Michael Lewarne

One of the few groups of people reliably speaking truth to power in our papers is a group of exceptionally talented cartoonists. I salute you @cathywilcox.bsky.social I can only imagine how hard it is to do your work in these heated times. The cartoon was fantastic - particularly John Howard’s arms…

Katherine Sundermann on the rise of high-density housing ArchitectureAu Asks the Melbourne urban designer, “When it comes to apartment towers in our suburbs, how high is too high?”

For all those peddling density at any cost, see here things that need to be considered, together;
“map & fund everything that makes a neighbourhood liveable: parks, tree-lined streets, schools & libraries”
A cluster bomb of towers alone no good
aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

They did in Auckland with the Unitary Plan
(Mostly)

Unfortunately, almost everything in this report is wrong. 3 storey units might be OK, but attached houses are cheaper to build. 6 storey units are expensive to build and the construction cost alone is probably unaffordable. If we’re serious about affordability, then we need to build social housing.

Simple city zoning change could lower rents, house prices, report finds Rents and house prices would be 12 per cent lower than otherwise within a decade if all capital cities are rezoned to allow three-storey buildings, a report finds.

Huzzah!
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

Spec Rep Help Desk

Warning: niche post
Attn: Australian architects.

I built a free to use ai tool that can help sift through the NCC, find compliant building products and help you consider risks.

You can take a look here:

www.specrephelpdesk.com

On uncolonisation, decolonisation and spacelessness Danièle Hromek discusses how uncolonising gives space to decolonisation efforts by Indigenous peoples, leading to built environments that encompass different spatialities and, crucially, spaces specif...

If you want some insights into contemporary concepts of Country, read this insightful & challenging article by one of our leading 1st Nations thinkers #Danielehromek

architectureau.com/articles/on-...

The Grenfell inquiry missed the elephant in the room: design and build The Grenfell report fails to grasp the wider lessons of this tragedy by ignoring the warped procurement culture that encouraged so many awful decisions, argues Russell Curtis

Essential read on D&C.

“How can any architect in their right mind claim to know what’s been installed on a building when others routinely change specification without regard to the documentation setting out what needs to be done?”

@russellcurtis

www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/opinion...

I’m happy to keep adding to it!

Parlour launches second edition of Guides to Equitable Practice Coinciding with Equal Pay Day 2025, Parlour has launched the second edition of its Guides to Equitable Practice.

Parlour launches second edition of Guides to Equitable Practice

Expressions of interest Are competitions and demonstration projects enough to shift the status quo of housing design? Rory Hyde reflects on the role and realities of conceptual ideas for new ways of living.

Excellent article on our housing conundrum by @roryhyde.bsky.social, challenging all but especially Govts to really engage with improving our housing - by actually leading policy & building exemplar projects
architectureau.com/articles/exp...

He argued the point saying we needed to know *the facts*, suggesting what we have currently from Gaza is not reliable. Every time someone says this they should be reminded that Palestinian journalists get killed, sometimes deliberately, and Israel won’t allow access to International press.

Interestingly, permissibility of the housing types is tied to permissibility in the underlying LEP. This presents a significant issue given that most councils extinguished permissibility of ‘Multi Dwelling Housing’ in R2 areas with the introduction of the NSW Low Rise Housing Diversity Code in 2018!

An interesting overview of the issues surrounding permissibility of the NSW Pattern Book solutions. Suggests that Torrens Title is permissible as complying development.

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Our #substation175 in Surry Hills afternoon light.
20 years on from its construction, the city around has changed;
Light rail up Devonshire St, street trees lost, new square in front & neighbour beside.
Red external
Blinds on west facade still operating, zinc facade good.
On 45m2 site, all facade

Nations like Canada, NZ, Finland show how universal, adaptable, participatory human rights laws avoid targeting specific groups by embedding equality into their legal DNA

Australia to adopt best practice needs a national human rights charter informed by public dialogue that protects all citizens

Just read a CSIRO study showing a marked increase over 10 yrs in job ads seeking people with interpersonal skills. If architects want uni's to produce job ready grads, maybe there needs to be more focus on teaching human (soft) skills, than just codes and BIMability.

Worth looking into getting an exemption for PI Insurance. It means you don't have to pay for insurance if you're not practicing and it's much easier to go back to practice if you change your mind. That's what I've done. Drop me a line if you'd like me to fill you in.

It's constantly amazing to me that someone who speaks like a 5 year old bully is the President, that half of Americans actually like this shit AND that the whole world has to grovel to this childish moron.

Important Announcement Australian Design Centre (ADC) is an integral part of the arts ecology in Australia. This small, dynamic, independent organisation has nurtured and supported thousands of artists since 1964, presentin...

The Australian Design Centre has had its funding cut. Design is so critically important, and so under appreciated and unsupported in Australian culture. ADC is looking for partners, sponsors, or people who can help them keep supporting designers and makers. Please share.

Tech shouldn’t feel like a burden.
If it does, you’re probably using the wrong tech.
Or techniques.

When you give people space to grow...
they'll surprise you.

Then your whole practice grows too.

Don’t hire for fit.
Hire for stretch.

Boy multimillionaires are good at getting media when they feel sad about government tax policy

Imagine if we reported on the feelings of young people who are worried coal and gas expansion will cause catastrophic climate change the way we reported on the crocodile tears of the wealthiest 0.5%…

Want more work?
Be easier to trust.
Listen. Adapt. Stay in touch.

Clients don’t refer great architectural design.
They refer great experiences.

If your practice income is dependant on one project type,
You don’t have a good practice model.
You have a gamble.

Here’s one we prepared earlier.

A broken architecture practice can’t be courageous.
Establish reserves so you can take risks.

Architects, your team isn’t a machine.
They're a jazz ensemble.
Let them improvise.