Creating Spaces That Are Welcoming To All – Handrails, Balustrades & Accessibility Requirements

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as of 2022, 5.5 million Australians (21.4% of the total population) were living with disabilities. Many of these people face ambulatory challenges. For various reasons, they find it difficult to navigate uneven surfaces, to climb stairs, and so on. Add to this the effects of ageing, and the […]

Aluminium façade systems are far from a one-size-fits-all proposition. Broadly speaking, specifiers seeking such products can choose between solid aluminium panels, corrugated core panels, and non-combustible mineral core panels. As is the case with most types of architectural products, each has its own strengths and benefits (in terms of design potential, function, and performance), and […]

Architecture is a powerful medium for storytelling, offering the chance to forge meaningful connections to place and culture. For Indigenous communities, these connections are deeply tied to the concept of Country—a holistic relationship with land, water, and sky that shapes identity and traditions. While Indigenous perspectives in architecture have historically been underrepresented, architects and designers […]

In recent years, the conversation around sustainable design has expanded beyond aesthetics and functionality to include environmental impact, health, and long-term safety. Kitchens and bathrooms, which are some of the most used spaces in any building, can greatly affect indoor air and water quality through the materials and fixtures chosen. Traditional materials in these spaces, […]

Adaptive re-use is one of the surest ways to ensure heritage buildings continue as more than historical artifacts. In the right hands – when re-imagined as residential, commercial or retail buildings – the factories, schools and convents of yesterday can be given a new lease of life. That said, transformations of this kind are not […]

As illustrated by numerous incidents, including the Lacrosse fire in 2014 and the Neo200 tower fire in 2019, building fires represent a significant threat to human life, property and the economy. Passive fire protection is a technique for containing a fire at its source and stopping the spread of flames and smoke throughout a building […]

As is obvious, even to the layperson, the choice of blinds and curtains involves an appraisal of the aesthetic appeal of the various options. It involves sorting through colour options, assessing the ways a given product could contribute to broader design ambitions, evaluating the need for privacy in a given space, and so on. But […]

The term ‘clean room’ refers to spaces – such as science laboratories, data centres, food manufacturing facilities, healthcare settings, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and so on – in which, for a variety of reasons, contamination control and ensuring the absence of airborne particles is critically important. Across Australia and New Zealand, the design, construction, and maintenance […]

Though sometimes overlooked on these terms, window coverings are an important consideration for specifiers motivated by sustainability. With their capacity to control not just light and glare but also heat, the best blind and curtain fabrics have a key role to play in improving thermal efficiency. Incorporated thoughtfully, into projects of all types, high quality […]