Architects of the 2020s - TPG Architects recognised for our work experience opportunities

Happy 2020! Just before the office closed for Christmas in 2019, TPG Architects was recognised as a ‘Work Experience Employer Champion’ by Vocational Partnerships Group for creating opportunities for aspiring architects of the future.  TPG Architects is known in the Far North region as a practice that welcomes and inspires work experience students - several school leavers and graduates have gone on to work with us, some during their gap years while studying in Cairns, Brisbane and beyond. Pictured here is recently registered architect Stefanie Field on the left ‘showing the ropes’ to a student. Stefanie herself came to TPG Architects as a work experience student many moons ago. See a project she’s been working on with the TPG team, soon to be unveiled in Cairns via the following link: Bulmba-ja Centre of Contemporary Arts

Season's Greetings from The TPG Architects team

A cheerio from our team’s 2019 Xmas dinner. All of us at TPG Architects wish you a safe and merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year in 2020. The office will be closed for the break from midday Thursday 19th December and reopen on Monday, 6 January. Can’t wait for 2020!

Roger in the newspaper? This is going straight to the pool room!

In another incarnation of the Great Australian Dream, the subject of swimming pools saw Roger Mainwood’s name pop up in an article in last weekend’s Australian.

The article entitled ‘Swimming in Equality’, written by Rosanne Barrett, celebrates Australia’s enduring love affair with the suburban pool – enjoyed by young and old alike in spaces where all can interact.

One of the featured projects was Roger Mainwood’s pool design for a luxury residence in Palm Cove (pictured above). With two infinity edges, (one out to the coast, one to the building) the pool seamlessly brings the Great Barrier Reef and Cape Tribulation right into the lounge and and vice versa.

 Online subscribers to the Australian can read the story via the following link:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/swimming-in-equality/news-story/b565a78172981760f114b55771bcac32

Malanda Township Master Plan adopted by Tablelands Regional Council

Roger Mainwood from TPG Architects has been working with James Cook University’s Tropical Urban Design Lab (TUDLab) and Tablelands Regional Council (TRC) to create a master plan encapsulating the community’s vision for their town on the Atherton Tablelands. Commencing in April this year, the project involved several stakeholder workshops, design sessions and hands-on learning opportunities for students of urban planning from JCU. Along with TPG Architects’ input to Ravenshoe’s Town Centre Master Plan, the successful outcome of this project for Malanda has led to a formal partnership between JCU and TRC to continue working together to shape the Tablelands.

Partnering with other industry consultants from the TUDLab, landscape architect Andrew Prowse and Gisela Jung from CA Architects, JCU’s Lisa Law and planning students Bella King and Harley Lyons presented the final draft of the master plan at the Malanda Show in July – a welcome opportunity to reconnect with the locals and also wear jumpers in Tropical North Queensland.

Left to right: Roger Mainwood from TPG Architects, Andrew Prowse, Bella King, Harley Lyons, Gisela Jung and Lisa Law.

The final Malanda Master Plan can be downloaded from the TRC website via the following link:
https://www.trc.qld.gov.au/download/malanda-town-centre-concept-masterplan/

TPG Architects wins $30M capital works programme for three of Cairns’ major state schools

Grafton Street entry to Cairns State High School’s new Centennial Hall by TPG Architects

The Queensland Department of Education have invested 30 million dollars in major projects for three schools in the Cairns region. Through a tender process, TPG Architects have been commissioned to design facilities and upgrades for Cairns High, Smithfield High and Trinity Beach State schools.

Cairns High School, first built in 1917, will celebrate with the development of Centennial Hall - a new three-court multipurpose hall featuring a distinctive façade of laser cut panels based on the school’s Indigenous logo. The school’s use of brick work in much of its architectural heritage will be continued in this significant development.

Smithfield High will feature a ‘Centre for Athlete Development and Performing Arts’ (CADPA) in addition to more classrooms and an upgraded special education unit. This project led to a subsequent commission for TPG to collaboratively deliver with the school, a master plan founding a vision for development over the next three decades for the 36 year old school.

Partnering with TPG Architects are CA Architects who will assist in the delivery of Trinity Beach State School’s new two storey building including eight classrooms and an undercroft. The school’s Junior Precinct will also feature a new special education unit, covered nature play area and tuckshop.

Smithfield State High School Master Plan

Tropical residence in Palm Cove designed by TPG Architects goes on market

This property at 9 Colonel Cummings Drive Palm Cove overlooking the ocean was designed by Roger Mainwood and took five years to build.

According to Elizabeth Tilley writing in the Cairns Post and Courier Mail, owners David and Sharron Probert built the home from scratch after buying the 500 sqm block of land for $585,000 in 2002.

“We landed in Cairns with no intention of buying land, but on the very first day in far north Queensland, we came across this piece of land that had some of the best views we’d ever seen and we knew straight away this plot could be home,” Mr Probert said. Read the rest of the article here.

Cairns City Centre Master Plan Unveiled

TPG Architects led the design team in a collaborative partnership with TCL, CA Architects , Andrew Prowse Landscape Architect and Council’s Strategic Planning Department. In an overarching vision which embraces tropical urbanism, the design strategies adopted by CRC envision a vibrant, safe, sustainable and better connected hub which celebrates culture and promotes economic growth.

For more information and to download the master plan, visit CRC’s website via the following link:
https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/major-projects/ccmp

Article written by Roger and Stefanie from TPG featured in Architecture Australia Magazine

Image courtesy of Architecture Australia

TPG director Roger Mainwood and graduate architect Stefanie Field contributed this article, first published in Architecture Australia for its Jan/Feb 2019 edition. Designed by Bud Branningan Architects, the Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre in Karumba (pictured above) was awarded the 2018 Australian Institute of Architects Queensland Chapter prize for public projects.

For more info about Architecture Australia publications, visit: https://architectureau.com/magazines/architecture-australia/

New Chinese Cultural Centre for Cairns by TPG Architects

The Year of the Pig will see a beautiful new community centre and museum to house the Lit Sung Goong Temple collection for CADCAI, celebrating the founding families of Cairns’ historical and contemporary Chinese community. TPG Architects look forward to the development of this exciting project. Meet you by the moon gate soon.