With a focus on providing purpose-designed respite care facilities for young people suffering from terminal or chronic illnesses as an alternative to aged care accommodation, Respite Care in QBN is currently working with AMC to develop a concept for a new Respite Centre in Queanbeyan. The facility includes six large bedrooms with a common lounge/dining area and associated support areas. The single storey centre features folded roof forms, timber and masonry elements and sits comfortably within its residential setting. Excellent solar orientation and the incorporation of clerestory glazing ensures internal spaces will be homely, bright and airy with views to landscaped gardens and an external common area. Respite Care QBN and AMC look forward to this important initiative becoming a reality, once State and Federal Government is secured. To read more on this project, head here: https://the-riotact.com/much-needed-respite-care-centre-waiting-for-political-promises-to-be-realised/388402?fbclid=IwAR2DxR2Pv8aSppzaq4SxyVzTU0Yc1mma19wX-LdR8NJHoahuCtsKONibIek
Construction of Villaggio Sant’ Antonio Aged Care Facility in Page Extension almost complete
Construction of a new extension to the Villaggio Sant’ Antonio aged care facility in Page is almost complete. The works see the addition of 29 new Residential Aged Care units and associated support areas in a new wing a new multi-purpose Activities Room. AMC’s architectural and interior design teams worked closely throughout the project, consulting with residents and VSA staff to prepare an integrated scheme that responds sympathetically to the existing Taglietti-designed facility with careful thought given to creating legible and attractive living and communal spaces for residents. All resident rooms benefit from private courtyards with outlooks to DSB’s thoughtfully designed landscaped gardens that promote sensory engagement and interaction. Constructed by Monarch Building Solutions, this is a fantastic result for the multi-cultural VSA community, particularly given the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic for aged care facilities this year.
YourGP @ Denman has been announced as a finalist in the 2020 Master Builders & Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards.
AMC’s fitout for YourGP @ Denman has been announced as a finalist in the 2020 Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards in the “Commercial or Retail Fitout, Refurbishment or Alteration $1million to $5million” category! Designed by AMC and constructed by Projex Building Group, this is the second YourGP fitout AMC has delivered in the ACT and is located in the vibrant Denman Village mixed use precinct at the heart of Denman Prospect. Responding to the organic floor plate and curved glazed façade, the fitout makes excellent use of natural lighting, with a generous use of timber elements creating a light-filled, warm and welcoming interface for staff, patients and visitors. This high quality fitout demonstrates YourGP’s continued commitment to providing excellent medical care and practice vision of “Genuine Care, Clinical Excellence”. Good luck to all Finalists, winners will be announced via a digital campaign on the MBA ACT Facebook and LinkedIn pages over the next two months.
Googong North development takes out 2020 RLB ACT Development of the Year Award
Congratulations to Peet Limited & Mirvac on the success of their Googong North development at the recent PCA Innovation & Excellence Awards, taking out the 2020 RLB ACT Development of the Year award. This new development boasts exceptional amenities for Googong residents and incorporates the Googong North Village precinct designed by AMC. The mixed use precinct is a key element of the Googong North Masterplan, consisting of residential apartments, a Club Lime gym, supermarket, childcare centre, community centre, allied heath services, cafes and bars. The built form creates a legible and striking address for the corner of Gorman Drive & Caragh Ave with the development taking advantage of excellent vistas from the site. Internal streets and integrated landscape elements create an inviting and welcoming precinct for “Googonians” and visitors alike, consistent with Peet and Mirvac’s vision for this dynamic new community. To read more on the Googong North Mixed Use Development head here: https://amcarchitecture.com.au/portfolio/googong-north-mixed-use-development/
DHA’s latest development at Academy Close, Campbell has just been approved through the NCA
AMC are very pleased to announce that DHA’s latest development at Academy Close, Campbell has just been approved through the NCA. In close proximity to ADFA, this new mini-residential subdivision includes 30 dwellings comprised of 5 very different typologies to meet Defence personnel requirements and different banding levels noting most of the residents will likely work nearby. The architectural character references key identifiable characteristics of RMC Duntroon and ADFA respectively through the use of expressed gabled roof forms and a more commercial materials palette of masonry and metal cladding expressed in a modern and understated way. Single and two storey dwellings have been carefully sited and arranged to maximise solar access, preserve existing mature trees, create attractive useable outdoor areas, play down the impact of garaging and achieve a compelling overall composition that responds to site contours and features. The interiors design concept, also developed by AMC references the architectural character of the dwellings while bringing a warmth and charm to the living experience of residents. An integrated landscape design concept augments the bush setting while providing attractive streetscape settings and private garden areas. Construction is likely to commence later in 2020.
Federal Government urged to build community housing to help beat the coronavirus recession.
The demand for affordable, social and community housing was high before the Covid 19 Pandemic including no less than 200,000 people on social housing waiting lists across the nation. In this new Covid paradigm, the nation’s largest community housing advocacy group ‘PowerHousing’ are urging the Federal and State Governments to invest in more housing options across Australia – to read about this in more detail, take a look at the ABC’s article here ‘https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-15/build-community-housing-to-help-beat-the-coronavirus-recession/12458628‘ which features The Bradfield in Downer which was designed by AMC Architecture for CHC Australia as a key Affordable and Community Housing provider.
$4.7 Million Development to Revitalise City West Precinct
With key Commonwealth tenant leases expiring in ISPT’s 7 London Circuit and ultimately 18 Marcus Clarke Street Civic precinct, AMC in parallel with Oculus, have developed a strategic and integrated building refurbishment program. This includes the repositioning of the ground floor retail and tenant mix and the associated public realm, the pedestrianizing of William Clements Lane between the 2 buildings to reinvigorate this important City-West block and the incorporation of a new warmer materials palette expressed in targeted architectural interventions and the interiors concepts. This exciting project has feature in a recent Riot Canberra article – for more details ‘https://the-riotact.com/4-7-million-development-to-revitalise-city-west-precinct/386552’
Stage 1 of ‘The Bradfield’ Downer Complete!
With a colourful history as part of an early WW1 Experimental Station for Poppy flower propagation for medicinal purposes and then as the Downer Primary School, the substantial site adjacent to Downer Shops is moving into a new phase offering genuine housing choice for the north Canberra community. Stage 1 of “The Bradfield”, developed by CHC Australia, is now complete including 37 Townhouses. AMC was first commissioned back in 2013 to lead a masterplanning study, sustained community engagement and then a Territory Plan change for CHC. With strong support from the Community, AMC then developed a detailed concept for the eastern and central portions of this substantial site which will ultimately include the construction of 160 residential dwellings across 6 buildings. The development concept is inspired by its attractive landscaped setting nestled in among magnificent old stands of pine trees and the simple pitched roof form of the nearby heritage-listed CSIRO Experimental Station (now Downer Shops). The materials palette is a nod to the original character of red brick / dark roof tiles so common in the area and the retention of the “Old School Courtyard” is an attractive landscape heart to the development for all to use. Stage 2 of the Bradfield is now well into construction, so more to come.
For more information on the project visit: https://amcarchitecture.com.au/portfolio/downer-mixed-use-development-downer/
Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (AMA), Mosque
AMC is delighted to assist the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (AMA) with the design of its new Mosque which has recently been DA approved through EPSDD. AMA is a branch of the Islamic faith, formed in India in the 19th Century and now headquartered in London. AMA had been looking for a permanent place of worship for their growing congregation in Canberra and in 2016 negotiated the direct sale of an under-utilised 4,080m² remnant block in Narrabundah for the site of its new Canberra Mosque. The mosque is designed to accommodate a congregation of 300 people over two levels. Associated with the mosque itself is a future residence for the Imam, community hall and associated landscaping and car parking.
Creating a proposal for the site involved addressing a number of challenges including the block’s irregular shape with a predominantly east – west orientation, the retention of access to the baseball park to the North, a floodway to the South, a significant setback to Jerrabomberra Ave, a drainage easement and an infrastructure cable running through the site.
The overall site plan is of a simple but beautiful white box. A modest Imam’s residence and connecting permeable colonnade screen links the two key elements, creating a veil as a transitional element from the public to the internal worship and community spaces, stretching out to create privacy where required. This makes the most of the long, oddly-shaped site. The key elements of a Mosque are the orientation to Mecca, a dome and minaret. These elements unashamedly announce its purpose and give it a strong cultural identity in a contemporary architectural expression as it sits amongst an eclectic mix of neighbours such as national societies, sporting venues and hotels. The ground floor of the Mosque will house a community/exhibition space while the upper level a library, creche and study rooms.
The Mosque is designed to be open and inviting, with the main entry clearly expressed and oriented to the street. The architectural character of simple white forms, recessive and ordered windows and restrained but identifiable symbolism embody and express the key tenants of the Islamic faith – Unity with Allah, Respect, Sincerity, Knowledge, Balance, Modesty and Remembrance.
Finlay Crisp Centre Redevelopment + Adaptive Reuse
AMC is very excited to be part of the revitalisation of the Finlay Crisp Centre for SC Capital, Artifex and TSA. AMC and Tait Network have undertaken a number of design explorations to activate the precinct including a Place Audit to identify key elements that will be incorporated into the redevelopment and refurbishment strategy including activating the ground plane through the incorporation of retail, café, recreation and cultural facilities, improved pedestrian linkages and permeability, targeted façade interventions and extensive upgrades to the base building foyers, amenities and commercial levels. These initiatives will assist in enlivening this significant CBD complex and align it with the ACT Government and NCA/CRA’s vision for the City. Read more about this project here.
Future Directions Outlook Forum
AMC Director Alastair MacCallum was pleased to have the opportunity to share his thinking’s at the recent Future Directions Outlook Forum on how to Build Cohesive Neighbourhoods. Each of the 4 speakers including Ben Ponton, Gemma Wawn and Sonia Dalitz had views that aligned. For Alastair it was all about blending the Cool Little Capital with Old School Cool, bringing young and old together at a neighbourhood level with the redevelopment of the local shops and immediate surrounds.
There are already vibrant and successful examples of this at Crace and Denman which have successfully delivered genuine housing choice. If we can replicate these ideas across the ACT we will facilitate locals ageing within their community as they downsize into new, more convenient and lower maintenance housing in and around the core of each suburb allowing larger properties to be recycled for new young families who in turn keep schools viable, play in the parks and support their local business.
As a city we have always been good at opening up new fronts but now we need to get better at appropriate infill – building that missing middle, making better use of limited land assets while developing at a comfortable scale that does not detract from Canberra’s charm and individuality as the bush capital.
For more information visit our Linkedin or Instagram pages.
COVID-19 – A MESSAGE TO OUR CLIENTS
To our valued clients,
With the COVID-19 situation developing rapidly we thought it timely to share our approach to maintaining operations and business continuity.
AMC continues to heed advice from the World Health Organisation, Australian Government and National / ACT health authorities and we are updating our policies and strategies in accordance with their recommendations on a regular basis. We feel AMC is well – positioned to remain operational throughout the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic, accepting that the situation is fluid and unfolding rapidly.
Our business has the technology and systems in place to enable all AMC team members to work remotely effectively and continue to service our clients. As of Tuesday 24 March, the AMC Team will be fully mobile and working remotely, as required. All team members will continue to be contactable via email and/or mobile and are available for video/teleconferencing meetings via Microsoft Teams or through your preferred platform. While we are confident that these systems will allow us to maintain our operations we ask for your support and understanding as we adjust to this new mode of working.
The AMC Team will remain connected and productive throughout this period to ensure we maintain our high level or client service and meet our commitments to you.
We thank you for your understanding at this time.
The Directors (Alastair, David, Dean & Luke)