Design

In collaboration with Dimity Dennis, a valued former colleague at Hames Sharley who now contributes as an independent cultural consultant at Design for Reconciliation, transformative on-Country journeys were planned and undertaken amidst the bustling atmosphere of Hames Sharley’s Perth studio, leading to profound insights from the Pilbara region. These were not mere excursions but deliberate steps towards fostering understanding and reconciliation with Australia’s First Nation communities.

• Design
• Culture

To better understand the impact of climate change, we recently investigated how different LGAs are approaching the imminent threats of Rising Sea Levels (RSL) and Rising Flooding, Coastal Erosion and Climate (RFCC) on our coastline morphology and communities.

• Urban Design
• Design
• Sustainability

Today’s Library: More than just books

As physical collections have become less of a requirement for study and research, the core function of the library has broadened to become a hub – for students and academics, and increasingly the wider community.

• Design
• Education
• Architecture

Public realm: A matter of inclusion

Helping people navigate and understand how a place works involves careful consideration and planning to improve accessibility, orientation and connectivity, along with those intangible moments of magic that lift a space to cultural icon status visited the world over.

• Urban Design
• Wellbeing
• Design

We recently caught up with Associate Denise Harper from our Brisbane studio who shares her passion for social justice and her role in advocating for everybody to access safe and inclusive spaces.

• Design
• Diversity
• Inclusion

Retail therapy: How retail is the ‘third space’

Generally, there are three elements to modern-day life – personal life, work life and lifestyle. Retail takes place firmly within the lifestyle element, becoming our ‘third space’ commodified as an experience rather than a product transaction.

• Design
• Retail
• Wellbeing

Our Research & Development team recently applied Gehl’s Twelve Quality Criteria approach to the modern-day challenge of activating laneways. In fact, to one in particular, near 92 William Street in Perth.

• Design
• Urban Design

In an effort to better understand commuter behaviour, Hames Sharley recently assessed its own employees’ commuter behaviours in response to the relocation of its new Perth studio. The research, conducted by Hames Sharley’s Emil E Jonescu, Stephen Moorcroft and Dean Symington, made a surprising conclusion – that a simple office relocation and change in mode of working has the potential to increase employee activity levels, ultimately improving health and wellbeing in the workplace.

• Design
• Culture
• Workplace
• Wellbeing

The world is currently on the brink of irreversible damage due to climate change. At the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it was noted that many vulnerable communities had already started to experience food insecurity and ecosystem crises, with the projected rise in global temperatures set to cause such significant environmental damage that it would displace an estimated 200 million global citizens by 2050. That’s less than thirty years away.

• Design
• Sustainability
• Technology and Innovation

How designing for more than just work invigorates people and cities

Through the execution of our new Perth studio, Hames Sharley is leading the way in showcasing how offices can attract staff back into the workplace, and in turn benefit the city, our people and project outcomes.

• Retail
• Workplace
• Architecture
• Design
• Culture

This article by Harold Perks, Hames Sharley was first published in SCN’s Little Guns edition, November 2021.

• Retail
• Technology and Innovation
• Design

Bringing home into the workplace: Why offices are embracing domestic design

Why are offices embracing domestic design? Louisa Glennon and Stephen Moorcroft answer the question for Facility Perspectives in their latest article: Bringing home into the workplace.

• Architecture
• Design
• Culture
• Interior Design
• Workplace

Building for a better tomorrow

William Hames, Chairman and Caillin Howard, Managing Director at Hames Sharley, discuss the firm’s continuous improvement strategy and innovation drive the latest edition of APAC Outlook’s magazine.

• Design
• Architecture

If you build it, they will rent

It’s only a matter of time before Build to Rent makes its mark on Australian residential development. But what will that mean for the design process?

• Architecture
• Build to Rent
• Design
• Interior Design

Inclusivity in the design and planning of change facilities

Discussions around gender inequality are commonplace. From closing the gender pay gap and promoting more women into senior management positions, to supporting female athletes, historical gender imbalances are being rectified by addressing largely unconscious bias.

• Design
• Culture
• Diversity

Taking stock: How Australian retail has adapted to the pandemic

Compared to many nations, Australia has weathered the COVID-19 outbreak relatively well. While others still languish in lockdown, most of us have returned to something approaching normal life (snap restrictions to stamp on localised outbreaks excepted).

• Architecture
• Design
• Retail

Three keys to thriving centres in a post-pandemic world

Opportunities for people to connect have been limited since work, school, holidays, and all other usual activities ground to a halt over the past year, write Hames Sharley’s Rebecca Spencer and Harold Perks.

• Design
• COVID-19
• Architecture
• Master Planning
• Retail
• Urban Design

A changeroom of their own: the importance of designing for women in sport

Hames Sharley, like the AFL is taking steps in the right direction to make significant improvements in this area and become more gender-inclusive; not just adding female teams, but by creating spaces which accommodate for women too.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design
• Diversity
• International Women’s Day
• Workplace

Lighting the way forward for quality seniors living

When you think of designing for aged care, the use of light might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But a growing body of evidence suggests the clever use of lighting can have extraordinary effects on seniors’ health, safety and peace of mind.

• Seniors Living
• Interior Design
• Health
• Design
• Aged Care

Inclusivity in design: Re-imagining Hames Sharley’s Perth Studio

In her book, Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez cites numerous examples of how women have been forgotten in a world designed by men, for men. From speech recognition software not trained to detect female voices to office air-con which is generally around five degrees too cold for women because it’s designed for male bodies; there are countless examples which demonstrate the ways in which women have been simply forgotten when it comes to designing the world they also live in.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design
• Diversity
• International Women’s Day

Designing for all genders: How Casuarina Shopping Centre is leading the way

For parents, getting out and about with little kids can be a challenging experience. From feeding ever-hungry newborns to dealing with toddler meltdowns and the sudden need for nappy changes - or head-to-toe outfit changes! - the parents’ room is a welcome respite for any parent in need of a break.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design
• Diversity
• International Women’s Day

Ritual in apartment design – the interstice

The way people interact with a building and move within its spaces, finding shelter and comfort, is essential to architecture’s concerns. The considered accommodation of our day-to-day rituals within residential settings – arriving home, the reception of guests, the family meal, conversations around the coffee table, bathing, going to bed, waking up – is what humanises a space, makes a home and shapes our identity.

• Architecture
• Design
• Residential
• Wellbeing

Is building with timber really sustainable?

Hailed as one of the most environmentally friendly building materials, timber is versatile, strong, renewable, and beautiful. However, wood is often associated with deforestation, and the frequency of forest fires have increased in recent years. And so, we ask Yaara Plaves: is building with timber really sustainable?

• Architecture
• Design
• Sustainability

How can design help alleviate overcrowded emergency departments?

The overcrowding of Emergency Departments (EDs) has been a serious issue facing many Australian hospitals for at least the last decade. It’s a complex issue resulting from multiple issues; from inadequate funding, to doctor shortages, and a scarcity of beds.

• Health
• Architecture
• Design

Can architecture exist in a world of reduced growth?

With population movement and tourism affected by the global pandemic, growth in the architecture and building sectors has slowed to match. Is now the time for architects to steer towards a more sustainable approach to the built environment?

• Architecture
• Design
• COVID-19

COVID lessons – an opportunity for retail place strategy

If ever there has been a stand-out in the retail environment due to recent circumstances; by observation it can be viewed two-fold; a greater uptake in online retail, and the resilience of convenience-based bricks and mortar. This is not necessarily a reflection of the entire retail landscape but more an observation of two performers in retail that have the potential to drive innovation within developments moving into the future.

• Design
• Retail

A turning point for High Street?

The struggle is not yet over but the shifting consumer preference to shop local and support small business is a promising sign for many and certainly warrants a discussion on where our street shopping experience is going.

• Architecture
• Design
• Culture
• Retail

Embracing the local in a post-Covid world

The idea focuses on the creation of ‘inclusive, vibrant and healthy neighbourhoods’ that are readily adaptable to the changing needs of residents while keeping to this time limit.

• Architecture
• Design
• Wellbeing
• Urban Design
• Transport

How Build to Rent can capitalise on COVID-19

While the coronavirus pandemic has taken a lot away from us all in the last nine months, it may provide the push that’s needed to turn Build to Rent into an Australian residential mainstay.

• Build to Rent
• Architecture
• Design

An EPiC initiative to build more sustainable cities

With global temperatures steadily increasing, sustainable design is more important than ever. But beyond constructing energy-efficient buildings, embracing biophilic design and finding clever ways to capture and recycle rainwater, architects must also consider the life cycle of their building materials for minimal impact on the environment.

• Sustainability
• Architecture
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

The rise and rise of mixed-use developments in the post-COVID economy

The lines between work and play are blurred as newer developments boast a diverse mix of residential, retail, commercial and entertainment spaces all in the one area. This new style of mixed-use design is increasingly being embraced for new developments across Australia, in the city centres and suburbs alike.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design
• Retail
• COVID-19

Getting back to nature

Pressure on the environment is increasing and more than ever, there’s a need to dissipate that stress and its effect on our health. It’s the perfect time to realise the benefits of Biophilic Design…

• Architecture
• Design
• Sustainability
• Wellbeing

As part of the NEXUS // 1.5 venture offered by Curtin’s School of Design and the Built Environment (DBE), students were asked to undertake the design research through a project-based study of Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) between March – June of this year.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design

EasyMile’s small, box-shaped shuttle is putting master planned communities on the fast track to becoming early beneficiaries of autonomous vehicle technology, according to Urban Development Portfolio Leader, Chris Maher.

• Design
• Urban Design

Art isn’t likely something that comes to mind when you do your weekly food shop. But for shoppers at Mount Pleasant Woolworths in Western Australia, their supermarket looks a little more like an art gallery.

• Design
• Retail

Exploiting the data provided by new technologies is making a big difference to the architectural process, with environmental simulations becoming increasingly important in early project design.

• Design
• Sustainability
• Technology and Innovation

How urban design can help reduce homelessness

With homelessness affecting hundreds of thousands of Australians, this is no longer a situation we can ignore. It is time for Australia to follow the footsteps of countries such as France, Finland and Greece, to determine how we can implement urban planning tools to help alleviate homelessness.

• Urban Design
• Design
• Culture
• Diversity

Going viral – how the coronavirus will affect urban design

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant big changes to the ways we interact with each other as a society. Now, with Australia slowly emerging from lockdowns and restrictions, we’re faced with the prospect of returning to normal again. But when it comes to architecture and urban design, what will normal mean? Can it really be business as usual?

• Architecture
• Design
• Urban Design

To those outside of the industry, the idea of taking a virtual tour of a new building before it’s even been constructed, every detail brought to life by wearing VR goggles, might sound like science fiction. But for designers, these futuristic technologies are becoming par for the course, rapidly transforming architecture as we know it.

• Architecture
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

How the Australian retail landscape has changed for good

As the country ends lockdown and stores begin to re-open, how will retail reshape itself amidst the possibility of ongoing social distancing requirements? What impact will this have on landlords when it comes to planning and managing space? And how will new developments adjust their plans to suit?

• Architecture
• Design
• Retail

Embracing collaboration in architecture

Amongst project delivery methods that have taken hold in architecture, collaboration is perhaps the most famous and beneficial one.

• Design
• Architecture
• Retail

Rethinking design: will our homes change for the better?

It’s times like these we reset the clock. The Coronavirus pandemic has forced us to take stock; to determine what’s important and what’s disposable in our lives.

• Architecture
• COVID-19
• Design
• Residential

Why post-COVID school design must still centre around proximal play

As architects, we’re constantly asked about how we will adapt. New technologies, new ways of thinking, new societal expectations – they all affect how we design. Architecture is dynamic in its nature, constantly adapting and changing with society.

• Culture
• Design
• Education
• COVID-19

How Covid-19 is Shaping the Future of Seniors Living

Gary Mackintosh, Associate Director / Seniors Living Leader at Hames Sharley, looks at how the design of aged-care facilities must change in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

• Seniors Living
• Residential
• Wellbeing
• Design
• Aged Care
• COVID-19

Integrated resorts to prepare for post COVID-19 boom

According to interior designer and Hames Sharley Principal Errol Chiplowitz, the popularity of integrated resorts worldwide (that combine accommodation, retail, gaming and entertainment) looks set to rise after the COVID-19 pandemic. Chiplowitz, who has 25 years’ international experience in the sector, says now is the time to prepare for an inevitable return of demand.

• COVID-19
• Design
• Interior Design

The computer entirely transformed every aspect of how architects work, from their first impressions to creating complex construction documents. But however impressive technology can get, there’s a lot to be said for continuing to work on paper.

• Architecture
• Design

How COVID-19 is changing the way we work

Hames Sharley Principal and Workplace Portfolio Leader Stephen Moorcroft discusses the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the traditional workplace, and what we can learn from the experience.

• Design
• Interior Design
• Workplace
• COVID-19

Revitalising Perth’s city centre in time for post COVID-19 retail resurgence

After the COVID-19 isolation period passes, a revitalised city heart awaits Perth commuters, shoppers and diners.

• Architecture
• Retail
• Design
• COVID-19

A chance visit to Reims Cathedral left a lasting impression on Iain Stewart, Senior Associate at Hames Sharley. He looks back on the experience and what it reveals about the role of the architect.

• Diversity
• Design
• Heritage
• Architecture

Next Generation of Innovators

Dubai Design Week 2019, the Global Grad Show brought together the world’s top Graduates to showcase a diverse range of innovative design projects between 12-16th November. Hames Sharley’s WA Studio Project Assistant Georgina Spooner attended the event and presented her Honours thesis project in the ‘Planet’ category of the exhibition.

• Culture
• Design
• Diversity
• Technology and Innovation

Building for the Biennale

With the Fremantle Biennale closed for another two years, we look back on Hames Sharley’s contribution to the specially created artworks.

• Design
• Culture

Gender neutrality becoming bog standard

Gender neutrality is becoming a topic that is garnering a great deal of attention lately. And with inclusivity an important consideration in all modes of design, it’s worth celebrating the milestones when we reach them.

• Culture
• Design
• Retail

Open House opens doors to architectural icons in Perth

Members of the public will have the opportunity to tour a number of Hames Sharley-designed buildings this month as Open House returns to Perth for a weekend of architectural tours, talks and events.

• Culture
• Design
• Architecture
• Heritage
• Interior Design
• Urban Design

Going loopy – the ups and downs of creativity

​Why is the creative process a bit like riding a roller coaster?

• Design

Two good to miss

This year marks the second Fremantle Biennale, but while this local festival is comparatively new, the idea of hosting an art festival every two years dates back more than a century.

• Design
• Culture

Surf Life Saving Clubs – the true spirit of Australia

We investigate why Surf Life Saving Clubs are surely among the greatest architectural symbols of Australian society.

• Sport
• Culture
• Design

If we can trace the idea of a shopping centre as far back as the Roman Empire then it’s safe to imagine shopping centres will continue to exist in 2100. But what they might look like, that’s another question entirely.

• Technology and Innovation
• Retail
• Design
• Architecture

It’s World Architecture Day (or is it?)

World Architecture Day is a celebration of both great architecture and the people who produce it. The brainchild of the Union International des Architects (UIA), its aim is to bring together architects, designers, planners and more to share their experiences and viewpoints.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design

A Designed Directorship

After two decades with Hames Sharley, Derek Hays has amassed an extensive resume of projects but it has been his establishment and leadership of the National Design Forum that has predominantly led to his recent elevation to the role of Director.

• Design
• Culture
• Architecture

The voice of experience

Hames Sharley was well represented at this year’s Good Design Week Symposium – we talk to Derek Hays and Brook McGowan about their roles as keynote speakers, and how participation in similar events can influence the next generation of architects.

• Workplace
• Education
• Design
• Architecture
• Culture

Sustainability: why there’s more to it than you might think

It’s no big secret that one of the greatest problems facing the world in the 21st century is stemming the decline in the environment. Everyone can – and indeed should – do their part to ensure that future generations need not contend with climate change and a collapsing ecosystem.

• Sustainability
• Design
• Culture

Home sweet home

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who believe chocolate is the best thing ever, and those who are wrong. But it’s safe to say that there won’t be too many who will be upset to learn that July 7 is World Chocolate Day.

• Culture
• Technology and Innovation
• Design

Designing for Humanity

While conditions in refugee camps are often insufferable, is it time to start thinking outside these boxes? Hames Sharley Project Assistant and Member of the National Sustainability Forum (NSF) Georgina Spooner looks at how architects and designers can help the displaced to feel like they belong in our communities.

• Diversity
• Culture
• Design
• Architecture
• Sustainability

How Generation Alpha will shape the shopping centre of the future

Those in the industry have heard the same ‘hottest retail trends’ for a few years now; it’s all about experiences, niche offerings, personalisation, omni-channel, social media integration and the introduction of new technologies like virtual and augmented reality. But the truth is, these supposedly hot trends are dangerously close to becoming outdated.

• Retail
• Design
• Culture

Celebrating NAIDOC Week through design

NAIDOC Week is a week for Australia to come together to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year, it runs from the 4^th to the 17^th of July and can be observed through a number of activities and events across the country.

• Diversity
• Design
• Heritage
• Architecture

We’re gonna need a bigger Allen key

There’s no denying that flat-packed, modular furniture is well-established feature of the modern design landscape. Well, get ready, because plans are afoot for flat-packed, modular design to become part of the actual landscape, too.

• Design
• Master Planning
• Residential
• Sustainability
• Architecture
• Urban Design

The other sides of architecture

For the latest in our series on HS People we sat down with Sydney’s new studio leader, Dustin Brade.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design

Universal truths

With May 21 marking the UN’s World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, we look at the ways in which good design can be inclusive for everyone, regardless of their background and ability.

• Diversity
• Culture
• Design
• Architecture

The oral history of remote Australia

For more than 20 years, Professor Marc Tennant has worked to improve the plight of Indigenous and rural Australians suffering from poor oral health. We talk to him about the early days and how sometimes the best ideas are the obvious ones…

• Health
• Design
• Culture
• Wellbeing

​A visual essay of Scarborough Beach Services & Surf Club in Western Australia.

• Architecture
• Design
• Sport
• Sustainability
• Urban Design

Places of Pride

Australia has a vast number of war memorials – something in the order of 6000 across the country – displaying a phenomenal breadth of design and variation. While you may be familiar with the war memorials in your own community, however, experiencing the full range of commemorative sites would be a massive undertaking.

• Culture
• Design
• Architecture

A means to remember

This ANZAC Day, tens of thousands of Australians will come together to visit a local war memorial. Be they simple plaques or thoughtfully designed architectural structures, these sites serve as focal points for the community in a way few other structures can hope to.

• Culture
• Heritage
• Design
• Architecture

It’s not often that a physical interior workplace design feature can so swiftly polarise opinion - but the tenant circulation stair is often a hot topic on any multi floor workplace fit out.

• Workplace
• Design
• Interior Design
• Architecture

Many know Marion Mahony Griffin in relation to her work undertaken for Frank Lloyd Wright, and with her husband and business partner Walter Burley Griffin, but she was an incredible architect in her own right.

• Diversity
• Design
• Culture
• Architecture

A visual essay of Hames Sharley’s designs for the Adelaide’s iconic Rundle Mall Plaza

• Design
• Architecture
• Retail

A sit down with Adelaide’s new Studio Leader, Leon Gouws

• Culture
• Design
• Architecture
• Workplace

Cause an effect

We all know architecture and design means more than coming up with mould-breaking office spaces and eye-catching structures. But have you thought about how the skill set required for those occupations can have farther-reaching effects on the community, both local and global?

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design
• Diversity
• Urban Design

Why being a member of an industry body can help communities flourish

Industry bodies play a bigger part in our every day lives than many people realise. As well as unifying and supporting their members, industry bodies work hard to champion the rights of those not only within the industry, but also strive to make positive changes which benefit the wider community.

• Design
• Workplace
• Culture

The pen is mightier than the CAD…

Hames Sharley Associate, Niall Browne on why, despite all the impressive technological advances, the art of the hand drawn sketch remains a core part of our arsenal.

• Design
• Architecture

Is it all over for open-plan?

Current research suggests that open-plan workplaces are failing in their understood aim to foster collaboration… but the fault doesn’t necessarily lie in the concept.

• Workplace
• Interior Design
• Design

Respecting your elders

Design for aged-care requires a very specific skill set. We take a look at the architectural, interior and urban design elements that need to be considered for a successful project.

• Architecture
• Design
• Wellbeing

Why architecture hasn’t changed in more than 2,000 years…

Hames Sharley’s National Design Forum Leader, Derek Hays, considers why the three fundamentals of architecture have remained unchanged for 2,000 years.

• Architecture
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

Why bigger BIM is not always better

BIM – or Building Information Modelling – has been one of the most significant technological advances in our industry in the past twenty years. But how much BIM do projects actually need?

• Architecture
• BIM
• Design

Created in 2005 by the Union International des Architects, World Architecture Day is a day to show appreciation for the work architects do and to celebrate some of the great global architectural works. This year the event takes place on October 1st with a series of events and publications.

• Architecture
• Design

Finding the way to better wayfinding

Wayfinding in the architectural realm has evolved to encompass a combination of elements including visual graphics, tactility and materiality, interactivity, and animated and audio-visual installations. With technology advancing apace, how best should major wayfinding and signage projects be approached and what does the future hold in store…

• Architecture
• Design
• Wayfinding

Experiences vs ‘Stuff’

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is the new keeping up with the Joneses. Here, some of Hames Sharley’s thought leaders discuss whether minimalism is making us richer, and the impact this is having on the built environment.

• Design
• Culture
• Urban Design

A blessing or a curse?

We read about them with alarming regularity – from comedians and actors to writers, artists, architects and designers, lost to us by their own hand. Is there a greater risk of mental illness in creative people? And does new research have the answer?

• Design
• Wellbeing

Architecture; art vs science

In August each year, the nation celebrates Science Week. It’s a government initiative to fuel society’s interest and understanding of importance in the subject.

• Architecture
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

Inspiring research and philanthropy through art at the Perkins

Five Western Australian artists express their support for medical research by decorating lab coats for the Harry Perkins Institute.

• Architecture
• Culture
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

Not just child’s play - designing childcare centres

The Australian child-care industry is thriving, creating opportunities for centres to invest in designs that enrich the childcare experience and contribute to a better built environment.

• Architecture
• Design
• Education

Laying the tracks for great Transit Oriented Developments

For today’s developers, urban planners and governments, development around transit areas requires extremely careful planning. Here we explore the key principles that will allow projects to truly serve and support their surrounding communities.

• Transport
• Urban Design
• Design
• Master Planning
• Architecture

Why cultural diversity is vital in design

Cultural diversity is a critical consideration in the design sector. As our industry looks inward in an attempt to close the diversity gap, we recognise a number of advantages that a more multicultural workforce provides in enabling communities to flourish.

• Diversity
• Culture
• Wellbeing
• Design

The architecture of education

With the 21^st century well underway, the way in which students receive education nowadays is vastly different from the pre-internet age.

• Education
• Architecture
• Design

The constructs of colour selection – an interior designer’s perspective

We are often oblivious to the many factors which are involved in creating successful internal spaces. Particularly in terms of the colour palette specified. Interior Designers have many influences, both obvious and complex, which play a key role when deciding on colour.

• Interior Design
• Design

Digital era calls for new style of placemaking

Today, people are increasingly communicating online rather than face-to-face, replacing social spaces with social networks. So, what does this mean for physical communities? Are they diminishing in value?

• Technology and Innovation
• Design
• Urban Design
• Master Planning

A (very brief) history of cities

Cities are centres of population, commerce and culture, yet it is not widely known how this way of life came about. Looking to the past, however, enables us not only to decipher how cities came to be but also how they are defined and what they mean for the future of our societies.

• Heritage
• Master Planning
• Design
• Architecture

Pup-ular Architecture

It’s Chinese New Year, and 2018 is the year of the dog. To recognise the focus on man’s best friend, we’ve delved into the weird wide web to bring you designs from leading architects, made especially for dogs.

• Technology and Innovation
• Architecture
• Design

A future family day at their local library

In recent years we’ve found great benefits in using 3D printers and virtual reality hardware, but it’s our investment in a time machine that’s really allowed us to experience what life is like for communities in the future.

Here we follow the Mancio family as they set out for a day at their local library…

• Technology and Innovation
• Culture
• Design
• Architecture

Brick-and-mortar retail isn’t dead

In light of an online retail giant’s decision to open physical stores, Former Managing Director of Hames Sharley, Paul Drechsler looks to the past to discuss the new direction of the retail revolution.

• Retail
• Architecture
• Design

Byron’s new railway a shining example

The town of Byron Bay has launched Australia’s first entirely solar-powered train, turning a heritage engine that has sat idle for the past 25 years into an important transport solution for the area.

• Technology and Innovation
• Design
• Master Planning

Powering along the road

A new solar highway in China will allow electric cars to recharge while on the move.

• Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability
• Design
• Master Planning

A bright future ahead…

The Pantone colour of 2018 is here, and it’s not what you’d expect. Welcome, Ultra Violet.

• Interior Design
• Design

Christmas is just around the corner and we are all left scratching our heads wondering what presents to buy. Here’s a guide to a handful of options for the creatives in your life…

• Technology and Innovation
• Design
• Culture

Arty Facts

No matter the size of the project, over the past twelve months we have applied the same set of guidelines in our approach to designing buildings and spaces in the public & culture sector. Here we present our 12 key considerations when designing for museums and galleries.

• Culture
• Architecture
• Design
• Education

Disrupting the retail hierarchy – It’s always been about the people…

During the mid 20th-century Australian shopping centres were developed within a retail hierarchy that was based on modern suburban family life. Today people live in apartments in the city and inner urban areas and seek their daily needs and convenience goods and services in the city.

• Retail
• Design
• Architecture

Artificial constructs

In the 21^st century, automation is a fact of life, with robots having a metallic hand in the production of everything from cars to toys, but when it comes to the construction industry, the automated workforce is conspicuous by its absence. In a recent address to Consult Australia, Valentina Sansbury asked why construction has been so slow to build on automated assistance, and offered a vision of how robotics can be an asset to increase productivity within the industry.

• Residential
• Design
• Architecture
• Heritage
• Technology and Innovation

A future family day at their local shopping destination

At Hames Sharley, we like to invest in the latest technology, which allows us to provide a better service for our clients and partners. In recent years we’ve found great benefits in using 3D printers and virtual reality hardware, but it’s our investment in a time machine that’s really allowed us to experience what life is like for communities in the future. Here we follow the Mancio family as they set out for a day at their local shopping centre…

• Technology and Innovation
• Culture
• Design
• Architecture

Do you accept cheques, mate?

This month we discovered the ultimate gift for architecture and chess aficionados - who may also want to invest in what looks like becoming a best selling board game.

• Design
• Technology and Innovation
• Architecture
• Culture

Babina’s architectural animals

To mark this month’s World Animal Day, we point you in the direction of some of Federico Babina’s digital artistry that reimagines animals as icons of architecture.

• Design
• Culture
• Architecture

Approximately 85% of our population live within 50km of the ocean and our climate has facilitated a deeply embedded culture of life at the water’s edge. Therefore it is natural that our nation has become leaders in the field of waterfront urban design. But what are the factors that make a truly great waterfront? We present ten key considerations when for planning the perfect place at the water’s edge.

• Urban Design
• Design
• Culture
• Master Planning

Six advantages of VR

Hames Sharley has known for some time that VR technology would become a real game-changer within our sector, but since we initially invested in the hardware we’ve been surprised by some of the advantages that augmented reality can offer our designers and clients.

• Technology and Innovation
• BIM
• Design
• Architecture

The future is (virtually) here

Over the years futurists have predicted many innovations that have failed to come to fruition, from flying cars to hoverboards, but when you consider the cost implications and logistics of these inventions, it’s understandable that technology might fail to keep pace with our aspirations for the world of tomorrow. That said, one exciting and long-anticipated innovation is so close you can… well, you can almost touch it.

• Technology and Innovation
• BIM
• Design
• Culture

Postal survey

Andrew Choate’s Instagram page is a celebration of bollards that features dozens of examples from the very basic to the impossibly ornate. Check them out – the account already has 49,000 followers.

• Design
• Urban Design
• Culture

Countering the counter-measures

When unsightly concrete blocks were placed on the streets of Melbourne and Sydney, intended to provide security against terror attacks, the public outcry was vociferous and immediate. But never mind the bollards, because safety measures shouldn’t have to spoil the streetscape…

• Culture
• Design
• Urban Design

Function and form in protecting buildings from earthquakes

As Mexico recovers from the devastating effects of its recent earthquake, The Malay Mail has reported on a Japanese innovation that looks to add protective functionality to buildings while introducing an aesthetically pleasing, sleek design motif.

• Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability
• Design
• Architecture
• BIM

Urban growth creates a perfect storm for flooding

Extreme weather conditions have made news headlines in the past month, with major hurricanes making landfall in large parts of America. As floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey receded, The New York Times reported that much of the damage to infrastructure could have been avoided.

• Master Planning
• Technology and Innovation
• Urban Design
• Design

​In the concluding part of his essay, David McCarroll looks at some of the reasons that consumers make their choices and why this will always keep the retail centre relevant.

• Retail
• Architecture
• Design
• Culture

Who gives a crap? A lot of us, apparently

There is a motza to be made in the sustainability industry, according to the successes of some of Australia’s leading sustainability entrepreneurs. Dana McCauley reports that two such winners are KeepCup and Who Gives a Crap.

• Sustainability
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

Retrofitting, refurbishing and repositioning: how older buildings can become relevant again

All buildings age and what was once an A grade building is eventually downgraded until its inevitable slide into obsolescence. That is unless it is retrofitted, refurbished and repositioned back to its former glory - and that’s where Building Upgrade Finance comes in…

• Heritage
• Design
• Architecture
• Culture

Catalogues didn’t kill the shopping centre. The rise of online retail hasn’t seen the end of bricks and mortar. In a two-part observational piece, David McCarroll looks at the real problems facing retailers… complacency, and the struggle to remain relevant.

• Retail
• Architecture
• Design
• Culture

What makes a BiodiverCity?

Each of the most biodiverse countries around the globe shares a common trait – rapid urbanisation. In a recent piece, The Guardian have attempted to calculate which city is the world’s most biodiverse and found some interesting results…

• Sustainability
• Urban Design
• Architecture
• Design

Colouring your judgment

According to colour psychologists, green has the ability to put us at ease, and not just for its natural connotations…

• Sustainability
• Design
• Interior Design

Breathing space

Creating ‘buildings that breathe’ is an ideal for designing in the subtropics – but it’s also a worthwhile goal in any climate.

• Sustainability
• Design
• Architecture
• BIM

Encyclopedia of man-made plants and animals released

From tuskless elephants and hornless rhinos to glow in the dark fish and square apples, the modification of flora and fauna has been going on for eons, both by design and accident.

• Design
• Sustainability
• Technology and Innovation
• Culture

More than just vegeburgers…

While some parts of the scientific community are looking at using cultured meat to solve a potential world food crisis, others have decided that the way to ensure the world has all the protein it needs is by cutting out the middle… er, animal.

• Sustainability
• Culture
• Design

Wholly cow!?!

Its composition is the same as the stuff you’d carve off cattle, but is the world ready to eat meat created entirely in a laboratory? And if we could all be persuaded to chow down on faux-flesh, what would the effect be on the environment, both natural and built?

• Sustainability
• Technology and Innovation
• Design
• Culture

Is architecture falling behind sustainability aspirations?

It would appear that sustainability in architecture and great design are still largely mutually exclusive, according to a recent stoush between the American Institute of Architects and Aaron Bestky…

• Sustainability
• Architecture
• Design
• Culture

Office buildings and the work spaces within…

People have been talking about the demise of the office for years now. Since telecommuting became an everyday phenomenon, opinion-makers have been queuing up to tell us how the traditional workplace is on the verge of extinction.

• Workplace
• Architecture
• Design
• Urban Design
• Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability

Face values

You can’t ever underestimate the value of face-to-face interaction. The benefits are many: you can bounce ideas off others, unlocking creativity that might not otherwise be accessed via email or text; you can gain more information when negotiating a deal, or you can simply gauge whether someone really likes that idea you floated.

• Culture
• Design
• Architecture

Mercedes-Benz continues its assault on Tesla’s energy storage solutions

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has made its promised entry into the home energy storage market in the UK, taking on Tesla and its Powerwall, according to a recent article in Road Show.

• Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability
• Design

The power of attraction

With certain employment areas suffering from a well-documented skills shortage, it’s more important than ever to attract and retain good staff. One of the key ways to do this – clearly – is to make your office as appealing a space as possible. But where do you start?

• Workplace
• Interior Design
• Design
• Diversity

The CSIRO and Energy Networks Australia have just released a new plan to secure Australia’s energy supply, reduce our bills and reduce our emissions to zero by the middle of the century. Their roadmap relies upon a coordinated approach by the states in order to potentially save Australians AUD$1 billion by 2050 and cut residential power bills by an average of $414 annually.

• Sustainability
• Technology and Innovation
• Design

The price ain’t right

Affordable housing has become a major issue in recent years. Last week’s budget did little to alleviate the problem for first-home buyers, amounting to not much more than tinkering to provide the illusion of change…

• Residential
• Culture
• Design

The language of architecture

Writing about language is not for the faint of heart. However, I will attempt to articulate how the language of architecture is ‘designed’...

• Culture
• Architecture
• Design

Mental illnesses described through architecture

Mental disorders are something that will affect most of us at some point in our lives and Spanish-based, digital artist Federico Babina has created a new project which attempts to illustrate a number of conditions through architecture.

• Diversity
• Wellbeing
• Culture
• Architecture
• Design
• Health

From the ‘Food Court’ to the ‘Foodie and Fun’ Café Court

We are a nation obsessed with food. We’re also getting more particular about it. We talk about whether it’s organic or home-grown, whether it’s slow cooked or triple smoked, whether it was inspired by Jamie or Bill. That’s right, Oliver and Grainger. We’re on a first name basis these days. What does this mean for the food court?

• Retail
• Design
• Architecture

The impact of a driverless society on retail

It’s coming at us faster than a speeding Bugatti Veyron – the era of the autonomous car - and when this technology finally arrives the impact to retail will be immense…

• Transport
• Retail
• Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability
• Design

Moral machines

New technology raises a myriad of questions about how the design of our cities will change to accommodate them. But what is of increasing interest is how machines will be programmed to make difficult, even moral, decisions…

• Technology and Innovation
• Transport
• Culture
• Design

New designs for aged care

Architects and aged care providers are taking inspiration from villages, farm and hotels for aged care facilities.

• Residential
• Architecture
• Design
• Technology and Innovation

Driverless cities – preparing for a transport revolution

With driverless cars already taking to the roads in Pittsburg, San Francisco and even on trial in Adelaide, the autonomous vehicle revolution is upon us – whether we like it or not.

• Transport
• Technology and Innovation
• Urban Design
• Design
• Culture

That’s no moon – that’s a failed design approval!

Next week sees all eyes on the great and the good of Hollywood as Tinsel Town brings us the 89^th Academy Awards. But as this multi-billion dollar industry gets together to pat itself on the back I have a bone to pick.

• Culture
• Architecture
• Design

Inside Donald Trump’s Tower

Donald Trump moves into the White House on Friday, January 20, leaving behind his $100 million penthouse condo in Trump Tower. Monocle’s New York bureau chief Ed Stocker shares his opinion on the NYC skyscraper.

• Culture
• Architecture
• Design

Science and technology advances for a new world

Seven top futurists have shared their predictions on what the next decade will bring in science and technology.

• Design
• Technology and Innovation
• Health
• Culture