Loreto Coorparoo - The Great Gatsby Ball 15th May. 2013
Recently our Brisbane Education team helped create an image for Loreto Coorparoo’s 85th Birthday Gala, where ThomsonAdsett’s masterplan for the school will be officially launched. The Great Gatsby-themed soiree will culminate a series of coordinated events to celebrate Loreto Coorparoo's 85 years of excellence. The pictured building will assist in accommodating a new year level, and will form a part of Loreto's future Performing Arts precinct.
CUA Carindale Branch shortlisted for 2013 Australian Interior Design Awards 10th Apr. 2013
ThomsonAdsett's CUA Carindale Branch has been shortlisted in the Retail Category for the tenth annual Australian Interior Design Awards. We are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the winner at the Awards Dinner on Friday 31 May.
The CUA Carindale Branch is the pilot of a larger national rollout for CUA, who wanted an innovative space that was removed from the confines of a traditional bank branch. The design takes cues from a cafe rather than a bank, resulting in a warm, organic, and friendly space that customers would look forward to visiting.
For more information, visit CUA Carindale.
Somerset Civic Centre wins 2013 Regional Building of the Year 18th Mar. 2013
At a recent awards ceremony for the announcement of the 2013 Darling Downs Regional Architecture Awards, our Somerset Civic Centre received a Regional Commendation and the William Hodgen Award for Building of the Year.
The Australian Institute of Architects' jury panel said of the project that "the hall looms large, as community halls do, presenting a strong townscape identity. Absorbing the shape, colour and texture, the building reflects the dominant backdrop of Glen Park. The foyer space evokes memories of the past within a modern context. Being well thought out and well resolved with simplicity and attention to detail, it fulfils the demands of the design brief and community expectation."
The design was inspired by "extensive community engagement, the new multi-purpose facility sits comfortably within its natural setting and was designed to reflect the changing needs of the growing community by being a flexible, eco‐resilient and imaginative civic building".
Somerset Civic Centre will consequently be in the running for the Queensland Architecture Awards, announced in Brisbane on June 21.
Townsville Hospital continues to grow 8th Mar. 2013
ThomsonAdsett is now approaching its 4th anniversary as Health Planners and architects for the Townsville Hospital.
The project was originally in one stage with a total project cost of about $70M. It has now grown to 5 stages (including a myriad of variations) with a total project cost of about $450M, including construction on a new 75 bed Emergency Department - the largest in QLD - and a new 50 cot Neonatal ICU, amongst other special facilities. We are currently completing documentation for Stage 3 and 4, comprising work on the Pathology Department, Cancer Centre, Clinical Services & Support Building (CSSB) and a number of wards within the South Block. These facilities are to be operational by mid 2014. Stage 5 is a new Planned Procedure Centre (day surgery) occupying one of the shell floors and we have completed Schematic Design to date.
ThomsonAdsett is engaged for the project as part of TAHPI Townsville, a joint venture between ThomsonAdsett and health planners HPI in Sydney. Further to this, we are working in association with Cox Rayner Architecture, who are handling the basic building shell and all external works. Upon completion of all stages, Townsville Hospital will be a world-class facility for the greater Townsville community, and will have added 200 beds and have improved, expanded or added over 25 special facilities.
For more information, visit the Project Page
G11 'shard' revealed 8th Feb. 2013
The Griffith University Library Extension (G11) and GUMURRII Centre took a significant step towards completion recently, with the removal of the scaffold unveiling the distinctive 'shard' form above the experimental collaborative space.
The high volume collaborative space in intended to be a space not found elsewhere on campus which creates a spatial canvas for a variety of uses.
The $18M extension to the existing library will unite the library with the overall campus context and wider site hinterland.
The building is being constructed by Watpac Specialty Services and MPN provided structural engineering services. We are delighted to note zero movement has been achieved.
ThomsonAdsett featured in World Architecture's Top 100 5th Feb. 2013
ThomsonAdsett is once again privileged to have ranked amongst the world’s top 100 largest architectural firms this year, as published in the annual authoritative worldwide BD World Architecture survey. A new ranking category in World Architecture this year is ‘elderly living revenue’, in which ThomsonAdsett ranked #2 in the world. Seniors Living Discipline Head, Matthew Hutchinson, said that "whilst we are pleased about this we retain our opinion that the demand for new and innovative outcomes in this sector is only growing and the current supply of new projects is not satisfying the needs."
Hutchinson continued, stating "our aim is to stay at the forefront of current best practice in design for housing the elderly. One of the most exciting research and development programs we undertake are our SAGE (Studying and Advancing Global Eldercare) tours. These study trips provide us with a unique insight into world’s best practice. We have been able to engage with and excite clients looking to create new models of seniors care into the future by discussing our findings from these tours. The sector is starting to attract other firms because of the burgeoning market opportunity. With over 30 years of experience in this field and our corporate working knowledge of the business of caring for the aged married with our R&D initiatives, such as SAGE, we believe ThomsonAdsett is well equipped to continue servicing this sector into the future."
Maintaining focus on our four key design disciplines of Seniors Living, Health Care, Education, and Commercial while responding quickly to new emerging markets has placed ThomsonAdsett in a good position for the future. Looking forward to 2013 and beyond, ThomsonAdsett will continue to grow as a specialist design practice though nurturing emerging specialist disciplines, embracing strategic partnerships with external individuals and firms, and building our talented team members through training and professional development programmes.
Brisbane State High School's Kurilpa Pavilion: A pupil-led, culturally significant design 10th Jan. 2013
ThomsonAdsett was engaged to support the development of initial concepts that were generated through a collaboration between the leading indigenous artist Fiona Foley, Brisbane State High School pupils and Independent Arts Management. Pupils were enabled to explore key themes and develop the concept over the course of two student workshops, ultimately spearheading the final design.
This immersive, creative and engaging process included the students developing physical models and undertaking research into indigenous culture. The design creates a culturally significant pavilion inspired by Fiona’s reference to a “veritable Garden of Eden” on a site adjacent to Musgrave Park. Distinctive diamond structures are used in an overall form that makes reference to the bend of the Brisbane River. The pavilion will support the staging of arts and cultural events, outdoor cinema projections and collaborative learning. Native planting and yams will add a further cultural reference.
The project is an exemplar of user group consultation with process booklets and use of Facebook utilised to share the development of the entire design evolution.
ThomsonAdsett wins at AIQS BIM Awards 19th Dec. 2012
ThomsonAdsett has won the "Best in BIM Project Delivery" award for our BSP Commercial Building and Residences in Lae, PNG project at the recently held Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors BIM Awards in Cairns. Cairns based ThomsonAdsett Regional Director and Principal, Tim Bentley, was on hand to accept the award at which our client BSP Bank attended along with the project consultants.
ThomsonAdsett Architectural Director Mark Eden who worked closely on the project said that "the ThomsonAdsett BIM model was praised for its level of detail, including 3D furniture layouts requested by the client, together with fully coordinated services which enabled clash detection and full QS take off for the tender package". The award is a fitting culmination to a successfully completed project by ThomsonAdsett in answer to complex client requirements to satisfy multiple end users within the banking organisation. The flexibility given by using Autodesk and primarily Revit made the coordination and collaboration easier to achieve the required end result. This provided a single integrated Building Model from which all 2D, 3D, 4D and 5D Tender documents were produced including a full Bill of Quantities.
Eden stated he was especially pleased to note that several of the keynote sponsors at the awards used the ThomsonAdsett project as an exemplar in their presentations as to how best utilise their various products and systems. These included Graphisoft and also CostX for the estimating software.
"BIM forces you to communicate better with the project team. Without adequate thought and management of the BIM process it would have failed," said Eden. "BIM is not for the faint hearted and this process involved pain for all parties, but the efficiencies and experience gained is of massive benefit to all involved and informs how we will approach future BIM projects."
Our team are currently delivering a number of new exciting projects including the Taumeasina Resort in Samoa which is in design development stage – and of course utilising BIM!
ThomsonAdsett designs new Hall of Fame Museum for Property Council of Australia 22nd Nov. 2012
ThomsonAdsett recently helped the Property Council of Australia create a Hall of Fame Museum in the Council's Sydney headquarters, pictured below. The Hall of Fame commemorates individuals who have provided leadership, pioneering contribution and outstanding legacy to the property industry and greater Australian community.
The three inaugural inductees were industry icons Frank Lowy AC, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Westfield Group, Dick Dusseldorp AO, Founder and Chairman of Lend Lease Corporation, and Ray Powys AM, AMP's First Property Investment Manager, and founding President and Inaugural CEO of the forerunner to the Property Council of Australia. New inductees will be selected annually by the Board of the Property Council of Australia.
Initial concept design proposal.