Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Architect Melinda Dodson took out first prize in the ACT NEAT competition for alternative housing options.

This week Tony Trobe talks to Alan Morschel, a councillor at the Australian Institute of Architects' ACT chapter and a judge for the latest architectural design competition for NEAT housing.

TT: The New Experimental Architectural Typologies (NEAT) housing competition has concluded. What were the results?

AM: The ACT Chapter was very pleased with the response. In the few weeks of designing, registered architects from around Australia prepared 61 submissions. A unanimous decision by the jury, after detailed consideration of all submissions, identified fourwinners from a shortlist of 11. The judges were impressed with the high quality of the innovative and exciting ideas.

TT: What sorts of ideas were submitted?

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AM: The competitors were asked to be innovative and they were. But they were also quirky, humorous, personable, exciting, complex, and intriguing. To address the expanding and changing range of demographic cohorts in Canberra, the competitors explored a broad range of housing typologies. A wide range of approaches, including courtyards, terraces or mews, flats, granny flats, and mixed use with shops, and offices, were addressed. Affordability was mostly addressed by rule breaking, especially in the areas of density and dwelling sizes. A large number of proposals had studios with very small floor areas. Other dwellings shared facilities such as laundries and kitchens. All architects broke some planning rules that show their currently restrictive nature and suppress the options available for sustainable housing typologies. Car-parking numbers, density of dwellings, and setbacks were commonly challenged.

TT: What defined the winners?

AM: The fourwinners all questioned prevailing attitudes to housing in Canberra, and provided sensitive and thoughtful alternatives. The second-placed proposal provides an innovative and fresh approach to increasing densities in Canberra. It explores the notion of the "bush capital" by maximising green spaces at grade and over dwellings. By submerging private open space into sunken courtyards, and living areas below ground, this entry considered a novel response to the thermal conditions of Canberra.

The use of prefabricated dwelling blocks which can be added at and above grade, provide flexibility in living configurations to respond to the varying demographics, and allows alternative densities and building heights.

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Competition winners create quality and innovative designs for Canberra's future housing

Students going round the exhibition at Venustas-25, a show on latest trends in architecture, in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. PHOTO: C.V.SUBRAHMANYAM

Post bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and with the new government at the Centre, the sky is open for architects to showcase their talent, said Member of Parliament K. Haribabu here on Saturday.

He was delivering the inaugural address at Venustas-25, a two-day show on latest trends in architecture, organised by the Architecture Alumni Association, Department of Architecture, Andhra University.

The MP said there was a lot of scope in Navya Andhra Pradesh for architects. We have a new capital city coming up and Visakhapatnam is going to be a smart city and hence a lot of infrastructure needs to be designed and planned. And this is where architects have an opportunity to be part of the entire process, he said.

According to Mr. Haribabu, the state of AP was blessed, as it had got a 1,000-km coastline, huge rail network and a number of rivers flowing through it. . What we need to do is to tap the potential, he said.

Principal of Andhra University College of Engineering, P.S. Avadhani, said the alumni of the university had played a big role in the rebuilding process of AU, post cyclone Hudhud. He also pointed out that the devastating cyclone had opened up new challenges and opportunities for the architects, as they had a major role to play in the rebuilding process.

Director of GITAM School of Architecture and founding member of Department of Architecture, AU, Prof. GVS Sai, recollected the formative days of the department.

He urged Mr. Haribabu to take up the initiative to include the department into the UGC and AICTE fold, so that the department could get some grants for its development.

The HoD of the Department A. Ravathi Devi, convenor of the Association E. Vijaya Bhaskar and president P. Naveen also spoke.

Mr. Haribabu later inaugurated an exhibition showcasing the latest trends in architecture and furnishings and fittings.

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Sky is the limit for architects: Haribabu

It is exciting to see that there is even a proposal to develop long-unused land in North Olean along Buffalo Street and near the Interstate 86 exit. Krog Corp., an Orchard Park-based development firm, plans a five-phase project for the almost 60-acre lot.

Major elements of the proposed project include the construction of a four-story hotel and neighboring restaurant and retail space. Overall development plans that have been revealed by Krog represent proposed investment of nearly $17 million.

If approved and assisted by the various city, county and state entities, the project would be the culmination of a long-held hope by city officials that the former industrial land could be repurposed for useful development. Decades ago, the land was home to industrial oil and fertilizer production operations, as well as several small businesses. Efforts to clean up contaminants, started by ExxonMobil in 2010 and taken over by a holding of Krog, are ongoing and are expected to be completed this spring.

Construction is targeted for a May start and would take most of the next year, should the project garner all the approvals it needs from authorities. The remaining four phases would be completed by 2020. Arnie Cubins, a senior project manager with Krog, told the Times Herald after an Olean Planning Board meeting that his company i taking with several retailers interested in leasing space.

Perhaps it is not by chance that one of the Krog holdings that will oversee construction and development of the retail component of the development is called Olean Gateway LLC, because not only would the project develop brownfield land, it would also provide a more inviting gateway to the city from I-86. Some planners have long noted that the citys two I-86 exits lack the inviting off-ramp appeal that can get travelers to decide to make a stop off the interstate.

The proposed project would create more of that appeal and, combined with the existing, outstanding retail centers, restaurants and other attractions in the greater Olean area, could result in the best shopping-day trip destination with the easiest access from an interstate between Big Flats/Horseheads and Erie, Pa.

We join Mayor Bill Aiello in encouraging the Olean Planning Board, the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency and any state authority that might be involved to do whatever it takes to expedite this project and work hard to make this happen.

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Our View: Development would bring more 'off-ramp appeal'

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Patricia Happe says a house on a quiet residential street in Edgeworth is an example of restoration, not renovation.

The Italianate-gothic home, which dates to 1860, had had some changes done to it in an effort to lift it out of that antebellum era.

But its owners, John and Mary Menniti, took it back to its roots with one major, effective change: the addition of a bigger kitchen in what was once a porch.

The house is for sale for $650,000.

Work done by the Mennitis adds an intriguing touch to the home, said Happe of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.

On the Maple Lane side of the house, a previous owner moved the front door away from an entrance area that is enclosed by wood. Happe said the Mennitis reopened that area back, converting it to the porch it once was.

They went the opposite direction on the other side of the house. There, Happe said, an owner in the early 1900s added a bedroom on the second floor. The house originally had three, one of which Happe believes was a maid's room.

Under the added bedroom, a large porch was constructed, facing the yard and a detached garage.

Happe said the Mennitis found the original kitchen, which was below the maid's quarters, to be too small, so they enclosed the porch and made it the home's kitchen.

The result is a large, modern cooking/gathering space with a center island and custom cabinets that match the moldings in the rest of the home. Acanthus leaf carvings a popular 19th century design element have been carried over from the fireplace in the living room to the kitchen. The old kitchen has become a laundry space.

Continued here:
Edgeworth home offers modern conveniences, antebellum-era charm

Tony Abbott announces his cabinet reshuffle in Canberra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Scott Morrison will become social services minister and take charge of a families package and ongoing welfare crackdown while defence minister David Johnston has been dumped from cabinet by Tony Abbott in a bigger than expected ministerial shake-up.

The prime minister has also elevated Sussan Ley to the health and sport portfolio and into cabinet where she will become the second woman on his frontbench alongside Julie Bishop.

The current social services minister, Kevin Andrews, will move to defence and the current health minister, Peter Dutton who the prime minister described as a tough, no nonsense individual will take over immigration and border security.

Morrison was understood to have been disappointed having sought the defence portfolio in the reshuffle. In his announcement Tony Abbott stressed Morrisons role in social services would be central to the governments hopes for a political revival in the new year by putting jobs and families at the heart of our political agenda, as well as to its plans for budget repair.

The minister [is] responsible for crafting the holistic families package which will be such an important part of our political and economic agenda, Abbott said as he announced the first major changes to the ministerial arrangements since opposition.

He said Morrison would be responsible for ensuring mutual obligation was at the heart of social services policy and said targeting welfare to the vulnerable was an ongoing program Fit working-age people should be working, preferably for a wage, but if not then for the dole.

I can think of no finer advocate than Scott Morrison, he is the master of difficult policy as he has abundantly demonstrated in all but stopping the boats over the last 15 months, Abbott said. He is also a very decent human being.

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Tony Abbott cabinet reshuffle moves Scott Morrison out of immigration

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