‘Magical’ Sydney site takes out prestigious architectural award
The indigenous-led design was among more than 80 winners at the NSW Australian Institute of Architects awards
4 min
Shannon Foster talks a lot about the magic of place.
A D’harawal eora Knowledge Keeper, Dr Foster and her partner Wugulora woman Jo Paterson at Sydney-based indigenous design consultancy Bangawarra believe that when we truly engage with the environment and its traditional custodians, something special occurs.
Last week, something special did happen.
Foster and Paterson were awarded the NSW Australian Institute of Architects NSW Medallion for Sydney’s north head viewing platforms, which they designed in collaboration with fellow recipients, Sydney architectural firm CHOFRI.
Dr Foster is still trying to process the win.
“You see all these amazing projects, these big elaborate buildings worth millions of dollars and they award this to our project,” she says. “I didn’t even know there was a NSW Medallion.”
The project, which provides space to contemplate views of the endless Pacific Ocean in one direction and the celebrated Sydney Harbour in the other, is shaped by the bandicoots that inhabit the local area, as well as the unique position the locations hold in indigenous communities. Dr Foster says the site, known as Car-rang gel by local indigenous people, has been used to celebrate Gawura, the whale and Car-rang, the pelican, for centuries, and is a popular spot for whale watching.
“We wanted to put a fire circle in the middle of each lookout because it’s a circular space and you can see the smoke (from long distances) and fire circles are used for important events like initiation ceremonies, but it’s up to National Parks and Wildlife Service (who manage the site).
“It’s a stunning place and when you visit, you get the full understanding of the scale. We are creating these spots where something magical can happen.”
The project was among 82 winners announced at the state awards held in Sydney over the weekend. Other winners included Grimshaw and Andrew Burges Architects with McGregor Coxall, who were awarded the prestigious Sulman Medal for Parramatta Aquatic Centre, Studio Bright, who won the Wilkinson Award for Maitland Bay House, Bates Smart, who won the Aaron Bolot Award for their multi-residential project, Iglu Mascot, SJB, who won the Premier’s Prize for the Nightingale Project and Candalepas Associates, who were awarded The Greenway Award for The Porter House Hotel.
The North Head Viewing Platforms also took out the Robert Woodward Award for Small Project Architecture.
While Dr Foster is thrilled to have received the award for the work Bangawarra did alongside CHOFRI, which was largely managed through COVID lockdowns, she says indigenous voices were still under-represented in awards for the built environment.
“Our project, other than one at Redfern Station (by Nguluway DesignInc), was the only one with an indigenous collaborator,” she says. “There is a startling lack of meaningful collaboration with country.
“I was quite shocked there was not much of an Aboriginal presence at the awards.”
She says acknowledging Australia’s indigenous past and laying down connection for the future is about more than choosing a few native plants for the perimeter of the site.
“We always asked ourselves: how can we do this really well and make sure these stories are told? Every aspect of the built form can be informed by country,” she says.
In announcing the award, the AIA jury said designing with, and for, country honoured First Nations perspectives and values.
“At its core, this project is about fostering relationships with Country that are reciprocal and respectful,” the jury said. “It involves engaging with Indigenous knowledge and recognises that Country is not merely a backdrop for human activities but a living entity with its own agency and significance.
“Both the southmost platform, Burragula (the time of sunset), and the northern viewing platform, Yiningma (a cliff edge) understands its responsibilities to engage meaningfully; creating poetic, generous ways to share stories and opportunities for learning, and create a truly meaningful connection with Country.”
While the viewing platforms may appear to sit modestly in the landscape, Dr Foster says they reveal their charms to those who take the time to contemplate.
“When you stand in that space, the acoustics are extraordinary — the sound reverberates and circles back to you. It’s incredible,” she says.
“Country is amazing and if you hold space, you get magic.”
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As talk of a rate cut before the end of the year quietens, another rate rise may be on the horizon
3 min
Australian home values rose by 8 percent over FY24 despite the impact of 13 interest rate rises between May 2022 and November 2023 putting immense strain on household budgets. A lack of supply of homes for sale amid strong buyer demand trumped the usual dampening effect of higher rates in FY24. Additionally, strong jobs and population growth coupled with relative affordability turbocharged home values in the two best–performing capital city markets of Perth and Brisbane, where median prices lifted 23.6 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively, in FY24.
CoreLogic’s head of research Eliza Owen notes that when interest rates began to rise in May 2022, there was a peak-to-trough 7.5 percent fall in the Australian median home price before a new growth cycle began in early 2023. Since then, there have been 17 consecutive months of growth. Property values in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are now at record highs, having recovered all their losses in the downturn of 2022. Regional Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia are also at record-high median values.
“There are a few explanations for why housing values have continued to rise even as the cost of debt has risen, and borrowing capacity has eroded,” Ms Owen said. “Tight labour market conditions and an accumulation of savings through the pandemic have broadly underpinned mortgage serviceability, mitigating a need to sell as rates have increased, the construction sector remains squeezed, and unable to deliver a large backlog of dwellings, and strong population growth has increased demand for housing, both for purchase and rent.”
“The composition of buyers may also be propping up purchases, with higher deposit sizes indicating the current buyer profile may be less debt-dependent than when interest rates were at record lows,” she said.
Many first home buyers have higher deposits because of the Bank of Mum and Dad. Additionally, data from property settlement company PEXA shows one in four sales across the eastern states in 2023 were cash sales to buyers not purchasing with debt, who were therefore unaffected by higher mortgage rates. Such buyers included downsizing baby boomers and high-income earners and foreign investors in the prestige sector.
For most of this year, interest rate cuts have been anticipated due to falling inflation, which may have also stoked some buyer enthusiasm, Ms Owen said. However, recent data indicates inflation may be stickier than expected as it nears the Reserve Bank’s target band of two to three percent. As a result, some economists now expect at least one more rate rise to keep inflation on a downward course.
“Another rate rise would slow housing demand, and some cracks are already showing,” Ms Owen said. “Despite resilience in the headline numbers, there are some suggestions that demand is already weakening. Another 25 basis point rise in the cash rate in August, all else being equal, would take monthly repayments on the current median dwelling value to over $4,000 per month.
“Not only is this further out of reach for prospective buyers, it would likely also represent a further blowout in the premium of holding a mortgage relative to renting. The bigger that premium becomes, the weaker demand for purchases may become relative to renting, despite rent growth still sitting well above average.”
The Reserve Bank released the minutes of the board’s June meeting on Tuesday. In its deliberations, the board noted that the narrow path to returning inflation to target by 2026 “was becoming narrower” and recent economic data “reinforced the need to be vigilant to upside risks to inflation”. The board also noted that “the extent of uncertainty at present meant it was difficult to rule in or rule out future changes in the cash rate target”.
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