Youth 2 Independence (Y2I) Campbell Street | LIMINAL Architecture

The Youth 2 Independence Campbell Street project (Y2I) reimagines social housing for young adults. At its core, it provides accommodation for youths interwoven with Community Hub support, social activities and life–long learning opportunities.

Rising five stories above an underused concrete podium covering two levels of carparking, Y2I reclaims wasted urban space and transforms it into a vibrant, activated contribution to the city. Embraced by the warmth of the custom LIMINAL–orange perforated screening, the housing hub presents a city ‘marker’ within the greater urban context.

From rooftop social areas and edible gardens, to an elevated 3–point basketball court encouraging fun, fitness and cohesion, Y2I fosters a sense of belonging and empowers residents to form sustainable independence to build their own brighter futures.
Together with Homes Tasmania and Anglicare, LIMINAL sees the development as an opportunity to demonstrate a progressive approach to affordable housing models.

Wattlebird House | Scott Flett Architecture Workshop

The Wattle Bird House is inspirational in its design and construction. It is planned to be an intergenerational, sustainable, and comfortable home for the owners and their extended family. The house is thermally efficient, packed with technology, connected to place, and the build is a showcase of the local construction industry. Construction wise it delights with purposely atypical approaches to typical solutions and layers of detail upon every turn. It delights and demands attention. The house showcases construction as a creative activity. The care, labour and skill in the Wattle Bird House is inspirational.

Unshackled! – a Convict Memorial | Circa Morris-Nunn Chua

This project is unique. The essence of the Convict Memorial has been to create a dramatic new memorial, a hanging four–sided 8m high tower of LED screens, which uses smart technologies to visualise the lives of 75,000 men, women and children transported to Van Diemen’s Land between 1803 and 1853.

Designed as a place of reflection and interaction, this innovative project is underpinned by Australia’s largest historical dataset with the aim of ‘bringing to life’ the personal details of all the individuals who were ever transported as convicts to Tasmania. The project uses AI to digitally reunite Tasmania’s UNESCO Memory of the World registered convict archive with the Hobart Penitentiary in which those records were once housed, in the very space where male convicts were formerly housed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the very first time that anything of this nature has ever been attempted, anywhere.

The We Ponder Home | align architecture + interiors with SAXON HALL architecture

The We Ponder Home – a visually stunning architectural project that seamlessly blends the rustic charm of Tasmania’s countryside with the timeless elegance of mid-century design. The standout feature of this home is the Tasmanian ceramic wall lights that have been handcrafted to perfection, adding a touch of sophistication to every room.

The living room, featuring an open–plan layout and a sunken lounge, is a testament to the homeowners’ passion for mid–century architecture. The rough–sawn Tasmanian Oak walls lend a natural and earthy feel to the interiors, while the strategically placed windows offer breathtaking views of the rolling hills.

The We Ponder Home is a space that inspires creativity and promotes a deep connection with nature. With its picture–perfect views of a large eucalyptus tree and an ambiance that feels like an art gallery, this architectural masterpiece is a dream come true for anyone who appreciates timeless elegance and natural beauty.

The Workshop and Levee Studios | Xsquared Architects with BVN

Xsquared Architects with BVN have revitalized the former1951 Diesel Workshop. New flexible and technologically sophisticated teaching spaces have been created in a respectful dialogue with the heritage-listed fabric and vast open spaces of the original building.

New windows open the building to the public realm and allow student ‘Learning through Making’ activities to be on constant display. Open plan spaces support cross-fertilization between students and academics from different disciplines.

A new energy efficient mechanical system works in tandem with increased spatial openness to achieve thermal comfort where previously the building was painfully cold, hot, or noisy depending on environmental conditions.

A detailed sustainability analysis indicates that revitalisation represents a 63% reduction in carbon emissions compared with newbuild and strongly supports the sustainability case for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

For a relatively modest budget the project delivers a high performing facility embraced by the student, academic and broader community.

Thyne House Extension Project | Xsquared Architects with Robert Carroll & Associates

The Thyne House Extension Project provides a place for disadvantaged young people at risk of homelessness to thrive as they navigate a path to a productive and sustainable future within the local community and integrates learning and life skills opportunities with supported accommodation.

The project is also a contemporary homage to the 150-year history of Launceston brick construction, and to the industrial buildings that originally occupied the site.

Because of the building’s strong social agenda, it is important that it is a well-designed example of its typology, and we are proud that an exemplary housing solution has been delivered within a standard budget.

A strong physical presence and a respect for the heritage of the site respond to the cultural contexts of the site and the city in which it is located. Delivering a compelling design at a reasonable price supports the case for government investment in social housing.

The Hutchins School Pre-Kinder | ROSEVEAR STEPHENSON

The Hutchins School Pre-Kinder is a child centred learning space that allows children who need to move more than they need to sit still, to be dynamic and active participants in learning. The building opens to welcome the outside space as a third teacher – the changing weather, the nearby gums and wattle, the Derwent, Kunanyi engage in learning that connects children to the local environment and supports them to engage with and care for country.

Seasonal changes throughout the year such as the frequency of rain events are viewed through the lens of play. Students are involved in the capture and use of rain water to develop an understanding of finite natural resources and changing climatic conditions.

The Peacock Centre | Xsquared Architects

In 2016, North Hobart’s Peacock Centre was significantly damaged by arson.

After substantial investigation, Xsquared Architects established that it would be possible to restore it to its original condition.

The restoration, ‘rising from the ashes’, reflects a parallel vision for a new service model for people with mental health issues in accordance with the world standard Trieste Model of mental health care.

A second devastating arson fire occurred on 24 December 2021 that consumed large parts of the completed work as well as causing significant additional damage. A very large part of the restoration work that had been completed had to be carried out for a second time, and the setback had a massive psychological impact on everyone working on the project.

Notwithstanding, the Peacock Centre has been successfully reinstated as a notable feature of the North Hobart urban environment.

The Rox Apartments | Core Collective Architects

The Rox Apartments makes a positive contribution to Hobart’s urban realm whilst respectfully restoring and reinvigorating the surrounding heritage buildings. This project was spearheaded by a long–term owner of the heritage–listed property with a passion for its rich history. The development comprises a new apartment building with 15 apartments and ground floor commercial space, as well as the careful restoration of Scotch College (c.1880) at the rear of heritage listed Roxburgh House (c.1870).

The development is cited by the Tasmanian Heritage Council as a case study project, describing the conversion of the former Scotch College building into apartments as “inspiring”. The Rox demonstrates the potential for new housing in the centre of the city to increase density while responding to its heritage context with sensitivity, activating the ground plane and improving the quality of the urban realm.

Taroona House | Archier

On a steep and densely forested hill overlooking Hinsby Beach, three rectangular structures assembled like tree branches that fall down the hill and pile on top of one another. Utilising prefabricated elements the main house consists of two of the ‘branches’ stacked at a right angle, with the third, an art studio, separated by an outdoor deck. Segmentation of the house allows expansion and contraction according to the number and needs of occupants, reducing conditioned floor area and thus reducing energy usage. Cantilevering forms create openings between the structures and the hillside, offering pathways for local wildlife and a concealed entry for the main house, below the upper floor. Interior spaces feature a dark timber palette amplifying the activity of the bushland surrounding the house, while the dwelling is wrapped in a prefabricated timber window system, minimising steel and maximising the connection to the powerful Derwent River.