Director Peter Scott, along with architect Shane Cox, both of our office, were recently re-elected to the Institute of Architects Tasmanian Chapter Council.  This is Peter’s sixth consecutive two year term as a Councillor, and Shane is now into his second two year term.  Peter is also a member of the Chapter Sustainability Committee and Shane sits on the Chapter Practice Committee.

We commend director Peter Scott for his recent appointment as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects - FRAIA - by the National Council of the Australian Institute of Architects.

The Hopkins Street Affordable Housing development , located in the heart of the working class suburb of Moonah, was recently launched by Senator Carol Brown and Cassy O’Connor, Tasmanian Minister for Human Services and Community Development (speaking).  Housing Choices Australia CEO Michael Lennon stands alongside.

The development provides 30 units of affordable housing to members of the local community drawn from the public housing waiting list.  It provides them with homes of an extraordinary quality which provide high levels of comfort, energy efficiency and amenity.  Facilities available to residents include a communal playground, dining and bbq facilities, composting and recycling opportunities and extensive landscaped gardens and play areas.

Cyrus Chan recently won third place for his team submission into the Design Festival competition, along with his team members Mohamed Hilmi and Sachie Hori.

The Design Festival called for team entries to create an ‘object of structure’ as permanent large scale installation on site, as part of the revitalisation of Section Park 25, Narnungga Urban Forest, and reclamation of the former SA Water depot in Therbaton, based on sustainable landscaping principles, thereby contributing to amenity and aesthetics of the Adelaide Parklands.

The jury commented on his design, “developing a strong design language which actively explores a fun and vibrant insertion of form into the landscape. The use of colour and bold geometry achieve a dramatic contract to the natural setting, this graphically rich scheme suitably demonstrates the Design Festival brand.”

After months of redesign and workshop testing the Marine Board Building turbines are ready to spin again. Following the recent failure of two of the four turbines there was clearly a need to make amendments in order to avoid any likelihood of a similar incident re-occurring and to put in place additional safety measures. The system design has now been completely overhauled with new braking, control, and roof access systems. The new turbines were craned onto the building in early August.

Alex Newman - Associate

Alex joined Xsquared Architects after moving from London to Hobart in 2008.  Having already registered as an architect in the UK he has undergone a further exhaustive period of study and examination to register as an architect in Tasmania.

In the time that he has been with the practice, Alex has shown a keen interest in understanding the local building industry, and has been exposed to the full range of projects and roles undertaken by us.  In particular he has made an invaluable contribution in assisting many clients to see projects through from inception to successful completion and occupancy.

Alex's promotion to Associate recognised his commitment to Xsquared Architects, and our commitment to him.  He has taken on a developing role within our management structure, assisting in allocating staff and resources and making a contribution to the strategic direction of the practice.  His Associateship establishes a pathway for Alex to have an increasingly involved long term future with us.

Jason Wallom – Manager Project Services

Jason has been with Xsquared Architects for almost four years, and in that time has coupled unbounded enthusiasm with an extraordinary attention to detail.  He came to us with an extensive knowledge of building construction and the way in which buildings are put together but has sought to extend his skills and knowledge further to cover all aspects of our business.  Amongst other things he has taken on an assessment of new CADware, expanded his contract administration skills and provided mentoring to other staff. 

In light of his enthusiasm and aptitude Jason has now been tasked to provide us with advice on transitioning Xsquared Architects to the emerging BIM (Building Information Management) technologies.  BIM is the way of the future for architectural practices - CAD on steroids (!) - with 3-D models of our buildings holding the capacity to be 'virtually' accessed by everybody involved with a project via the internet.

Jason's promotion to Manager Project Services reflects his "can do" attitude and the responsibilities that he has taken on, and it gives him the recognition and authority that he deserves.