2024 has been a year!

As we wrap up a year defined by its challenges and triumphs, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible projects we’ve brought to life alongside our clients and partners. The scale and impact of these endeavours leave us inspired and proud.

Across 89 diverse projects, spanning city centres and regional landscapes, we’ve tackled everything from strategic frameworks and master plans to the thoughtful design and delivery of buildings, landscapes, and public realms. At every scale, we’ve embraced opportunities to push boundaries, challenge the norm, and create meaningful experiences for our clients and collaborators.

We close 2024 on a high note! With fresh energy from renewed government leadership and a wave of industry optimism, the horizon for 2025 looks brighter than ever. Archipelago remains firmly “at the table” on major projects, leveraging our deep urban knowledge and sector expertise to connect clients with transformative opportunities.

Excitingly, we’ll kick off the new year in a larger studio space just a few floors above, energised by a growing team and a sense of momentum. The year ahead promises abundant opportunities in what feels like one of the most dynamic times in our journey.

Thank you for being part of this incredible adventure. We are privileged to share it with you and look forward to continuing to shape great outcomes together in 2025.

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2032 Olympic + Paralympic Games

A BOLD'er vision for Brisbane

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The recent spotlight on Archipelago’s Brisbane BOLD 2032 Strategy brings an inspiring wave of optimism for our city's future. The announcement of the 100-day review, with a generous terms of reference, led by an impressive panel of decision-makers, signals a commitment to visionary leadership for Queensland. This is a pivotal moment to shape a legacy that extends far beyond venues and budgets, focusing instead on transformative city-making potential.

We’re particularly thrilled to see our work validated through critical review and benchmarking by global consultancy leaders, Arcadis. This endorsement reflects our dedication to creating urban environments that are both innovative and enduring.

As advocates for outcomes that are best for Brisbane’s future, we trust the expert decision-makers involved in this process to identify and implement the most visionary solution. Together, we have a remarkable opportunity to ensure that Brisbane’s legacy becomes a global benchmark for city-making.

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End to end delivery

Constructed projects

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Translating big ideas and strategic manoeuvres into construction details and boots on the ground to deliver end-to-end services for the private and public sector. Some highlights from this year have seen the delivery of architectural and landscape architectural projects including:

• 9 social housing units at Underwood for QBuild 
• Yeronga Community Centre - the first building of the Parkside Yeronga Master Plan
• Logan Gardens shared parkway - the first built stage of the national
• ‍Brisbane Golf Club Pro Shop  grand opening following the tragic fire less that 12 months ago
• JuicedTV film studio at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, the world-first television show made by kids in hospital, for kids in hospital.

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Live, Work, Play, Gather

Bringing communities together

Projects and precincts that fuse community, built form and open space are what we enjoy and where we bring great value (especially if they are complex and have multiple stakeholders). This year, we have designed housing typologies in various forms and scales, clubhouses, workplaces, schoolmaster plans and urban precincts which foster a sense of community, wellness, social sustainability, inclusivity, and contribute to the broader neighbourhood.

Some of our favourite projects this year have included

• Mango Hill Urban Village is a rich, mixed use precinct of living and leisure anchored by a rail oriented workplace campus. The Master Plan DA has just been lodged and we look forward to developing Stage 1 in 2025.
• The concept master plan for Bell Street, Ipswich Precinct Revitalisation is focused on renewing the health and community precinct with expanded community facilities, new housing options, and key worker accommodation.
• A new Rugby League Clubhouse for the Caboolture Snakes.
• Stage 1 construction has commenced on Halycon Coves within Stockland's over 50s community at Aura on the Sunshine Coast. Archipelago's architecture and landscape teams designed the state-of-the-art recreation precinct for entertainment, creativity, health and wellness, with interior design by our friends at Studio Spillane.
• Working with Noosa Council, the Pomona community and our friends at Cred Consulting to develop the Pomona Place Plan -a shared vision to make Pomona an even better place to live in the future.

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Infrastructure+ Urban Design + Public Realm 

The connected city

Connecting people through the careful and creative planning, design and delivery of poetic and pragmatic places and corridors is our passion and is the beating heart to what we do and why we do it. From active transit to airport, bridge to busway, rail to road, motor way to pathway and every speed and mode in between, creating transit experiences that people love and that drive high return patronage and consistently enjoyable use is our core public realm focus. Some of the large-scale, long-term infrastructure projects we have continued to work on this year include:

• Coomera Connector
• Logan Gold Coast Faster Rail
• Gold Coast Airport Southern Entry Road
• Boundary Road Level Crossing Removal
• Cairns Railway Station Concept
• Townsville Railway Station Concept
• Butterfield Street Metro Bus Layover

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Our people

Creative pursuits + milestones

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The creative pursuits and personal milestones of our talented team are varied and exciting. Here's some of the things we've gotten up to this year:

• Peter Richards was elevated to Life Fellow of the Queensland Chapter, Australian Institute of Architects. Life Fellowship is the highest honour class of RAIA membership and is awarded to select members of the Institute having rendered notable contributions to the advancement of their profession. What an achievement! 
• Additionally, Peter Richards hosted an Urban Sketching Tour in May to regional areas of Japan including Kanazawa, Matsumoto and Narai-Juku
• Maia Cavendish, Churchill Fellow 2023 recipient completed her 8 week study tour of 7 countries and 12 cities, to investigate the implementation of informal urban art in residual urban spaces
• Danni’elle Jenkins has become a Registered Architect - Congrats Danni!
• Congratulations to Laura Patterson who was awarded the 2024 Residency Prize of the Hadley’s Art Prize!
• Jess Garlick returned to work after her second maternity leave with us (baby Hazel came to work in the early days), and while Jess on was leave she completed a mini MBA with the Australian Institute of Management while balancing work & home life.
• Josh Spillane got married! Congrats Josh!
• Liam Leblond & Angus Mines embarked on a two-week research excursion to Northern Europe in November along with a small group of built environment students. Research themes included Sustainable Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Scandinavian Architecture, Social Housing, Cultural Traditions informed by Environment and Architectural Space, and Resilient Architecture in High Altitude Mountainous Regions.
• Our dedicated Archipelicans braved a rainy cold night for the UQ Winter Sleepout to raise critical funds for the Second Chance Program. As a team, Archipelago has raised over $4,000 for the Second Chance Programme, contributing to the collective fundraising efforts just shy of $25,000!

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New Year, New Digs

We're moving up in the world!

From Monday 6th January 2025, Archipelago will be located at Level 3, 199 George Street - within the interconnected building, upstairs from our current office.

Please note our studio will be closed from Friday 20th December 2024, reopening on Monday 6th January 2025. We wish our clients, collaborators and friends a wonderful festive season.

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