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Australian Design Review’s February 2026 round-up of appointments and practice news in Australian architecture and design. DKO International architecture and interior design studio DKO began 2026 with a string of appointments across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Within its Australian studios, DKO has elevated three new directors, including Isabel Munro, Michael Fouché and Sam […]
One of China’s most celebrated architects, Xu Tiantian, has been announced as the recipient of the 2026 MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission, the international series inviting leading designers to create new work for the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Collection. Based in Beijing, Xu is the fifth recipient of the Commission, following Tatiana […]
Melbourne Design Studios co-founder Felicity Bernstein will take up the specialist position of sustainability judge at the 2026 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). Bernstein has long been an enthusiastic proponent of sustainable architecture. She says she was lucky to “dive in from day one”, undertaking her degree in Germany in the 1990s, during the infancy […]
What do a product designer, an interior design practice founder, a graduate of architecture, a computational designer and ‘architecture’s biggest advocate’ on TikTok have in common? Together, they’re advancing Australia’s built environment and have been named among Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 for 2025/2026. Australian Design Review (ADR) is thrilled to finally reveal the cohort of […]
Australian Design Review’s regular round-up of appointments and practice news in Australian architecture and design. Mergers Carabiner and Architectus Closing out 2025, Carabiner, a Perth architecture practice with expertise in sport, education and health, has joined Architectus, with the team moving into the the Architectus Perth studio in 2026. The integration aims to extend Architectus’ […]
As the NGV prepares a landmark 2026 retrospective, four significant works by Margaret Preston remain unaccounted for and the Gallery is asking the public to help complete the picture. Nearly a century after Margaret Preston helped forge a distinctly Australian modernism, her work continues to shape how this country sees itself. Bold still lifes, native […]
The co-founder and director of residential architecture and interior design firm Buck & Simple lives inside a modernist pavilion-style home along Sydney’s Northern Beaches with his wife, their four kids and “loving, fluffy” dog. A recent renovation has brought life back to the way the Crisp clan cohabits. Australian Design Review: How long have you […]
Emerging interior design firm Studio Manifold won the highly competitive Residential Single category at the 2025 Interior Design Excellence Awards with its design for Gruyere Farm, a contemporary Yarra Valley retreat with mid-century roots. 2025 was a milestone year for Studio Manifold co-founders Morgan Novy and Lachlan Cooper, even if they have been too busy […]
November 2025 brought about significant leadership changes across pockets of Australia’s architecture and interior design industry, as well as studio updates and individual honours. View them all below. DIA welcomes new CEO Simone LeAmon. Photo: supplied. At the end of November, the country’s peak voice for design, the Design Institute of Australia, announced that Simone […]
Simone LeAmon steps into the role of chief executive officer of the Design Institute of Australia, bringing her vision of design as a cultural, economic and civic force that shapes how the nation lives, works and imagines its future. Strong in her conviction that design is woven into the way Australia lives, LeAmon speaks with […]
BVN principal Sally Campbell is eager to guide the next generation of designers and architects coming through Australian Design Review‘s 30UNDER30 program – encouraging them to cultivate purpose, breadth and the courage to learn through trial and error. Australian Design Review (ADR)’s 30UNDER30 program provides mentorship and career development in the architecture and design industry, […]
COX eyes the future with a newly created role, Carr and FK announce developments in their Brisbane expansions, Arup strengthens its First Nations leadership, plus more in this month’s round-up of industry appointments. Christian Derix leads COX into the future in newly created role Cox’s new head of futures and innovation, Christian Derix. Photo: Supplied. […]
Paint supplier Haymes Paint has created a bespoke shade, Gamer, for ACMI’s new exhibit ‘Game Worlds’ in Melbourne. Celebrating over 50 years of video game history, the new shade takes inspiration from the heads-up display of modern adventure titles. Running until 8 February 2026, the Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) is hosting a celebration […]
Cristina Napoleone was among Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 cohort in 2024/2025. Below, we get to know how the young founder spearheaded Terrain, an experimental community space in Fitzroy, Melbourne, where ecology, design, technology and culture intersect. Australian Design Review: What is Terrain? Cristina Napoleone: Terrain is an initiative that creates playful physical and digital spaces […]
Architectus announces a striking 60 promotions, Gray Puksand expands its residential capabilities with a new appointment, Studio Johnston strengthens its leadership team and policies, plus more in this month’s round-up of industry appointments. Gray Puksand expands residential portfolio with new appointment Gray Puksand’s new senior associate Luke Stokes. Photo: Supplied. National architecture and design practice […]
Noosa-based creative Nicholas Gilbert has accomplished the impressive feat of becoming director of his own interior design practice at just 25. The ambitious designer has long held a passion for visual flair, rooted in his earlier fashion studies. With a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture, combined with a worldview informed by extensive overseas travel, Studio […]
COX Architecture director Brooke Lloyd credits her early-career accomplishments to a willingness to say yes and figure things out later – a lesson she is eager to impart as a mentor to the next cohort of Australian Design Review (ADR)’s 30UNDER30. Australian Design Review (ADR)’s 30UNDER30 program provides mentorship and career development in the architecture […]
Cera Stribley’s co-founding and managing principal, Chris Stribley believes mentorship is a two-way street, with both young designers and the ‘old wood’ having plenty to teach each other. Australian Design Review (ADR)’s 30UNDER30 program provides mentorship and career development in the architecture and design industry, bringing together game-changers, industry leaders, practice founders, product manufacturers, suppliers […]
One woman and her growing community of protégés are leading a renaissance of architectural glass design in Melbourne. Architectural glass design was an endangered sector in Australia after the turn of the century. Veteran Melbourne-based practitioners Donna Kennedy and Dr Bronwyn Hughes conducted a survey on leadlighters in 2012 that revealed an ageing workforce. “The […]
Donated by artists Yvonne and Arthur Boyd, the sprawling Bundanon estate covers 1000 hectares of bush and parkland on the South Coast of NSW. It is also one of the country’s most significant cultural hubs, this year presenting a special showcase of work by the incredible women of the Boyd dynasty. Running from 22 November […]
National design firm Collectivus is under new ownership, marking its independence from fitout company Unita and inviting the potential for new partnerships for both businesses. Specialising in interior fitouts for retail, hospitality and wellness, Unita works closely with interior designers to bring their vision to life. Unita and Collectivus have collaborated on successful projects including […]
As part of a study tour conducted by Roca Group – with brands Roca and Laufen – nine guests embarked on a week-long voyage across multiple European destinations. In March 2025, a select group of Australian architects and designers took part in a seven-day European study tour hosted by leading bathroom specialists Roca and Laufen. […]
With their modern-retro take on high-end speakers, Tasmania’s Pitt & Giblin have embraced aesthetic appeal without forsaking the principles of acoustic design, writes Engel Schmidl. Room acoustics play a transformative, yet sometimes mysterious, role in how we perceive, interact and engage with a space. Often, however, the aural character of a space is a lower […]
Despina Carpis Tsathas is one of Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 Interior and Product Designers for 2024/2025. In this Q&A, Carpis explains what it means to go beyond surface-level sustainability to design spaces with a deep and long-lasting connection to the earth. Australian Design Review: What guiding values drive you and what kind of impact do […]
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