The air is crisp; a south-easterly bites at exposed skin and cuts through thin jackets. The steep walk up the sandstone and quartz hill is welcomed to get the blood moving and the brain working. It’s pre-dawn. The sky burns pink with the promise of heat. We summit Tharrarletneme Hill at the north end of the Olive Pink Botanic Garden and get our first view over Mparntwe Alice Springs.
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Mparntwe Alice Springs – intentionally written without parentheses or dashes – is a conflicting mouthful. Pronounced (M-ban tua), it sits at a crossroads where Country meets colonisation and history folds over itself. Climate, culture and community are bound together with both tension and care. In her introduction to the 2025 RAA event, Mparntwe – When You Come to Another Country, senior Arrernte teacher Kumalie Riley observed: “Place, people, housing and culture are all one and the same. Like time here, it all exists simultaneously.” And when it comes to housing, the scale of the challenge in the Northern Territory (NT) is huge. There are about 5,250 Aboriginal community houses, spread across 1.42 million square kilometres…
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@lemonandsugar and us contributed to the inaugural @raa_regionalarchitecture publication “FIELD” writing about the cutting edge of the country - its centre. Edited by @marcus_piper_studio and @peter.salhani with photos by @tomroe__ and talks about some of the amazing work of @healthabitat_australia and @tangentyerecouncil amongst others. It’s available to buy on the Regional Architecture Association website.
The inaugural RAA Journal Field - Architecture Gone Regional is available for pre-sale starting today.
Produced by the Regional Architecture Association, Field reflects the Australian regions we work in, their creative and social landscapes, and community connections.
Through essays, interviews, project profiles and case studies, Field explores the fascinating and fertile ground of architects and makers in the regions.
It celebrates regional communities, innovation and conversations sparked by the RAA – from the East Coast to the Red Centre – bringing people together at its popular events.
Issue #1 of Field explores housing with an introductory essay from UTS Professor @anthony_burke__ , as well as architect-led resilience initiatives, and new ways of thinking about revitalising regional towns.
Our Materials section explores earth-based natural materials finding new expressions, with a focus on hempcrete’s new commercial ratings through the world-leading UTAS Hobart Campus project, by architects @woodsbagot .
The inaugural issue will be sent to RAA Architect & Affiliate Members as part of their membership. Copies are also available to order via link in bio.
Delivery will be in late December / early January late depending on seasonal postal service and delivery location.
#RAA #regionalarchitecture #australianarchitecture #creatingcommunitythrougharchitecture #architects #journals #architecturejournals #publications
Enter the tiny floating sauna, wood-fired to 85 degrees, hit boiling point pretty quick, then plunge into the lake - a crisp 7 degrees! Repeat three times in an hour. Black hut = sauna / white hut = change pods. Once a tin mining town, Derby is today a trail biking hub, with the coldest Tassie water I’ve swum in yet! #hiddengems #tasmania
With the road cleared for a referendum on a national voice to parliament for Indigenous Australians, I’m sharing this guidebook by ABC journalist Kerry O’Brien and Indigenous/ Torres Strait Islander author @thomasamayo as a tool for positive advocacy, or just to be better informed for when we get to vote in October. Grab it online at Ozzie booksellers and pass it on!
After a week of huge seas, ripping winds and the pull of a blood red moon, Bondi relaxed to turn on some magic. #ridiculouslylucky #bondi #bondibeach #wattle #natureamazing
So lucky to visit @portmacquariekoalahospital today and talk to the brilliant volunteers who are saving our koalas. Jump on line and donate or adopt a Koala to help.
