Taumeasina Island Resort groundbreaking ceremony 17th Jun. 2013
International Managing Director Ben Kearney recently returned from Taumeasina Island, Samoa, where he presented the project outline of his team’s Taumeasina Island Resort project and participated in the island’s groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony marks the commencement of a 6 month civil works stage, with the project expected to take two and a half years to complete. Funded by Papua New Guinea Investment Groups in association with Lamana Group, the total project involves 80 rooms and 25 villas and is estimated to cost AUD$63.5 million.
According to Samoan Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, there had been 40 years of “empty promises” and the project getting to this point with the vision of ThomsonAdsett made for a “very special day”. Having reviewed the detailed development plans, Tuilaepa expects Taumeasina Island Resort to be “the haven that will grant visitors quality holiday and lodging experiences”.
Top left group shot courtesy of Ron Kubik via the Samoa Observer.
Aged Care advances in the UK - SAGE Study Tour 31st May. 2013
SAGE study tours, now in their sixth year, are an initiative of ThomsonAdsett with the aged care industry’s peak representative bodies ACSA and LASA. The study tours connect seniors living industry executives with the latest international trends in care provision and facility design. Matthew Hutchinson, ThomsonAdsett’s Senior Living Discipline Head recently attended a study tour to the United Kingdom with 18 Australian care industry leaders.
The focus of the tour was to investigate the delivery of aged care services within the UK with a particular emphasis on understanding ‘personalisation’ - the effective equivalent of Australia’s Consumer Directed Care. Over the course of twelve days the group visited ten separate facilities owned and operated by the seven different organisations. The tour culminated in attendance at the 2 day National Care Forum (NCF) annual conference at Nottingham.
The group visited some excellent examples of collaboration and partnership between local government and private industry providers. There were also some thought provoking examples of ownership tenure options which facilitated access for many individuals to suit their particular circumstances. The group is excited to see how to bring some UK innovations to the Australian market.
Melbourne studio celebrates new CBD location 27th May. 2013
ThomsonAdsett's Melbourne Studio recently hosted past and present clients, joining our shareholders and Melbourne team to celebrate the move to Queen St. Group Managing Director Chris Straw, and Victorian Managing Director Tieran Kimber each gave brief addresses on ThomsonAdsett's past, present and future in Melbourne, while the attendees enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with those from all of our East Coast studios.
Thanks to all who made the evening a success, we are looking forward to a prosperous future at ThomsonAdsett's new Melbourne studio space.
Our new address is Level 1, 333 Queen Street, Melbourne Vic 3000.
Loreto Coorparoo - The Great Gatsby Ball 15th May. 2013
Recently our Brisbane Education team helped create an image for Loreto Coorparoo’s 85th Birthday Gala, where ThomsonAdsett’s masterplan for the school will be officially launched. The Great Gatsby-themed soiree will culminate a series of coordinated events to celebrate Loreto Coorparoo's 85 years of excellence. The pictured building will assist in accommodating a new year level, and will form a part of Loreto's future Performing Arts precinct.
ThomsonAdsett hosts Brisbane Lord Mayor for City Plan Forum 27th Apr. 2013
ThomsonAdsett in association with networking group Friends of the Industry recently hosted a presentation of the new Draft Brisbane City Plan by Brisbane's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.
The event attracted 120 guests who were all keen to hear more about the intent of Brisbane's new City Plan. The Lord Mayor spoke of the need for a balancing of the interests of Brisbane's two million residents, and the city's planning and development community; as well as his ideal vision for an increased height restriction in the CBD.
Some of the key changes in the draft City Plan highlighted in the Lord Mayor's presentation included changes to residential building heights, the softening of the need for impact assessment applications and a move towards more code assessment applications.
The event concluded with a presentation of the Queensland Kids / Hummingbird House initiative by Paul and Gabrielle Quillam, a project that will be undertaken by Foti Committee members ThomsonAdsett and Greenleaf Engineers with the wider support of the Foti community.
More information at foti.org.au.
CUA Carindale Branch shortlisted for 2013 Australian Interior Design Awards 10th Apr. 2013
ThomsonAdsett's CUA Carindale Branch has been shortlisted in the Retail Category for the tenth annual Australian Interior Design Awards. We are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the winner at the Awards Dinner on Friday 31 May.
The CUA Carindale Branch is the pilot of a larger national rollout for CUA, who wanted an innovative space that was removed from the confines of a traditional bank branch. The design takes cues from a cafe rather than a bank, resulting in a warm, organic, and friendly space that customers would look forward to visiting.
For more information, visit CUA Carindale.
Somerset Civic Centre wins 2013 Regional Building of the Year 18th Mar. 2013
At a recent awards ceremony for the announcement of the 2013 Darling Downs Regional Architecture Awards, our Somerset Civic Centre received a Regional Commendation and the William Hodgen Award for Building of the Year.
The Australian Institute of Architects' jury panel said of the project that "the hall looms large, as community halls do, presenting a strong townscape identity. Absorbing the shape, colour and texture, the building reflects the dominant backdrop of Glen Park. The foyer space evokes memories of the past within a modern context. Being well thought out and well resolved with simplicity and attention to detail, it fulfils the demands of the design brief and community expectation."
The design was inspired by "extensive community engagement, the new multi-purpose facility sits comfortably within its natural setting and was designed to reflect the changing needs of the growing community by being a flexible, eco‐resilient and imaginative civic building".
Somerset Civic Centre will consequently be in the running for the Queensland Architecture Awards, announced in Brisbane on June 21.
Townsville Hospital continues to grow 8th Mar. 2013
ThomsonAdsett is now approaching its 4th anniversary as Health Planners and architects for the Townsville Hospital.
The project was originally in one stage with a total project cost of about $70M. It has now grown to 5 stages (including a myriad of variations) with a total project cost of about $450M, including construction on a new 75 bed Emergency Department - the largest in QLD - and a new 50 cot Neonatal ICU, amongst other special facilities. We are currently completing documentation for Stage 3 and 4, comprising work on the Pathology Department, Cancer Centre, Clinical Services & Support Building (CSSB) and a number of wards within the South Block. These facilities are to be operational by mid 2014. Stage 5 is a new Planned Procedure Centre (day surgery) occupying one of the shell floors and we have completed Schematic Design to date.
ThomsonAdsett is engaged for the project as part of TAHPI Townsville, a joint venture between ThomsonAdsett and health planners HPI in Sydney. Further to this, we are working in association with Cox Rayner Architecture, who are handling the basic building shell and all external works. Upon completion of all stages, Townsville Hospital will be a world-class facility for the greater Townsville community, and will have added 200 beds and have improved, expanded or added over 25 special facilities.
For more information, visit the Project Page
G11 'shard' revealed 8th Feb. 2013
The Griffith University Library Extension (G11) and GUMURRII Centre took a significant step towards completion recently, with the removal of the scaffold unveiling the distinctive 'shard' form above the experimental collaborative space.
The high volume collaborative space in intended to be a space not found elsewhere on campus which creates a spatial canvas for a variety of uses.
The $18M extension to the existing library will unite the library with the overall campus context and wider site hinterland.
The building is being constructed by Watpac Specialty Services and MPN provided structural engineering services. We are delighted to note zero movement has been achieved.
ThomsonAdsett featured in World Architecture's Top 100 5th Feb. 2013
ThomsonAdsett is once again privileged to have ranked amongst the world’s top 100 largest architectural firms this year, as published in the annual authoritative worldwide BD World Architecture survey. A new ranking category in World Architecture this year is ‘elderly living revenue’, in which ThomsonAdsett ranked #2 in the world. Seniors Living Discipline Head, Matthew Hutchinson, said that "whilst we are pleased about this we retain our opinion that the demand for new and innovative outcomes in this sector is only growing and the current supply of new projects is not satisfying the needs."
Hutchinson continued, stating "our aim is to stay at the forefront of current best practice in design for housing the elderly. One of the most exciting research and development programs we undertake are our SAGE (Studying and Advancing Global Eldercare) tours. These study trips provide us with a unique insight into world’s best practice. We have been able to engage with and excite clients looking to create new models of seniors care into the future by discussing our findings from these tours. The sector is starting to attract other firms because of the burgeoning market opportunity. With over 30 years of experience in this field and our corporate working knowledge of the business of caring for the aged married with our R&D initiatives, such as SAGE, we believe ThomsonAdsett is well equipped to continue servicing this sector into the future."
Maintaining focus on our four key design disciplines of Seniors Living, Health Care, Education, and Commercial while responding quickly to new emerging markets has placed ThomsonAdsett in a good position for the future. Looking forward to 2013 and beyond, ThomsonAdsett will continue to grow as a specialist design practice though nurturing emerging specialist disciplines, embracing strategic partnerships with external individuals and firms, and building our talented team members through training and professional development programmes.
