‘Beyond Architecture’.
Project
A play on curves
A playground in Ahmedabad has been expertly crafted by Hsc Designs, promoting interaction and connection for the children who call it their own.
Project
fjcstudio’s dual INDE.Award-winning school
fjcstudio recently took out two INDE.Awards for Darlington Public School. Managing Principal and incoming AIA NSW Chapter President, Elizabeth Carpenter, tells us more.
Events
Hassell and One Heart take 3D-printed earth to Tanzania
Hassell has revealed the design for a groundbreaking community building in Tanzania, a project in collaboration with the Australian-based charity, One Heart Foundation.
Ideas
Performing arts hubs: A case for cross-disciplinary creativity and community with Hayball
In this comment piece, Hayball’s Owen West, David Tweedie and Emma Parkinson make the case for an important dimension of education design.
Project
Much more than four walls and an office: Flack Studio adds cafe and reading room at The Commons
Designed by Flack Studio, Commons Coffee on Wellington Street is the latest addition to the portfolio of the increasingly popular co-working space.
Events
Queers in Property put on a night of celebration in Sydney with largest event yet
QIP recently held a significant event in Sydney, bringing together LGBTQI+ people across the property and construction industry.
Ideas
Today’s students expect more: Q&A with Architectus
We spoke to Architectus Principals, Marina Carroll and Diana Rosenthal, about meeting the needs of students today and the evolution of tertiary institutions.
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.
Ideas
Supporting First Nations artists to deliver authentic stories in urban landscapes
Tilt Industrial Design Managing and Creative Director, Tim Phillips, comments on how industrial design intersects with First Nations artists.
Ideas
Hassell and GBCA on social value in the built environment
Building on a recent research paper, Helen Bell and Dr Brett Pollard discuss how social value is defined, its potential pitfalls, and why it matters.
Project
A whole new meaning to the term ‘walled garden’ with RAD+ar in Indonesia
The latest iteration of Tanatap deploys walls as a key architectural device to create both a cooler microclimate and elevated spatial experience.
Project
Sam’s Federation-red pavilion lights up a new community hub in Sydney
In a project both thoughtful and practical, Sam Crawford Architects (SCA) has completed a multifunctional community centre in Sydney’s inner west.
News
Community, adaptability and a proud heritage at Hayball’s Scientia Terrace
With emphases on context, place, STEM and social value, Hayball has created a thriving educational environment in North Sydney.
Events
WY-TO on well-being for all in tropical cities of the future
In a time of climate emergency, how can cities support and balance the needs of their people and the planet, while ensuring their prosperity?
Ideas
Hayball comment: The importance of understanding space in enabling innovative learning experiences
In this comment piece, Hayball Principal, Dr Fiona Young, considers what it means to really understand education spaces and design for deep learning.
Events
BLP on the principles of design for non-binary youth
We republish a speech delivered by Billard Leece Partnership (BLP) Health Lead, Tracy Lord, at the 2023 UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen.
Project
Free of charge: The Living Room by socially minded Studio Tate
The pro bono work of Studio Tate is making a tangible difference to the many organisations it supports. In its latest project, there is no question that fine design makes all the difference to living a better life for those at Youth Projects’ The Living Room.
Ideas
Six things we learned in London
To start the new year, our editor was on the ground in the UK to meet some of London’s leading architects. What are the relevant insights for Australia and the Asia-Pacific?
Project
narrm ngarrgu, a place of learning and celebration by Six Degrees Architects
A new community hub has opened in Melbourne – narrm ngarrgu celebrates and showcases the voice and presence of Kulin people.
Project
Getting to know emerging architects SAHA
SAHA is an architectural studio redefining urban living, where constraints such as small sites and multigenerational living are challenges executed through design problem-solving.
News
Warren and Mahoney craft an urban village in Melbourne’s Docklands
Designed by Warren and Mahoney, ‘District Living’ is a build-to-rent project set to significantly expand and enhance accommodation options at Melbourne’s inner-city Docklands precinct.
Events
Stylecraft’s Bowling for Cancer a striking success
Flares and miniskirts made their way to the bowling alley in November to raise money for a wonderful cause.
Workplace
Wardle’s new workplace where three heritage buildings collide
Collaborating with property investor ISPT, Wardle has revitalised 477 Pitt Street to become a new mixed-use precinct with significant heritage features.
Ideas
‘Sticky tenants’ with Make Architects: UK learnings for Australian build-to-rent
What can Australian build-to-rent (BTR) developers learn from the experienced UK market and how can these lessons be applied locally? Frank Filskow shares valuable insights from Make’s work and research in the UK and Australia.
Project
Only the BEST for Blacktown: $100m sports hub opens
In Sydney’s west, Blacktown International Sports Park has expanded significantly with the newly completed Blacktown Exercise, Sports and Technology (BEST) Hub.
Ideas
What can we learn from the ‘Blue Zones’ as we strive to live longer and age well?
A specialist in senior living, Dr YE Ng of Architectus Conrad Gargett draws on research into the ‘Blue Zones’ – regions worldwide where people have the longest lifespans – to offer insights into the key ingredients to create places for ageing well.
Project
Adriano Pupil Architects, a practice that makes perfect
Architect Adriano Pupilli brings sophisticated design to every project and, whether public or private commissions, the result impacts the landscape by exemplifying best practice and providing inspiration for living.
Events
Sound in space: Story, resistance and radio on show at Tin Sheds Gallery
Amplify: Story, Resistance, Radio is the latest exhibition at Tin Sheds Gallery. With an evolving and interactive programme, it’s about more than just a static display of objects.
Ideas
Can you put a dollar value on wellbeing? Investigating Hayball’s social value initiative
Hayball has partnered with the Australian Social Value Bank (ASVB) to launch a ground-breaking initiative on measuring the social value of architecture. We spoke with architect Eilish Barry about the concept and its ramifications.
Events
A new benchmark for architecture rises with the quantification of social impact
Amongst the ever-shifting landscape of architecture and design, a new paradigm is taking root – one which places more emphasis on the relationship between design and quality of life than ever before.
Project
“The most visited place on campus”: TL Robertson Library at Curtin University
This library’s design aims to elevate the student experience and offer something extraordinary. Gillian Serisier interviews Hames Sharley and Schmidt Hammer Lassen about the design.
News
One architect’s journey from Everest Base Camp to rebuilding education in Nepal
Since the Nepal earthquakes of 2015, architect Neill Johanson of Davenport Campbell has been working to rebuild schools and support communities in Nepal’s remote regions. It’s a pro-bono project that has expanded from emergency efforts to a wider and longer-lasting vision.
Project
How we define ‘quality of life’ through architecture, post-COVID
As our perception of health and wellness evolves, so too does the role of place and environment. In this long-read article we ask DesignInc and PTW to explain how they deliver holistic wellbeing experiences through modern community developments.
Project
GR.iD by SPARK offers a case study in both urban and building rejuvenation
The youth-focused mall and education hub embraces the vitality of the arts district while turning the failures of an existing building around.
Project
Wurun Senior Campus, the height of education design in Melbourne
Winner of The Learning Space at 2023 INDE.Awards, Wurun Senior Campus by GHD Design and Grimshaw features terraces in the sky and dynamic learning neighbourhoods that turn the vertical school model outside-in. Senior year just got better.
Events
“Collector of stories”: Tim Ross is designing another legacy on television
The first series of Designing a Legacy aired in 2020 and self-proclaimed design nerd, Tim Ross, is back with a two-part series on ABC. It’s a chance to bring important architectural issues to a national broadcasting audience.
Project
Comment: Fender Katsalidis principal Jessica Lee on the three biggest trends in aged care design
In this comment piece written by Jessica Lee, talks us through the standout trends in designing for aged care.
Ideas
Comment: Why is it important to communicate the value of architecture?
In this comment piece, Lindy Johnson, director of Lindy Johnson Creative, urges architecture to communicate its value. Johnson says that architects are needed more than ever but their value is highly underrated — and that we’re all the poorer for it.
NSW
Quiet architecture amidst the dunes: Long Reef surf club by Adriano Pupilli Architects
Nestled respectfully in the dunes in a beachside pocket of Sydney that is also a sanctuary for native flora and fauna, Adriano Pupilli Architects has crafted a deliberately peaceful and understated piece of community architecture.
Events
World Pride is here: Architects with PRIDE invites you to these 4 events
Bringing together the LGBTQI+ communities of our built environment industry, Architects with PRIDE is here to celebrate the 2023 World Pride and Mardi Gras Festival. Attend these 4 events this February.
Project
Monumental and intimate: John Wardle Architects in Ballarat
As featured in Indesign issue #87, the centre for civic life in Ballarat is a complex project that delivers a community hub, workspaces and an architectural destination.
Ideas
HDR’s seven megatrends that will define city-shaping in 2023
In this comment piece, HDR uses its considerable expertise across engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services to forecast the major trends this year. If you haven’t already read up, now would be the time to hear the global take on big-picture industry trends.
Events
Architecture to affect change: Regional Architecture Association
In the regions, architects and those interested in the built environment are pooling their knowledge to help affect change. Jan Henderson introduces us to the Regional Architecture Association and what it does.
Project
Redesigning education: At home with Ngutu College
As a place of learning and a breakdown of barriers, Ngutu College, designed by Matthews Architects, is a place that gives back to the Indigenous Community on Kaurna Country.
Project
Powerhouse team: The cultural leaders shaping the museum’s public domain
The Powerhouse Parramatta’s Landscape Curatorium comprises a group of esteemed individuals advising on First Nations landscape design, farming, caring for Country, and more. Their goal? To assist in the development of the landscape design for the museum’s public domain.
Project
Where we swim: Liquid Blu’s aquatic culture
With a portfolio that extends from Hobart to Darwin and everywhere in between, Liquid Blu has played a key role in the development of Australia’s aquatic culture.
Project
Dining with dignity at Refettorio
James Richardson Furniture has worked with food rescue charity OzHarvest to create a space for Sydney’s vulnerable to dine with dignity.