News & Discussion: Architecture, Planning & Urban Design

[frank1]

The currie street wave tower is pretty high standards IMO

[Düsseldorfer]

The currie street wave tower is pretty high standards IMO

would be nice to see some progress on that site next year

[frank1]

The currie street wave tower is pretty high standards IMO

would be nice to see some progress on that site next year

Yeah hopefully....but i am not holding my breath with this one, especially with the current market shit.

[Shuz]

The currie street wave tower is pretty high standards IMO

No its not, if anything, its revolting. Its wave form is actually very disorientating and appears moreso as an add-on to the building, than an actual part of the building itself. The extremity of its form also contributes to its failure to harmonise with its surroundings, and will be regarded as an architectural disgrace rather than an architectural marvel, for one of the key factors in top-end design is harmonising the new structures architectural elements to the surrounding area or cityscape. Not to mention the impact it will have on the skyline from three perspectives, south, west and east will disillusion the concept of what a skyline is meant to be. This building fails to live up to top-end design standards miserably on many accounts. I'd give it a meagre 2/10.

oh, did not realise you were training as an architect! i can envisage an architecturally superb 50storey building in Adelaide with a massive neon "SHUZ ENTERPRISES" sign across the top

I havn't exactly started formal training yet - will be doing so at TAFE next year when I take up on one of the building & design courses and use my qualifications thereafter to maybe acquire a Bachelor of Architecture degree at university. I will review the market demand at the end of 2010 for architects to determine whether or not I apply for a job then or accrue a degree at university. Exciting times ahead though, I am really looking forward to it for it has been a passion of mine for many years and despite initial setbacks previously I am still adamant to take up on it as a career.

[Prince George]

Some of the reason may be that the examples of good design that we have are largely hidden from public view as private residences. For example, I rather like Max Pritchard's work, but unless you happened to read about them in the Advertiser's real estate section when they got briefly profiled there (and several of them have - the tank house, the Richards house, the Turner house) then you're hardly going to ever find out that they exist.

The Turner house also helps explode a myth that probably keeps many people from investigating having an architect work on their house, office, what-have-you: getting high design costs too much. "Costs were comparable with standard builders' homes" - OK so that means that it cost somewhat more, but this is to get an architect that's won national awards to work on your house - "but provided distinct advantages in energy consumption and the relationship of indoor outdoor area" - and provided a house that's specific to the site and client.

So, what to do? I like starting things at a grass-roots level, so here's my idea for starting to get design into the public's minds. A humble beginning, but it's also low cost and visible - bus stops.

Yes, bus stops - even if you don't use them, you drive or walk or cycle past them. There are plenty of places that could do with more than just a pole by the side of the road. Let's start getting these young designers that need exposure to work on new forms for stops across the city, not just in the town centre but out in the suburbs too. And before you poo-poo the idea, a younger Rem Koolhaas designed a bus stop in Groningen.

PS - I'm still unconvinced about VS1

[SRW]

Some of the reason may be that the examples of good design that we have are largely hidden from public view as private residences.

This is really the case with Australian architecture as a whole; our architects are excelling with their private residential commissions, but notable work in the larger civic and commercial buildings category is very limited.

So, what to do? I like starting things at a grass-roots level, so here's my idea for starting to get design into the public's minds. A humble beginning, but it's also low cost and visible - bus stops.

I'm a strong believer in good design at all levels, and I'm heartened that there does seem to be building appetite for it in recent years, if the industrial design success of brands like Apple is anything to go by. It is such a waste for things to be simply functional when we ought to strive for beauty in all things. If this city is to come to demand the type of quality architecture that will have it noticed, it needs to foster a culture of design. Necessarily, this is an effort that must be led by government, with appropriate outreaches to the private sector. So, as you suggest, start small with things like bus stops and signage and work through to larger infrastructure like bridges, rail stations and government buildings. Why not start with the Marj and the new SAPOL headquarters?

[Düsseldorfer]

So, as you suggest, start small with things like bus stops and signage and work through to larger infrastructure like bridges, rail stations and government buildings. Why not start with the Marj and the new SAPOL headquarters?

Indeed, and i still think the ACC should improve the pedestrian crossings :

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YEfb1EsHqkE&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YEfb1EsHqkE&hl=de&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

[rhino]

An article on shopping centre design from Adelaide Now:

Shopping centres take on design changes
SARAH MARTIN
December 15, 2008 11:30pm

RETAIL designer Caillin Howard is at the forefront of a major change in shopping centre design.
The Adelaide-based director of Hames Sharley architects is working on two major shopping centres in Cairns and Townsville, along with major developments in SA.
Mr Howard, who has recently returned from an international shopping centre conference in the U.S., said retail centres were becoming increasingly integrated into the surrounding community.
"Gone are the days of a shopping centre as a spaceship landed into a sea of bitumen,'' Mr Howard said.
"Shopping centres are now more focused on integrating other community and civic uses to create spaces for societies,'' he said.
Mr Howard said large shopping centres would incorporate more night-time entertainment, office and civic uses and even residential components.
"We will see more hybrid centres which combine a mixture of the traditional and large format retail centres with stronger town centre elements involving external shops,'' Mr Howard said.
He said West Lakes Shopping Centre was a good example of evolving design practices, because it included an entertainment precinct, retail shops, cafes and restaurants adjoining AAMI stadium and external shops.

[Omicron]

Oh, bollocks. Westfield West Lakes is just as insular an air-conditioned box as every other suburban shopping centre. Plastering a token Gloria Jeans or bank branch facing outwards around two mall entrances, especially when half the AAMI frontage is drowning under the inglorious facade of a frightful double-storey carpark, does not constitute a design evolution worth noting.

Besides, every single one of the features listed by Mr. Howard as indicative of this supposed newfound evolution:

an entertainment precinct, retail shops, cafes and restaurants adjoining AAMI stadium and external shops

....have been at Marion for almost twelve years.

Wow, I'm quite the bitch today.

[crawf]

Entertainment, what entertainment?. The only thing I can think of is Reading Cinemas.

Marion and Elizabeth have a better entertainment section than West Lakes.

[raulduke]

*yawn* The Wave shaped building would be a rose in a field of weeds in my opinion.

Adelaide architecture is bland, conservative and unambitious

[Queen Anne]

Hi all,

I was noodling around on the internet, wondering what 'new urbanism' type stuff might be happening in Adelaide, and found this:

ACNU 2010 Congress, Adelaide. March 2010
Adelaide will host the next ACNU Congress, and will showcase several recent projects including Mawson Lakes, Lights View, North Playford, and several inner city mixed use infill developments. The 2010 Congress will be linked with a New Urbanism Design Master Class (based on an Adelaide site) and a Charrette Training Course, and will include tours of Adelaide projects. The provisional program has the Master Class and Charrette courses on 22-24 March, followed by the Congress on 25-27 March.

The ACNU 2010 Congress committee has commenced planning for the Congress, with John Blaess of LMC as its chair. For more information, please contact [email protected] or the ACNU Adelaide Congress Secretariat via Karen Tomaselli at [email protected]

http://acnu.org/display/forthcoming_eve ... l#adelaide

It seems the group is allied with the US, Congress for New Urbanism. Apologies if this has been posted before.
Cheers, Caroline

[Howie]

Nice find Caroline.

[Edgar]

Sorry to respond to an old thread, but the silly chase to earn the greenhouse rating thing dumbs all design to what it is today.

All the recently constructed buildings which earned the most greenhouse ratings have the most boring designs ever. The use of all glass-facades can be a little overkill sometimes.

[Shuz]

I wonder if we'll ever see a return to the ornate stone masonry craftsmanship of yesteryear?
I would have thought architecture would be a bit like fashion? - Fluro was in the 80s, and was in last year, or the year before? So why can't the same be for architecture, where Seagram-style buildings of the 50's/60's come into trend today?