Architecture Australia 07.08 2019

Architecture Australia Jul / Aug 2019
Vol. 108 No. 4

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Celebrating Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg

The 2019 Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medallists
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Contents
Architecture Australia National Prizes 2019 Projects

Jul / Aug 2019 15 Overview 32 Green Square Library and Plaza
The winners of the Australian Institute Studio Hollenstein in association
of Architects’ 2019 National Prizes with Stewart Architecture adopt
are announced. Awards comprise an urban strategy in the design
the Gold Medal, National President’s of a public library and plaza in
Prize, Leadership in Sustainability Sydney’s Green Square.
Prize, Paula Whitman Leadership Review by Charles Rice.
in Gender Equity Prize, Neville
Quarry Architectural Education Prize, 40 The Calile Hotel
Student Prize for the Advancement A Brisbane hotel by Richards and
of Architecture, BlueScope Glenn Spence is evocative of luxury tropical
Murcutt Student Prize, National resorts, yet also assimilates into
Emerging Architect Prize and its inner-urban context. Review
Upfront Dulux Study Tour. by Anita Panov and Andrew Scott.
09 Foreword 91 2019 Gold Medallists 48 The Ian Potter Southbank Centre

Helen Lochhead, National President Architecture Australia’s tribute John Wardle Architects has
of the Australian Institute of to the 2019 Gold Medallists, composed an architectural
Architects, on architects as agents Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg, vessel that supports musical
of change. features contributions by Ian learning as it mediates between
McDougall, Aaron Betsky, Russell performer, audience and city.
10 Reflection Fortmeyer and Justine Clark. Review by Maryam Gusheh.
Editorial director Katelin
Butler congratulates 58 Three Capes Track Lodges
the 2019 Gold Medallists. Two sets of walking lodges
by Andrew Burns Architecture
continue the tradition of
place-sensitive architecture
in the Tasmanian wilderness.
Review by Helen Norrie.
68 Daylesford Longhouse
In regional Victoria, Partners Hill
employs a vast industrial shed
as the veil for a rationally planned
yet intriguing program.
Review by Katelin Butler.
76 Whitlam Place
Freadman White and Anon Studio’s
multiresidential project in Fitzroy,
Melbourne is designed with
community, not commodity,
in mind. Review by Andy Fergus.
Cover image 2019 Gold Medallists Julie Eizenberg and Hank Koning.
84 Subiaco House
A new residence in Perth by Vokes
and Peters at once recollects and
reconsiders the suburban house.
Review by Simon Pendal.
Photography Matthew Momberger
Jul / Aug 2019 07

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Foreword
Architects as In assuming the role of 2019 National Of course, adding to the excitement
President of the Australian Institute of was the awarding of the Institute’s national
agents of change Architects, I have been struck by what prizes. In particular I would like to mention
a time of both challenge and opportunity our Gold Medal winners, this year’s
it is for our profession. recipients of the Institute’s highest honour,
The verdict in the Lacrosse building Hank Koning FRAIA and Julie Eizenberg
fire case in Melbourne, and broader RAIA of USA-based Koning Eizenberg
discussions about the safety of our built Architecture.
environment, have had ramifications right Since founding their practice in
across industry and around the country. 1981, Hank and Julie have, through their
With advocacy support from the Institute, affordable housing, education and civic
quality is once again in welcome focus. projects, tirelessly fought to improve the
The quality of our buildings is only as good situation of disadvantaged communities,
as the quality of the procurement and predominantly in California’s Santa Monica
delivery processes, so we’ve laid the area. As the jury noted, “Their efforts have
groundwork on related issues of long- transformed the lives of those they have
running concern to the profession, touched – by providing meaningful and
including novation, and I look forward to respectful homes, they have also brought
us taking this further in the coming year. these communities into the spotlight so
We will also keep up the pressure that other firms may now consider designing
in our campaigns to ensure decision- for them a worthwhile pursuit.”
makers value the very tangible benefits In accord with the 2019 conference
that architects and well-designed, enduring theme, Julie and Hank epitomize what
places bring to our cities and communities. it means to be agents of change. We
Looking more broadly, I note that commend and congratulate them.
it has been a time of change and some Finally, but no less importantly,
uncertainty in regards to the federal I would like to acknowledge the contribution
election and elections in the nation’s two of our Board and National Council. Special
most populous states over the course of thanks to outgoing Board members Richard
the past twelve months, not to mention Kirk, Giselle Collins and Justin Hill for
some instability in the housing market. their commitment and wisdom during
But this change has created their tenures.
opportunities. For the first time in a I also welcome Alice Hampson
decade, housing affordability has come as President-Elect. It is testament to the
back into focus. I’d like to acknowledge steady progress toward better diversity
the efforts of Immediate Past President within our profession that the Institute
Clare Cousins, and thank her on behalf will have, for the first time in its history,
of members, for the enormous effort she a succession of three (and potentially
has invested in this and other advocacy more) women as National Presidents.
issues over the past year. While I am confident that we have not
Also in the spotlight are our cities, been elected on the basis of our gender,
and the question of how they grow and it’s worth pointing out the importance of
develop as our population increases and the Institute’s leadership in championing
our community profile realigns. Here, too, diversity and setting targets. These
there are unprecedented opportunities for initiatives have encouraged participation
architects to take the lead as city shapers, and equitable representation on our Board,
expert advisers and champions for more National Council and in practice. In an
equitable development of our nation’s industry that historically has been slow to
urban and regional centres. City-shaping embrace diversity, the value this leadership
strategies have defined so much of my brings to the profession is significant.
professional experience, and I am very I look forward to continued
excited by the role the Institute and its advancement on all these fronts and more,
members can play in taking the cities and to working with everyone involved with
agenda forward. the Institute to advocate for our members,
Our national conference in June, further strengthening the profession and
Collective Agency, was an inspiring elevating our public voice.
demonstration of the power architects as
activists possess. The annual conference, — Helen Lochhead, National
with local and international speakers, President, Australian Institute of Architects
offers a valuable and rewarding opportunity
for exchange and peer-learning and
I offer warm congratulations to curators
Monique Woodward and Stephen Choi
for a great program.
Jul / Aug 2019 09

Reflection
A humanist agenda This issue of Architecture Australia

announces the recipients of the Australian
and joyfully engaged with each student’s
project, and my fear quickly subsided and
spurred by activism Institute of Architects’ 2019 Gold Medal – was replaced by a hunger to take away as
Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg of much as I could about her design thinking.
USA-based practice Koning Eizenberg Julie is the third female architect
Architecture. The Gold Medal is the to receive the Gold Medal since the
Institute’s highest honour and the 2019 accolade’s inception in 1960, joining Brit
recipients were announced at Collective Andresen (2002) and Kerry Clare (2010,
Agency, this year’s National Architecture with Lindsay Clare). This belies the number
Conference. In an appropriate coincidence, of talented and influential women in
the focus of this conference, curated by Australian architectural history. With the
Monique Woodward and Stephen Choi, was efforts of organizations such as Parlour
on a new generation of architects hungry advocating for gender equity and the
for change, a theme that echoes the recognition of women, my hope is that
passion for activism shown by a young Julie we see more exceptional women on this
and Hank during their student days in list in years to come.
1970s Melbourne. Alongside contributions In addition to celebrating the
by Aaron Betsky, Russell Fortmeyer and winners of the 2019 National Prizes, this
Justine Clark that celebrate the issue reviews a set of typologically diverse
achievements of Julie and Hank, Ian and significant projects, including a library
McDougall reflects on this formative and in the evolving urban precinct of Green
experimental time for the formidable duo. Square in Sydney by Studio Hollenstein
During their time in Melbourne, in association with Stewart Architecture
the strong humanist social agenda of (page 32); an “urban resort” in Brisbane
Koning Eizenberg Architecture was formed by Richards and Spence (page 40); John
alongside peers including McDougall, Wardle Architects’ latest educational
Steve Ashton, Grant Marani, Carey Lyon project, The Ian Potter Southbank Centre
and many others. Soon after, Julie and (page 48); and a collection of restrained
Hank made their home in Los Angeles and, pavilions in the Tasmanian wilderness
with a deep interest in the city, have since by Andrew Burns Architecture (page 58).
been on the hunt for what Betsky calls Three residential projects each offer
“a Southland style.” something new to the conversation about
In addition to their ongoing how we might live in the future – a self-
commitment to community-minded initiated housing venture in Melbourne’s
architecture, Julie and Hank have also Fitzroy by Freadman White and Anon Studio
made a significant contribution to (page 76), a Perth home by Vokes and
architectural education in Australia and Peters that argues for a collective suburban
in the USA. I recall my own encounter with life (page 84) and a multifunctional
Julie’s analytical eye when she was a guest greenhouse in Daylesford by Partners Hill
critic at a design studio in the Master of that offers some clues to the challenges
Fix The restoration and reordering of the parish church
of Saints Peter and Paul at Bulimba, Queensland (page Architecture program at the University of and opportunities of self-sustained living
16, May/June issue of Architecture Australia) is the Melbourne, where I was a student. At the (page 68).
work of Dion Seminara Architecture. The restoration, time, I was simultaneously terrified and
conservation and enhancement of St Francis Xavier
Cathedral in Geraldton, Western Australia (page 17) excited by the prospect of having Julie — Katelin Butler, Editorial Director
is the work of John Taylor Architect. pass comment on my work. She articulately
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Australian Institute
of Architects’
National Prizes
2019
Jul / Aug 2019 15
National Prizes
Gold Medal Hank Koning FRAIA and

Julie Eizenberg RAIA
a professional blindness to the needs of community engagement have surely

of those communities in general. inspired many architects to consider
Through their affordable housing, tackling the important work of socially
education and civic projects, Julie and responsible architecture.
Hank have tirelessly fought to improve the Throughout his career, Hank has
situation of these typically underprivileged been involved in the profession beyond
communities. Their efforts have transformed practice, including through the Australian

the lives of those they have touched – by Institute of Architects’ International
providing meaningful and respectful homes, Chapter, for which he has been a
they have also brought these communities committee member since 2010 including
into the spotlight so that other firms time as Chair. Hank’s involvement has been
may now consider designing for them instrumental in developing the chapter’s
a worthwhile pursuit. growing mandate and success.
The firm has not relied solely on Other aspects of the firm’s prowess
architectural commissions to make a can be seen in their early consideration
difference to the world; rather, Julie and and application of sustainable practices,
Hank have continuously sought to change including in their own offices in Santa
the nature of the world they are pitching Monica, their design for the largest LEED
The Gold Medal – the Australian Institute in. They do this by actively challenging the silver-rated museum in the United States
of Architects’ highest honour – recognizes planning process through their engagement (the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh,
distinguished service by architects with authorities and the community to 2004) and, more recently, their design for
who have designed or executed buildings make better outcomes than the existing the LEED platinum-rated Pico Branch
of high merit, producing work of regulations and methods have typically Library in Santa Monica, California (2014).
great distinction that has advanced allowed. In this way, the legacy of their The firm has already won great
architecture or endowed the profession projects lies not just in the bricks and respect among its peers, with a long list
in a distinguished manner. The 2019 Gold mortar of the buildings themselves, but of awards for its architecture, and it is
Medal is awarded to Hank Koning FRAIA also in the hearts and minds of all those this design talent combined with a long-
and Julie Eizenberg RAIA of Koning involved in making sure the lessons learnt term ethical investment in designing
Eizenberg Architecture. extend beyond the property boundaries. for underprivileged communities, and
Since the inception of their Their commitment to being agents showing the value of this endeavour for
practice, Hank and Julie have produced of change has continued over time, with all concerned, that make Hank Koning
work of dignity underpinned by an Julie teaching and lecturing around the and Julie Eizenberg most worthy recipients
egalitarian generosity of light, scale world, including at Yale, Harvard, MIT, UCLA, of the 2019 Gold Medal.
and air – all imbued with Australian SCI-Arc, Tulane University and the University
congeniality and wit. of Melbourne. In April 2016, Julie was a Architecture Australia’s tribute to the 2019 Gold Medallists
begins on page 91.
After studying at the University keynote speaker at the Australian Institute
of Melbourne, Julie and Hank arrived of Architects’ National Architecture
in Los Angeles in 1979 to undertake Conference in Adelaide, How Soon is Now,
graduate study at UCLA. They established where she clearly outlined the firm’s values
Koning Eizenberg Architecture on of “designing from social principles first”
graduating in 1981. and “connecting communities through
Jury
The practice is located predominantly design.” The examples she gave and the
in Santa Monica, California, and much of difficulties of the process that Julie and Clare Cousins FRAIA (Chair) – President, Australian Institute
of Architects | Director, Clare Cousins Architects
its work considers communities that have Hank are willing to endure to ensure
Richard Kirk LFRAIA – Immediate Past President,
been overlooked by architects and the a successful outcome – for their clients
Australian Institute of Architects | Director, Kirk
design community in general. This neglect as well as the surrounding community –
Peter Elliott AM LFRAIA – 2017 Gold Medallist |
has occurred for a range of reasons – the are testament to the practice’s ongoing Principal, Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design
problems involved were perceived as too energy and commitment to its principles. Emma Williamson RAIA – Principal, TheFulcrum.Agency
difficult to work through, the genre of work The high-quality, often award-winning Kerry Clare LFRAIA – 2010 Gold Medallist (with Lindsay Clare)
was unfashionable or there simply existed built results stemming from this process | Director, Clare Design
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National Prizes
National Tim Ross modernist buildings. Through storytelling,

comedy and music, these events provide
President’s Prize a unique opportunity for the public to
experience architecture. In recent years,
Architecture needs champions: the program has expanded to showcase
advocates who will embrace our campaigns contemporary architect-designed homes
for design – and its positive impact on at home and abroad.
communities, the environment and society – Tim is a true advocate for the cause
and amplify our voice to a wider audience. of architecture. Presenting the Australian
One of our champions is Tim Ross. Institute of Architects’ Griffin Lecture at
A comedian, self-proclaimed design nerd, the National Press Club last year, he argued
broadcaster and entertainer, Tim is one of the case for protecting our “new heritage,”
our industry’s most passionate activists its retention being critical to the cultural
and champions. Not only has he raised the fabric of our communities. Tim has also
profile of heritage and design in general, been vocal in the Hands Off Anzac Hall and
he also promotes Australian architecture Save Our Sirius campaigns and achieved
through his unique voice in popular culture. recognition with a National Trust Heritage
He delved into modernist Australian Award for Advocacy in 2018.
residential architecture in the 2016 Now it is our turn to officially
television show Streets of Your Town, recognize him for his advocacy, activism
highlighting its importance in contemporary and outstanding contribution to the
culture and its precarious standing in architecture profession. In awarding the
planning codes. This was a passion project 2019 National President’s Prize, we thank
for Tim, who devised, wrote and hosted the Tim for his passion, his entertainment, his
two-part series. It was the most-watched vision, and his heart and soul for the cause
arts program that year. His involvement of architecture.
expands the reach of the architecture
profession to a much wider audience than
we would otherwise be able to achieve.
Together with Kit Warhurst, Tim Jury
established Man About the House in 2013 Clare Cousins FRAIA (Chair) – President, Australian Institute
to host small gatherings in iconic Australian of Architects | Director, Clare Cousins Architects
Leadership in Cooperative enable better developments and faster

approvals to establishing low-carbon
Sustainability Prize Research Centre programs for schools and businesses,
the Cooperative Research Centre for Low
for Low Carbon Living Carbon Living’s leadership in the field has
been well recognized. What impressed the
jury in particular was its ongoing policy
The Cooperative Research Centre for Low work, including proposed revisions to
Photography Robert Frith
Carbon Living has been one of Australia’s the building sustainability index, and
pivotal research and innovation hubs, its collective advocacy work, which
focused on driving our sector towards has included a number of forums and
not only more sustainable development, publications covering local renewables,
but also a globally competitive low-carbon cooling cities and low-carbon homes for
future. The Cooperative Research Centre’s low-income households. The Cooperative
advancement of knowledge through Research Centre, in a reasonably short
research and education has included time, has touched a large number of those
training more than one hundred higher- in the built environment in a positive way.
degree research students, developing a
much-needed evidence base for policy
Gen–Y House, part of White Gum Valley in
and planning, and growing an extensive
Perth. The project, designed by David Barr
Architects, is one of the Cooperative partner network with sustainable built Jury
Research Centre for Low Carbon Living’s environment peak bodies, ensuring that James Legge FRAIA (Chair) – Director, Six Degrees
sixteen Living Labs. the research undertaken has real-world Jennie Officer RAIA – Director, Officer Woods Architects
impact at building and precinct scales. Stephen Choi RAIA – Executive Director, Living Future
From working with councils, property Institute of Australia
developers and utilities companies to Isabelle Toland – Director, Aileen Sage Architects
Jul / Aug 2019 19

National Prizes
Paula Whitman Helen Lochhead FRAIA thousand women in the industry, creating
new partnerships and job opportunities.
Leadership in In her role as New South Wales
Gender Equity Prize deputy government architect, she
introduced programs to support women to
The jury has awarded the 2019 Paula stay in the workforce. As a member of the
Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Australian Institute of Architects / National
Prize to Professor Helen Lochhead for Association of Women in Construction
her outstanding and determined individual Mentor Program and through her own
contribution to the advancement of gender private practice, Helen has mentored
equity in architecture, and her leadership students, staff and colleagues in Australia
across all criteria: contribution to education, and overseas.
research, advocacy, policy development Combining her teaching, research,
and community engagement. practice and advisory roles, Helen uses her
The first female dean of the Faculty profile to facilitate education opportunities
of the Built Environment at the University for women in architecture, including
of New South Wales, Helen has consistently establishing scholarships and prizes,
championed the advancement of women and supporting mentoring programs
through her professional activities over and work placements.
a sustained period. With a reach of more Helen is a most deserving recipient
than three thousand staff and graduates, of this 2019 prize, and we congratulate her
she has used her leadership to actively on this significant recognition.
support women though policy, advocacy
and mentorship. In 2017, Helen pledged to
Jury
ensure 50 percent of leadership roles in
Ken Maher AO LFRAIA (Chair) – Immediate Past President’s
the architectural profession would be held
delegate and former President, Australian Institute of
by women by 2025; this year, she met this Architects | Fellow, Hassell
goal within the faculty’s leadership team Kellie McGivern – Chair, National Gender Equity Committee,
and advisory council. Australian Institute of Architects | Senior Project Manager,
Donald Cant Watts Corke
Helen’s contribution is exemplified
by the UNSW Engaging Women in the Built Thom McKenzie RAIA – President, EmAGN, Australian
Institute of Architects | Director, Winwood McKenzie
Environment program, a personal initiative
Amarinda Bazeley – National Vice President, SONA,
that profiles more than twenty women each Australian Institute of Architects | Architectural Assistant,
year and has connected more than one Cathi Colla Architects
Neville Quarry Vivian Mitsogianni RAIA She has been a core member of the
supervisory team for RMIT’s practice-
Architectural based PhD program, and her doctoral
students have included luminaries of
Education Prize the profession in Australia and abroad,
Dr Vivian Mitsogianni has excelled in all including a referee for this award.
areas of academic life – teaching, research She is a powerful voice for design
and leadership. More distinctly, she has and education, as demonstrated by her
sought ways to combine these fields of work in co-editing the 2015 book Studio
endeavour. Her teaching and research have Futures: Changing Architectural Trajectories
converged seamlessly with an ideas-led in Architectural Education. Lastly, Vivian
architectural practice and been deeply has proved a compelling manager, winning
informed by her own personal explorations the RMIT vice-chancellor’s leadership
in design since she established M@Studio award for “progressing the discipline with
Architects almost two decades ago. The authority and humility while helping others
practice won the inaugural competition for to be the best self they can be.”
the NGV architecture commission which,
when realized, attracted critical acclaim
Jury
and public approval.
Vivian has played a much greater Sandra Kaji-O’Grady Aff. RAIA (Chair) – University
of Queensland
role at RMIT University than that of an
exemplary architect for students to look Peter McPherson – President, Association of Architecture
Schools of Australasia
up to. As head of architecture since 2013,
Helen Norrie – University of Tasmania
she continues to foster opportunities for
Chris L. Smith – Chair, National Education Committee,
other architectural studios to teach in Australian Institute of Architects
the RMIT program or to become students Gina Engelhardt – President, SONA , Australian Institute
and embark on design-based research. of Architects
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National Prizes
Student Prize for Winner – and presented through onsite exhibitions

and illustrated keepsake booklets.
the Advancement Bobbie Bayley Bobbie and Owen documented
their journey via Instagram, Facebook and
of Architecture and Owen Kelly a blog – “The Grand Section: Girt by Sea,
Girth by Desert” – and, since completing
it, they have shared their research with the
The 2019 Student Prize for the Advancement wider architectural community through
of Architecture is awarded to Bobbie Bayley conference presentations and numerous
Photography Dillon Seitchik-Reardon
and Owen Kelly for their project Grand talks and workshops across Australia. They
Section. Inspired by the principles of the have also produced a travelling exhibition,
Grand Tour and an architectural section, Girthy with Slim Edges, comprising
Bobbie and Owen set out to explore handmade display cases, printed zines
the relationship between landscape, and videos from their travels. They continue
architecture and people in some of the to travel and share their experiences
most remote parts of Australia. Travelling and insights with both the architectural
by bicycle for ten months, the pair traversed profession and the general public.
the continent along latitude 25°S from The jury unanimously awards
Fraser Island in the east to Shark Bay in the this prize to Bobbie and Owen for their
west, a journey of 7,600 kilometres. Their initiative, creativity and tenacity, and for
journey was punctuated by week-long their commitment to the advancement
stopovers that afforded Bobbie and Owen of architecture through leadership,
opportunities for exchange by engaging publication, education and, most
communities in participatory workshops particularly, community engagement
and discussions about place, people and and advocacy in promoting the value and
architecture. The findings were captured importance of Australian architecture.
Commendation – promotes architectural events and

exhibitions in Melbourne. The account
Julius Egan has promoted more than 725 events,
amassed more than 2,500 followers,
and resulted in more than 4,700 links
The jury unanimously awarded Julius Egan to external event websites.
a commendation in the 2019 Student Prize Julius has excelled as a student
for the Advancement of Architecture. at RMIT, winning both the ARM Prize in
Julius has shown enormous energy 2016 and the Antonia Bruns Medal in 2018.
and initiative across the areas of leadership, The ARM Prize provided Julius with a
education and community. From 2016 to research position with CSIRO and CLARA.
2018, Julius was chair of RMIT Architecture’s Julius has volunteered as a mentor to
Student–Staff Consultative Committee, first-year students, including providing
representing students and chairing guest crits of their interim and final
meetings between staff and students. presentations, and maintaining frequent
As chair, he initiated a design competition email contact. His skills as a mentor
for under-utilized university space that precipitated a teaching position in the
attracted one hundred entries exhibited undergraduate program at the University
at the Design Hub and was visited by more of Melbourne, which he has successfully
than a thousand people. At the same time, held for two years.
he initiated a cultural calendar of posters Julius’s commitment to
pinned up throughout the university community and leadership through
and TAFE school to foster community student representation, his engagement
and engagement. though his competition and exhibition,
Inspired to engage more broadly with his teaching and the ongoing outcomes
the culture of the city, Julius transformed achieved through his promotion of
his cultural calendar into an Instagram architecture via Instagram make him
account, @architecture.events, which worthy of recognition.
Jury
Vanessa Bird FRAIA (Chair) – National President’s Chris L. Smith – Chair, National Education Committee,
delegate, Australian Institute of Architects | Australian Institute of Architects
Principal, Bird de la Coeur Architects Troy Borg – President, SONA, Australian Institute
Ceridwen Owen RAIA – University of Tasmania of Architects
Jul / Aug 2019 23

National Prizes
BlueScope Glenn Sobi Slingsby The natural world is not static –

the shelters can be tuned to suit different
Murcutt Student Prize climatic conditions and adverse weather
to capture breezes, offer shade and
withstand the extremes of tropical cyclones.
The jury was unanimous in awarding The technologies are simple and direct,
Photography Alejo Achaval

the 2019 BlueScope Steel Glenn providing an experience akin to camping.
Murcutt Student Prize to Sobi Slingsby Their small footprint and elevated platforms
of Griffith University for her project evoke the childhood pleasures of the
on Lady Elliot Island. treehouse with views over the island,
Sobi’s scheme is a beautifully surrounding reefs and ocean.
considered architectural response to All aspects of the scheme have
the anticipated impact of climate change been carefully considered and are
and sea-level rise on a coral cay at the illustrated with outstanding drawings,
southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef. eloquent narrative and refined imagery.
The proposal is for a group of shelters,
both on land and over the water, that
provide the essential needs of human
Jury
habitation. The land-based structures are
Paul Berkemeier LFRAIA (Chair) – Paul Berkemeier Architect
kept below the treetops, while those on
Brit Andresen LFRAIA – Emeritus Professor, University
the water are raised on sturdy foundations of Queensland
and imagined to foster new coral growth Gina Engelhardt – President, SONA, Australian Institute
as the coral cay adapts to climate change. of Architects
National Emerging Monique Woodward In 2015, Monique was awarded a place

on the Dulux Study Tour and in 2019
Architect Prize RAIA she was appointed co-curator for the
Australian Institute of Architects’ National
Architecture Conference, Collective Agency.
Since 2011, Monique has
Monique Woodward is awarded the 2018 combined tutoring design at RMIT
Photography Adam Katsonis

National Emerging Architect Prize. The and Monash University with speculative
Emerging Architect Prize is Australia’s most projects that offer alternative solutions
prestigious prize for emerging architects, to local sites. She is recognized for her
celebrating a practice or individual who entrepreneurial spirit and exploration of
is making an exemplary contribution to alternative modes of project procurement
architecture and the profession. and advocacy, including self-initiated
Monique is a passionate architect projects, the If You Were Mine video series
and she has demonstrated excellence and WOWOWA’s recent work on a
in architectural practice, leadership, Nightingale housing development.
education and community engagement. Monique is a passionate advocate
Graduating with a Master of for architecture who has harnessed video,
Architecture from RMIT University in 2009, podcasts, radio, crowdfunding, election
she was awarded the Glenn Murcutt campaigns and Instagram to communicate
Student Prize. the importance of architecture in shaping
In collaboration with Scott the built environment.
Woodward, Monique established Monique is a deserving winner
WOWOWA in 2011. The practice’s of the 2018 National Emerging Architect
vibrant work has been widely published Prize, and we look forward to her
and awarded at state and national continued and colourful contribution
levels. WOWOWA is recognized for its to Australian architecture.
commitment to finding a uniquely
Australian approach to architecture. Jury
Monique is an enthusiastic member Clare Cousins FRAIA (Chair) – President, Australian Institute
of Architects | Director, Clare Cousins Architects
of the profession. Elected as an Australian
Thom McKenzie RAIA – President, EmAGN, Australian
Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter Institute of Architects | Director, Winwood McKenzie
councillor in 2016, Monique has served on Christina Cho RAIA – Past National Emerging Architect Prize
the heritage committee and is the co-chair winner | Director, Cox Architecture
for the Small Practice Forum and EmAGN. Sam Moorhouse – Marketing Manager, AWS
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National Prizes
Dulux Study Tour Jennifer McMaster RAIA Newcastle Awards. It is an exceptional

example of simplicity, strength and beauty
Trias in a residential area. Jennifer is a devoted
writer and architectural advocate with a
Jennifer graduated with honours from the strong belief in quality over quantity. She is
Photography Jonathon Donnelly

University of Sydney and is now the director not afraid to challenge the status quo and
of Trias, founded in 2016. She is passionate is eager to learn and share her experiences
about the role that architecture plays within with those around her by creating content
our culture and has a strong desire to for magazine features, blogs and radio
continually provoke change in our cities, programs. She contributes to open
suburbs and landscapes by inspiring conversations and continues to use
residential clients, and to mentor younger different mediums to educate and inspire.
architecture graduates. Assuredly Jennifer’s participation
While Trias has a short two-year in the Dulux Study Tour will allow her the
history, the practice’s Three Piece House, unique opportunity to investigate and share
led by Jennifer, has humbly received a 2018 her involvement with the wider community,
New South Wales Australian Institute of encouraging graduates to pursue their
Architects Residential (New) Award and a careers with curiosity and courage.
2018 Sustainable Architecture Award in the
Ben Peake more apparent than with Ben’s advocacy

for Save our Sirius, a campaign to protect
Carter Williamson a brutalist apartment building in The Rocks,
Sydney. As campaign manager, Ben helped
Architects crowdfund a successful legal challenge
against the New South Wales Heritage
Minister, co-authored the book Sirius and
Ben is an associate at Carter Williamson organized events and protest marches
Photography Matt Fraser

Architects. Since graduating in 2015 to garner further support for the cause.
with a Master of Architecture from the The profession needs advocates
University of Technology Sydney, Ben has and leaders to speak out on behalf of
tutored in various UTS subjects including communities and the built environment.
“The Profession,” where students are While still a graduate architect, Ben is one
asked to consider the role of the architect. of these leaders. The jury is confident that
For Ben, the role is more than Ben’s participation in the Dulux Study Tour
delivering quality projects for people. will provide experiences to further his
Architects have a civic responsibility – passion as a positive influencer within
a moral and professional obligation to work the profession.
towards the public interest. Nowhere is this
Alix Smith RAIA design competition submission. She

has demonstrated exceptional design
Hassell skills and talent, advocacy for responsible
and high-quality design, and highly
Alix is an associate at Hassell, where collaborative and generous leadership skills.
she began as a graduate architect. She Alix’s involvement in education and Photography Victor Scorsis
is a registered architect and graduated mentoring extends to running design

from the University of Melbourne. studios for the Master of Architecture
With exceptional leadership within the program, presenting a number of times at
profession, Alix is involved in promoting the University of Melbourne and
gender equity, mentoring and Indigenous involvement in the Australian Institute of
engagement through the establishment Architects including as a member of the
of Hassell’s Women in Design Group, 2018 Victorian Chapter sustainability jury.
Global Intern Program and Indigenous The jury believes that Alix’s
Engagement Initiative, and through remarkable design and professional
collaboration with Parlour. skills on projects of the highest level
Alix is the design lead for a number of complexity combined with her
of large and complex projects at Hassell, effective advocacy, mentoring and
including the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, leadership will be enriched and expanded
level crossing removal projects and the through her participation in this year’s
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Dulux Study Tour.
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National Prizes
Dulux Study Tour Carly McMahon RAIA roles for the local architecture symposium,
A Weekend Away, being appointed to the
Liminal Studio jury for the 2016 Tasmanian Architecture
Awards, and being selected as creative
Originally from rural Victoria, Carly made director for the 2016 and 2017 Tasmanian
Photography Matt Sansom

Tasmania her home when she enrolled Architecture Awards. Her participation
at the University of Tasmania to study demonstrates leadership, her generous
architecture. After graduating in 2010, spirit and ambition to interact with
Carly worked at Architecture Matters in and propel the profession across
Melbourne and then relocated back to multiple platforms.
Tasmania in 2013. Carly now works as a Carly’s involvement in leading
registered architect at Liminal Studio, projects has intensified – she is one of
a globally connected, creatively agile the key team members delivering The
studio noted for its creativity and embrace Hedberg, a ninety-six-million-dollar
of collaboration. performing arts project for the University
Carly is active in the advocacy and of Tasmania, the state government and the
development of the architectural profession operators of the Theatre Royal, the oldest
across Tasmania. Her drive to make a continually operating theatre in Australia.
difference and contribute more broadly The jury believes Carly will greatly benefit
to the profession is noted through her from taking part in the Dulux Study
participation as a chapter councillor for Tour and that this opportunity will expand,
the Tasmanian Chapter of the Australian strengthen and reward her ongoing
Institute of Architects and EmAGN and generous contribution to the
Tasmania. This has led to organizational Tasmanian architectural community.
Phillip Nielsen RAIA Phillip’s service to the region is

diverse and broad ranging: he assists
Regional Design Service local councils and community groups
in project creation, strategic planning,
instigating public design events and
securing project funding. One significant
Phillip is a registered architect and example is the Rural Placemaking Project
Photography Georgie James

co-founder of Regional Design Service, in Wangaratta, realized in collaboration
an architecture and design practice based with consulting studio Projectura. Twenty-
in the Murray River region on the border of one rural townships were consulted through
Victoria and New South Wales. Phillip has conversations with individual community
over ten years’ experience working in members, uniting the individual towns into
architectural practices across Australia, five rural district plans that captured their
including Hassell and KPDO. aspirations for the future. This resulted in
Driven by a desire to promote design the doubling of project funding allocated
and strategic thinking beyond Australia’s to the small townships in 2018–19.
major urban centres, Phillip and his partner The jury commends Phillip’s drive
Aaron Nicholls moved to the region in 2017 and initiative and is confident the Dulux
and set up shop in an empty storefront Study Tour will propel his contributions
on the main street of Corowa. Phillip has to regional Australia’s built environment
become a familiar face in the community, and its people.
to its individuals, community groups and
local government alike.
Jury
Clare Cousins FRAIA (Chair) – President, Australian Institute of Architects | Director, Clare Cousins Architects
Richard Hansen – General Manager, Dulux Trade
Carrie Field – National Commercial Manager, Dulux Group
Michael Linke – General Manager Membership Services, Australian Institute of Architects
Emily Ouston RAIA – Past Dulux Study Tour winner | Architect, Core Collective Architects
Thom McKenzie RAIA – President, EmAGN, Australian Institute of Architects | Director, Winwood McKenzie
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Clifftop House highlights
the finesse of concrete
Photography Scott Burrows

At Clifftop House, the off-form finish of the concrete is designed to complement rather than mimic the rock
of the cliff-face, particularly over time as the material weathers.
In the design of a clifftop house in It takes a unique site to produce a unique Adsett and the client wanted to do
Brisbane, Joe Adsett Architects piece of architecture, says Brisbane something dramatically different to the old
harnessed the strength and spanning architect Joe Adsett, whose Clifftop House house, with the overarching brief being
qualities of concrete to design a dramatic at Teneriffe is nothing if not a one-off. to get as much volume – and outlook –
and memorable cantilevered form. as possible out of the long, narrow strip.
When presented with the site for
the house, a narrow band of clifftop Constrained by height restrictions, Adsett
overlooking the Brisbane River, Adsett turned to concrete to deliver the solution.
found the architectural solution to be
self-evident. Adsett’s design is a striking “Concrete allowed us to get maximum
three-storey, concrete-framed dwelling spans and keep the floor depths to
that sits lightly atop the cliff, affording a minimum so we could achieve three
magnificent views to the river and beyond. levels of living space,” Adsett says.
“The slab itself is impossibly thin
Clifftop House shares its triangular site and was only achieved by working
with an existing small brick cottage that, collaboratively with 3D software.”
due to local character regulations, could
be neither demolished nor raised to take The spanning and strength qualities
advantage of the views. As a result, the of concrete also allowed for a dramatic
owners decided to renovate and extend, cantilever effect where the suspended
utilizing the small sliver of land between floors come to a sharp, exaggerated point
the existing dwelling and the cliff. at the north-east corner of the site.
Despite its north-easterly exposure, the house is remarkably cool. A lap pool on the eastern edge enhances the cooling effect of breezes, while timber louvres control light
and ventilation. Internally, exposed concrete walls are juxtaposed with natural timber finishes to accentuate the warmth of concrete.
The super-thin, suspended concrete conventional plasterboard elements, The Clifftop House has quickly become
floors and vertical framing elements a combination that, Adsett explains, something of a landmark – so much so,
give the design a lightness. Indeed, accentuates the genuine warmth that the owners have to turn away curious
from below, the whole structure appears of concrete. locals who knock on the door, keen for
to hover above the cliff. a guided tour. Not surprising, given the
Despite its north-easterly exposure, beauty, elegance and drama of the form.
The off-form finish of the concrete is the house is remarkably cool. A lap pool
designed to complement rather than mimic on the eastern edge enhances the cooling Architect Joe Adsett Architects; Builder MCD Construction
the rock of the cliff-face, particularly over effect of breezes, while central voids funnel
time as the material weathers. a stream of light into the interior and
encourage cross ventilation. For more information:
“Looking from below, you see this info@ccaa.com.au
weathered rock cliff-face. We thought it Bedrooms are split between the original ccaa.com.au
would be too fussy for the house to have house and the extension, with the family
a pristine finish – we wanted to keep it brought together in living areas on the
honest,” Adsett says. ground floor and second storey – the latter
opening onto a rooftop garden, complete
Internally, concrete wall sections have with putting green. Timber louvres control
been left exposed, as have sections light and natural ventilation in the main
of the slab underside as ceilings. These bedroom, located on the first floor in the
rustic, off-form features are juxtaposed cantilevered form.
with natural timber finishes and
Jul / Aug 2019 31

Project
Green Square
Library and Plaza
Architect
Studio Hollenstein in association

with Stewart Arc t c r
Review by Charles Rice

Photography by Tom Roe
In the evolving urban precinct

of Sydney’s Green Square,
the unconventional organization
of a library and its plaza is driven
by an urban approach that
Photography Julien Lanoo
loosens the division between

inside and outside.
Green Square Library and Plaza
The bulk of the Green In the context of Australian urban development, it’s a tower square in plan, as well as two sunken voids:
Square Library is buried unusual to experience a public building that is so far a circular garden and an amphitheatre. Circular
underground, with parts
emerging from the ground in advance of everything else. I don’t just mean this skylights, flush with the pavement, dot the plaza
plane as a series of built as a judgement of the architectural quality of Green and light the floor below.
elements and sunken voids. Square Library and Plaza by Studio Hollenstein Scale-wise, these building elements initially
Visitors can enter the in association with Stewart Architecture; I mean appear a little perplexing. The tower, which ought
library through the triangular it literally. The building has arrived before much to be the dominant object, seems too small (each
entry pavilion at the western
end of the plaza, or via
ofwhat would provide its raison d’être – a locally level is just one room). By contrast, the entry pavilion,
the amphitheatre at the housed urban population. incorporating the cafe, looms large. This is especially
eastern end. The much-masterplanned urban node of confusing given that the library is not really organized
Locating the library Sydney’s Green Square still struggles to assert itself via a conventional entry sequence. Instead, it offers
underground maximizes amid lingering light industry and roads heavy with its users a sense of open traversal. One can enter
the space available for the
through traffic. For pedestrians, ongoing construction through the nominal entry pavilion at the western
public plaza and disrupts
the traditional hierarchy adjacent to the site makes reaching the library from end of the plaza, or via the amphitheatre at the
of building and plaza. Green Square train station – one stop from Central – eastern end. This sets up a kind of seamless loop
The series of built a difficult quest, though plenty have succeeded. between plaza and library floor. This seamlessness
elements remain visually On a recent mid-Friday afternoon, the library was is amplified by the lack of physical barriers between
connected, allowing users different functional zones on the library floor. The width
happily full – not overflowing, nor even bustling, but
to catch glimpses of the
triangular entry pavilion and used, which is impressive for a public building this and position of the circular garden and the tower’s
tower from the subterranean new. An event was taking place in the cafe space, footprint are calculated to differentiate internal
library floor. readers worked away silently on their laptops, a neat zones, and it is just as easy to move outside into
pram park signified children at play, and school the garden or the amphitheatre or up into the tower
students traversed the inside and outside spaces as it is to go from the stacks to the children’s zone.
in a semi-boisterous way, as if they were still finding In this sense, there is a loosening of
the edges of what such a building could be for them. the division between inside and outside across
The building’s general organization takes the library’s different zones. This is underscored
its cues from the wedge-shaped site. Botany Road, visually. From the garden one can look up at the
a major traffic artery, marks the western edge, with entry pavilion and tower and read them as “external”
a secondary road to the east. Faced with a brief objects. Similarly, looking down on the garden
that required a library as well as a public plaza, the or across to the pavilion from the tower produces
architects buried the single library floor underground, a similar reading of their exteriority. The overall effect
extending it to the edges of the site’s buildable area. is urban – that is, it doesn’t offer the experience
This enabled the plaza to extend across the whole of being in a single building, nor of being inside
site, incorporating the easements along the site’s or outside in any conventional architectural sense.
long edges. What could be called “building elements” Currently, the spatial definition of the plaza
are distributed across the plaza, plugging into the is rather diffuse due to the fact that the surrounding
library floor. There is a triangular entry pavilion and lots are not yet built upon. Because it extends
Green Square Library and Plaza
Tower plans, levels one to six

1:1000
Key
1 Cafe
2 Entry
3 Shared zone
4 Library garden
5 Library tower
6 Water play
3 7 Outdoor amphitheatre
8 Library lawn
9 Staff room
10 Meeting room
1 4 11 Library collection
2
5 12 Council services centre
7 13 Reading lounge
14 Concierge
8
15 Children’s area
16 Library tower void
17 Library lounge
6 18 Plant room
Plaza plan
1:1000
9 13
10 11
4 15
10
16
14 17 7
10 12
18
Lower ground floor plan

01 5 10 m
1:1000
Section
01 5 10 m
1:1000
An amphitheatre
at the eastern end of the
plaza is a flexible space
for community events
as well as a secondary
entry point to the library.
The library’s legible

geometric built objects
and voids will be framed
as the Green Square
precinct evolves.
Jul /Aug 2019 37

38
to the edges of these lots, the plaza will become spatially complex. It can be seen as an intensive A six-storey tower
contains a series of
progressively more defined as the adjacent connector and distributor of bodies and things,
community facilities,
apartment buildings rise up. When this occurs, where movement and stasis are differentiated including a music room,
the library’s building elements, its objects and and yet coexist, and inside and outside are states tech lab and reading
room. At the plaza level,
voids, will be clearly framed, in this way becoming contingent upon relative position rather than
visitors can peer down
more self-referential and, due to their indistinct fixed definition. into the library below.
scale, more model-like. One could easily imagine the The design has rightly been lauded in
Different functions
arrangement taking on different dimensions and typological terms and was recently named the world’s within the library floor
functions, amplifying the design’s urban effect: the best library by the British Architectural Review. That remain connected,
entry pavilion might be something like an entrance magazine, in 1955, published Banham’s thoughts extending the design’s
emphasis on informal
to a transit facility; the library floor an extensive, on topology in an article entitled “The New Brutalism.” and flexible use.
mixed-use concourse; and the tower a commercial Brutalism is generally remembered as an ethic of
building plugging into this infrastructural arrangement. materials and, in recent years, typology has emerged
The design prompts these imaginative leaps because as the Architectural Review’s dominant critical
it acts as a kind of diorama, an arrangement that category. All of this perhaps shows topology
could flex into different scales and conditions. to be abstruse and outmoded. While criticism framed
In this way, the Green Square Library and by functional type and material sensibility is a common
Plaza activates a category lost to contemporary contemporary approach, topologically speaking,
architectural criticism: topology (no, not typology). Green Square Library and Plaza offers a much more
In the mid-1950s, critic Reyner Banham deployed interesting opportunity to the critic, and to the user:
topology to explain how a building or design might the chance to think a little differently about the space
exhibit a clear, graspable image through a coherent of the city amid the messy reality of its making.
yet informal organization, one that didn’t necessarily
rely on proportion, scale and hierarchy. This project —Charles Rice is professor of architecture at the University
of Technology Sydney.
does just that – through its indistinct scale and
the way it encourages visitors to traverse the space,
it suspends the usual organizational sequences and
hierarchies of both library and plaza. At the same
time, as a design, it makes these interrelationships
topologically clear. It provides a strong “image,”
as Banham would say.
As such, the design can be considered
not in terms of its excellence as a library and Architect Studio Hollenstein in association with Stewart Architecture; Studio Hollenstein project team
plaza, but rather as a spatial arrangement that Matthias Hollenstein, Felicity Stewart, Matthew Hunter, Tom Vandenberg, Simon David, Troy Cook,
says something about the contemporary condition Rachel Wan, Manus Leung, Chris Thorpe; Stewart Architecture project team Marcus Graham, Mark Craswell,
Michael Hatch, Lauren Beattie, Blake O’Neill; Landscape architect Hassell; Builder John Holland; Engineer
of cities. Considered in terms of topology, the design Arup; Signage, wayfinding and heritage interpretation Collider; Public art curator Jess Scully; Waterproofing
demonstrates that inside and outside have become consultant Ross Taylor and Associates
Jul /Aug 2019 39

Project
The Calile Hotel
Architect
Richards and Spence
Review by Andrew Scott, Anita Panov

Photography by Sean Fennessy
A new hotel in Brisbane’s Fortitude

Valley is evocative of luxury tropical
resorts yet also carefully assimilates
into the emerging urban character
of the James Street precinct.
The Calile Hotel
The Calile Hotel is part On occasion, an architect is able to work iteratively this conflict has resulted in simulacra public spaces
of an ongoing series of
over an extended period in such a way that their crafted in service to vested interest, that effectively
architectural works by
Richards and Spence in architecture comes to define the character of a place. disenfranchise those without capital. It is evident
the James Street Precinct We are thinking of Jože Plečnik by the river in Ljubljana, the architects have recognized this conflict and
of Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.
Slovenia, Luigi Snozzi’s seven rules for the village of worked within the limits of their role to engender
Porosity at the three Monte Carasso, Switzerland, Fumihiko Maki’s work civic-mindedness. This is apparent in the generosity
public-street frontages, over fifty years at Hillside Terrace, Tokyo or, more of the materials, detailing and planting of the street
in particular the arcade on
James Street, strengthens recently, Gion A. Caminada’s tactical rejuvenation at interface, the prominent clocktower, the cruciform
the building’s civic gestures. Vrin, Switzerland. porosity of the podium and the grandeur of the stair
The palette of white To the above list, we would add Richards and to the pool deck.
brick, concrete and stone Spence’s James Street precinct in Brisbane’s Fortitude
offers an alternative to the Valley. Since 2012, the architects have been working From the street
prevalent timber-and-tin
vernacular.
with brick, concrete and stone to develop an alternative Arrival at the hotel lobby is facilitated either via the
vernacular to the traditional use of timber and tin. low porte-cochère or the wonderful lofty and sculptural
Two private rooftop
terraces are accessed from
This way of making is also a form of resistance to the arcade off James Street. Entering the hotel in that
the hotel’s primary suites otherwise rapid cycle of contemporary city-making. manner, beneath the improbably levitating concrete
and overlook James Street. It seeks longevity and the embodiment of knowledge awning and the heft of the 710-millimetre-thick arch
within material things. in white brick, the space lifts and squeezes.
Walking the precinct, the words of Adolf Loos A small balcony clad in travertine – for plants,
in On Thrift (1924) come to mind: “Luxury is a very not people – is momentarily overhead, imperceptible.
necessary thing … Every attempt to reduce the There is daylight above and far beyond, sliding
lifespan of an object is a mistake. On the contrary, across and extinguishing itself quickly on the rough-
we must raise the lifespan of the things we produce.” formworked concrete soffit. The slow arc of the
Within this context, the focus of our gaze day spa above, again in travertine, gives space and
is the Calile Hotel, the latest and largest of the eight is punctuated with fine-framed glass boxes. Below,
projects by Richards and Spence in the precinct. at the height of a person, the shop frontage turns
It is an L-shaped perimeter block form rising to six the corner from the street and into the space.
storeys above a two-storey podium. The building As a whole, it is a magnificent plastic
completes the eastern end of the city block that composition reminiscent of the back side of Le
defines the emerging character of the James Street Corbusier’s Ronchamp, or something Enric Miralles
precinct. The podium has three frontages to public might have concocted. More locally, though no less
streets, while the fourth activates the recently significant, the conflation of interior and exterior
completed through-site link known as Ada Lane. building elements evokes the manner of Donovan Hill.
In publication, the project is often referred to
as an urban resort. This nomenclature gives us pause – A small building within a large building
if the essence of urbanity is proximity and inclusivity, Later, by the pool, we sit within one of the seven
the term “resort” implies exclusivity. In recent times, cabanas, the roof a mass slab of concrete. Within,
43
The Calile Hotel
Poolside cabanas and

the curved balconies of the
hotel rooms above engage
guests as both spectacle
and spectator.
The geometry and

materiality of the resort
continues in the Lobby Bar.
Floor plan key
1 Hotel lobby
2 Lobby Bar
3 Back of house
4 Retail tenancy
19 5 Carpark entry
6 Loading dock
7 Substation
8 Pool
9 Cabana
18 10 Restaurant
11 Spa
12 Gym
13 Office
14 Library
15 Function rooms
16 Function terrace
Level two floor plan 17 Function kitchen
1:2000 18 External lobby
19 Amphitheatre
9 9 9 9 9 9 9
8
10
15
11 13 14 17
12
16
Level one floor plan

1:2000
4
4 4
2
3 3
5 7 4
4
3 1
6
4 3 4 4 4
4 4 3 3
4 4 4
Ground floor plan

0 10 20 m
1:2000
Doggett Street elevation Section

0 10 20 m
1:2000 1:1500 0 5 20 m
Jul / Aug 2019 45

The Calile Hotel
Inside the hotel

the form is indented deeply so the circumference The lamps
rooms, archways repeat
described by the slow revolution of the black ceiling Within the room, there is a lamp beside the bed. the geometry of the
fan holds a concentric shadow. The curtains either It is not so consequential within the overall scallop-shaped balconies.
side are white, light, and the material weave open. accomplishment; but, for some reason, it stays The cork on the floor and
lower wall is a surprising
The white brick columns are scaled to the mass of with us. This lamp seems to distil the generosity contrast to the travertine
the roof in the manner of other classical structures. of the building. It is a brass sheet in the shape of the of the public areas.
At the rear is a terracotta screen and, beyond, arch within the room, folded in half to stand upright
the veiled city. A low chaise in green fabric with and so perceived as a semicircle. Filling one half
a fine white steel frame furnishes the structure. of the vertical face of the semicircle is an Artemide
Air moves freely. Dioscuri diffuser. That is it. The design can be written
Within our small temple, we are apart from via a geometric order and bricolage.
but remain a part of the theatre of the pool. We talk In itself, the object has an integral beauty.
about the way in which these structures negotiate It serves the pragmatic purpose expected, giving
privacy and voyeurism, how we are both spectacle light directly and reflecting it off the brass surface.
and spectator. From our vantage, the distinct curving It conceals the power point mounted high in the wall
balconies of the rooms above bring to mind first beyond. It evokes other materials and forms, giving
the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood, but then a cohesion at the level of the room, the building
also the story Rafael Moneo tells of his wonderful and the precinct. However, it is not until the end
elliptical-fronted apartments in San Sebastián of the evening that we realize the asymmetry of the
and how they allow views not simply out but also fitting is as much about the placement of the light
directly up and down the boulevard. The theatre source as it is the making of an adjacent absence.
of the pool transforms this latency, which further This folded surface remains empty until we seek
charges the experience. to find a place for the collected detritus of our
day – wallet, keys, phone.
Consideration of a room It is a small gesture, but the beauty
It begins with the door, which is accessed via the of experience is built by small gestures.
open-air corridor and located within a small alcove
shared with the room next door. This widening — Anita Panov and Andrew Scott are directors
of Panov Scott Architects.
of the corridor is space that would otherwise be
for the generosity of the room, but here it is given
to the shared entry. Already, and within the extreme
codification that governs hotel design, we perceive
a shifting of priorities.
Beyond the threshold, there is richness in the
detail of the room’s making – the arch, the window
seat, the sliding screens and vanity, the ingenuity of
the interlocking ensuite doorhandle. We have become
so used to the profusion of travertine lining the walls
and floors of the public areas that the subtle transition
to cork surprises. The use of this material is an
inspired design decision informed by economy,
material memory, chromatic warmth, tactility and
acoustic attenuation.
Architect Richards and Spence; Project team Ingrid Richards, Adrian Spence, Tahnee Sullivan, Stuart Hall,
Nicole Rowley, Jared Webb, Yaseera Moosa, Daniel Wilson, Henry Bennett; Builder Hutchinson Builders;
Civil and structural engineer ADG Engineers; Project manager Blades Project Services; Signage designer
Studio Bland; Landscape consultants Lat27, Botanical Grace; Certification Knisco Development Solutions;
Access consultant Indesign Access; Traffic engineer TTM Consulting; Electrical engineer SDF Electrical;
Fire engineer and services consultant Omnii, Citi Fire Services; Mechanical engineer VAE Group; Hydraulic
engineer H Design; Audiovisual consultant Soho Sound Design; Bar and gymnasium fitout Lamberts
Emerging
Architect
Prize
Tour
2018
recipient
Monique
Woodward
touring
nationally
August 2019
Prize Partner
Check architecture.com.au for dates Photo: John Gollings

Project
The Ian Potter

Southbank Centre
Architect
John Wardle
Architects
Review by Maryam Gusheh

Photography by Trevor Mein
The new home of the Melbourne

Conservatorium of Music is a
sensuous architectural vessel
that supports musical learning
as it mediates between performer,
audience and city.
A series of deep, In Melbourne’s Southbank, passers-by heading south In this latest addition to Melbourne’s arts precinct,
bell-shaped portals
on Sturt Street might wander beneath the discreet a sensuous architectural vessel supports musical
perforate the building
envelope, allowing canopy of the Melbourne Recital Centre’s monolithic learning as it mediates between the performer, her
passers-by glimpses bluestone western wall (ARM Architecture, 2008) and fellowship, her audience and the city. Camaraderie
into the Ian Potter
immediately past a narrow-shaded lane, and find their and dialogue, intrigue and curiosity, are here endorsed
Southbank Centre.
gaze attracted by a low archway framing a buzzing as vital to the acquisition of knowledge; to taking part
Concrete panels on the in culture and society.
new interior. A glazed screen recessed within this
facade recede, tilt and fold
to provide solar protection gentle yet grand gateway exposes those inside JWA’s early considerations of the site were
yet also reveal sliced the building, some mingling in conversation, others in light of urban priorities. As a participant in the
silhouettes of life within. moving through and around a curving passage before Victorian state government’s 2013 strategic planning
A dramatically cantilevered
volume accommodates disappearing from sight. A little further along the street, process for the precinct, the practice prepared the
a recital hall. a sequence of deep, bell-shaped portals perforate the Melbourne Arts Precinct Urban Design Framework,
A large oculus at ground building’s envelope, first one and then, after a pause, a methodical guide for the ongoing development of
level permits views into the three others in closer proximity. Bespoke in size and Southbank as a distinct yet connected urban entity.
Kenneth Myer Auditorium. placement relative to the ground plane, these The study accepted and affirmed the remarkable
The surrounding concrete
surface is patterned with
mysterious apertures invite a variety of audiences, concentration of arts infrastructure in Southbank
tactile, domed ceramic small and tall, alone or as a cluster, to lean into the and advocated for a radically enhanced integration
discs that invite interaction depth of the wall, focus, and peer inside the building. between architectural nodes and their settings.
with passers-by.
The material condition is now intimately felt. Hands Presented as a toolkit for coordinated policy
instinctively fold over smooth curved frames and then and design, the document is distinctive for its balance
extend out to trace the undulating skin. Oval figures, of the guiding principle and fine-grain action. From
perfectly pressed into the concrete surface, pattern the clarification and reuse of the existing environment
the facade, many of them crowned with domed to alterations and new built works, a catalogue of
ceramic discs – reddish, glistening and impossibly “one hundred small projects” endorsed incremental
tactile. The experience intimates a warm, spontaneous tactics as a powerful tool for urban transformation.
exchange between the inner life of this architecture Looking across and between the proposed initiatives,
and those that surround it. three core ideas resonate: that material texture
What is the remit of architecture in activating and expression are critical to local character;
the city? How can the urban realm enrich the that in-between thresholds are potent sites of civic
architecture? What is the interface between one generosity; and that the functional fluidity of the
and the other? John Wardle Architects’ (JWA) Ian urban realm can positively disrupt the predictability
Potter Southbank Centre, new home to the Melbourne of planned institutions. The claim here is not for an
Conservatorium of Music (MCM) at the University equivalence between architecture and the city but
of Melbourne’s Southbank campus, invokes a vital rather a porous and tactile entity in which architecture
reciprocity between the institution and its location. and city are entangled.
Jul /Aug 2019 51

The Ian Potter Southbank Centre
Floor plan key
1 Kenneth Myer Auditorium

Laneway 2 Foyer
3 Sound lock
4 Box office
5 Loading dock
6 Seating
7 Instrument store
Dodds Street
8 Staffroom
Sturt Street
9 Office
10 Executive meeting room
11 Waiting
12 Informal learning
13 Viewing balcony
14 Hanson Dyer Hall
15 Hub
16 Recording studio
17 Bar
18 Green room
19 Kitchenette
20 Store
21 Prudence Myer Studio
22 Composition staff studio
23 Large studio
24 Medium studio
25 Small studio
26 Social learning
Site plan
1 5 10 20 m
1:2000
9 24
9
5 20 23
4
8 24
15 26
2 6 7
12
24 25 25
3
13 12 3
3 3 16 17 25 25
24 22
6 10 20 20
22
24
9
1 1 11 22
14 19
3 24 21
9 22
6 3 18
9 23
22
7
Ground floor plan Level two floor plan Level three floor plan Level five floor plan
0 5 10 m
1:750 1:750 1:750 1:750
The ground floor is both

civic entrance and public
thoroughfare, disrupting
the grounded and isolated
organization typical to
conservatoriums.
The oculus window

makes public the inner
realm of music practice
Sections
and education.
1:750
Among the existing infrastructural assets, to achieve acoustic control is rendered permeable The building provides
three major practice
the University of Melbourne’s Southbank campus through connected thresholds between adjacent
and performance venues,
and the institutional belt along Sturt Street were environments. In both strategies, the architectural the largest of which is
framed as critical to the proposed integration: order was synthesized with urban ambitions. the Hanson Dyer Hall, with
capacity for four hundred.
respective centres for education and practice with Concentrated and poised, an eight-storey
potential for spirited collaboration and synthesis. block occupies the western campus edge, set against Framed openings and
a service lane to the north and the iconic Victorian transparencies allow views
From this perspective, the planned relocation of the
between practice rooms,
MCM from Parkville to Southbank was endorsed as College of the Arts (Edmond and Corrigan, 2004) and out to the immediate
a transformative opportunity to interweave the campus to the east. A double-height, concrete-clad podium and broader urban context.
and the street, at the very heart of the arts precinct. defines the south-west corner. Subtly delineated A figural void allows
With a notional footprint within the strategic framework, from the volume above, it forms a common base the working life of this
the University of Melbourne’s MCM design competition to juxtaposed upper elevations. educational and
performance venue
provided JWA with the opportunity to extend its urban Concrete remains dominant across the Sturt to be revealed.
propositions through an architectural lens. Awarded Street facade, expressed as a thin skin over and in
first place, they secured the commission in 2015. play with glazed surfaces. Deftly composed of variously
John Wardle deems the synergy between architect scaled panels, this implied shield judiciously recedes,
and client to have been fundamental to the design tilts and folds to protect the interior from the western
conception and realization, noting the spirited sun, while revealing sliced silhouettes of life within.
engagement of Barry Conyngham (Dean, Faculty of The concrete is impeccably fabricated with crisply
Fine Arts and Music) and Gary McPherson (Ormond inlaid pattern and carefully scaled lively aggregate.
Chair and Director, MCM). Domed ceramic discs dot the surface with a fluid shift
The scheme was unusual for the building type. in density. Individually glazed in dark red tones, they
Acoustic and technical demands associated with are a nod to the brickwork of surrounding warehouses,
music conservatoriums typically imply a grounded although here these figural gems signal an elevated
and interiorized work with visual and auditory isolation. and sensorial institution.
In the JWA response, two core principles rethink this To the south, the glass inner skin turns the
tradition: a compact and vertical organization corner, now bare and unmediated. Assembled as a
minimizes the architectural footprint, thereby liberating gridded curtain wall and faceted in a shallow zigzag,
the adjacent site area for public use; and the it is alive with a play of light and shade. Three major
necessary layering of “box-in-box construction” performance venues are vertically stacked behind,
The building provides

an important point of
connection between the
University of Melbourne’s
Southbank campus and the
series of cultural institutions
located along Sturt Street.
the middling and largest volume rotated to partially At every turn, framed openings and transparencies
extend beyond the architectural frame, ambitiously offer views to and from adjacent performance settings.
cantilevered. Here, the glazed cladding is copper- And precisely engineered rehearsal rooms maintain
tinted and reflective, representing the music hall as internal acoustic control while allowing the sounds of
a shimmering canopy over the public domain. Directly practice to filter out. The learning of music permeates
beneath it, a sculpted stage offers a fourth venue for the building; it is celebrated and viscerally experienced.
impromptu performances. It marks an inviting entry Melbourne is on display throughout. From
to a linear park (Aspect Studios, 2019), oriented immediate street scenes and views of the city skyline
toward and blended with the campus. to the north, the campus and Domain Parklands to the
Material finesse extends throughout the interior south, and South Melbourne to the west, the building’s
where an elemental palette achieves calm continuity occupants are oriented toward the local context.
across diverse settings. Purpose-built yet welcoming In this splendid new addition to the Southbank arts
of neighbouring institutions, three major venues precinct, the expression of art and city life beautifully
accommodate a variety of performance genres, each coalesce. The power of this architecture lies not only
distinct in form, mood and scale of audience. From in the richness and coherency of architectural thought
a two-hundred-seat auditorium with capacity for but also in the embrace of what lies outside, of what
a 120-piece orchestra, to a recital hall for up to four architecture is not, the enigmatic other.
hundred and a rehearsal studio with capacity for 135
people, medium, large and small facilities have been — Maryam Gusheh is associate professor in architecture
at Monash University.
arranged in vertical sequence. More intimate offices
and practice rooms wrap around the perimeter,
mediated by generous circulatory and breakout spaces.
The atmosphere is informal yet refined, robust yet
elegant, casual alongside concentrated. It is as if
the hybrid condition of programmatic brief, at once
an educational institution and a venue for musical
performance, has relaxed familiar hierarchies toward
new associations. Architect John Wardle Architects; Project team John Wardle, Stefan Mee, Meaghan Dwyer, Andrew Wong,
It is in the interstitial environments that the Kah-Fai Lee, Stephen Georgalas, Megan Marks, Minnie Cade, Alan Ting, James Loder, Jeff Arnold, Barry
Hayes, Tom Denham, Alexandra Morrison, Clare Porter, Ariani Anwar, Daniel Sykes, Kristina Levenko, Adrian
working life of this institution is evocatively present.
Bonaventura, Tatiana Malysheva, Bill Kalavriotis, Sumedha Dayaratne, David Ha, Anna Jankovic, Will Rogers,
The ground level is both thoroughfare and civic Nick Roberts; Accessibility consultant Before Compliance; Acoustic consultant Marshall Day Acoustics;
entrance. Above, students gather at tables around Building services engineer, ESD consultant Aurecon; Building surveyor PLP Building Surveyors and
a figural void, some reading, others in discussion. Consultants; Civil and structural engineer Irwinconsult; Heritage architect RBA Architects and Conservation
Consultants; Landscape architect Aspect Studios; Signage and wayfinding consultant Diadem;
Further up again, props and instruments are rolled Specialist lighting consultant Electrolight; Theatre consultants Brian Hall, Marshall Day Entertech;
back and forth alongside the visiting audience. Traffic consultant GTA Consultants
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Jul / Aug 2019 57

Project
Three Capes Track Lodges
Architect
Andrew Burns Architecture
Review by Helen Norrie

Photography by Brett Boardman
Part of an evolving tradition

of place-sensitive architecture
in the Tasmanian wilderness, these
walking lodges sit back in the
landscape and let the spectacular
scenery take precedence.
In the south-east of Tasmania, beyond Eaglehawk Neck a contrast between the intimate setting of the bush The Three Capes
and across the bay from Port Arthur, the Tasmanian and the dramatic (and sometimes wild) coastal Track Lodges are nestled
into the landscape,
Walking Company (TWC) continues the legacy of more edge. Burns describes the siting process as “taking providing a contrast
than thirty years of guided walks in Australia’s southern the lead from the existing structure of the site,” between the intimate
state. TWC’s four-day Three Capes Walk traces the placing buildings in clearings and adjusting to the setting of the bush and
the dramatic coastal edge.
edges of the dolerite cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula, landscape’s contours.
three hundred metres above sea level, with a series Two locations are occupied: Crescent Lodge, Architect Andrew Burns
has drawn on the lineage
of new buildings designed by Andrew Burns providing to the west of the peninsula, is the destination for of walking lodges designed
a place of luxurious repose at the end of each day. the first night, and Cape Pillar to the east hosts guests by Ken Latona. Profiled
Located on two sites, one on either side of the for the second and third evenings. On both sites, metal roofs supported
by exposed outriggers
peninsula, the buildings draw on TWC’s lineage of the form and placement of buildings orchestrates reference Latona’s design
groundbreaking projects by Ken Latona and Joan movement and experience, establishing particular for the Bay of Fires building.
Masterman, who established the Cradle Mountain visual connections far and near. Burns used an
At Crescent Lodge,
Lodges in 1987 and Friendly Beaches Lodge in 1992, iterative process of revisiting the sites and adjusting a sheltered porch along
in addition to Latona’s third venture at Bay of Fires the building orientation to align the buildings on the northern edge allows
guests to unload backpacks
in 2000 (see Architecture Australia, July 2000). axis with key views to Cape Raoul and Cape Hauy.
and kick off shoes.
Inspired by the popularity of New Zealand’s Milford At Crescent Lodge, the journey along a narrow
In the dining and sitting
Track, Latona and Masterman created a new mode bush track arrives at the midpoint along the northern
spaces, solid walls give way
of tourism for Australia, offering relatively modest edge of a linear pavilion, where a sheltered porch to operable glazed panels
facilities as part of guided and fully catered walks. allows guests to unload backpacks and strip off that allow the pavilion to be
Central to these projects was a belief in the primacy jackets and shoes. The building steps eastward, back transformed into a platform.
of the place, rather than a focus on heroic or iconic up the hill, to a series of sleeping pods on different
architecture. Interviewed for the New York Times in levels and communal bathrooms accessed via an open
2001, Latona noted, “I do really believe that people verandah. Projecting westward towards the expansive
go to these places to see the places. They don’t go view of Cape Raoul, the communal spaces are entered
there to see fancy buildings. The architecture can through a pair of parallel corridors for staff and guests.
be quite humble.” As visitors step across the threshold, they move
For the Three Capes Track Lodges, Andrew through an enclosed timber volume lined with coat
Burns has drawn on Latona’s legacy in myriad ways, racks to one side and a long built-in sideboard servery
providing a generous guest experience with sensitive, along the other. Past an open kitchen and a central
place-based architecture. Formally, the architecture island bench, the solid walls are replaced by operable
references Latona’s Bay of Fires building, notably the glazed panels, and the dining and sitting spaces open
profiled metal roof supported by exposed outriggers, laterally into the landscape. The pavilion becomes a
which is translated into a fine assembly of steel plates platform, seamlessly connecting outside and inside.
and a custom-profiled gutter to create a sense of Further down the slope to the south, a smaller pavilion
lightness and a formal consistency between TWC’s provides a second secluded sitting room.
various projects. The siting strategy is also similar, The second site at Cape Pillar has a more
with buildings nestled into the landscape, providing elaborate complex of buildings wound within the
Key
1 Arrival deck
2 Entry
3 Kitchen
4 Scullery
5 Dining
6 Living
7 Cool store
15
8 Dry store
9 Cleaning store
10 Amenities
11 Drying room
12 Guest room
13 Guide room
2 7 9 11
6 5
3 4
1 10 12 12 14 Lounge
8 12 12 12 12 12 13 15 Viewing deck
16 Gas store
17 Storage
18 Linen store
19 Battery store
14
20 Waste store
21 Waste pods
22 Rainwater treatment
23 Maintenance store
24 Lifting deck
Crescent Lodge ground floor plan
25 Water storage
1:1000
16
22
19 25
20 23
17 18
21
24
Crescent Lodge sub-floor plan

0 5 10 m
1:1000
61
Key
17
16 1 Entry deck
2 Entry
3 Kitchen
4 Scullery
5 Dining
6 Living
7 Dry store
14 15 8 Cool store
9 Drying room
10 Cleaning store
11 Amenities
12 Guide room
7 2
5 6
13 Guest room
8 1 3
4 14 Arrival deck
15 Lounge
9 16 Relaxation pavilion
10 11
17 Storage
13
13 18 Water storage
13
13 19 Rainwater treatment
13
13 20 Linen store
13 21 Waste store
13
13 22 Waste pods
12
23 Maintenance store
24 Lifting deck
25 Storage
26 Battery store
Cape Pillar Lodge ground floor plan 27 Gas store
1:1000
27
25 26
23
21
19
20 22
24
18
Cape Pillar Lodge sub-floor plan

0 5 10 m
1:1000
Section
0 1 2m
1:150
The Cape Pillar site
has a more elaborate
complex of pavilions wound
within the landscape, with
the buildings following the
contours of the site.
Each pavilion is shifted

in plan to create subtle
spatial relationships and
open up surprising views of
the surrounding landscape.
A branched sequence
of paths connect the Cape
Pillar pavilions, minimizing
foot-traffic disruption to
the pristine site.
Cape Pillar’s partially

landscape, with a branched sequence of paths the spaces allows the staff to become “part
enclosed timber living space
connecting the communal and private spaces. of the social group, undermining the served/servant opens out to the landscape
Guests arrive at a large deck, to a view that is framed stereotype of the ‘hospitality’ industry.” In both and frames a distant view
through the deep and wide opening of the lounge projects, the building provides the perfect armature to Cape Hauy.
pavilion. Turning back, away from the view, the path for nestling people into the landscape, completely
leads up stairs to a familiar sequence of spaces, in the lap of luxury yet also embedded in nature.
with the kitchen and living pavilion to the north and For the new owners of the Tasmanian Walking
sleeping pods and bathrooms in a separate pavilion Company, Brett Godfrey and Rob Sherrard, it was
to the south. The central living pavilion mirrors critical that these projects carried on Latona’s legacy.
the pattern of Crescent Lodge, the enclosed timber The detail briefing, site investigation and the process
embrace of its entry connecting to spaces that open of commissioning architects and builders were all
out to the landscape, with the distant view to Cape designed to create the best conditions for a very
Hauy visible beyond. refined project. The design and construction process
Straddling glamping and hotel accommodation, and the complexities of the remote site required
the site’s shared bathrooms and rudimentary sleeping a commitment from both architect and builder that
accommodation contrast with the luxurious communal extended beyond the standard level of engagement.
spaces. At Crescent Lodge, the sleeping pods are The unrelenting attention to detail has paid off well,
positioned high on the hill, opening out to the expansive with a fine set of buildings that creates a strong sense
view; whereas at Cape Pillar, they shelter within the of place, setting up the next thirty years of adventures
bush, with the trees providing an intimate screen that in this amazing location.
veils the distant views. Both create a strong sense
of being perched among the treetops. — Helen Norrie is an academic in architecture and design at the
University of Tasmania and is the founder of the Regional Urban Studies
The logistics of construction was central Laboratory (RUSL), a collaborative urban design research project that
to the design process, particularly the necessity for engages directly with local councils and communities to examine urban
airlifting materials to the sites. The building was spatial, temporal and social issues in small towns and cities.
designed to allow maximum flexibility in construction

techniques and was ultimately delivered through
a combination of prefabricated components – the
sleeping pod modules, wall panels and long-span
trusses – and onsite construction. The buildings
operate off-grid, with solar panels mounted out
of sight on the roof. Power is supplemented by
bottled gas, and waste is removed in fly-in-fly-out
pods that are collected periodically by helicopter.
The new lodges complement the excellent
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) facilities,
designed by Jaws Architects, which opened in 2015.
This PWS site serves as the fire refuge for TWC guests,
and this meant that the asset protection zones could
be relaxed in this project. Buildings were positioned
to minimize impact on threatened flora, but were
able to be positioned closer to other tree species.
This assisted in managing bird strikes by reducing the
risk of high-speed collisions, and large eaves, glass
with low reflectivity and drop-down screens to reduce
“fly throughs” where also employed.
Central to the experience are the guides, who
bring their local knowledge and love of the landscape
and the place to the fore. As Rory Spence noted in his
2000 review of the Bay of Fires Lodge, the structure of
Architect Andrew Burns Architecture; Project team Andrew Burns, Jordan Soriot, Casey Bryant, Alex
Galego; Structural engineer SDA Structures; Project manager – design and documentation Kate Gooch;
Builder AJR Construct; Services engineer JHA Consulting Engineers; Planning consultant ERA Planning;
Viewshed analysis consultant Another Perspective; Geotechnical consultant Geo-Environmental Solutions
Specification Packages Basic
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Jul / Aug 2019 65

Industry Insights
Pre-finished timber decking ensures
longevity at the Melbourne Convention
and Exhibition Centre
Photography Peter Bennetts

A one-thousand-square-metre timber deck courtyard in the central hub provides a valuable meeting point, gathering spot
and function space for the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).
In specifying the finish for a decked The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition exposed to the elements. And for the
courtyard at the centre of the Melbourne Centre (MCEC) precinct holds its own architects, the challenge was how to best
Convention and Exhibition Centre against other examples of this type of preserve the decking to ensure longevity
expansion, NH Architecture and Woods public architecture on a global scale. and low maintenance.
Bagot selected factory-applied Intergrain It’s a bustling microcosm of the city of
UltraDeck to enhance and preserve the Melbourne and captures the energy of a In this respect, they worked closely with
inherent qualities of timber. place regarded for positive cosmopolitan landscape architecture practice Aspect
vibes, international commerce and Studios, who specified Intergrain TSS
progressive thinking. In renovating their Mould Preventer followed by Intergrain
original design and expanding the project, UltraDeck decking oil with added UltraGrip
NH Architecture and Woods Bagot have not for slip resistance. As Woods Bagot
only improved the offering, they’ve also principal and project director Andy Gentry
made it far more engaging. explains, “The courtyard needed to be
heavily trafficked yet aesthetically pleasing
With stage two now complete, the precinct and this product enhances the material’s
is equivalent in size to three and a half inherent qualities, highlighting its natural
MCGs and its centrepiece is a state-of-the- grain and texture, which in turn adds to the
art Exhibition Hall. Ambitious scale aside, architectural dynamism of the precinct.”
the expansion’s most resounding feature
is the one-thousand-square-metre timber The decking oil is a factory-applied
deck courtyard in the central hub. It’s a coating and so affords a greater level
meeting point, gathering spot and breakout of control over the outcome. For a project
zone, and is also used as a function space, like the MCEC, which has evolved over a
equipped to accommodate outdoor events considerable period of time, the benefits
with capacity for eight hundred people. of this process can’t be underestimated,
This area works as hard as the precinct’s especially for an exterior application.
interiors, if not more so, because it’s Not only does the timber arrive on site
The courtyard had to be both heavily trafficked and aesthetically pleasing. The factory-applied coating ensures an even The coating ensures the deck matches the quality finish
and consistent finish, and also reduces installation time. of the MCEC’s interior timber surfaces.
protected against exposure that can timber’s surfaces, including the

potentially lead to splitting, swelling underside, and removes any on-site For more information:
or cupping, its finish is also even and issues of painting over fixtures or timberstudio.com.au
therefore consistent with any factory- splashing of adjacent surfaces.” intergrain.com.au
applied timber finishes already in use.
Every single component of the MCEC’s
Specifying pre-finished timber also plays expansion has been carefully considered
an important part in keeping such a large and therein lies the project’s ultimate
project on schedule. The timber does not design success.
require additional coating after arriving on
site, streamlining the installation process.
Gentry explains, “We had a rigid eighteen-
month construction program, and using a
timber that has been pre-finished helped Architects NH Architecture and Woods Bagot;
to keep the project on track.” NH Architecture project team Hamish Lyon, Astrid Jenkin,
Nick Hubicki, Adrian Costa, Natasha Nassour, Mieke Vinju,
Certainly, the architects’ preference Victor Wong, Lucy Carruthers; Woods Bagot project team
Nik Karalis, Andy Gentry, Kate Frear, Mindy Chong, Ryvan Lim,
was for a high-performance product Tristan Da Roza, David Zito, Nirvan Basnet, Sue Al-Azzawi;
that would avert the risk of defects and Project manager Plenary Group; Structural engineers WSP
rectification periods, and provide durability (expansion), Irwinconsult (carpark and hotel); Services
in the long term. This is a key advantage and fire engineer, specialist lighting, ESD and vertical
transportation consultant WSP; Hydraulic consultant C. R.
of pre-finished timber, which ensures all Knight and Associates; Traffic engineer GTA Consultants;
surfaces of the timber are coated, thereby Acoustic and theatre consultant Marshall Day Acoustics;
providing greater protection over the Signage consultant Buro North; Facade engineer Arup;
Landscape consultant Aspect Studios; AV/ICT consultant
project’s lifespan. As NH Architecture
CHW Consulting; Building surveyor PLP Building Surveyors
principal Adrian Costa explains, “Applying and Consultants; DDA consultant Architecture and Access;
the coating in the factory covers all of the Town planner Urbis; Timber supplier Precise Timber Innovations
Jul / Aug 2019 67

Project
Daylesford Longhouse
Architect
Partners Hill
Review by Katelin Butler

Photography by Rory Gardiner
In rural Victoria, a vast industrial

shed is the veil for a rationally
planned yet intriguing program
of living quarters, cooking school
and productive farm.
Living, farming, cooking When you can see the horizon, the immensity of a Starting with the prefabricated shed had
and teaching functions landscape setting is sublime. It gives us perspective benefits during the construction process, eliminating
coalesce in Daylesford
Longhouse, where “common on our small place in the world, prompting our mind to the need for waterproofing and ensuring weathering
sense yields all sorts of wander and allowing dreaming to begin. By contrast, would not be an issue. In spite of the building’s
poetic pleasures.” the ability to take refuge and find retreat from the apparent industrial structure, there is something
Sitting low among vastness of the world allows us to recalibrate at the more elegant and composed about it. The simple
a series of landscaped human scale and reflect on a mindful existence. addition of a folded and perforated cornice around the
berms, the home presents
as an industrial shed, its
Daylesford Longhouse by Partners Hill responds to north and south edges of the roof conceals the gutter
cornice decorated with both the dreaminess of a landscape setting and the and prevents the shed from looking “too agricultural.”
dots and dashes to spell out very real human yearning for respite and reflection. Decorated with dots and dashes that spell out the
“longhouse” in Morse code.
On arrival at the site, ninety-three kilometres word “longhouse” in Morse code, the cornice was
Inside the shed, the north-west of Melbourne, the full 110-metre length of inspired by classical gable-ended buildings in
different functions are
the prefabricated shed structure is visible behind a the tradition of Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Sigurd
carefully sequenced
around a productive series of landscaped berms. The scale of the structure Lewerentz, which have an extruded gable form that
greenhouse garden. responds to the vastness of the landscape, and the dignifies the shed typology.
By consolidating all translucent shell appears to have a green tint that is Hill refers to other classical building types
functions under one roof, in actuality a reflection of the grasses planted on the as precedents for this project – in particular the
the project shirks the villa, which for Hill is an enticing alternative to the
berm. Within the single volume, a series of buildings
more typical approach of
scattering farm buildings are arranged throughout a productive and leafy garden “Australian obsession with romancing the country
across a site according greenhouse. The size, detailing and craftsmanship cottage.” The distinct parts of the Longhouse are
to function. of the buildings connect to the human scale and interrelated and dependent on one another to create
this inward focus (with the exception of one large the larger architectural complex, yet each portion
horizontal opening along the northern edge) provides an isolated experience and performs
promotes mindfulness and nurtures the soul. completely different functions. Interior and exterior
The design is based on a remarkably simple architectural features are intertwined throughout
and pragmatic idea of containing all three functions the building such that you lose track of whether
of the brief – living quarters, a cooking school and you are inside or outside – it’s a confusing moment
a working farm building – within the one, long shed when you realize you are walking around “outside”
structure. This is an uncommon approach to farm in only your socks. A playful bathroom of terracotta
buildings, which are more typically dotted across a bricks with white-glazed side and end and terracotta
site and delineated according to function. There’s mortar is actually an outdoor bathroom, open to the
something quite magical and otherworldly about fields beyond.
entering this space, but all design decisions for this An important factor in determining the length
building have masterful clarity and are based on and proportions of the building was the calculation
rational thought processes. As Timothy Hill, director of how much water needs to be harvested in order
of Partners Hill, aptly points out, “it turns out common to sustain a productive and healthy garden. With no
sense yields all sorts of poetic pleasures. It’s great fun.” precedent for this type of project, the design process
Jul / Aug 2019 71
Site plan concept (not to scale)
20
19
7 17
20
18 18
First floor plan

1:750
6 14
11
10
1 2 3 5 8 13 15
12
7 9 16
4
Ground floor plan
0 5 10 m
1:750
Key
1 Animal enclosure 11 Bath house

2 Prep area 12 Sauna
3 Garage 13 Fire pit
4 Entry 14 Dining
5 Vestibule 15 Kitchen
6 Laundry 16 Lounge
7 Store 17 Stableman’s quarters
8 Garden kitchen 18 Guestroom
9 Back-of-house kitchen 19 Garden lounge
10 Garden dining 20 Bedroom
Section
0 1 2 5 10 m
1:300
In the modestly
sized living quarters at
the eastern end of the
structure, the industrial
shed gives way to a more
domestic setting.
Though much more

intimate in scale, the
living quarters display the
same honest expression
of materials as in the rest
of the building.
Jul / Aug 2019 73

involved a series of experiments and calculations – Opportunities on Organic Farms volunteers, who work The house is the result
in return for meals, accommodation and culture) – this of a staged ten-year
research that could now serve as a model for a
design and construction
self-sustaining and shared living arrangement. There is a home not just for clients Ronnen Goren and Trace process involving
is also a sense that the Longhouse itself could be Streeter, but also for others to experience and enjoy, various calculations
multiplied or extended, to accommodate both more friends, transient workers and paying customers alike. and experiments in
self-sustainability.
plants and more people. It is important to note that this is not a
Technology was sourced from the agricultural weekender – in fact, the whole concept of this
industry, rather than the building industry – for house is purposefully against the idea of going
example, the planted portion of the building is somewhere out of the city to do nothing. Rather,
variably ventilated and pollinated with steel-framed, the house is intentionally active and demands your
partially porous agricultural fabric. attention. Visitors are always doing something,
The timber carpentry is chunky and raw be it milking a cow, making cheese or pruning an
and there is an honest expression of structure and avocado tree. It’s a place that takes you back to
materiality throughout the project. Close attention the fundamentals of living.
has been paid to the quality of light and the way This is a masterful building that is clearly
it enters the building, while steady acoustics give designed by an architect who has rehearsed the
a consistency to the internal space that evokes spatial sequencing puzzle of residential architecture
feelings of calm and comfort. many times. It makes all the right moves, and
At the shed’s eastern end, the industrial then adds something new to the equation that is
scale diminishes to a domestic one in the transition unexpected and overwhelmingly delightful. The benefits
to the living quarters and the mood shifts to of biophilia are proven, but Longhouse allows for
encourage bunking in and getting cosy for the night. more than simply a human connection to nature.
Passive Haus systems control the sealed interior It simultaneously embeds you in nature and protects
environments within the shed. Quirky features foster you from it. It allows for both blissful dreaming and
a sense of play, such as a hidden first-floor toilet mindful concentration. The spatial delight and magic
with a light well to the kitchen below, walls that push of this space is born from rationality and classical
and pull to allow for recessed light fittings, low-level sequencing techniques. Longhouse is an embodiment
window placements and hidden daybeds. In a similar of dualities, but more importantly it focuses our
vein, the stableman’s quarters have a high ceiling that attention on the fundamentals of our existence on
reveals the copper colour of the insulation film and earth and might offer some hints to a sustainable
is littered, intentionally, with too many pendant lights. model of self-sustained living.
These playful moves transform ordinary rooms into
something extraordinary. — Katelin Butler is the editorial director of Architecture Media,
former editor of Houses and a graduate of architecture.
A garden kitchen in the centre of the plan
is used for a series of weekend cooking courses and
forms the heart of the scheme. It’s the social hub, the
place to come together and cook the produce from
the greenhouse and farm. It’s also the last piece
of the puzzle to be built after a staged ten-year
design and construction process (although there
are whispers of new ideas). Above the garden kitchen,
Architect Partners Hill; Project team Timothy Hill (design director); Domenic Mesiti, Michael Hogg
sleeping quarters accommodate visitors, guest (architects); Jonathan Chamberlain (graduate of architecture); Builder Nick Andrews Construction;
kitchen workers or seasonal WWOOFers (World Wide Masonry consultant Elvis and Rose; Engineer Tim Hall and Associates
WHEN THE INGREDIENTS ARE RIGHT,
IT’S A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS.
ENTER NOW! ENTRIES CLOSE 26 JULY.
EAT-DRINK-DESIGN.COM.AU
Award Categories
Best Bar Design Best Installation Design
Best Restaurant Design Best Retail Design
Best Cafe Design Best Identity Design
Best Hotel Design
Major Partner Supporting Partners
Organizer
Project
Whitlam Place
Design team
Freadman White
and Anon Studio
Review by Andy Fergus

Photography by Gavin Green
A self-initiated housing venture

in Melbourne’s Fitzroy counters
the uniformity of multiresidential
development and is designed with
community, not commodity, in mind.
Whitlam Place
In a market oversaturated with glossy real estate for Donati and his sister’s young family. Removing
images, it is rare that a completed apartment the need to turn a profit enabled greater investment
building lives up to its promise. This might explain in the build quality. While this model of self-initiated
why Whitlam Place has had such an impact in the housing was used for luxury apartments here, it could
Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, with its conceptual translate easily across scale, budget and type, with
clarity, delicate form-making and extraordinary quality particular relevance to an asset-rich ageing population
of finish, both externally and internally. This gives rise looking to downsize “in place.”
to the question, how was such a project possible? Without any formal ground rules for the
The answer lies in the combination of the collaborative working relationship, the collaboration between
design process, the luxury of time and long-term site Donati and Freadman White was organic. The trio
ownership, and a development model that afforded engaged in wine-fuelled charrettes, iterative testing
a level of control more akin to a single dwelling of ideas and intense design review sessions. While
than a commercial building. the multiresidential typology is typically characterized
The design evolved through a partnership by compressed time frames, linear design development
between designer-cum-developer Marcello Donati and limited oversight of construction, the time and
of Anon Studio and his long-time friends, architects control afforded to “get things right” at every stage of
Michael White and Ilana Freadman of practice the project enabled an extraordinary degree of rigour
Freadman White, and was built to exacting standards and conceptual development that is evident in the
by Visioneer. The team drew upon the expertise of a physical outcome.
network of friends and industry peers in developing The simple and elegant plan was set early on,
the project, an approach Donati describes jokingly and to exploit views across the park to Fitzroy Town Hall
in hindsight as “part naivety and part curation.” to the south and accommodate likely future
The almost four-hundred-square-metre development to the north. While the internal planning
property was purchased in the 1980s and has was approved before the implementation of Victoria’s
remained in the Donati family, reducing the financial Better Apartments Design Standards, it passes most
pressure that would come with buying Fitzroy land requirements with flying colours, with a majority
at its current value. Rather than sell the site or partner of dual-aspect, cross-ventilated apartments and
with a developer, Donati sought Milieu’s assistance generous ceiling heights of 3.2 metres. The south-
on the sales and marketing campaign; after securing facing apartments at each level are kept shallow, with
sufficient presales and equity to interest the banks, a broad width and extensive glazing. Balconies are
he proceeded with the development solo. As Donati shallow at 1.6 metres, shy of the Better Apartments
was a first-time developer, this approach involved Design Standards but designed to prioritize natural
a significant appetite for personal risk. He elected light. The mirrored light wells of the bedrooms against
to document the building fully prior to tender and to the party wall are kept intentionally compact to
engage a builder in a lump-sum contract, in order prioritize amenity in the living areas. Interestingly,
to maintain control over the design detail in a manner the generous quality of planning and views to the
more typical to high-quality, smaller-scale work. This town hall led to the apartments with south-facing
approach placed design integrity above the perceived bedrooms selling before those with bedrooms facing
time and cost efficiencies of a design-and-construct east and west.
contract more typical to multiresidential projects. Freadman White describes the form-making
The development model paid off, allowing process as a game of sculpting from a solid, capped
profit from the nine apartments for sale to fund the in height by the main parapet of the Fitzroy Town Hall.
two courtyard houses in the sky that were retained The varied spatial planning of the ground level, middle
Located in the
inner-suburb of Fitzroy,
Melbourne, Whitlam Place is
an apartment development
initiated by designer-cum-
developer Marcello Donati
and designed in partnership
with Freadman White.
Playful bay windows

animate the east facade
and reinterpret the
classical language of
the neighbouring Fitzroy
Town Hall.
The south facade

overlooks a park and Fitzroy
Town Hall. Two courtyard
houses occupy the top floor,
their courtyards seemingly
carved out of the glazing.
A copper oxide coating

applied to the scalloped
precast concrete facade
compliments the silver-
green canopies of the
park’s ironbark gum trees.
Jul /Aug 2019 79

Whitlam Place
Napier Street
Level three floor plan 1
1:400
Whitlam Place
(park)
4
Moor Street
Site plan
0 5 20 m
1:1500
Typical floor plan

1:400
Key
5 4 3
6
1 Whitlam Place
apartments
2 Fitzroy Town Hall
6 6 3 Entry
4 Lift
5 Bike storage
6 Storage
(mezzanine level)
Ground floor plan

0 1 2 5 10 m
1:400
Section
1:400
Although there is no
dedicated communal space
in the building, circulation
spaces are memorable
and include a custom neon
lighting installation and pink
and green terrazzo flooring
in the entry.
The scalloped precast

concrete that characterizes
the facade continues in the
interior circulation spaces.
Jul /Aug 2019 81

levels and the courtyard homes atop is expressed adaptability over time. This invitation has indeed Donati’s own apartment
on the top floor features
externally in a classical tripartite composition. The been taken up – one buyer has purchased a second
a circular courtyard. The
upturned arches provide a plinth, the “waist” is clad apartment to operate as a psychology studio at the development model for the
in scalloped, copper-oxide finished precast concrete, Napier Street frontage. project directed the profit
from the sale of the nine
and delicate steelwork and glass define the top. While the building does not incorporate any
apartments on the lower
The design process unearthed a series of dedicated communal space, the resident community, floors into funding for the
architectural motifs that influenced both developer and their dogs, have formed a strong bond already. pair of courtyard homes.
and architect, and humanized the robust form with Donati engaged intending owner-occupiers at frequent Artwork: Brent Harris
moments of carefully controlled whimsy. Every incision milestones throughout the build for celebratory The second in the
in the concrete form is carefully considered, from champagne, and some cheekily took to regular pair of “courtyard houses
in the sky.” The differences
the band of horizontal openings sliced into the south weeknight “break-ins” to inspect progress. Donati between the two courtyard
elevation to the animation of the east and west speaks of having a nothing-to-hide attitude throughout homes reveals the level of
facades with playful bay windows, referencing Marcel the sales and construction process, owing to his customization in the project.
Breuer’s seminal design for the Met in New York, and shared interest in delivering a quality result. This South-facing apartments
an ornamental gutter spout inspired by Le Corbusier’s vested interest produced a transparent and trusting overlook the Fitzroy Town
Hall and the established
projects in Ahmedabad, India. The brass window relationship, a critical component of the transaction trees in the adjacent park.
shrouds and copper ventilation grilles will age for owner-occupiers making a significant investment
gracefully. The copper oxide finish was an intentional in a long-term home.
homage to Nonda Katsalidis’s Melbourne Terrace The care evident in the design process
Apartments, albeit in an applied rather than integral lives on beyond the project’s completion – Donati’s
form, following lessons shared by Katsalidis himself. sister heads the self-managed body corporate,
For the scalloped concrete facade, prototyping and dedicated gardening has been undertaken
led to the novel use of PVC pipes as form liner, which including training creepers along the south facade
proved more cost effective and flexible than proprietary to the park, as well as the civic offering of seasonally
products. These monolithic planes of patinated precast planted flowers in a narrow garden bed to the street.
to the east and west act as proud bookends to the park, Owing to the extraordinary concrete finishing
while the transition to the glazed south elevation at by the builder, the basement parking structure
the top floor playfully exposes the mitred edge of the has taken on a life as a multifunctional space,
precast panels. The glazing of this level steps around accommodating Donati’s famed food and wine
two geometrically distinct courtyards, modulating the events, while space under the ramp has been
upper form, while the glazing’s fine detailing provides annexed with future plans for food experimentation.
a canvas for dancing reflections of eucalypt foliage. Initially attending the events as guests, residents
Neighbouring developments – one by Edition Office are now concocting their own plans for basement
and another by Freadman White – complement music recitals and other cultural events. When your
the design, and it becomes clear that Whitlam Place basement concrete is finished with the precision
works beautifully both as a park-side object and of a Swiss bathhouse, perhaps the solution to
as part of a street-wall ensemble. communal space is simply to sell your car.
The ground floor at the park’s edge is perhaps
the most challenging aspect to resolve in a project — Andy Fergus is an urban designer at the City of Melbourne,
co-director of Melbourne Architours and researcher into alternative models
like this, with apartments where perhaps a small of urban development.
bar or office might have contributed more life to the
street. However, developer and architect solved Design team Freadman White and Anon Studio; Freadman White project team Ilana Freadman,
Michael White; Anon Studio project team Marcello Donati; Builder Visioneer Builders; Engineer Meyer
the arrangement with flexible planning and generous Consulting; Landscape and interiors Freadman White and Anon Studio; Lighting Euroluce, Archier,
ceiling heights, configured to allow dual use or Sphera, Ambience
Jul /Aug 2019 83

Project
Subiaco House
Architect
Vokes and Peters
Review by Simon Pendal

Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones
A new house in Perth at once

recollects and reconsiders the
suburban house, employing a garden
room to mediate between individual
and collective suburban life.
Subiaco House
Located in the Perth My first contact with Stuart Vokes occurred a among undeveloped landscapes, and of the
suburb of Subiaco, the
decade ago, after viewing his practice’s entry for the centrality of bike riding as a way of cementing deep
house is a two-storey,
L-shaped building that invitational About Face 2009 competition run by Think neighbourhood knowledge at all scales. Later, as a
wraps around a garden. Brick. Impressed by the scheme, I contacted his office teenager, Vokes shared jaunts at night and on foot,
The house occupies expressing admiration for the entry’s premise and searching out encounters and “shabby” foodstuffs.
a site that, for two decades, quality. This communication was graciously returned, All of this speaks of a personal freedom, of valuing
had been maintained big slices of territory that opened up to possibility,
leading to a meeting months later in Perth where I was
as a fenced private lawn.
A cloister at the street confronted by Vokes’s self-assured proclamation that and of a humane sodality. There is a romanticism in
corner preserves the he was a “suburban architect.” Later, we discussed his memories of this place, one that others might
memory of this emptiness. Vokes’s claim in our office at length, leading to a have dismissed as a landscape worthy of forgetting.
The cloister contains realization that there is a palpable difference between By way of background, the practice’s 2009
a courtyard garden and architects who choose to work in the suburbs (like Neighbourhood Code was a fully established research
outdoor room and mediates
between the house’s us), and what it means to be suburban architects agenda for the less-dense Australian suburb, overtly
ground-floor rooms and like Vokes and Peters. critical of the crudity of “densification” as a blunt tool
the street. In visiting the Subiaco House and listening for assessment of value. It celebrated individual and
The design builds on the to Vokes’s extensive, layered description, my thoughts shared amenity and collective responsibility, mandated
practice’s ongoing interest drifted back to the central proposition of the About maximum garden cover and assessed typological fit.
in the suburbs, celebrating
individual and shared
Face entry from 2009, which appeared to be the It spoke of the value of garden rooms, the hierarchy
amenity, the value of garden natural research basis for this recent project. of streets, the revaluing of garden space and the
rooms and the dignity Furthermore, the new house seemed to radiate more dignity of everyday domestic acts.
of everyday domesticity.
than most from an acute and specific spatial history.1 The foundation of these fine-grained
I was left wondering how this practice, so deeply interests, I am certain, started in the early lives
associated with “Brisbanian localism,” could build of the practice directors. The fabric of space within,
in faraway Perth and maintain relevance. I wondered through and beyond their modest houses was
from what other basis this work arose, because it mentally and physically scaled, categorized and
departed so substantially from Perth’s suburban fabric staged. Their training as architects and early-practice
built from the 1980s onwards, when houses seemed experiments expanded their spatial language.
to turn away from the street and in upon themselves. This language binds the pair’s spatial history to
Leon van Schaik’s work on the role of one’s the Neighbourhood Code and presents the Subiaco
spatial history and the “designerly” acts it draws forth House as a potent demonstration project.
provides a profound basis from which to discuss Vokes The site for this new house had been
and Peters’s practice, their Neighbourhood Code empty for two decades, maintained as a tidy,
(the basis of their About Face proposition) and the fenced, private lawn. The memory of this emptiness
Subiaco House. In his book Spatial Intelligence, van has been consciously, but uncannily, preserved by
Schaik quotes Gaston Bachelard to affirm his own the placement of a stout cloister at the street corner,
research in the field: “Each one of us, then, should making the principal domestic garden a graduated
speak of his roads, his crossroads, his roadside public–private event. This defined outdoor room
benches; each one of us should make a surveyor’s map almost holds everything else in place – the front
of his lost fields and meadows. Thoreau said that he gate, a low wall, a semicircular niche, cross-views
carried the map of his fields engraved in his soul.”2 between streets, external fire, outdoor dining table,
Vokes’s eidetic recall of his own spatial history the rooms of the house’s ground floor and the
floods our conversation with memories of childhood heavens. If traditionally cloisters were fortified
in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, bathed in friendship. places for cyclical motion and access to light,
The neighbourhood streets belonged to the local the Subiaco House’s cloister collects and stages
children under a form of mutually assumed ownership. familiar action in multiple layers between private
Vokes speaks of playing in nearby creek beds and rooms and the street verge.
Jul / Aug 2019 87

Subiaco House
The ground-floor rooms

are composed to enable
views between interior
spaces and out to the
neighbourhood.
Section
1:400
13
10
10
11 12 10
First floor plan

1:400
8 5 6 7
9 4
1
Floor plan key

2
1 Garage
2 Store
10 3
3 Sitting room
4 Dining room
5 Kitchen
6 Larder
7 Laundry
8 Outdoor room
9 Courtyard garden
10 Bedroom
11 Family room
Ground floor plan 12 Study
0 1 2 5 10 m
1:400 13 Bay window
At a greater distance, from across the road, approach allows the interior transitions from one
the cloister anchors the house, fills the site and room to the next to be acutely felt. Rooms and their
balances out the rolling undulations of the roof, openings are composed around little diagonal glimpses
chimneys and tall landscape while providing a datum that amplify their domesticity, or formalized by long,
to the neighbourhood. This spatial act is unique in linear sequences that carry the gaze deep into the
Perth – I am unaware of another domestic cloister neighbourhood. Each room’s specific internal
locked to a street corner. This unlikely parti feels character correlates to one of five or six gardens,
a natural accompaniment to suburban life, fostering varied in their formality, privacy, location, exposure,
village-like encounters. position and seasonal use.
The house proper is a two-storey L-shaped What the Subiaco House establishes is that
wing forming one half of the cloister. Stacking the buildings of this calibre can educate us and, in this
program in pursuit of added garden space required instance, there is much we can learn on behalf of our
the architects to circumvent some illogical local suburbs – whether in Brisbane or Perth – by studying
planning codes – they accommodated a second this kind of physical memory palace.3
storey within the roof space of a deformed Dutch
gable. This “roofness” also justified reduced boundary — Simon Pendal is the principal of Simon Pendal Architect
and senior lecturer in the University of Notre Dame’s Fremantle Master
setbacks, bringing two ground-floor rooms (the kitchen of Architecture program.
and main bedroom) into close contact with opposing
Footnotes
streets. Like the cloister, this terracotta-shingled
oddity has no local equivalent – it is the formal result 1. Spatial history is an idea learnt from Leon van Schaik. It is a concept that
has very much become part of my practice-based work and teaching
of a nostalgic idea that led to a compact plan that program for more than a decade. See Leon van Schaik, Spatial Intelligence:
preserved landscape. The roof is thick at all window New Futures for Architecture (Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2008).
reveals, allowing a retreat from the baking Perth 2. Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space (Boston: Beacon Press, 1969).
sun. My single criticism of this project is that the
3. Frances Yates, The Art of Memory (Chicago: University of Chicago
quality of these first-floor interiors – predominantly Press, 2001).
bedrooms – is unfulfilled, stopping just short
of attaining a dreamy, attic-like sensibility.
The ground-floor rooms are truly exquisite,
intensively detailed and concentrically composed Architect Vokes and Peters; Project team Stuart Vokes, Aaron Peters, Emma Robinson, Kirsty Hetherington,
from centre to edge and then axially. This compositional Marty Said; Structural and hydraulic engineer, energy assessment Structerre
Jul / Aug 2019 89

Housing Futures
A forum about new trajectories
in residential architecture
Melbourne, Friday 26 July, 2019
Learn from respected practitioners Earn CPD points, network with peers
from Australia and abroad. and make valuable new connections.
Discover how leading thinkers are Explore new ideas and be inspired by
creating the cities of our future. the best in your field.
SIMON AL L FORD MAG GIE MA

Founding Director, Allford Hall Co-founder,
Monaghan Morris (London) Domat (Hong Kong)
Housing, Homes or Architecture? Architectural Responsibility
K AREN ALC O CK KIER AN WONG

Principal, Principal,
MA Architects (Melbourne) The Fulcrum Agency (Perth)
Apartments as Home Culturally Empowered
Housing Projects
See the full program and purchase tickets

at designspeaks.com.au
M A JOR PARTNER SUPP ORTING PARTNER PRE SEN TED BY

2019
Gold Medallists
Los Angeles
Melbourne
Hank Koning and

Julie Eizenberg
Architecture Australia’s tribute to the 2019 Gold Medallists traces the
career trajectory of Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg, from progressive
students in 1970s Melbourne to influential Southern California-based
proponents of socially minded architecture. Ian McDougall, Aaron Betsky,
Russell Fortmeyer and Justine Clark celebrate the pragmatic yet ambitious
work of Koning Eizenberg Architecture.
Jul / Aug 2019 91

2019 Gold Medallists
Made in Melbourne Ian McDougall reflects on the currents of change

Words by Ian McDougall in Melbourne during the 1970s and considers how
Hank and Julie’s commitment to a social agenda
has its roots in their activist student days.
“Hank-n-Julie.” That’s how I’ve known them in the design. “It is a commanding building …
since 1976, always a pair and always in that yet its large size is belied by the lightness
order, even though that order is probably of the architecture and its magical
patriarchal – Julie was always the more transparency.”1 It’s a Max May design,
vocal one. They were a power team even but the waggishness, the neat detail
back then, part of a group of energetic and the counterplay of finesse and
graduates who made the Melbourne anti-perfection display the Hank I know.
architectural scene of the late 1970s The little brick hut might have been such
a time of significant change. With other a conceit, but it is beautiful.
always-pairs, Steve-n-Ro (Ashton) and Melbourne in the late 1970s felt a bit
Howard-n-Poh (Raggatt), they were part grim. Work was thin after the oil crisis and
of a close-knit gang of students from stock market crash (1973–75). Into the ‘80s
the University of Melbourne and RMIT Melbourne felt suspended, going nowhere,
University. We all had cars that needed barely holding onto its St Petersburg
fixing, lived cheap and followed George self-identity and despairing that it was
Hatzisavas’s guide to ethnic cheap eats all happening in Tinsel Town Sydney.2
in inner Melbourne: Turkish Pizza, Lebanese The architectural values of 1970s
House, Stalactites, the Waiters’ Club Melbourne were founded on the principles
and Twins. of English Brutalism: social activism,
I met Hank around 1977, when we functional zoning around a sense of
were both working for Max May. He was communality and unpretentiousness,
a laconic smart alec; irreverent, wiry and simple blocky forms and rawness. Jackson
intelligent, he was a good foil to me, the Walker and Gunn Hayball were the guiding-
garrulous smart alec. There was some light practices, with Kevin Borland and
considerable rivalry between us that I think Peter McIntyre the architectural elders.
Max enjoyed. It was not antagonistic, but Around this group was an emerging
pronounced enough for us to resolve an generation: Max May, Peter Crone, Cocks
architectural discussion by wrestling it out and Carmichael and Greg Burgess, but
on the straw matting of the old factory floor also Williams and Boag, Peter Elliott,
at 10 Peel Street in Collingwood, where Max John Kenny, John Baird and Peter Sanders.
had his office. We worked together on the Hank worked for Max. They shared
project known as Toorak House in Russell an interest in both cars and in architecture
Street. It is planned in the characteristic characterized by a sensitivity for the craft
May way (a hierarchy of spaces, ordered for of fabrication, in inventing ways to make
openness, function and privacy, all arrayed things, and in gadgetry and pragmatics
around a private courtyard), although the that could be artfully resolved. They and
design has sections that May didn’t repeat others in this circle of architects resolved
in later projects. In particular, there are design through systemized planning,
some PoMo moments: a faux ruined wall a frugal vernacular of materials and adroit
and rockery, a little rustic brick pavilion builderly techniques. Julie worked for
The house in Cardigan covered in creeper and embedded in the Jackson and Walker and had an affinity
Street, Carlton shared by
Hank, Julie, Steve Ashton
sleek modern glass frontage, a miraculous with Evan Walker’s work and activism.
and Peter Craig, 1975. Vierendeel truss that hangs out on one end, In 1976 Jackson and Walker won an award
The Max May Architects
apparently unsupported, and even a couple for the low-rise, mixed-use housing
team, c. 1979. Top, from left: of classical columns in the garden. Jennifer development, City Edge, in South Melbourne.
Ian McDougall, Pauline Taylor refers to the house in Australian The project proved that you could build
Purser, Mike Phillipson,
Max May, George Hatzisavas.
Architecture since 1960 as being “saved mass housing that would fit in with the
Bottom: Julie and Hank. from pretension by the expressed humour” existing urban fabric and incorporated
community facilities (in this case, a and the early days working as a young with chums back in Melbourne, but some of
kindergarten, a creche, a shop and architect are formative for all, but I think the chums got aggro when Hank and Julie
a garden setting) without resorting to the zeitgeist of the 1970s was particularly visited to show their studies into algorithmic
Commission towers. It is interesting influential. The architectural scene was design process. The chums were pissed
to view Koning Eizenberg Architecture’s hungry for change, had a deep interest that they had abandoned the local fight.
Los Angeles housing projects, and the in the city, possessed a strong humanist But, of course, they didn’t give
practice’s social agenda, in relation to social agenda and was energized by up the good fight. They weren’t like that.
this period of Melbourne architecture. activism. I recall how articulate Julie was They went and created a remarkable,
The Brutalist lineage is a stream about these issues, and how deeply she multi-awarded practice of nearly forty
of Melbourne architecture that is outside thought about such things. years, and an important culture of civic
the “discourse and meaning” tradition, Hank, Julie, Steve and another engagement and architectural education
and therefore one that is discussed with University of Melbourne architecture that few Australian practices can match.
less frequency these days. The award- student, Peter Craig, lived the share-house They have produced signature work,
winning projects of the 1970s were life in Cardigan Street, Carlton. Steve, like groundbreaking projects in adaptive reuse,
groundbreaking in typology – existing Hank, had a passion for cars and ways of for not-for-profit organizations and in
buildings were reused, houses were built making them work better. Hank was a bit of affordable and cooperative housing. And
on “unusable” blocks, and projects a boy-racer, and he was pretty handy with they have a span of museum, educational
advocated for community, heritage and tools. Peter recalls this trait, accompanied and high-profile commercial projects on
environmental values. Form was not the by Hank’s inability to sit still, causing their awards list, too. Additionally, Julie
focus. To their architects, the projects’ constant dusty renovation activity to their has become a lifelong educator, a leading
forms would evolve through planning and rented house. Unknown to the landlord and teacher and lecturer in theory across the
making, albeit through an acute eye to without permit, he would jump up, armed USA. Back in Melbourne she is a regular
the modernist style. Forty years later, in with a sledgehammer, and remove another contributor at the University of Melbourne.
an article for Metropolis, Julie was quoted bit of wall. He installed an indoor toilet and It’s interesting to see them referred
as saying, “ … the actual form plays second retiled the kitchen floor. He had that energy to as “quintessentially southern Californian”
fiddle to the journey, or the experience.”3 and set of skills of a fixer, the craft(y) architects, because I see their work through
The focus of the decade was on builder. Hence the empathy with May. the Melbourne traditions of their early
change, in design and in projects, for The group of University of Melbourne development. The things that happened
an equitable community. The circle even friends included Grant Marani, the instigator and the beliefs and ways of thinking in
attempted to create a new Society of and driving force behind the Halftime Club. Melbourne architecture at that time set
Architects, an alternative to the grey- The Club, which began in 1979, was an their spirits alight. Crafted, economical,
suited club of the Royal Australian Institute opportunity for graduates and students inventive and carefully planned for function
of Architects. Hank and Julie were there to gather in a local pub to argue about and space, their projects are not focused
when all the progressive practices architecture, seek meaningful analysis on capital “F” Form or capital “N” Narrative
got together with commentators and of work and quiz invited, established but rather on the clever resolution of the
politicians from the left (and even Peter practitioners as they presented their specifics of each project. And there is
Davey, an editor at UK magazine The latest projects. It was a further flowering always that sense of vitality and lightness
Architectural Review) to establish a new of the milieu, driven by that same mood for in a city so very different from here. I see
Institute, a now famous night of failure change – inquisitive, activist and discursive. Melbourne. They’re in the family. They
at The Last Laugh Theatre in 1979. However, it was different to the Brutalist moved to LA forty years ago, but Hank
For their final-year thesis, Hank, lineage. The older group didn’t talk about never lost his accent nor Julie her sense
Julie and Steve Ashton undertook a study how they designed or about their strategies of inquiry and action. And neither lost their
of the history, potential retention and reuse or influences, but rather mostly about sense of humour.
of Melbourne’s remarkable nineteenth- function and social action. On the other
century buildings of Collins Street, with hand, Halftimers had a strong formal focus — Ian McDougall is a founding director of
ARM Architecture and adjunct professor at RMIT and
a particular focus on the Rialto precinct. aligning with the “discourse and meaning” the University of Adelaide. He was there when all of
At the time, the street was marked for stream that was emerging in Melbourne – this happened.
major demolition, which threatened the curated by Peter Corrigan. Hank and Julie Author’s note
loss of important architectural gems, were there at the Club’s invention and
With thanks to Max May, Peter Craig and Grant Marani.
destruction to the fabric of the street and were founding members.
eradication of the lane networks. Their And then, Hank and Julie left Footnotes
studies coincided with the rise of the radical Melbourne to study at UCLA. They left 1. Jennifer Taylor, Australian Architecture since 1960
Collins Street Defence Movement, a group as graduates, completed their masters, (Law Book Company, 1986), 216.
of architects, politicians, academics, became friends with their professors, 2. These terms were used by Meanjin editor Jim Davidson
historians and the National Trust, founded the late Bill Mitchell and Charles Moore, to describe the Melbourne–Sydney rivalry. See Jim Davidson,
“St Petersburg or Tinsel Town? Melbourne and Sydney: Their
and chaired by Evan Walker. Hank, Julie and became neighbours to Frank Gehry, set
Differing Styles and Changing Relation,” Meanjin vol 40
Steve were key sources for the movement’s up shop and had two sons. It’s something no 1, April 1981.
information and rhetoric. This was Julie in many graduates do, go away, and there’s
3. Christopher Hawthorne, “The Right Touch,” Metropolis,
her element; diligent, frank and courageous, no single reason why. Some leave because 1 December 2011, metropolismag.com/architecture/
she could argue on point intelligently and it’s the thing you do for adventure and the-right-touch/ (accessed 6 May 2019).
without belligerence. opportunity, while others leave to escape
It is hard to convey the mood of this the claustrophobia of a small community,
period. The end of one’s university years to expand one’s vision. They kept in contact
Jul / Aug 2019 93

Community
Pico Branch Library
in Santa Monica, California
(2014) encourages the
community to use the library
as a public living room. The
design preserves existing
green space and activates
an adjacent event plaza.
A new entry and

exhibition space for the
Children’s Museum of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(2004) connects an 1890s
post office with a 1939
planetarium. A distinctive
sunshade flutters in the
wind and shades the glass.
Collaborators: Perkins
Eastman (architect of
record), Ned Kahn
(environmental artist).
Photography Eric Staudenmaier
Sunny buildings, sunny personalities –
that’s how I think of Julie Eizenberg and
Hank Koning. While deeply committed to
high-quality design – crisp, humane, modern
housing, houses, libraries and museums that
typically come with a swoosh of colour or a
material flourish – they always deliver it with
sense of humour intact. I think of the time
I interviewed Hank about the rainwater
cistern they incorporated, Australian-style,
into the Pico Branch Library in Santa Monica.
He recalled how the Department of Health
and Safety was initially worried about
flushing toilets with recycled rainwater and
“said to us we should put signs up that this
is ‘not potable water.’ And I said, ‘who drinks
from a toilet?’ and they said ‘dogs do.’
And my response was, ‘well, dogs are
out of luck because they can’t read.’”
Frances Anderton
Host, DnA: Design and Architecture, KCRW 89.9FM
and kcrw.com, Los Angeles
Hank and Julie have been our partners since

2004, when they designed the expansion of
the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, which
incorporates three centuries of buildings into
one cohesive design. The building has won
numerous national design awards and, more
importantly, has become the centre of a
community that cares about children and
families. The building design is a lot like
Hank and Julie; accessible, warm, creative,
challenging (at times) and makes you think
differently about the possibilities. It makes
perfect sense that we went back to them
with our latest project, Museum Lab. They
are bringing the same sensibilities to a very
different historic facility. In many ways, they
are our perfect design partner.
Jane Werner
Executive director, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
From the first blunt conversation we had

in 1980, I have observed Julie and Hank
fearlessly maintaining a frank criticality that
underpins their humanist work. Their work is
clearly grounded in Australia, regardless of
where it is delivered. This is as evident in their
groundbreaking paper on Frank Lloyd Wright
in 1981 as it is in their ample portfolio of built
Photography Ned Kahn (top), Esto
works. A community cannot have better

friends than these architects; they are
professionals and theorists who have deep
insights and boundless passion for
architecture and its craft.
Tom Kvan
Former dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and
Planning, director, Aurin, University of Melbourne
Jul / Aug 2019

“Hi, my name is Julie, how are you?” Smile. Before leaving Melbourne for Los Angeles,

It’s September 2011, in a simple classroom Julie, Hank and I shared a house at the
at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka, top end of Cardigan Street in Carlton.
at a symposium celebrating fifty years It was there, over a drink or six at our
since the opening of the architecture kitchen table, that we discussed, or more
school. For the local students, trained in likely argued about, the idea of forming
the colonial tradition of RIBA, it is one of the Halftime Club: a forum for recent
the first times a renowned architect and architecture school graduates, transitioning
educator has actually introduced herself from academia to the professional world,
amicably, establishing a connection before with the mission to “keep minds alive and
delving into her work. Disconcertment ideas afloat.” We agreed to agree, and soon
gives way to attentiveness as the architect after, the first rowdy meeting of Halftime
articulates an architecture of the everyday. came to be in the very same room.
Julie finishes and is followed by Hank,
taking the discussion from architecture Julie, Hank and I remain rowdy friends.
as a social medium to social housing as
architecture. It is one fundamental hour Grant Marani
Partner, Robert A. M. Stern Architects, New York
in Moratuwa’s fifty-year history.
Paolo Tombesi
Professor, University of Melbourne, director of the
Institute of Architecture at Ecole Polytechnique Federale
de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Photography Eric Staudenmaier (top)
I’ve been working with Julie, Hank and
Brian Lane at Koning Eizenberg Architecture
for fifteen years, but I was dragged in when
A new chapel and I met Julie as a student at Harvard’s
remodelled social spaces Graduate School of Design twenty years ago
at the historically significant
Temple Israel Hollywood
when she was my design studio professor.
in Los Angeles, California
(2016) reflect a I should probably have written this when
contemporary, informal
approach to worship.
Julie, Hank and I haven’t just been arguing
about a project, but when would that be?
At the Otis Booth
I can’t imagine how my life would have
campus for the Children’s
Institute (Los Angeles, turned out if I had got my first choice in
California, 2011), which options studios that spring. Instead I got
provides social service
my second choice, Julie. Thank goodness
and community programs,
for the lottery system.
Photography Tim Street Porter
a clinical context is
transformed into one that is
social and non-institutional. Now I get to spend my days with the
A 1956 commercial most talented, funny and argumentative
building was adaptively architects in the world. Thank you Hank
reused into The Standard
DTLA hotel (California, and Julie.
2003), accelerating
investment in urban living Nathan Bishop
in downtown Los Angeles. Principal, Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Jul / Aug 2019 97

At home in LA: Aaron Betsky surveys the private

Koning and Eizenberg create and public work of Koning Eizenberg
a Southern California style Architecture and identifies a
Words by Aaron Betsky distinctive expression suited to the
messy vitality of Southern California.
Contrary to popular opinion, Los Angeles high on the wall catches the morning sun,
does have a style, in architecture as well as and the view from the standard “sliders”
in other forms of culture, and few designers over the muddle of residences and palm
have come closer to defining its elements trees that make up their neighbourhood,
with more care and verve than Hank Koning you immediately know you are in Southern
and Julie Eizenberg. By mining the basic California. Walk out of the room, one in a
elements of the vernacular that has shaped row of cubicles that leads to the twisted
homes, apartment buildings and commercial square of the master bedroom at the front
Photography Tim Street Porter

structures, these Australian-born architects of the house, down the staircase with its
have put together a kit of parts from which steel handrail and into the open dining
they have been able to create forms that area, kitchen and family hangout, and you
give identity and clarity to the messy find yourself drawn out into the overgrown
vitality of Southern California. garden that runs the whole length of the
Most architects bridle at the house. Inside and outside flow into each
designation of style, but Koning and other in a rhythm modulated by the plaster
Eizenberg understand the necessity of and stucco walls, the wood frames and the
creating coherence in their work, in both occasional colour accents that focus your
visual and compositional terms. They view and attention. The house seems so
base their work not on precedents that natural that you almost forget its radical
manipulate facade or plan treatments, stance: by figuring out how to use the
however, but on aspects of the reality building codes to align the house along the
they inhabit: the appearance of everyday lot’s east–west spread, rather than splitting
buildings (what, in the United States, the lot down the middle (which would have
passes for a vernacular), and the codes left the usual vestigial front and back
and regulations, standardized building yards), Koning and Eizenberg were able to
materials and common practices that create a courtyard house that appropriates
lie beneath those appearances. the yard’s fence as its fourth edge.
With the zeal of converts who By using standard and cheap building
emigrated from a place half an earth away, materials, but playing with the placement
yet similar in many ways in culture and of elements such as windows and allowing
climate, and with complementary skills themselves one twist – that of the front
and backgrounds that include Jewish section of living room with the master
argumentation and Dutch stubbornness, bedroom above – they were able to energize
Koning and Eizenberg have, with their and even monumentalize the structure
team, taken on the most quintessential without removing it from its context.
Hank and Julie’s own Visit one of their more recent public
global city of the twenty-first century and
home, 25th Street House
in Santa Monica, California, both made themselves thoroughly at home structures, such as the Pico Branch Library
features many moving parts in it, and made homes for it. in Santa Monica (2014), and you can see
that open it up to the To wake up in their own house, as their ability to squeeze beauty out of
outside. Obscured by
landscape, the house only I have had the pleasure of doing on several conditions at a civic scale. The Pico Branch
offers glimpses of itself. occasions, gives you a chance to become Library is, at least as far as its appearance
Sketch of 25th Street aware of their achievement. Because from goes, all roof and screen: a range of planes
House from the south. the way in which a small window placed jutting up to echo the ranges of the Santa
Monica Mountains and the Angeles Crest Westside (where most of their buildings This is not to say that Koning
far to the north, while also abstracting and have appeared) and that were constructed Eizenberg’s work is perfect – but then
enlarging the roofs of the residences in the period after World War II (when the again, the point of their mode of operation
around the park in which the library is bulk of that vernacular appeared) into a is to delight in imperfection. The thinness
housed. The planes are interrupted by menu of stucco planes, wood slat walls, of the buildings means that they do not
screens and scrims that hide the interior both sloped and flat roofs, tucked-in always provide all creature comforts.
structure’s bulk, connect its pieces and parking and loose, sometimes even At times this is on purpose, as when they
collect solar power. rambling, compositions. In doing so, they worked with the clients of See-Through
Designed to both make room for have paid particular attention to how they House (2015) to create an open play area
an existing farmers’ market and provide can change the scale of those simple and shared bathroom for their children,
a place for community learning, the library elements, both to create a clearer rather than the private areas that are
is a civic structure that is big enough to relationship between those windows, doors common to such structures. At other
answer to the open space around it, and and niches that address the human body, times, as when they use only single-
low enough to be not only acceptable, but and to answer to the necessity of creating glazed windows and thin walls in their
also inviting to its users. Inside, the angles an overall sense of community. This is true hotel designs (as in their downtown LA
of the roof planes create a play of light and even at the scale of their single-family Standard Hotel, and in another hotel they
define separate reading areas, all without houses, but it is in their low-cost housing – designed in Beverly Hills), it is the result
interrupting the flow of space or building a fundamental part of their work – that their of their willingness to build in the cheapest
unnecessary structure. The detailing is ability to create a sense of common space manner possible. But always they focus
minimal and efficient, but the scale of works most effectively, achieving qualities on getting the most out of what they have
every opening is slightly larger than it really that elevate the buildings from being mere to work with – and making it fun.
needs to be, adding to the sense of both boxes into which people with fewer means Beyond their willingness to work
ease and vernacular grandeur. are deposited. with style and codes, this is the most
While their designs have evolved Behind these appearances, or remarkable aspect of Koning Eizenberg’s
considerably over their years of practice, embedded in their often super-thin walls, work: it has an element of pleasure, joy
and also have no doubt been influenced lies a manipulation of building codes and and even fun. For that, ultimately, is the
by their collaboration with the office team, practices that seeks to leech every single effect of choosing to work with the forms
Koning and Eizenberg’s search for a possibility out of the restrictions these and practices around them and open
Southland style has been consistent. regulations and modes of production them up to new scales and uses. It is also
The firm’s work is based on research into impose. Regulations that to other a reflection of the oft-derived, but crucial
modes of practice, as well as on their own architects appear as a hindrance to the part of Southland culture: its dedication
keen observation of their surroundings. full expression of their work often seem to finding some form of pleasure and
Starting with their graduate work at the to delight Koning (in particular) and satisfaction in both nature and artifice.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Eizenberg. They make full use of the Koning and Eizenberg find the beauty
in the 1980s, Koning and Eizenberg looked demands for energy efficiency that have in the everyday and then have fun kicking
at both the most common forms of become ever more demanding in California up its scale and making it denser, and then
buildings, such as the “dingbat” apartment to create buildings that open up to natural making better places for people to live,
buildings and the bungalows that mixed conditions while harvesting solar energy. work and learn in. Along the way, they also
Spanish and Prairie School derivatives They find ways to turn the economic get a kick out of working with clients who
(stucco walls, shingle roofs, oversized necessity for packing as many units as often become friends, communities they
horizontal windows and curved plane possible into small lots, with restrictions on treat as collaborators and bureaucrats
edges), and the basic elements that heights and requirements for setbacks, into who become their chess partners.
allowed these structures to appear. an opportunity to make places that feel So, what is Koning Eizenberg’s
Over almost four decades of dense and lively. Wizards at both public style? It is the dream of Southern California
practice, Koning and Eizenberg have participation processes and negotiations as a relaxed, open-to-nature and hyper-
developed a visual palette that has become with planning officials, Koning and diverse community that delights in its
a completely innate part of their work. Eizenberg manage to produce buildings ramshackle, continually changing and
They have abstracted the buildings that fill that are welcome and affordable additions adapting reality, while remaining fully
out the neighbourhoods of Los Angeles’s to the neighbourhoods in which they work. aware of the social and environmental
catastrophes that are lurking in its social
conditions and under its tectonic plates,
turned into form. Its components are
stucco, plaster, metal studs and aluminium
sliders, but also things that are a little
too big or too close, all put together in
compositions that are as simple and open
as possible. It sounds straightforward,
but Koning and Eizenberg’s craft
and cleverness, as well as their delight,
is exactly to make it seem so.
— Aaron Betsky is the President of the School of

Architecture at Taliesin. Having trained as an architect, he
is an author, critic and curator who works around the world.
Jul / Aug 2019 99

Housing
The Belmar Apartments
(2014) contributes 160 units
of affordable housing to
the Ocean Avenue South
Development on one side of
a public walk. Collaborators:
Moore Ruble Yudell
Architects and Planners
I first met Hank and Julie in Los Angeles One of the most asked questions around (masterplan partner), KTGY
Architecture and Planning
in 1985. They were smart, generous and the Koning Eizenberg office is “why?” (architect of record).
empathetic – like their architecture. I made Why can’t we get more? Why don’t we try
A historic YMCA in
some models of low-income housing for it differently? Why not search for ways Los Angeles, California,
them and shamelessly borrowed their truck to instigate a dialogue and find fresh which originally served
(many times) to look at buildings. Rare in the opportunities to advance architecture, the African-American
community during
US, the work of Koning Eizenberg has the profession and our communities? segregation, was restored
always been committed to the social and Whenever Julie and Hank see an approach and expanded in 28th
the primacy of community while at the same or idea worth testing, it is always developed Street Apartments (2012).
A residential wing was
time it is always formally and urbanistically in a collaborative atmosphere. The results
added and a rooftop garden
clever, conveying that special Australian have been innovative projects, consistently was created by integrating
sense of leanness. This Gold Medal is a realized through dedication, teamwork building systems.
tribute to a pair of Australians who, against and hanging on to what makes something The ten-unit Ashland
all odds, have made good in the world. worth doing. Apartments in Santa
Monica, California (2019)
appears as a collection of
Philip Goad Brian Lane
carved blocks. The design
Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Principal, Koning Eizenberg Architecture
is inspired by Case Study
Chair of Architecture, University of Melbourne
House idylls of indoor–
outdoor living.

Julie and Hank’s personalities and

values are clearly reflected in everything
they touch. They do far more than most
architects to bring delight to projects
on a tight budget, in ways that are playful
and witty, yet with a deep regard for those
who will use their buildings, and with an
exquisite sensitivity to the surrounding
cityscape. Yes, they are wonderful
architects, but first and foremost,
they are humanists.
Cathleen McGuigan
Editor-in-chief, Architectural Record
Jul / Aug 2019 101

I got to know Koning Eizenberg’s work
when living in LA several decades ago.
I wrote about the Simone – a Single-Room
Occupancy “hotel” in Skid Row – for The
Architectural Review in 1993. I remember
Julie explaining to me the many bureaucratic
obstacles to realizing a project of
consequence for so many fellow citizens.
She seemed understandably rather stern
about this. And then one of their kids
stopped in, perhaps home from school,
and her entire demeanour changed.
As with later work here in Pittsburgh,
Koning Eizenberg have the rare ability
to be simultaneously serious and fun.
Raymund Ryan
Curator of architecture, Heinz Architectural Center
at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
From the beginning of Hank and Julie’s

career, their work has been characterized
by an unusual combination of freewheeling
inventiveness and a disciplined approach
to program and place. In 1984, during my
short-lived career in journalism, Hank and
Julie sent me photographs of their first
completed house. I was impressed, and
brought the project to a pair of seasoned –
and critical – editors who, equally impressed,
commended a restraint not usually found in
work by young architects. That combination
of inventiveness and control, coupled with
adhering closely to program yet injecting
unexpected elements of surprise, continues
to characterize and (delightfully!)
distinguish their work today.
Anne Rieselbach
Program director, The Architectural League of New York
There’s an unmistakable joyfulness to Julie

and Hank’s work – a seemingly effortless
hospitality that characterizes not only what
they do but also who they are. They seem
to relish the constant toggle between
the awesome and the mundane that is
architecture and, in fact, life. Add another
thorny problem to the list of things to figure
out in order to get a building done and
I can imagine Julie’s already bright smile
widen as she begins to strategize a way
through it.
Karen Stein
Architectural adviser, executive director of the
George Nelson Foundation, and former editorial
director of Phaidon Press

Hancock Lofts in West

Hollywood, California (2009)
reconciles the conflicting
requirements for retail,
affordable and market-rate
housing, and public parking.
Residential parking loops
up and over street-level
housing to place an active
use along the side street.
In Sobieski House
in South Pasadena,
California (2012),
a collection of indoor
and outdoor rooms
accommodates a family’s
improvisational lifestyle.
In See-Through House
(2015), a barn-shaped roof
emerged by tracing the
permitted planning
envelope. Its shape also
articulates the owners’
interest in an informal,
modest and communal
way of living.
Jul / Aug 2019 103

East Coast vs. Koning Eizenberg Architecture’s

West Coast transformation of the Original Farmers
Words by Russell Fortmeyer Market in Los Angeles reveals an intense
commitment to the space between
architecture that exemplifies the work
of this practice, writes Russell Fortmeyer.
If there is one project that, for me, predominantly surveys of Los Angeles Hank and Julie were the first
exemplifies the work of Koning Eizenberg architecture from the 1990s, which acted architects I met from Melbourne, but in
Architecture, it’s the decades-long like an alternative guide to life for me as I a way they were the first architects I really
transformation of the Original Farmers struggled to appreciate engineering. knew in LA. I had worked with many others
Market in Los Angeles from quaint tourist I became enamoured with Southern before I met them, and have come to know
attraction to thriving public amenity. California architecture in all its messy, many architects in Melbourne since, but
Famously located at the “corner of Third kitschy and rough-and-ready forms, not my conversations about design with Hank
and Fairfax” since 1934, the market is like understanding the clubby social circles that and Julie have always been open-ended,
an open-air version of Melbourne’s Queen connected it all. Koning Eizenberg’s work totally easy and respectfully unconcerned
Victoria Market in terms of program, but shared pages with projects by Frank Gehry, with professional and even project
not design. More like Melbourne’s laneways Eric Owen Moss, Franklin D. Israel, Jon boundaries. They make it easy to be
in its organization, the market unfolds Jerde, Marc Angélil and Sarah Graham, yourself, to share your thoughts about
within the space between a relatively Craig Hodgetts and Ming Fung, Thom Mayne what’s important and then to find a place
fixed and banal architecture, setting up and Morphosis, and many others, and for them in their architecture.
social spaces primarily for dining while together they coalesced into a culture Unlike much of the best architecture
accommodating a diversity of uses and I didn’t know but felt I could know. The in LA, you don’t have to sneak around toney
people. As the only reliable quasi-public players and their work appeared fast and neighbourhoods in your car to see Koning
space in my neighbourhood – just four loose, seemingly unconcerned with notions Eizenberg’s work, although I recall doing
blocks from where I live – it’s open early of permanence while still maintaining just that as a student trying to see their
and late, free, always lively, and one of the a consistent group effect, happy to mine own Santa Monica house. The Pico Branch
few design models for outdoor space that the strangeness of LA’s modernist histories Library in Santa Monica (2014) or the West
leverages LA’s benign climate (more on like a bunch of garage-band performers Hollywood Community Center (2001), both
that later). making music with whatever they could find. situated in that rarest of LA provisions, the
Sidestepping LA’s persistent urban park, are open every day. Julie and
inferiority complex, which is mostly Hank have a deep love of place, rooted in
expressed through bewildering Santa Monica and Southern California yet
architectural selections for the city’s also never far from Melbourne, which instils
rare civic projects, I chose to see Southern a confidence in their work’s ability to
California architecture rather as a place engage with the city.
of experimentation (certainly), mostly I don’t see them every day, personally
untethered from depressing historical or professionally, but their work is essential
baggage (arguable), and casting its eyes to to my life since I live a few minutes’ walk
other parts of the world (no one is actually from the Original Farmers Market. As one
from LA, as the joke goes). This culture of Hank and Julie’s first projects after
was distinct from that of the East Coast of their graduate studies at the University
the USA, with its necessity for institutional of California in LA (UCLA), the project
norms accompanied by reliable media commenced in the early 1980s as a series
recognition. If there is an east-coast of small interventions such as reconfigured
influence on West Coast architecture, it entrances, designs for new tenant stalls
My introduction to Hank Koning and is that of the east coast cities from across and signage. Later renovations, completed
Julie Eizenberg’s work came not through the Pacific – Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and, in 2002, added new buildings and open
direct experience, but via books, unbeknown to me at the time, Melbourne. space to existing parking lots to the north

of the original market. The new work laneways so socially effective. After more mostly owing to Southern California’s
successfully translates the almost- than sixty years of enclosed malls, we still naturally benign climate. No one is really
residential scale of the historic market, prefer the street. paying attention, he’d tell me, because
with its sprawling ranch-house aesthetic, Translating the forms of laneway they don’t understand it. In an era of
into a contemporary language with urbanism to a retail centre is not easy, climate change and looming environmental
larger spaces for corporate retail. More particularly in sprawling cities designed collapse, paying attention to making our
importantly, the clear organizing principle of for cars. Rather than installing some kind outdoor life better may be an important
preserving the in-between social space of of fake urbanism and hiding parking consideration in architecture. We can’t all
the market, assigning it value while freeing behind adorable storefronts or period live indoors all of the time: the economic,
up the architecture to change, is almost accoutrements, Koning Eizenberg reframed social and environmental cost is too high.
unprecedented in LA given the city’s the parking lot at the market in terms of The expanded market’s overall
dearth of public architecture. historic and current necessity – after all, orientation within the site, but also its
this is a market for people in a city for perfect use of awnings, umbrellas,
drivers. The market itself responds to the landscape and furniture – both in their
parking lot as a field condition, offering original configuration and as interpreted
Photography Benny Chan, Fotoworks
multiple points of entry with subtle cues anew by Koning Eizenberg – negotiates
and landmarks for orientation. New that delicate relationship between the
buildings surround it, enclosing the lot as body and the environment in such an
an outdoor room for cars, with landscape easy, informal way that the careful design
blurring distinctions between pedestrian attention paid to it goes unnoticed.
and car. I struggle to think of another The messiness of the market – air, light,
project here by any other firm in LA that sounds and smells – is translated into
has found this sweet spot between the a variety of spatial configurations, some
city’s “good-life Modernism” of the 1950s actively transformable, others quite fixed.
and 60s and the contemporary condition. New fountains act like benches, bringing
It makes the market one of those rare the water close to the body and making
The Grove, an adjacent development historical reuse projects in architecture it easily accessible. This is not the fountain
to the market designed by others, opened that emerges fully intact but better, more as a performance or designed object,
in 2002 as a conventional outdoor shopping resilient, and relevant, all while avoiding but rather the fountain as microclimate.
mall known most widely for its dancing the creative dead-end of replicating the Design not for show, but for people.
fountains set amid a Main Street aesthetic. site’s existing architectural palette to Why can’t we have more of this in LA,
As a study of urban design, the two models ersatz effect. in Melbourne, anywhere? And can Hank
sitting cheek by jowl could not be more and Julie design it?
instructive. The market acts like a bazaar,
offering a sense of discovery, its — Russell Fortmeyer is an associate principal
in the Los Angeles office of Arup, where he leads
architecture providing a warren of delights the consulting practice and its sustainability team.
to explore time and again, never presenting
a fully resolved place all at once. Repeat
visits are necessary. By contrast, the
Grove is more like a single promenade
with less variability and fails to establish
a successful connection with the large
public park across the street.
Koning Eizenberg’s recognition
of the social value of the market’s spaces
as its key strength, rather than a deference
to the pure economics of corporate retail,
hedges the market toward long-term
survival by prioritizing what ultimately Returning to the question of outdoor
makes it important to public life – free comfort, which is not something I generally
space for living – regardless of changing expect an architect to discuss at length,
tastes or consumption patterns. I don’t both Melbourne and LA share a somewhat
want to be too cute about it, but this coastal environment. I say “somewhat,”
intense commitment to the space between since both cities experience radical
Julie and Hank at the
architecture seems like a particularly diversity in environmental conditions historic Farmers Market
Melburnian trait. I remember working years within an area that most of the population in Los Angeles, California,
ago with Ashton Raggatt McDougall on an conceives as a single place. In LA, as Hank c. 1998.
initial project to transform Melbourne’s would tell you, the aspects of outdoor Hank designed the
Highpoint shopping centre. The project comfort we care about, such as daylight timber chairs for the
new North Patio.
started with the architects’ investigation access, thermal comfort or wind effects,
of the dimensional relationships of central are mostly unregulated, meaning they are The chairs were made
in the market’s on-site
Melbourne’s laneways, particularly the not enforceable concepts and, as such, workshop, alongside the
widths and heights that make the emerge in architecture accidentally and traditional shopping carts.
Jul / Aug 2019 105

Education
Distinctive solar Three years ago I made a call that was Excelsior Koning Eizenberg Architecture!
chimneys in additions to
the John Adams Middle
answered in the New Mexico desert,
School in Santa Monica, inviting Julie to join our practice for a Julie and Hank, Hank and Julie. Together
California (2014) provide design competition bid. She agreed at and apart, LA’s original homegrown Aussies
assisted passive cooling
and offer students an
once, by the side of the road, perhaps are forceful as a team and yet uniquely
empirical lesson in sensing it foretold a kind of homecoming, matched in their compelling and effective
differential air pressure. or a chance to nurture some seed in an individual approaches to changing the
Collaborator: Osborne
old patch of ground. Hank came out for urban fabric, one groundbreaking project
Architects (executive
architect). the competition and solved the complex at a time.
site levels on the first day, and after that
For the Geffen Academy
at UCLA (2018), a new punctuated rambling debates with assured Known for their charming outspokenness
secondary school located silences. They seemed a formidable and take-no-prisoners approach to
on the UCLA campus in combination, the yin and yang you need forwarding their architectural ambitions,
California, an “open library”
inserted into an existing to meet the demands of contemporary there is no co-dependent relationship here:
building provides an practice. Julie radiates a Californian they are somehow inseparable and yet
armature for independent light that began its journey architectural somehow mutually independent.
learning.
lightyears ago in the nebula of Melbourne
Architecture empowers discourse. Hank would be described as Our city is all the better for their unfailing
students and promotes
implicit learning at
laconic in his old home town, but in the commitment to their unique and innovative
Pluralistic School #1, commune of Santa Monica he is perhaps brand of architecture and urbanism.
a primary school in Santa just matter of fact – a consummate dealer
Monica, California (1999). Peter Zellner
in hard matters. We won the competition
Australian-American designer, professor,
and the project will be built, in part, author and urban theorist
out of these light and hard matters.
Carey Lyon
Founding director, Lyons

I taught with Julie at UCLA for a few years Julie and Hank practice as they live:
Photography Benny Chan
in the first-year studios. I was new to authentically.

teaching and I was totally intimidated
by her. She is a Strong Woman! I almost Theirs is a life’s work founded on
quit, but I am so glad I didn’t. Getting to conviviality – concocted in bubbly,
know her, and eventually Hank, has been heartfelt conversations – framed by a
deeply rewarding. They have become social contract forged in empathetic,
valuable friends. progressive values.
Hank and Julie are architects who Public intellectuals with a knack
understand the principles necessary for refreshingly honest, accessible
for architecture to succeed: broad communication of ideas, their combined
community support, a resourcefulness talents are fuelled by a rare, three-part
of means, spaces that address social amalgam of friendly warmth, genuine
interaction in a multicultural milieu, the curiosity about the world, and a healthy
artful manipulation of abundant natural aversion to conventional wisdom.
light and delight in space and form.
They are architects who truly deserve Mohammed Sharif
Founding partner of Sharif, Lynch: Architecture,
to be celebrated. assistant adjunct professor at the Department of
Architecture and Urban Design at UCLA and former
Patricia Patkau associate at Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Principal, Patkau Architecture and
former teaching colleague at UCLA
Jul / Aug 2019 107

The sticky social Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg combine a

Words by Justine Clark compelling ethical position with wit, curiosity,
ambition and empathy, explains Justine Clark.
“Social responsibility is not a a long period, which then became a large project. This aesthetic flexibility can
‘feel good, do good’ add on.” project, seeding both the tenor and also be understood as another kind of
– Julie Eizenberg possibility of the practice. investment in the social – in the culture
The development of Koning of the practice and the development of
“Architecture is a social medium.” This Eizenberg in the intervening decades can its people.
simple statement underpins all of the be seen as an ongoing exploration – and This expands into the ways the
work of Koning Eizenberg Architecture and explication – of this idea of architecture as practice operates, and how it presents
its founding directors, Julie Eizenberg and a social medium. The threads that bind the itself publicly. The practice now has four
Hank Koning. The idea suffuses the projects oeuvre are not aesthetic. Rather, affinities principals – Julie, Hank, Brian Lane and
produced by the practice, the publications can be found in how the projects Nathan Bishop. Julie is most often the
they assemble, the contribution that Hank, accommodate, support and encourage spokesperson, but she represents the work
Julie and their colleagues make to the social and communal interaction, in how of many. Respective roles were established
profession and discipline, the generosity they seek to provide dignity and welcoming in the early years: “I could talk. Hank wasn’t
and pleasure with which they engage, environments for all, and in the pleasure all that interested in talking, so I became
and the warmth and good humour they that is taken in this exploration and then the one who put together presentations to
extend to others – myself included. gifted to the occupants and the community. communicate with others. He did the stuff
This is not simply a matter of “social Architecture is valued for the contribution that actually made things get built in his
responsibility,” and it most certainly is not it can make to the city, to the environment super pragmatic wonderful way. But when
about pious, potentially dour attempts to and to peoples’ lives, individually and I speak, I am in fact talking about a lot of
“do good.” As Julie explains, “we’re meant collectively. This sensibility and dedication people’s interests and work. A creative idea
to be good people because we do a lot of are brought to all projects undertaken by doesn’t come from the person with a title.
‘public good’ projects. Well, I don’t see it the office – whether affordable housing, A creative idea is a bunch of things that
that way. The projects are just as interesting bespoke houses, social services or art come from the way many things interact –
as any others. The clients, or end users, galleries and museums. As Julie explained if you were seeing this, you’d see a lot of
are just as important as anyone else.” in 2012, “We have an obligation to bring swirling hand movements. So, I see myself
Hank and Julie bring a clear and joy and knowledge about the world every more as a creative director than a hands-
compelling ethical position to their work, time we build – it’s always the same, high on designer.”
which they combine with wit and curiosity, end, low end, no end.” 1 Architecture, the Process matters. Great care is taken
tenacity, ambition and empathy, and an practice declares, is not just for special to ensure that each project is set up to
overt commitment to producing outstanding occasions. But all projects have the maximize the informal social situations
architecture. The result is an intriguing potential to be special. that can be found in the space between
body of work that brings together the This obligation, of course, is not a building program and its context. Nathan
serious, the playful and the everyday, and separate from aesthetics. The works calls these the “sticky opportunities” of
that is both generous and determined. produced by the practice are often striking a project. These sticky opportunities can
The fascination with, and belief in, and always highly accomplished, and be found in a multitude of places and
the social is at the core of Koning Eizenberg, embrace the delight to be found in colour, vary with each project and circumstance.
embedded into its very foundations. The material and detailing. Exemplary design For example, the Children’s Museum
practice traces its origins to Hank and Julie work is essential to realizing architecture’s of Pittsburgh (2004) was designed to
volunteering with an organization, for potential as a social medium, but Koning overtly accommodate intergenerational
which they restored shopfronts in a Eizenberg understand that this can be audiences – the idea being that if the
down-at-heel Jewish retail neighbourhood achieved through a variety of architectural parents were as comfortable as the kids,
in Los Angeles in the late 1970s and early vocabularies, which for them tend to they would be more likely to engage more
‘80s. This led to a sequence of small, be determined by the architect who is fully and for longer. In another instance,
almost invisible projects undertaken over responsible for delivering a particular a housing project seeks to blur the barrier

between the street and the housing above. The days of being outsiders in those who live and/or work in the buildings.
Creating opportunities to engage is also LA are long gone, but the interest in the Large portraits of occupants are
about attending to the subliminal cues anti-authoritarian potential of not belonging accompanied by quotations of what these
given by a building: a formal building can remains. So does the determination and people expect from the spaces they
feel less intimidating through the careful the valuing of empathy, which enables the inhabit. The manifesto is explicated
placement of dynamic components, such practice to work productively with and over the first pages of the publication –
as a bike rack outside a library. on behalf of many different social and one small sentence per page. “Places for
Finding and realizing these sticky cultural groups. daily activities should be highly valued.”
opportunities for social encounter is a These ideas that drive the practice “People can have more than they think.”
matter of thinking inventively, of seeking are promulgated through publications and “We expect great qualities in buildings
architectural and social possibility in presentations, including books that operate like museums; shouldn’t we also expect
unexpected places. To do so, the architect as both monographs and manifestos. then in places for everyday living?”
needs to think opportunistically while These seek to place the work in wider Together these photographs, stories
also proceeding with empathy and settings – expanding out to the city and and statements create a context within
understanding. This has parallels in inwards to the lives of those who spend which to understand Koning Eizenberg’s
the origins of the practice and the their days in Koning Eizenberg-designed work, but also encourage the reader
temperaments of its founders. The spaces. They enjoin the reader to think to think about how we might all approach
beginnings of Koning Eizenberg were a about what architecture might offer, architecture differently.
matter of making the most of circumstance and then show how it can be done. As we celebrate Julie and Hank,
and economic cycles, and looking sideways Urban Hallucinations (ORO Editions, we can also ask what we can learn from
to find opportunity. Hank and Julie left 2017) locates the practice’s work within the Koning Eizenberg’s approach and work.
Melbourne for Los Angeles in 1979, the day life and structure of the city. Presented as In the midst of the contemporary turn to
after they got married. In the midst of a three thematic pamphlets, each includes a considering architecture’s social potential,
recession, jobs were hard to find, and they personal reflection on Los Angeles (by it is heartening to look closely at this work.
didn’t have permits to work in the US. academic Dana Cuff, writer Alissa Walker We find that architecture that seriously
So they enrolled at UCLA for two years, and broadcaster Frances Anderton), data pursues social spaces and community
started volunteering, began to understand infographics, a discussion of urban systems outcomes need not – indeed, should not –
how to navigate LA’s very different urban and a set of related projects. The practice’s present itself as austere or “dull and
structure, and realized that they could facility with one-liners is deployed to great worthy.” In “elevating everyday experience,”
legally work for themselves, if not for others. effect – “A street is too valuable to waste.” Hank, Julie and their colleagues remind
“We set up practice by the seat of our “A balcony, a stoop and a stair are places us that a sense of play, ambition and
pants, without knowing what we were where chance meetings grow a sense of exuberance is more necessary than ever.
getting into,” Julie says. In those early community.” “The more you can get people
years, being Australians in Los Angeles to bump into it, the more muscle a building — Justine Clark is an architectural editor, writer
and commentator. She is co-founder of Parlour: women,
provided both the gap and viewpoint to has to do things socially for a community.” equity, architecture, an honorary senior research fellow
look at everyday habits and processes “If you think of a social service setting as a at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne,
anew. Julie recalls, “As outsiders we didn’t community setting, it changes everything.” and a former editor of Architecture Australia.
understand some of the conventions, so we “A building’s story is best discovered, Author’s note
weren’t constrained by them. We could say, not told.” These pithy statements are This essay draws on an interview with Julie Eizenberg
‘Well, why can’t we do it this way?’ Hank juxtaposed with projects that demonstrate in October 2018.
knew how to put things together. He had the possibilities. Footnote
ways of getting around stuff to allow us Architecture isn’t just for special
1. Julie Eizenberg, “Low Expectations: Barriers to
to put ideas out there that people felt occasions (Monacelli Press, 2006) framed Using Design as a Tool for Social Gain,” Design Access
were fresh.” the work in terms of the experiences of Summit 2012.
Jul / Aug 2019 109

Soon
The architecture of Koning Eizenberg is Hank and Julie often challenge conformism
never less than exceptional. Their buildings in architecture, and most often their
are thoughtful, resourceful, edgy, resilient, architectural journey is told with a good
contextually intelligent, socially progressive dose of humour. This I think encourages
and environmentally conscious. And now all in our profession, young or established,
recognized by the Gold Medal. whether here in Australia or in their adopted
home of California.
Notwithstanding a stellar career in
Los Angeles as architects and educators, Their buildings speak of confidence,
Hank and Julie have stayed Australian. innovation and appropriateness. There
They’re generously hospitable to visiting is always an intellectual path mapped out,
compatriots, providing a cultural bridge skilfully referring to culture, society and
too. In 2015, merging conviviality with place. Optimism, beauty and clarity in
cultural discourse, they put me up and their work results. That and their sense
hosted a dinner where I presented Haig’s of care has inspired me over the years,
and my four decades as architectural and is cherished.
editors and critics. We published their
Santa Monica studio in UME 15 (2002). Justin Hill FRAIA
Director, Kerry Hill Architects
Bravo and encore.
Jackie Cooper and Haig Beck

Editors and publishers, UME
Render Kilograph

Images Koning Eizenberg Architecture
At 500 Broadway, a
mixed-use development in
Santa Monica, California,
an innovative prefabricated
steel moment-frame
facilitates the plasticity
desired to strengthen An embrace – and elevation – of everyday
the connection between
home and street. life sets Koning Eizenberg’s projects apart.
Collaborator: Large The exuberance and vivacity exhibited
Architecture (architect across their range of work is possible
of record).
because it stems from Hank and Julie’s
The Student Pavilion at own love of life, and love of working with
the University of Melbourne
will feature a concrete frame
others. Their ease of approach to daily life
that draws on the mid- is distinctly Australian, with a Californian
century legacy of the flair for equally considering inspiration
campus. Collaborators:
Lyons (executive architect);
from neighbourhood anecdotes, academia
masterplan with Aspect or a new TV show. The result is a rare kind
Studios, NMBW, Architects of magic: at once comfortable, inviting
EAT, Breathe Architecture,
Greenaway Architects and
and provocative.
Glas Landscape
Architecture. Rayne Laborde
UCLA CityLAB fellow and former employee
A 1890s library in at Koning Eizenberg Architecture
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
will be “stripped back” for
MuseumLab, highlighting
the idea of discovery in
this teen-oriented museum
setting.
Jul / Aug 2019 111

Selected awards 2012 2002

AIA Institute Honor Award, AIA Los Angeles
Interior Architecture, Merit Award, Plummer Park
CII: Otis Booth Campus Community Center
Key
Urban Land Institute Jack Kemp
AIA – American Institute of Architects 2000
Workforce Housing Models of
Institute – Australian Institute of Architects
Excellence Award, Century AIA California Council
ALA – American Library Association
Building Honor Award, PS1 Pluralistic
HUD – US Department of Housing and Urban Development
School One
AIA Los Angeles Gold Medal,
Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg AIA California Council Merit
Award, 5th Street Affordable
2018 2015 2011 Family Housing
AIA/ALA Library Building Award, Institute Jørn Utzon Award AIA Housing Award,
AIA Los Angeles Design Award,
Pico Branch Library for International Architecture, Hancock Lofts
Avalon Hotel
Pico Branch Library
2017 2010
Institute, International Chapter, 1998
Institute, International Chapter, AIA California Council Merit
Public Architecture Award, AIA California Council
Public Architecture Award, Century Building
Pico Branch Library Merit Award, Tarzana House
Commendation, Temple Israel AIA California Council Merit
of Hollywood The Architect’s Newspaper Best Award, Hancock Lofts AIA Los Angeles Merit Award,
of Design Awards, Civic Winner, 5th Street Affordable
AIA California Council Pico Branch Library 2009 Family Housing
Honor Award, Temple
AIA Institute Honor Award, AIA California Council
Israel of Hollywood 1997
Architecture, 28th Street Firm of the Year
2016 Apartments International Design Award, AIA Los Angeles
AIA California Council Honor Hancock Lofts Merit Award, Sepulveda
Faith and Form Religious
Award, See-Through House Recreation Center Gym
Architecture Award, Adaptive 2007
Reuse/Repurpose, AIA California Council 1996
Rudy Bruner Award for
Temple Israel of Hollywood Urban Design Award, Urban Excellence, Gold Medal, AIA Institute Honor Award,
The Chicago Athenaeum, Belmar Apartments Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh 31st Street House
American Architecture Award,
Belmar Apartments 2014 2006 AIA California Council Honor
AIA/HUD Housing and AIA Institute Honor Award, Award, Sepulveda Recreation
Architizer A+ Award, Center Gym
Community Design Award, Architecture, Children’s
Architecture +Preservation,
Excellence in Affordable Museum of Pittsburgh
28th Street Apartments 1995
Housing Design, AIA California Council
Urban Land Institute 28th Street Apartments Architectural Record Record
Honor Award, Children’s
Global Award for Excellence, House, 31st Street House
AIA Housing Award, Museum of Pittsburgh
Belmar Apartments
Sobieski House 1994
2005
AIA Los Angeles Residential
AIA Housing Award, The Chicago Athenaeum, AIA Institute Honor Award,
Architecture Award,
28th Street Apartments American Architecture Award, Simone Hotel
Single-Family Residential
(up to 5,000 square-feet), Texas Society of Architects Children’s Museum of AIA California Council Honor
See-Through House Design Award, The Thinkery Pittsburgh Award, 31st Street House
Learning by Design AIA California Council Honor AIA Los Angeles Merit Award,
The Standard DTLA 1992
Grand Prize Award, Award, Belmar Apartments
John Adams Middle School AIA Los Angeles Merit Award,
AIA California Council Merit 2004
Tarzana House
Award, Pico Branch Library Residential Architect
Leadership Awards, 1991
2013
Firm of the Year AIA Los Angeles Merit Award,
World Architecture Festival
Residential Architect Merit 909 House
Housing Award,
Award, Affordable Housing,
28th Street Apartments 1988
Harold Way Apartments
AIA California Council Merit Architectural Record Record
2003
Award, 28th Street Apartments House, Hollywood Duplex
Urban Land Institute Award
AIA Los Angeles Honor Award, for Excellence, The Original
John Adams Middle School 1987
Farmers Market
Progressive Architecture
AIA Los Angeles Design Award, First Award, OP12, Berkeley
Harold Way Apartments Street Housing

Koning Eizenberg
Architecture team,
Koning Eizenberg
past and present Architecture principals
(from left) Julie Eizenberg,
Hank Koning, Brian Lane
and Nathan Bishop.
Inside the Koning

Eizenberg Architecture
studio in Santa Monica,
California.
It was quite a surprise to get the call

relaying that we had been awarded the
Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold
Medal. We still have our Australian accents
but we have been away for a long time.
It was wonderful to think that our peers
had been watching from afar. Yes, we are
the names on the door but we are part
of a leadership team of four that includes
our long-term partners, Brian Lane and
Nathan Bishop, and extends over the years
to include a brilliant group of inhouse
collaborators. We can take credit for making
space to think about architecture the way
Koning Eizenberg does, but the ideas
and realizations being honoured are
truly a collective effort.
— Hank Koning, Julie Eizenberg
Eleanor Abrons Annie Danis William Hood Francisca Moncada Angelica Solis
Peter Aeschbacher John Delaney Paul Howard Felix Monsakanian Jennifer Spangler
Nelson Almendarez Brian DeYoung James Jackson Serena Moon Colton Stevenson
Tim Andreas Amy Drezner Andrea Keller Thomas Myers Claire Stringer
Chantal Aquin Sophie Dufresne James Kelly Mildred Navarro Ian Svilokos
Alicia Arlow Daniel Dunham Robert Kerr Naomi Neville Catherine Tang
Rachel Atmadja Norah Edelstein Jason Kerwin Alexander Newman-Wise Sharon Tohline
Margaret Bach Suzan Edwards Rayne Laborde Gabriela Ojalvo Maya Turre
Rachel Bagan Eric Elerath Avi Laiser Eleanor O’Neill Kevin Tyrrell
Jesse Baiata-Nicolai Robert Fabijaniak Mark Langrehr Amy Pan Jarryd Van Zyl
Sanjiv Bajav Adrien Forney Belinda Lee Megan Panatier Noel Vidal
Kathryn Baniewicz Troy Fosler Grace Lee Philippe Pare Roderick Villafranca
Francisco Banogon Erin Galvan Jenny Lee Glenn Park William Villalobos
Kristen Bengston Gilbert Garcia Kathryn Lee Daniel Parks Bob Waddell
Christine Berry Jessica Gary Rose Lichter-Marck Meaghan Pohl Scott Walter
John Berry Keith Gendel Samuel Ludwig Amy Pokawatana John Wankner
Shawn Bleet Kathleen Gibbons Ian Macduff Adam Polk Sara Weinstein
Fernando Bracer Olivia Goff Zachery Main David Price Dason Whitsett
Isabel Branas Alex Gomez Bridgette Marso Vincent Quan Heidi Williams
Lori Bruns-Selna Stephen Grant Sofia Mascia Jennifer Rios David Woo
Coleman Butts Gina Grillo Steven Matti Jason Ro Amy Wynne
Ryan Caldera Patrick Gurley Lily McBride-Stephens Mandi Roberts Yuelin Yu
Crystal Chan Erich Haddix Meaghan McCall Adrianne Ross Joanne Zablud
Christian Chaudhari Suzanne Hague Dion McCarthy Oonagh Ryan Giulio Zavolta
Gregory Cheng Elizabeth Haraughty Erin McLaughlin Cynthia Santiago Madeline Zygarewicz
Erica Chlad Sammy Hasan Brandie Meis Joseph Sarafian
Carole Chun Sarah Heller Julian Menne Royce Sciortino
Hye-Young Chung Ben Hidalgo Zachary Meredith Mohamed Sharif
Allison Conley Amber Holder Paul Miller Daniel Sokolosky
Jul / Aug 2019 113

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Civic composition Sacred spaces Celebrating Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg
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Architecture Australia Jul / Aug 2019

Vol. 108 No. 4

Celebrating Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg

design material that utilises special paint technology to diffuse

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Architecture Australia National Prizes 2019 Projects

09 Foreword 91 2019 Gold Medallists 48 The Ian Potter Southbank Centre

Jul / Aug 2019 07

A festival like no other

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4-6 December 2019

Jul / Aug 2019 09

A humanist agenda This issue of Architecture Australia

1300 300 099

Awards tickets will be available online.

Illustration by Nina Rupena

SUPPO RT ING PA RTN ER S

Introducing two new ﬂexible options to the

To see the full range of Gyprock Perforated Plasterboard, visit gyprock.com.au/perforated

Gold Medal Hank Koning FRAIA and

a professional blindness to the needs of community engagement have surely

Photography Matthew Momberger

National Tim Ross modernist buildings. Through storytelling,

Leadership in Cooperative enable better developments and faster

Jul / Aug 2019 19

DESSO AirMaster captures

Add your voice and take a stand.

Endorsed by the Office of the

Student Prize for Winner – and presented through onsite exhibitions

Commendation – promotes architectural events and

Jul / Aug 2019 23

BlueScope Glenn Sobi Slingsby The natural world is not static –

Photography Alejo Achaval

National Emerging Monique Woodward In 2015, Monique was awarded a place

Photography Adam Katsonis

TO SEE OUR FULL RANGE & YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIERS:

Dulux Study Tour Jennifer McMaster RAIA Newcastle Awards. It is an exceptional

Photography Jonathon Donnelly

Ben Peake more apparent than with Ben’s advocacy

Photography Matt Fraser

Alix Smith RAIA design competition submission. She

is a registered architect and graduated mentoring extends to running design

The ‘made-to-measure’ stainless steel channel

To find out more visit www.veitchstainless.com.au

Proudly manufacturing in Australia

Photography Matt Sansom

Phillip Nielsen RAIA Phillip’s service to the region is

Photography Georgie James

Transforming Glass to enhance Architectural Environments

Photography Scott Burrows

Jul / Aug 2019 31

Studio Hollenstein in association

Review by Charles Rice

In the evolving urban precinct

loosens the division between