In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at the rejuvenation of the Repatriation Hospital Precinct.
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Please note our office will be closed from Thursday, 24th December 2021 and reopening on Monday, 10th January 2022.
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Swanbury Penglase is pleased to announce that Justin Carter has been appointed as a Director, joining Steve, Andrew P, Elizabeth, Wayne, Simon and Andrew K in the leadership of the practice.
Fittingly, Justin takes up this new role in the year that he celebrated his 20 year anniversary at Swanbury Penglase. This elevation is in recognition of his commitment to Swanbury Penglase and capabilities as an architect and leader.
On his appointment Justin says “I reflect gratefully on the opportunities and support Swanbury Penglase has given me to pursue and achieve my professional goals.
After taking a chance on me as a graduate straight out of university, Swanbury Penglase provided broad project experience and mentoring which allowed me to achieve my architectural registration, but more importantly, to develop the broad range of skills required to be a competent and professional architect. Throughout, Swanbury Penglase has assisted my development as a person and leader, most notably the opportunity to share in the management responsibility of the Melbourne Office and later by my appointment as Associate Director. Swanbury Penglase has instilled in me a commitment to high-quality client-focused design outcomes, an ethos that has led to many valued client relationships.
Having recently marked my 20-year anniversary with the firm, I am highly cognisant of the contribution that Swanbury Penglase and our clients have played in my development both professionally and personally. Thank you to the Directors, staff and clients, past and present, who have shared my journey from graduate to Director.
As Director, I look forward to supporting our next wave of graduates and developing professionals by providing mentorship and encouragement to achieve their professional goals”
The existing Directors welcome Justin to the group and are excited by the opportunities this presents for Justin to expand on his leadership role within the company and opportunities to build on his client relationships.
Justin works across a broad range of project sectors, providing services to government and private organisations, including education, commercial, tourism and recreation, retail and hospitality, multi-residential, aboriginal and community housing and land development.
In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at the award-winning Blackfriars Priory School, Aquinas Centre.
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In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at Theatrical Interiors.
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In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at our Physical Containment Laboratory projects.
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As 2020 draws to a close it will be one that lives long in our memories. As our Heritage team has reminded us, these are years that will be written about for generations, the ones that mark change and shift our world onto different paths.
On reflection, we feel grateful that the country we live in has managed well, showing the resilience and grit that Australians are renowned for.
We are grateful to be a part of an industry that has managed to continue and, in some cases, thrive, helping the economy on its path to recovery.
And we are grateful of our supportive clients, collaborators and friends who have worked with us through this extraordinary year.
And finally, we are grateful for our brilliant, talented, and agile team who have continued to work hard this year. Delivering some of our largest projects, at times remotely, but throughout maintaining their enthusiasm, creativity, and high standards – thank you.
This year, in lieu of a formal Christmas Cards we are contributing to several organisations who have continued their vital work this year in supporting others. Details can be found below should you wish to contribute also.
Catherine House
Starlight Foundation
Beyond Blue
Our best wishes for this Festive Season.
Take care, Swanbury Penglase
Swanbury Penglase will be closed from the morning of Wednesday December 23rd 2020 and open again on Monday January 11th 2021.
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In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at our Medical Facility projects.
You can view our newsletter online here or if you’d like to join our mailing list, please feel free to send us an email.
Please note our office will be closed from 10:30am Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 and reopening on Monday 11th of January 2021.
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| Looking back at our last communication to all our clients, friends and colleagues is like looking back to another time. But in the midst of this challenging year, Swanbury Penglase welcomed the class of 2020 to professional practice (we acknowledged their missed graduation in a previous Sitenotes) and thought this was a good opportunity to introduce them. During the ‘Covid Crisis’ we have continued to work on a number of projects, especially those with an education focus, so we decided to ask the class of 2020 about starting their architectural career in a pandemic and what they’ve learned about education spaces as they have moved from occupying them to designing them. On starting work… Emma – I was looking forward to starting full time work, the new opportunities for learning and the routine of an office lifestyle. I was faced instead with the challenge of working from home, where your office is also your bedroom. WFH felt like being transported back 6 months when I was still at Uni; wearing trackies all day and having the bittersweet flexibility/responsibility over your own workload when you’re surrounded by distraction (and a house full of other people also working from home). I was itching to get back to the office for the lifestyle I had been looking forward to and the face to face interactions I’d missed. Fraser – Most of the Super Schools team remained in the office which I found beneficial as it brought a bit of normality to the chaos and gave us a good chance to settle into the office. All though it was eerily quiet the first couple of days, we soon got used to it. It was also great to have everyone trickle back in over time however it took a while for everyone to adjust their kitchen habits. Heloise – While starting my professional career during a pandemic has been challenging, it has also brought some positive experiences. While most worked from home, I stayed in the office and the quieter period helped me to slowly settle into new projects, surroundings, and different processes. Sam – Commencing as the pandemic was unravelling was both an exciting and unnerving time. Working from home was a learning experience for everyone, the result being I no longer felt new to the team as everyone was in a similar position, learning to work remotely in a profession that relies heavily on collaboration. I was very fortunate to start with three uni colleagues, which enabled a sense of familiarity in both a new workplace and a pandemic environment. Each week setting aside time to check-in with how we were adapting to both our new careers and the pandemic. On designing for education… Emma – Last year I thought I learnt that educational spaces aren’t always going to be used how you intended them when designing; a final year architecture studio space won’t just be used for classes, the students will find any way possible to live/sleep there. This year however, I’ve realised the extent of thought that goes into each and every design decision. So if our studio space wasn’t comfortable for sleeping in, it’s probably because the architect had the foresight to encourage students to go home and get a good night’s sleep. Fraser – I have always been someone who learns through practical experiences and I remember being taught in some ordinary learning spaces, so it is awesome to see the exposing of services to teach children about aspects of building science/mechanics. I am really looking forward to future opportunities where we can develop education briefs based off things like CSIRO findings & building science, all these practical elements that teachers can utilise when teaching about science, design, and sustainability which can help positively shape minds and create better futures for everyone. Heloise – When you are occupying a learning space as a student, you don’t spend much time thinking about how it came into being. Moving to designing these spaces it has been really interesting to see how many different aspects whether technical, design or brief related, are co-ordinated into a final product. Sam – A learning curve that I am sure everyone has had to take when moving from being in school to designing schools is that just because you have been through it doesn’t mean you were in the best spaces to learn in. Some of the things I have noted include that educational spaces should provide a connection to the outdoor environment (this is the opposite to what I had through school), the importance of well-being factors such as lighting (natural light) and how the evolution of technology assists teaching and has changed the ‘classroom’ and that in a lot of cases there is no longer a front of the room. We hope you found our newest team members comments interesting. Swanbury Penglase would love to talk with you about your next project. Please get in contact via any of the channels below. |
In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at our Woodcroft College New ELC project.
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In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at our Walford Sports Pavilion project.
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In this issue of Sitenotes, we look at our St Peter’s Girl’s Science Centre project.
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As 2019 draws to a close we wish our friends and colleagues a safe and relaxing festive season.
2019 has been a landmark year for Swanbury Penglase. On February 6th we officially celebrated 30 years of practice.
At the beginning of May we relocated to our new home at 214 Gilbert Street, the third we have custom designed for ourselves. We held a Traditional Cleansing Ceremony and small launch of the space in early September with clients, colleagues and friends. https://youtu.be/FvxfMIEm9Wo
Following success at the AIA State Chapter Awards in June we achieved national recognition in November with the Cancer Research Institute receiving an Award and Commendation at the National AIA Awards held in Brisbane.
This is a first for the practice and a special and significant moment for the team. The project was further recognised at this year’s DIA SA/NT Awards, also in November, receiving a Silver Award and the Premier’s Award. Thanks, and congratulations again to design partners BVN and client UniSA with whom this is shared.
Away from the accolades we have been busy on all types of projects this year, large and small, across the country and in regional areas as well. An end of year break has been well and truly earned.
Thanks to our hard working team for your efforts this year, please relax and refresh over the festive season.
To everyone we’ve worked with and alongside this past year, thank you also, we would not be here without you and we look forward to catching up in 2020.
Finally, in lieu of our traditional Christmas Card, we’ve decided to put our money to work this year and support the Salvation Army, Catherine House and Assistance Dogs Australia who all do fantastic things in the face of increasing need. Please click on the links for more information or donations.
Take care, Swanbury Penglase
Swanbury Penglase will be closed from COB Friday December 20th, 2019 and open again Monday January 6th, 2020.
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