reuse
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.
Project
March on Milan
Rodney Eggleston, Australian architect and founder of March Studio, designed one of Milan Design Week’s standout installations in 2026 as Aesop took over Santa Maria Del Carmine for its ‘Factory of Light.’
Events
“Renewable real estate”: Wrapping up Melbourne Design Week with FK
FK hosted a standout Melbourne Design Week event with a panel on adaptive reuse and renewable real estate at 500 Bourke, featuring previous contributor Nicky Drobis and our editor as moderator.
Project
200 years down, 200 to go
Historic Littlebourne Guest House was one of the first settler houses built west of the mountains two centuries ago. Now, a renovation and extension are designed to secure the next 200 years.
Project
A new chapter for Melbourne’s North Wharf
Designed by FK alongside One Design Office, 1 Hotel & Homes Melbourne at Seafarers is part of Riverlee’s long-game regeneration of North Wharf and finds its footing in reuse, restraint and a refusal to start from scratch.
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’.
Project
Australia Post’s circular workplace rethinks what a national institution can be
Australia Post’s new Melbourne Support Centre by Hassell showcases circular design, adaptive reuse and a community-focused approach to work.
Project
“A framework for continual transformation”: Studio Edwards creates retail apparatus with LOWF
Melbourne-based Studio Edwards has designed Shift+Space, a modular system under the banner of ‘adaptive retail architecture’. Ben Edwards tells us more.
Project
Requiem of Ruins: Multitude of Sins turns leftovers into living design
Bangalore studio Multitude of Sins elevates true leftovers — not surplus — into a richly layered workspace where waste materials become narrative, structure and sculptural expression.
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.
Workplace
Sydney’s multipurpose urban courtyard
Tzannes has completed work at The Brewery in Sydney’s Central Park, marking the culmination of an internationally significant adaptive reuse project.
People
“Made with care and intention”: Stuart Williams in profile
In Tasmania, Stuart Williams crafts his work with care and creates objects of desire with sustainability at their heart.
Workplace
Adaptive reuse secures new life for Brisbane Therapy Centre
Jesse Lockhart-Krause, Director of Lockhart-Krause Architects, tells us about a storied building in Queensland that has now become a functional workplace for a therapy centre.
Workplace
Moments of material reuse magic as Hassell designs Arup’s Brisbane office
Reuse, resourcefulness and material transformations bring unexpected stories to Arup’s new Brisbane office, designed by Hassell.
Events
ReStory by ReLove is open!
ReLove has celebrated the official opening of ReStory by ReLove, a social enterprise giving beautifully curated, preloved furniture a second life.
Events
Hassell celebrates Capella milestone
The Lands by Capella has had its official naming ceremony, marking the next chapter in the transformation of one of Sydney’s most revered heritage buildings.
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.
Events
Jessie French and Aesop join forces again for Melbourne Design Week
French’s experimental materials studio, OTHER MATTER, is collaborating across multiple Aesop premises for another exploration of experimental, circular design.
Events
Vinu Daniel, UTZON Lecturer, joins us on Stories Indesign
Fresh from the Australian Architecture Conference, Vinu joined Timothy Alouani-Roby at The Commons in Surry Hills to discuss vagabond architecture, linear practice, mud and more.
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.
Project
An emotional connection
Chinese handbag design firm, Songmont, has seen ARCHSTUDIO transform a disused factory into a space of great engagement and joy.
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.
Workplace
Seek and you shall design
The story of how Gray Puksand’s design team crafted their very own office in Melbourne.
Project
Another (provisional) boutique in Nudie Jeans’ back pocket
Nudie Jeans’ steadfast, sustainable ethos extends into this Indonesian pop-up store, lacquered in locally sourced timber.
Events
Architectus makes a home in Canberra
Having opened a Canberra studio in 2024, Associate Principal and Canberra Studio Leader Alex Lawlor tells us how things are going in the capital.
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.
Events
Crafted Liberation transforms textile waste into symbols of empowerment
From discarded headscarves to stadium seats, Crafted Liberation leverages material innovation to celebrate Iranian women’s resilience in the pursuit of gender equality.
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
Architectus’ Ruah Centre for Women and Children marks an Australian first
Architectus has delivered Perth’s new Ruah Centre for Women and Children (RCWC), the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Australia for women and children affected by family and domestic violence.
Workplace
Repurpose with purpose: FK at 500 Bourke Street
The $160 million transformation of 500 Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD has revitalised a 1970s Brutalist icon, originally designed by Godfrey & Spowers.
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
Aldwin Ong on CCD’s expansion to Singapore, AI integration and hospitality design
This insightful interview reveals how CCD Singapore plans to lead the luxury design industry through design innovation and adoption of AI technology in creating unique user experience.
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.
Project
Once upon a time in Rosebery
Notable for its adaptive reuse and retail presence, Rosebery Engine Yards is a landmark mixed-use project in Sydney’s inner south.
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.
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
Going off the rails in Melbourne CBD
Merging heritage, hospitality and education design, Gray Puksand has restored a retired W-class Melbourne to become the CBD’s newest cafe.
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.
Ideas
Comment: Lighting and circular economy on a finite planet
In this comment piece, Matt Marshall, Head of Lighting Design at Cundall Singapore, considers circular thinking and how to make a high impact in the right way.
Ideas
Material matters: Striving for circularity in the retail sector
Ahead of the Melbourne Design Week panel, industry experts and moderator Genevieve Brannigan explore the potential of bio-based and upcycled materials, envisioning a sustainable circular future spanning retail and beyond.
Ideas
AD-APT: Deep floorplates and adaptive reuse with Woods Bagot
Matt Stephenson, Principal at Woods Bagot New York, discusses a number of adaptive reuse approaches for deep floorplates.
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.
News
Te Kaha: From reuse to mixed-use at One Queen Street by Warren and Mahoney
Warren and Mahoney’s mixed-use project in Auckland is approaching full occupancy, with big plans across hospitality, workplace, retail and more.
Project
Shining salon of distinction by Moriyuki Ochiai Architects
A hair salon in the Japanese capital blends a language of metal and water in a distinctive, original design.
Project
Dining, cooking, learning, farming: AIR by OMA is a multifaceted adaptive reuse project in Singapore
Esteemed international practice OMA has completed AIR in Singapore, a genre-straddling project defined by openness and an emphasis on waste.
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.
Project
Denim divine at Nudie Jeans’ compact Brisbane store
Leading the charge for sustainable design, X+O and Nudie Jeans are both making a statement in Brisbane and doing it with creativity and innovation.
Workplace
Sydney Water’s rejuvenated headquarters is an urban watering hole designed by GroupGSA
Drawing on the concept of a watering hole as a gathering place in nature, GroupGSA has rejuvenated Sydney Water’s headquarters located in Parramatta.
Events
It’s design festival season! Melbourne Design Week asks us to ‘Design the world you want’
With over 300 events planned, the eighth edition promises another marathon week of design and its theme is at once a proposition of hope and an urgent call-to-arms.
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.
Workplace
Today Design, tomorrow the zero-waste workplace
In a veritable feast of recycled material, modular efficiency and functional flexibility, Studio Edwards has designed a zero-waste workplace for Today Design.
Ideas
Comment: Tilt’s top three sustainability priorities for 2024
In this comment piece, Tim Phillips, Managing and Creative Director of Tilt Industrial Design, identifies three key initiatives for sustainability in 2024.
Workplace
Office agility at Cox Architecture’s Midtown Workplace
Midtown Workplace is an agile 20,000-square-metre workplace spanning nine levels and merging two commercial towers in Brisbane.
Project
Masti Dubai 2.0: A chaos of colour and delight
Studio Lotus has brought vivacity and luxury sass to this redesign of a Dubai hotel hospitality spot
News
Buchan aims to deliver “a renewed sense of optimism” at Invercargill Central
Invercargill Central has been redeveloped by Buchan with a focus on retail, hospitality, civic, entertainment and commercial zones, all intricately connected by pedestrian pathways.
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.
Workplace
The theatre that became an office at Watt St Commercial
CKDS has created distinctive new office space in Newcastle’s CBD following the adaptive reuse of what was previously a theatre.
Ideas
Building a culture of product stewardship: Cultivated 10 years on
In 2013 Cultivated launched as a restoration service, today it is a full-service product stewardship business, buying back, refurbishing and recycling authentic design pieces. In this article we continue the conversation around whole-of-lifecycle-furniture.
Project
Leopold Banchini profile: A sense of place from Sydney to Switzerland
Leopold Banchini is nothing if not internationally mobile. So how does this architect, whose Marramarra Shack has recently been turnings heads in Australia and around the world, build authentic connections to places as far apart as Sydney, Lisbon and Bahrain?
Project
Spontaneity and collaboration in the place where unicorns work
Adaptable, neurodiverse work settings define this boundary-pushing workplace designed by Geyer for fintech unicorn, Tyro, and its next-gen talent.
VIC
Younghusband marries old Melbourne heritage site with carbon neutral adaptive reuse
‘Younghusband’, the historic woolshed site in Melbourne’s inner-north-west, will be transformed into both an A-grade commercial location and a model of sustainability.
Project
An exclusive tour of Cox Architecture’s new heritage home
Today’s designers talk the talk on adaptable workplace design and sustainability, but how often do they walk the walk? Timothy Alouani-Roby paid an exclusive visit to Cox Architecture’s new Sydney studio to find out how the firm is making a home there by practicing what it preaches.
News
Transforming life in the library: Spowers at Chadstone Campus
Through a strategy of reusing materials and maintaining the existing layout, Spowers has transformed the Chadstone campus library in Victoria. With strong input from end-users, the fit-out is a model of sustainable and conscientious design.
Project
What’s black and white and timber all over?
The Black & White Building by Waugh Thistleton Architects (WTA) in collaboration with TOG is a timber milestone. As the tallest mass timber office building in central London, this is a ground-breaking project in its use of material.
News
Albury Summer Place launches by rethinking the familiar
Re/place has been installed for this year’s Albury Summer Pavilion! Studio Chris Fox has partnered with Bollinger+Grohmann engineers, the University of Sydney and Swinburne University of Technology to create this temporary installation with an experimental approach to materials and circular economy.
Events
Growth industry: Students leading the way in biodesign
In a competition held by K5 Furniture in collaboration with Monash University, students were challenged with a brief of mycelium-based product design. We visit the avant-garde with the exhibition ‘Metanoia’.
News
These beautiful objects are made from waste
Waste not want not! These bold and innovative creators are designing objects and fashion using waste as their starting point.
Project
Olivia Lee’s Sci-Fi Inspired Installation for Hermès petit h
The petit h collection of handcrafted objects by Hermès is presented in the brand’s Liat Towers store in an otherworldly installation imagined and crafted by Olivia Lee.
Ideas
A Case For The Conservation Of Modern Architecture
At the eight mASEANa International Conference 2019, insights into best practice in the UK and USA were paired by the impetus of local advocates for a new system that recognises the value of modern architecture beyond economic returns.
Project
PMDL Adapts 1960s Tong Lau To Today’s Sensibilities
To demolish or to reuse? Considerations of yield, sustainability and neighbourhood character came into play when PMDL renovated a walk-up in Sheng Wan.
Project
Herzog & de Meuron Connect Past And Present With Tai Kwun Centre For Heritage & Arts
Herzog & de Meuron stitch together 16 structures and breathe new life into the iconic Hong Kong Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison.
Project
The Murray by Foster + Partners Offers A New Social Space
For luxury hotel The Murray, Foster + Partners breathe life into a conserved building whose magnificent architecture provides the starting point for both intimate and public engagement.
Project
The Murray by Foster + Partners Offers Hong Kong A New Social Space
For luxury hotel The Murray, Foster + Partners breathe life into a conserved building whose magnificent architecture provides the starting point for both intimate and public engagement.
Project
The Silo By Heatherwick Studio
Elana Castle wakes up to a sweeping views of Cape Town’s verdant mountain-scape and Waterfront precinct from the innards of an historic grain silo, thanks to an ingenious architectural transformation by Heatherwick Studio.