Tony Owen Partners wins Urban Taskforce Awards

The Boston University Sudent Housing Project by Tony Owen Partners, last night won the national Urban Taskforce Awards in Sydney. The BU building was developed by Tjac and built by Cerrose. Daniel McNamarra and Tony collected the award. Hey, we know its no Waverley Council Award, but it's still pretty good , right?

Shibuya Comes to Newtown

In this design for 2 town houses in the Sydney inner-city suburb of Newtown, Tony Owen Partners looked for inspiration to the pocket design solutions of Japan. The result; ‘Shiuya-Newtown, is a study of sculptural possibilities on a tight urban sight. The site is located in a dense historic part of Newtown. This area is characterised by close packed 19th century 2-3 storey terrace housing stock and industrial workshops.

The angular prism volumes are a direct expression of the solar performance. These walls are made from light weight metal panels and translucent polypropylene, The stark white walls are in contrast to the robust existing industrial façade of the building. The result is a compact urban insertion which, like a sculpture in a gallery stands out and compliments its surroundings. With its compact and opportunistic use of space and stark angular facades, the design pays tribute to the ingenious spatial solutions of inner city Japan.

Lady GA GA comes to Dinner

Lady GA Ga is in Sydney and came over for dinner at the Moebius House. The street was filled with Paparrazzi and fans. Go Ga Ga.

Reem Mixed Use Development

TOP have recently completed work on the new mixed use development at Rawdhat in Abu Dhabi. The prominent site is located opposite the Grand Mosque on the main road into Abu Dhabi. The development includes 3 buildings; an office tower, apartment building and serviced apartment tower. These towers are situated above a retail shopping podium. The different buildings use different expressions of a common facade technology. The towers utilise an angled mesh sun screen. This screen deflects light during the day yet allows for maxmimum views. At night a network of LED lights transforms the buildings into a light show that will marka grand gateway into the city. The lighting is programed and runs through a sequence of patterns and styles depending on the time, date and weather.