BVN Architecture

That’s 2024, wrapped! With the year coming to a close, we’re reflecting on achievements that made 2024 unforgettable. What a rapid-fire 12 months with all systems go! We devoted our time to designing 169 projects that are currently in play across residential, mixed-use, commercial and workplace, health and science, education, defence, sport, urban design and interiors. Many transformational projects have come to life this year, and dozens have reached major milestones. Eleven projects received 29 awards and commendations across industry award programs, recognising the powerful nexus between visionary clients, collaborators and dedicated teams. While these projects span diverse sectors and scales, they have one thing in common. Collaboration is the superglue that makes each venture greater than the sum of its parts. A huge thank you to our clients and collaborators who have been on this journey with us.  Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Recharge those batteries! It will take all our collective energy to continue our mission to be smarter, more creative and better for the planet in 2025 and onwards.

Rounding out our healthcare innovation series, we’re taking a closer look at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital. A place where clinical care meets academic research and educational excellence to advance global medical practice, the new Acute Services Building (ASB) at Prince of Wales Hospital (PoWH) is the nexus of innovation. At a macro level, the ASB is the first built outcome of the NSW Government’s Randwick Campus Redevelopment that optimises connection between UNSW Sydney and PoWH to establish a world class health science hub. At a micro level, adding a research and education facility that spans 10 levels of the ASB puts researchers within footsteps of specialist inpatient units, operating theatres, ICU and emergency medicine. “The vertical configuration accelerates ‘bench to bedside’ therapy by connecting labs, clinical education and research spaces into specialty wards,” explains Principal Julian Ashton. This adjacency between laboratories, clinical trials and consulting spaces supports collaboration and the testing of innovative, individualised treatments. Achieving the new research addition meant building over Hospital Road, lowering it to enable traffic to pass underneath, and constructing a pedestrian plaza above that links into the broader Randwick Hospitals Campus. A collaboration between Health Infrastructure, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), PoWH and UNSW, our design solutions give the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct a competitive edge on the global stage whilst improving health services for the broader community. Photos: Tom Roe ASPECT Studios, TERROIR, Lendlease, Australian Health Design Council 🔗 Find out more about this project and other innovative approaches to sustainable healthcare design at: https://lnkd.in/gkngjvD3.

  With Dash 8 light aircraft nosing up to the glass, Christchurch Airport Regional Terminal celebrates the thrill of adventure and beckons visitors to explore more of New Zealand’s South Island.   As end of year thoughts start turning toward travel plans, we’re taking a fresh look at a project that won the 2014 Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects (NZIA) Awards for Interior Architecture and Commercial Architecture.   “Evincing contextual awareness and a strong sense of place, eminently suitable in scale and function, this building is an excellent portal to and from the regional airports of New Zealand,” 2014 NZIA awards jury.   As well as being a busy hub for intra-island air travel, Business Canterbury CEO Leann Watson describes the airport as an important economic engine for the region.   Ten years on, the project remains as it was originally designed by BVN and Jasmax Architects with a retail revamp, bathrooms upgrade and installation of a children’s play area as light updates that, according to Airport CEO Justin Watson, make ‘a great terminal even greater’.   Find out more about Christchurch Airport Regional Terminal: https://lnkd.in/ggK39CV5 Photo: John Gollings

Site Visit A! #AHDC2024 Isabelle Mansour, AFHSM Noam Raz Benedict Zucchi Ryan Graul Morag Lee Special thanks: BVN Architecture Hunter New England Local Health District Health Infrastructure

Canberra Hospital’s latest expansion is shaped by deep engagement with health teams and community groups, reflecting Canberra Health Services commitment to compassionate care.   “Designing environments of excellence for health and medical treatment is a great privilege. As architects, we can’t treat illness, but we can create places that ease the emotional load,” notes Principal Julian Ashton.   For example, the new Family Respite Lounges—unique to Canberra Hospital—provide a private retreat close to inpatient rooms. These calming spaces are thoughtfully equipped with beds, shower ensuites, kitchenettes and meeting rooms, offering the comfort and convenience of a ‘home away from home’. It’s more than just a space to wait—it’s a gesture that says, ‘We understand this is a challenging time, and we’re here to support you’.   Explore more of Canberra Hospital: https://lnkd.in/g4dVUP8f Australian Health Design Council, Multiplex Photos: Tom Roe

Continuing our series on healthcare design innovation, we're spotlighting Maitland Hospital in regional NSW, where we partnered with Health Infrastructure NSW to rethink hospital design from the ground up. Departing from the traditional 3-grid 'race track' layout, we introduced a H-shaped, 2-grid wide design for inpatient units. This distinctive plan maximises natural light for healing spaces, centralises support areas to reduce floor space, and places staff closer to care areas, enhancing workflow and reducing walking distances. Toe-to-toe 2-bed patient rooms ensure all patients receive natural light and views, even with privacy screens drawn, while alcoves improve patient observation. Clear view corridors to the surrounding hinterland make navigation effortless, creating a space that supports both patient recovery and staff efficiency. Discover more about this innovative healthcare project. https://lnkd.in/gC7zH364. Photos: Martin Siegner Australian Health Design Council

Tiana-Jane Furner-McBeath: Among Queensland's First Registered Female Aboriginal Architects. We're thrilled to celebrate Tiana Furner, who has officially become one of the first registered female Aboriginal architects in Queensland. Tiana, a proud Wiradjuri and Gomeroi woman and an associate in BVN's Brisbane studio, has built her career on a deep commitment to socially conscious design. Originally from northeast New South Wales, she understood early on how architecture could shape lives. "From a young age, I recognised how thoughtful architecture could transform wellbeing. As my career evolves, I remain deeply committed to creating spaces that inspire comfort, resilience, and pride in our communities." Tiana Furner. Tiana's dedication to socially conscious design was further cemented during her studies at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where she specialised in Social Agency as part of her Master's degree. This study stream focused on designing buildings with a humanitarian lens, addressing challenges like social displacement and alienation, and creating spaces that foster stronger, more inclusive communities. "We congratulate Tiana on her registration, which is a significant career milestone for any young architect. Her passion for people is evident in her work across the Brisbane studio, and we recognise that her experience and perspective is a unique strength within our collective".  Ali Bounds & Neil Logan, Co-CEO’s. We congratulate Tiana on this milestone in her career. 

The Australian Health Design Council’s 2024 conference arrives in Sydney this November. It will bring design practitioners and health professionals together to share knowledge, develop expertise, and build relationships across the public and private sectors. In line with AHDC2024, we’re spotlighting four hospitals showcasing healthcare design innovation: Logan Hospital QLD, Maitland Hospital NSW, Canberra Hospital ACT and the Prince of Wales Acute Services Building at Randwick, NSW. Our work spans masterplanning, new buildings, vertical expansions, and interior rollouts, unified by advocacy for better outcomes—for clients, patients, staff, and the environment. At Logan Hospital, located between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Metro South Health identified the need for redevelopment to improve self-sufficiency and boost clinical capacity for a fast-growing community. Faced with limited land for expansion, our master plan proposed the vertical expansion of an existing building to accommodate future growth. Though more complicated and costly, this adaptive and sustainable approach allowed us to preserve valuable space for future stages while enhancing the hospital’s services. The newly completed Stage 1 vertical expansion adds four storeys to Building 3, creating over 200 new beds, a new ICU and coronary care unit, medical wards, and essential treatment spaces—all while ensuring the Emergency Department remained fully functional below. Principal Mark Grimmer explains, “These are the kinds of complex puzzles we thrive on, balancing immediate operational needs with long-term infrastructure goals.” Find out more about the sustainable redevelopment of Logan Hospital and other innovative approaches to healthcare design. https://lnkd.in/gGm26kjh Photos: Tom Roe John Holland

Donovan Hill’s acclaimed C House has been honoured with the 2024 Australian Institute of Architects National Award for Enduring Architecture. The award recognises innovative and culturally pivotal projects that truly stand the test of time. Located on Turrbal and Jagera country Queensland, this home ‘significantly changed the trajectory of Australian architecture and Australian architectural practice’. The jury praised Brian Donovan and Timothy Hill for setting a new standard of expectation for Australian architecture, with this residence introducing ideas of building as terrain while responding to climate and the simple human need for prospect and refuge. “The C House is simple and complex, rather than simplistic and complicated... The architects have learned from previous eras – Palladianism, Japanese craft, the Arts and Craft movement, late modernism – and have applied scholarly knowledge with careful innovation to an Australian condition.” — AIA Awards Jury Congratulations again to all involved: the visionary owners, Donovan Hill’s team members along with the construction artisans. Photos: David Chatfield 🔗 To read the full jury citation, head to: https://lnkd.in/griPKAVC

BVN Principal Sally Campbell spoke with Australian Design Review about her insights into the future of design, the role of mentorship and the transformative power of collective creativity. https://lnkd.in/gBV28PpK