density
QLD
Living outside the box
At Northshore Hamilton, Plus Studio’s Danny Juric is looking beyond the apartment tower as an isolated object, drawing on mature trees, Brisbane’s subtropical climate and the rituals of outdoor living to shape Duet.
Events
Indesign Social Club kicks on in Melbourne with Reece
Born out of Saturday Indesign research, our new Social Club is a space for younger, junior designers to meet and discuss the issues of the day — and it just hit Melbourne for the first time.
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.
Events
Sydney Open gears up for some Home Truths
What does home mean to us and how does it shape the way we live? These questions and more will be the focus for the second Sydney Open Symposium on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May, 2026.
Ideas
SyLon Report: Housing as infrastructure, housing in crisis
AFK Studios’ Earle Arney joined STORIESINDESIGN podcast last year to speak about SyLon. Here, we reproduce a summary on a recent report with NLA that builds on research into housing as infrastructure amidst a landscape of housing crisis.
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
Student housing moves into the city
With projects such as Scape Kensington by Plus Studio, student accommodation in Sydney is shifting from isolated housing towards integrated urban infrastructure.
Events
Designing density with character in our inner suburbs
Kerstin Thompson of KTA and Neometro Director Lochlan Sinclair discuss density, character and the inner city during a recent gathering in St Kilda East.
Project
Sky Garden at Kai Tak: An archipelago in the air
New Office Works transforms a former airport precinct into a floating garden at The Cullinan, layering social and serene landscapes across two elevated levels overlooking Victoria Harbour.
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
Architecture, democracy and feeling at home in our cities
The built environment is all around us; would the average citizen feel less alienated if the education system engaged more explicitly with it?
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.
Ideas
Anthony Gill and Jason Gibney on urban density and bushfire resilience
Winners of the 2025 Habitus House of the Year and Editor’s Choice Award respectively, Anthony Gill and Jason Gibney join the podcast to discuss the state of housing in Australia today.
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.
Events
A live audience interview with Anthony Burke
Professor of architecture, academic, television presenter and much else besides, Anthony Burke joins Timothy Alouani-Roby in Sydney for a live audience discussion about housing and his globetrotting story in architecture.
Events
Between Sydney and London: Earle Arney on Stories Indesign
The London-based architect was recently in Australia for SyLon, an event broadcast simultaneously in Sydney and London to explore housing solutions across both cities.
Events
Four architects discuss the NSW Housing Pattern Book
In this episode of Stories Indesign, architects from Studio Johnston, Sam Crawford Architects, SAHA and Carter Williamson discuss their involvement in the recently launched NSW Pattern Book.
Ideas
‘City Living: Neometro residents and works’
This new book tells resident stories about how good design creates liveable, high-density homes with socially led developer Neometro.
Workplace
Seidler-inspired office warmth
Taking cues from Harry Seidler’s materials and curving corridors as well as luxury hotels and hospitality design, GroupGSA has completed a new suite of offices in Sydney.
Events
UNSW housing analytics lab launches in Sydney
A new analytics lab led by UNSW researchers will draw on generative AI in an attempt to tackle Australia’s housing crisis, and has opened with an event attended by the NSW Premier in Eveleigh.
Ideas
ArtMade Architects’ Director weighs in on NSW Housing Policy
With more NSW Housing Policy rolled out early this year, ArtMade Architects’ Sherif Saad comments on the importance of good design to its success.
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.
Project
All in one at Fellowship Kew
Fellowship Kew LIFE Architecture and Urban Design with SORA and Jack Merlo is multi-residential living at its best, where an apartment meets all the needs for an exclusive clientele.
Project
Built to rent, led by design
Fitzroy & Co is a case study in how thoughtful design can reinvigorate urban rental housing, with an authenticity that defies the ephemeral trends of the market.
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
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.
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.
Workplace
The (slowly) evolving workplace: Hassell releases research on hybrid work
New research by Hassell with Density shows North American tech offices are lagging in adapting to hybrid work, resulting in underutilised spaces.
Project
8 thought-provoking stories about housing and its multiple crises
From housing affordability to questions of density, multi-residential design and the future of cities, here are eight varied stories from our archives.
Events
Parliament unites to champion urban design excellence in Australia
Designed to drive positive change, promote sustainable practices and cultivate inclusive communities, the recent launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Design will champion the role of urban design in shaping the nation’s identity.
Ideas
Three Canberra architects on lessons from history for a planned city
We spoke with three architects currently practising in Canberra to investigate the city’s planned history and what it means to work in that shadow.
Events
Hassell’s Perth BTR housing gets thumbs up from the Prime Minister
195 Pier Street is a build-to-rent (BTR) housing project in Perth and Hassell’s design just received some approving words from Anthony Albanese, no less!
Events
AI, Tokyo Metabolism and the city of the future
From INDESIGN #90, the ‘Future Cities’ issue, we consider a precedent from mid-century Japan in terms of confronting crises and rapid technological change.
Ideas
HDR outlines six megatrends for 2024
In a climate of innovation, HDR’s architecture practice has forecasted six trajectories of change that will have a transformative impact over the coming year and redefine city-shaping for the foreseeable future.
News
Architectus’ Design Charrette “raises the consciousness of the whole studio”
We dive into the Architecture Design Charrette, in which Adelaide’s Thebarton and Brisbane’s Roma Street Precinct have provided recent focuses.
Ideas
Hatch comment: The future of urban regeneration is here
In this comment piece, Mike Day, partner at Hatch, draws on his three decades as an urban design leader to offer insights into how Australian cities could become fit for the future.
Project
TURNER’s award-winning worker housing
Sydney architecture firm TURNER received a Good Design Award for its Meridian Miranda project, focusing on design elements that cater to essential workers.
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.
Project
SJB comment: The value differentiator in build-to-rent
In this comment piece, SJB director Nigel Morris discusses a test case for amenity-driven living in the build-to-rent sector.
Events
Adam Haddow comments on new NSW housing manifesto
The AIA NSW Chapter President reacts to a recent announcement by the Minns state government aimed at tackling the housing crisis.
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.
Workplace
From tired office to luxury aged care: Adaptive reuse with Fender Katsalidis
The Alba is a transformative adaptive reuse project in Melbourne, transforming a dilapidated office building into a refined aged care residence.
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
Koichi Takada on nature, luxury and his latest collaboration with Lexus
As LANDMARK by Lexus returns for its sixth iteration, Sydney-based Japanese architect Koichi Takada is reflecting on the place of nature in design.
Ideas
Kristen Whittle and the quest for soulful density
Building on a profound depth of experience, Kristen Whittle is orchestrating his very own studio with a humanistic design philosophy based on care.
Ideas
Comment: Susanne Pini on build-to-rent, the new place activator
In this comment piece, Rothelowman principal, Susanne Pini, argues that the build-to-rent model makes for a much richer mix of spaces in our cities.
Events
Pritzker Prize-winning architects Lacaton & Vassal launch Sydney exhibition
Curated by France-based architects Lacaton & Vassal, ‘Living in the City’ runs at the Tin Sheds Gallery within the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning until September 23.
Ideas
Plus Architecture comment: What inspired us about the Scandinavian housing model?
Plus Architecture’s Patric Przeradzki offers four key takeaways from the Scandinavian housing model. Przeradzki argues they can be applied in Australia to work towards healthier, safer and more cohesive residential communities.
Events
Three essential changes: NSW AIA criticises the state’s Affordable Housing Strategy
The NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, led by president Adam Haddow, voices concerns about the NSW Affordable Housing Strategy, citing a risk of abuse for financial gain. The Institute advocates for permanent affordable housing, management by registered non-profits and a restriction on development approval times to deter land banking.
Events
Sustainable, livable and naturally urban: Sydney’s future at the VIVID Collectivity Talks
While Sydney’s VIVID celebration is typically associated with stunning visuals and light shows, it is also a place to ponder the futures of the harbour city.
Project
Tackling housing density on the Victorian Architecture Awards shortlist
The shortlist for the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Architecture Awards has been published. Nightingale Village is one of the projects in the mix and we spoke to Austin Maynard Architects about their part in it.