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The Embassy of Australia, Washington D.C. | Bates Smart

The Embassy of Australia in Washington embodies the essence of our vast continent. The building’s transparency manifests the inherent Australian values of welcomeness and trust, while the interior’s expansive atmosphere is representative of the vastness of the Australian landscape.

At the heart of the building, a large atrium serves as an orientating space displaying a powerful connection between the ground and the sky.

The building hosts the representational public realm which consists of a sequence of gallery spaces and function areas, while private access leads to the consular department and government workspace.

The representational spaces are defined by strong materiality with Australian timber panels transitioning from rough to smooth, mirroring the eucalypt forest’s cycle of growth, burn and regrowth.

Australian art, sculptures, rugs and furniture are featured throughout, emphasising local artistic excellence, rich Indigenous heritage and depict the stories of vibrant diaspora communities, showcasing our creative culture to the world.

Plastic Pavilion | TERROIR

The 2023 UIA World Congress of Architects featured ten “Copenhagen Pavilions”. This pavilion was located on a critical site in central Copenhagen – Gammelstrand, or old beach, which for years was the site of fish markets bought on small boats. Noting the confluence of plastic waste and damage to marine ecosystems, we envisaged the project as a “cloud” of “good plastic” to counter the plastic island that now inhabit our oceans and in doing so, challenge mainstream con¬ceptions of sustainability by examining the role that plastic might play as we transition to a decarbonized economy.

Plastic has largely been written out of these discussions yet we all still need it, especially when we are in hospital, for example. Methods for recycling and upcycling and re-using the plastic in circulation are required. The pavilion structure and exhibition showcases innovative new products that can substitute materials with greater CO2 emissions.

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