8 Ways to Transform Used Shipping Containers

The global conversation on climate change and sustainability are becoming more urgent. This has caused people to seek out solutions to reduce negative impacts on the environment. A great way to become more sustainable is to repurpose existing materials. One increasingly popular trend is the transformation of old shipping containers. These containers are built from high strength steel, made to withstand the harsh conditions of the high seas. Their industrial appearance may seem off-putting, but there’s something charming about an object taking on a second life after it’s already travelled around the world. The shipping container is a symbol of …

Read the full article

Materials that make heat worse for our kids demand a rethink by designers

It is with some relief that Australians are leaving behind the excruciatingly hot days of summer. But did you ever stop to think about the role of design in making matters better – or worse? Spending all day in air-conditioned rooms before walking out to a car that has baked in the sun all day is an exercise in extremes that many of us have faced. It’s easy to forget these conditions are shaped and mediated by design. Campaigns warn us about the dangers of leaving children in hot parked cars. However, there are many more designed microclimates in the …

Read the full article

Urban Runoff and Water Sustainability in Urban Design

The issue of conserving our environment is a complex one. While reducing our material usage, reusing what already exists and recycling other products are all valuable steps towards reducing the impacts of climate change, they cannot be the only strategies adopted in an integrated approach. Sustainability is not just a matter of products. A holistic approach must also encompass how the built environment responds to its context and to its inherent natural processes. This is more important than ever, as extreme weather events become more frequent, placing extra stress on – and accelerating the degradation of – both our natural …

Read the full article

Design Competitions and the “Design Dividend” in Central Sydney

Good design delivers a variety of public benefits. The so-called “design dividend” links these benefits to positive financial uplift for property interests resulting from superior design. But what happens when competitive design processes enter the picture? An Australian Research Council-funded project led by researchers from UNSW Sydney and the University of Canberra is examining the City of Sydney Council’s Competitive Design Policy. This policy uniquely requires major private projects in Sydney’s CBD to undergo a design procurement process based on jury-based evaluation of alternative designs. A discretionary floor-space bonus becomes available for achieving “Design Excellence” via this route. With this …

Read the full article

Land of opportunity – accommodating population and social diversity from the ashes of manufacturing

Preston is a typical Melbourne working class suburb characterised by industrial properties along key routes with surrounding ¼ acre worker housing. The recent decline in Australian manufacturing has resulted in many sites becoming vacant and jobs going out of these areas.  In many cases these vacated sites are large enough to accommodate significant residential, commercial and civic infrastructure and therefore generate local employment. They also present a great opportunity for exemplary urban design outcomes due to the sheer scale. Oakover Square is such a property.  This proposal is an example of industrial land being successfully knitted back into its suburban …

Read the full article