Comment | Architecture & Design

Design notes for week 51/2023 from Tone on Tuesday

The last Design Notes / Tone on Tuesday for the year is a chance to say goodbye for the year, and to some of the significant architects we lost in the past twelve months.

Polestar’s Nahum Escobedo on the design thinking behind the new SUV model

Senior exterior designer Nahum Escobedo shares insights about the design process that went into creating the sleek and refined curves of the new SUV model.

How our urban landscapes have changed in 30 years

Reflecting on the changes in urban planning since he co-founded RobertsDay in 1993, Mike Day highlights several key shifts.

Design notes for week 50/2023 from Tone on Tuesday

The hero shot is the bane of good architecture. Form follows photos. It's a manifestation of container over contained: the exterior, not the internal. It should be space, light, use, quality. Those are the things that make architecture. I rail against the hero shot’s ubiquity, and architects’ obsession with it.

Lack of digital skills impacts Australia’s construction sector, says software maker

Australia’s construction industry continues to face significant challenges impacting productivity amidst economic uncertainty, including skilled labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, and a lack of digital expertise to implement technology solutions that will support them, according to the latest report.

Design notes for week 49/2023 from Tone on Tuesday

Last week I wrote in praise of the Canberra College of Advanced Education School of Environmental Design (CCAE SED), turning 50 this year. My enthusiasm for the symposium, organised by current staff and attended by several former, got the better of me, and I made a couple of mistakes. So let’s clear that up, before moving on to the worst architecture books of 2023.

Survey reveals energy efficiency top priority in homes

Making homes more energy efficient is the most popular home improvement action according to 87 percent of consumers in a new survey by Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation. Other energy-related home improvements also ranked highly, with energy security coming second (85 percent), closely followed by cooling (83 percent) and energy independence (79 percent).

Leading urban designer reveals Brisbane’s untapped potential

Top Australian urban designers and landscape architects T.C.L might best be described as visionaries — leveraging their design smarts to uplift natural and built environments, creating ‘landmark’ destinations that unify local communities with nearby amenities.

Design notes for week 48/2023 from Tone on Tuesday

50 years ago, our most innovative design school was founded. The School of Environmental Design at the then Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE), pioneered cross discipline education in Australia.

Design notes for week 47/2023 from Tone on Tuesday

Not many will know that this month's popularly attended Sustainability Summit was the seventeenth in a row, or that the name has changed several times in those years, which begs the question about how the face, and name, of sustainability has changed over time.

A Night of Triumph: 2023 Sustainability Awards Gala Night

On the evening of November 9, 2023, Sydney Cricket Ground played host to the 17th annual Sustainability Awards, a celebration that transcended the mere recognition of eco-friendly initiatives and marked a pivotal moment in the journey towards a sustainable future across our diverse built environment.

Unveiling the Future: 2023 Sustainability Summit Review

Last Thursday, November 9, Sydney's magnificent Allianz Stadium played host to the much-anticipated 2023 Sustainability Summit, a unique two-stream, 10 Q & A panel, built industry event that brought together architects, designers, visionaries, experts, academics and enthusiasts to explore and champion sustainable design ideas and practices.