We are delighted to begin 2025 with three important elevations within the agency.
Heather MacRae has been appointed Principal in recognition of her exceptional leadership, creative nous, and contribution to the practice through project delivery and strategic business operations.
Akira Monaghan has been promoted to Associate, reflecting her growing project leadership and dedication to our practice’s values.
Emma Brain’s title has shifted to People and Partnerships to reflect her expanded role, which now encompasses grant writing and community consultation.
All three have worked at TFA since its founding and demonstrate a genuine commitment to the communities with whom we work and the positive culture of the practice. Congratulations!
The Fulcrum Agency is proud to have donated $500 to Disrupt Burrup Hub’s campaign to raise funds to cover fines and court costs.
We do this for three reasons:
Burrup Hub, a $50 billion gas project led by @woodsideenergy, will be the most polluting project ever developed in Australia. The development would release an estimated 6+ gigatons of carbon emissions over its lifespan, potentially impacting Earth’s climate system for generations.
The Burrup Peninsula, situated on Murujuga Country, is home to one of the Earth’s most significant concentrations of ancient rock art. This site features petroglyphs that may date back 40,000 years. Proposing development on this sacred landscape shows a complete disregard for its profound cultural significance.
So far, the world’s leading client scientists have been screaming into the void. Radical action appears to be the only way to get noticed. And we will always defend our right to protest.
Last week ended with the sad news that Richard Longley had died. Ric was a true gentleman, a loving partner and a proud parent. He was also a very fine architect and worked with us in the days of CODA on several projects. For several years Richard was an ‘in-house consultant’ on matters regarding urban design along with remote Aboriginal community work, with extensive experience in both fields. He was thoughtful, meticulous, always generous with knowledge, and curious to know and learn more.
Ric was an integral member of the Fremantle scene when architects, artists, yachtsmen and millionaires mingled, and crazy, optimistic futures were dreamed of.
He worked offshore as well, building strong connections in Asia. He was a welcome sight striding into the CODA office, and ducking to get into our boardroom with a sheaf of drawings drawn up in his studio on Russell Street up some impossibly narrow stairs…and he inspired us with the history of the Fremantle Architects Party and assisted with getting names, dates and event highlights when we fabricated the treasured spirit level with the names of practices that had hosted the party since its inception.
He leaves Fremantle a richer, more vibrant place, and an outstanding legacy through his children and grandchildren. His modelling of what a free-range family could be in the urban context of the West End certainly changed our perceptions of suburban Perth. We miss him dearly and send our deepest condolences, love and sympathy to Kat and his wonderful sons.
We were thrilled to work alongside Jamukurnu-Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation (JYAC) to prepare the applications for two successful grants!
The federal government has allocated $9.8 million in total funding for Martu communities: $7.8 million will go toward building three new arts centres in Kunawarritji, Parnngurr and Punmu. An additional $2 million will be provided to JYAC to develop community precinct plans for these three communities.
Both projects are the result of Martu leaders’ unwavering advocacy efforts and belief in their communities’ potential. We’re looking forward to continuing our long relationship with Martu and the Kunawarritji, Parnngurr and Punmu communities.
We wish you and your family a happy and healthy festive season and year ahead.
In place of client gifts, we have again donated to the Warrawee Women’s Refuge. This organisation transforms donated funds into moments of joy for women and children rebuilding their lives. Last year, they used the funds to refurbish and reimagine their playroom to become a vibrant space for children in their care.
Our 2024 Impact Statement demonstrates how busy we have been, and we are all looking forward to a holiday by the beach or in the bush! The Agency is closed from Thursday 19th December, re-opening Monday 6th January.
We hope you enjoy a restful break and look forward to reconnecting next year.
Kids attending a youth centre workshop in Balgo drew these cute chalk illustrations!
We created our journals as spaces for dialogue with friends, acquaintances, and strangers, to share art and ideas, and to explore the issues we feel passionate about.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift or something to read over the summer, these journals could be the answer.
The Journal was created because, in business and in life, we are continuously opening up conversations about where we want to place our energy, how we want to spend our time and where we want to make an impact.
The Journal was created because, in business and in life, we are continuously opening up conversations about where we want to place our energy, how we want to spend our time and where we want to make an impact.
We’re not offering a discount; shipping is free, and we distribute all revenue generated through journal sales to First Nations community projects through The Fulcrum Fund.
In addition to journal sales, we dedicate 1% of our income to the Fund. This year, we have been able to support the following efforts:
We funded travel costs for a young First Nations girl to head down to Perth to play in a state basketball competition.
We contributed to a program providing wellbeing packages to Cootamundra Domestic Training Home survivors.
We sponsored the Marrugeku dance company and Ask, a First Nations play at The Blue Room.
We donated to the Uluru Dialogues to continue their important work.
Don’t let our remaining journals gather dust! Purchase yours here knowing that your money will be used for good.
Kieran Wong, Partner at The Fulcrum Agency, contributed to a recent article about the significant climate challenges faced by low-income residents in the north of Western Australia due to the lack of proper cooling and insulation in public housing.
Kieran argued that mandatory air conditioning and home retrofitting are required to improve tenants’ living conditions. As he states, “improving tenants’ lives is in the government’s best interests” – not just from a housing perspective but also in terms of impacts on public health, the justice system, and education. Critically, he advocates for the government to plan renewable energy installation, particularly solar power, to help offset cooling costs for residents.
Policymakers must address the impact of the climate crisis on our most vulnerable populations and prioritising upgrading public housing is a good place to start.
In a continuation of our ongoing partnership, we’ve once again joined forces with Block Branding to sponsor a First Nations production at The Blue Room Theatre. This November, we’re proud to support ‘ASK’, a new play by Barbara Hostalek.
ASK shares a series of tales of a family’s good and bad behaviours, both deliberate and unintentional, the exchange of asking for a change in them, and the costs connected with this across different time and space realms – magical and recognizable and at other times magical and absurd.
In present, one tale looks at estranged and fragmented siblings, each struggling with their own inner turmoil, while in the magical elemental world of balance, Mother Nature doesn’t like anything to suffer, and an old and mischievous Tree Spirit springs into action to answer the humanly calls for help, wanting to leave a leafy legacy.
Everyone must pay a fee if the family is to remain together. As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. There’s always a price to pay and a balance to be met.
We’re looking forward to seeing it with colleagues and friends, and are proud to again support First Nations talent in WA.
Affordable housing, quality social housing, the impact of the climate emergency on our most vulnerable people. These are some issues that deeply trouble us at TFA.
Kieran Wong, in his capacity as Chair of ShelterWA, and our friend and architect Nic Brunsdon are leading an important conversation as part of Fremantle Design Week. Join us at the P&O to hear them discuss Nic’s paper, ‘The Architecture of Care,’ which seeks to provide solutions for addressing these issues locally.
The conversation starts at 7.15pm, giving you time to see the film, Things Will Be Different at LunaSX by Australian filmakers Celeste de Clario Davis and Lucie McMahon.
One of the things we do at TFA is go on an annual hike. Together and overnight. This comes more naturally to some than others.
The ritual started last year as a way of managing our despair in the days following the Voice Referendum. We walked part of the Cape to Cape trail in WA’s south-west and felt better by the end.
This year, we tackled the Yonga Trail, a 26km loop through Lesueur National Park. The landscape was a surprisingly beautiful mix of wandoo woodlands, valleys, Kwongan Heath country, wildflowers, orchids, relentless flies and a couple of ticks.
In true TFA style, there were lots of tea breaks, G&Ts with ice (a revelation) and hot chips in the car on the car on the way home. Anyone got any suggestions as to where we should go next?
