Feature Articles | Architecture & Design

Modern laminates that combine sustainability, durability and hygiene

The latest batch of laminates and solid surface materials to hit the market include some real winners for the hospitality sector. Now that the COVID-19 is largely behind us, it appears that one of the few positives the pandemic delivered was an increased emphasis on hygiene.

Fewer of us are cycling – here’s how we can reverse the decline

Rates of cycling are falling in Australia, a national report released today shows. More people started riding bikes early in the pandemic, but that hasn’t lasted. The percentages of people who cycle are lower now than in 2011.

Should Australia consider a NZ-style tax for keeping homes empty?

The property market is New Zealand’s largest industry, adding NZ$41.2 billion a year to gross domestic product. But there is a debate over how we tax houses – particularly those sitting empty despite the ongoing housing crisis.

Walls, ceilings, and effective acoustic solutions

When it comes to interior walls and ceilings, there are a few things that all hospitality spaces have in common. Whether the setting in question is a café, a restaurant, a music venue, or a hotel, all require surfaces of this type that are non-stain, non-scruff, non-flammable, and acoustically sound.

Curbing overseas migration will not end the housing crisis

With the nation feeling the pressures of a housing crisis, some believe the Australian government needs to ease housing demand by limiting international migration.

Report highlights the threat of a hotter, less productive Australia due to global warming

Global warming threatens to have major impacts on Australia’s labour productivity, agriculture and tourism over coming decades, according to the Intergenerational Report, which makes climate change a major focus of its projections for the early 2060s.

How coastal cities near the capitals could ride post-COVID waves of growth

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered population growth in regions at the expense of capital cities. Regional migration has since stabilised, but the pandemic has left its mark. Australians reassessed where they wanted to live and work.

The latest shading and sun control ideas just in time for summer

Choosing the right shading and sun control system within a hospitality setting is key to reducing solar gain in restaurants, hotels, and pubs without cutting customers off from the outside world. A savvy shading solution will not only improve personal comfort but contribute to energy savings while maximising natural light and aesthetics.

Higher prices for property impact Australians differently

Cost of living pressures are acute for some, but in different ways for different types of household.

Aged care funding crisis looms as our older population set to triple in 40 years

Preliminary data from the 2023 Intergenerational Report shows Australia’s population aged 85 and over is set to more than triple over the next 40 years. This will exacerbate existing strains on the aged-care system.

What can National Cabinet’s new housing plan actually fix?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his housing plan is the most significant housing reform in a generation. If the states and territories deliver on their commitments, this might become one of the rare occasions when such lofty rhetoric is justified.

5 tips for getting off gas at home

Burning gas in our homes to cook food or heat air and water has become a contentious issue. Gas is an expensive, polluting fossil fuel, and there’s mounting evidence to suggest it’s also bad for our health.