New Castle | Anthony St John Parsons

Quietly nestled in the foothills of southern Merewether, New Castle manifests a subtle grandeur that is both ambitious and refined. Romantically envisioned as an invisible garden of paradise, the residence’s design is entirely encompassed within a walled garden, creating a sub rosa sanctuary for its inhabitants. A thick limestone wall begins at one corner at hip height and rises to nearly two stories at the opposite corner, with a few thoughtfully placed openings offering intriguing glimpses of inside, which include a cluster of Cabbage tree palms and a mature evergreen Magnolia Grandiflora.

Inside the garden wall, the rooms of the house snake around, forming more hidden pockets of outdoor space. This procession of rooms, all a single room wide, allows for multiple perspectives and interactions with the gardens, while inviting light and ventilation into every corner.

New Castle is a once-in-a-career project, showcasing ambition, love, and tenacity in every detail.

The Beach Hotel | EJE

The Beach Hotel renovation takes you back to the memories, achievements and loves that were made (and lost) there in the 1970’s and 80’s. When things were simpler; your focus on the person and the beach in front of you.

The Beach Hotel is the spiritual home to Australia’s oldest board riding club, overlooks a National Surfing reserve and has had many famous – and infamous – moments. The levity and complexity of bringing her back to life informed the development of the brief.

Excellence is achieved in honoring heritage but also by creating a space that seamlessly integrates history, originality and craftsmanship into a timeless setting for communal connection and appreciation of Newcastle’s iconic beach culture. We worked with a deep respect for history and aimed to bridge generations, creating evocative moments of nostalgia for the past while embracing Newcastle’s vibrant future in an engaging space with heirloom quality and durability.

New Castle | Anthony St John Parsons

Quietly nestled in the foothills of southern Merewether, New Castle manifests a subtle grandeur that is both ambitious and refined. Romantically envisioned as an invisible garden of paradise, the residence’s design is entirely encompassed within a walled garden, creating a sub rosa sanctuary for its inhabitants. A thick limestone wall begins at one corner at hip height and rises to nearly two stories at the opposite corner, with a few thoughtfully placed openings offering intriguing glimpses of inside, which include a cluster of Cabbage tree palms and a mature evergreen Magnolia Grandiflora.

Inside the garden wall, the rooms of the house snake around, forming more hidden pockets of outdoor space. This procession of rooms, all a single room wide, allows for multiple perspectives and interactions with the gardens, while inviting light and ventilation into every corner.

New Castle is a once-in-a-career project, showcasing ambition, love, and tenacity in every detail.

Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre, Shellharbour | Edmiston Jones

The Centre offers comprehensive services for victim/survivors of family, domestic, and sexual violence, with practical, evidence-based support. A collaborative effort involving the Leadership Team, Women with Lived-Experience Advisory Group, and Aboriginal Women’s Reference Group, the Centre was designed with a trauma-informed approach. Co-design workshops focused on themes of welcome, support, privacy, and security, integrating natural light and scenic views.

A ”Connecting to Country” framework informed cultural safety for Aboriginal women, with the design featuring symbolic elements like a coolamon in the ceiling. The Centre, imagined as a turtle shell – protective externally and warm and inviting internally – prioritizes a calming, secure environment for recovery. Flexible spaces accommodate various practitioners, with careful attention to acoustic and visual privacy. The project’s all-female team directed its holistic design.

Fast-tracked due to urgent need and supported by ongoing evaluation, the Centre serves as a prototype for future expansion to combat Australia’s family violence crisis.

Bonito | HGA Studio

Bonito, within Hotel Marvell, integrates with its urban surroundings by transforming the hotel’s laneway into an al fresco dining oasis, filled with natural light and lush vegetation. This greenery provides a refreshing contrast to the surrounding buildings, enhancing the dining experience.

Inside, Bonito features a central sculptural bar with elegant green marble tops, offering a visual counterpoint to its ocean-inspired menu. Warm walnut veneers and accents of red micro cement panels create a cosy yet vibrant atmosphere that sit with the hotel’s warm palette.

By activating the laneway with vegetation, Bonito not only expands its seating area but also creates a serene ambiance that complements Byron Bay’s coastal charm. This thoughtful design not only enriches the dining experience but also connects guests with nature in an otherwise urban setting.

Australian Retirement Trust Workplace | Cox Architecture

ARTs workplace reflects who they are and what they stand for. It showcases their commitment to their members, their people, and their connected communities.
With a focus on value, ARTs workplace transforms an existing building into a dynamic new home with sustainability at its core.
Nestled in the centre of each floorplate, wheelchair accessible platforms facilitating flexible workshop settings and touchdown, these HUBs are the Heart that Unites the Business.
Anchored by an auditorium and located in the centre of the workplace stack, the central HUB is a landscaped community space. The space blurs the boundaries of inside and out in its subtropical environment. Naturally ventilated through automated louvres, brick flooring and landscaped seating flanking a series of carefully programmed spaces, the central hub emerges as a parkscape in the sky.

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.

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