Technology has created the most significant changes in human behaviour since the industrial revolution. As the places we create respond to human behaviour the value of established design methodologies has never been more valuable.
Our challenge is to match the evolving needs of society with the fast paced evolution that is occurring in technology.
As part of her Master’s thesis at the University of Western Australia, Jessica Gibbs explored how marine bio-based materials such as shells, seaweed and seagrasses can be used to create viable substitutes for traditional building products, with the potential to transform our built environment without harm.
Looking at current attitudes to modular construction in Australia, Talia Uylaki has written a comprehensive research study informed by industry surveys with built environment professionals. She considers the challenges and perceived benefits of modular as well as the strategies to help build confidence in Australia’s modular construction industry.
As Australia ramps up to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, new and existing multi-city sports infrastructure will cater for athletes competing and millions of spectators watching on the world stage. But what will happen to these spaces afterwards? And how can we learn from them to create healthy and thriving communities for the future?
By the time the design and construction of a new hospital is completed in Australia, it may already be outdated due to a lack of flexibility and the rapid development of technologies and services. Design and construction limitations were highlighted during the pandemic, with a pronounced shift from face-to-face services to remote telehealth services. While telehealth services continue to grow as important tools for providing care to our growing population, who knows what’s coming next?
The number of EVs linked into the grid will grow significantly over the next decade, which presents several key global challenges including meeting overall energy and power demands, developing ‘smart charging’ or vehicle-to-grid service from linked cars, and for designers; developing spaces designed with sufficient forethought surrounding flexibility and systems integration.
The city laneway is often viewed as narrow, dark, lined with rubbish bins and vehicles parked on the verge, tagged with graffiti, and used only for transitionary foot traffic. They are characterised as potentially unsafe areas, especially at night and if the laneway has inefficient lighting.
There is potential in reactivating existing laneway infrastructure to create vibrant, active spaces that promote increased foot traffic to the buildings that back or open onto the laneway, as well as facilities and services on the streets at either end of the laneway.
Archives are valuable repositories of information to us at Hames Sharley, but you won’t think of it at first when the next batch of boxes are brought out: crumbling cardboard boxes with dusty files filled with yellowed papers held together by rusty staples and paperclips that crumble into bits as they are pried off. But take the time to go through each individual project file and decades of hard work and the character of a business begins to gleam from beneath 50 years of dust.
This article by Tony Quinn, Principal at Hames Sharley, was first published in SCN Vol. 40 No. 1, 2022 Big Guns edition.
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.
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.
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.
For years, we’ve been told to expect a transport revolution: get ready for the driverless car! And yes, there are little signs of it happening – from universities using automated vehicles to ferry guests around on open days to the deployment of driverless transport as a way of circumventing coronavirus restrictions. But aside from feeling twinges of jealousy when watching self-controlled limos speeding characters around on shows like Westworld, we’ve more or less let the whole idea slip from our consciousness.
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.
It’s predicted that robots and Artificial Intelligence will play a large part in our lives by 2025, but as anyone who’s seen a Terminator movie knows, these are exactly the kinds of technology prone to misuse or mishap. Here we investigate a report highlighting the potential use of Artificial Intelligence for malicious means.
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…
In the 21st 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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
Countless surveys indicate that an engaged workforce is more productive and profitable. Yet maximising employee engagement has become one of the 21st century’s biggest corporate conundrums, with alarming statistics showing far more than 80 percent of staff lack workplace engagement.
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.
It’s coming… a giant of the retail industry, dwarfing its competitors as it strides into view, trampling traditional Australian shopping culture into the dust, and smashing any who stand in its way. But how on earth can you compete with a well-drilled organisation that has indomitable global brand recognition, a reliable reputation and, let’s face it, better prices? By changing the rules…
Move over driverless cars, Tesla is ready to make an even bigger impact on our lives, our cities and our homes, with their recently announced off-grid solar technology offer. But how will this accessible new solar technology impact our lives, economy, environment and our architecture?
