• WA Public Housing Lacks Basic Climate Control

    WA Public Housing Lacks Basic Climate Control

    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.

  • Best of Both Worlds

    Best of Both Worlds
    Published July 6-7, 2024

    ‘They need to fix my house… it’s broken, falling apart. I want to have a good house like the white people have.’ Muuki Taylor is a Martu Elder, celebrated artist and Member of the Order of Australia, in other words, a national treasure. It’s distressing to see him live in such despicable conditions.

    Paige Taylor’s article in The Australian, ‘Best of Both Worlds’, describes the challenges faced by the Martu people living across the Great Sandy Desert – from the mining town of Newman to the homeland communities of Punmu, Parnngurr, Jigalong and Kunawarritji.

    We are privileged to know these places well. The article mentions two projects we delivered alongside the Martu-run Jamukurnu Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation: a housing audit across three communities and the Martu boarding school in Newman.

    We will continue to work alongside our Martu clients as they negotiate with the WA Government to fund quality housing and necessary community infrastructure.

    As Taylor says in her article, ‘life on their own land is just a dream…’

    Read the full article here.

  • Andrew Broffman reviews the National Architecture Conference

    Andrew Broffman reviews the National Architecture Conference

    Our Sydney-based Principal, Andrew Broffman has written* about the recent Australian Architecture Conference in Canberra for ArchitectureAU. We are lucky to have someone who writes so well and easily in our practice.

    *(or as he calls it, after-hours scribbles while surveying houses in Punmu and Kunawarritji)

    You can read it here .

  • Fighting Monument East

    Fighting Monument East

    TFA Partner Emma Williamson was in the press this week for her efforts in opposing a proposed housing development near our Fremantle studio. Emma convened a group of design advocates to convince the State Administrative Tribunal that the development ignored the principles set out in the Medium Density Code and would do little to contribute to character and quality of the surrounding neighbourhood. Fortunately, SAT listened and the development was unanimously rejected! Go here to read more about Monument East .

    We are aware of the demand for development and the need for housing. But it is all about getting the balance right. Our agenda is not to have award-winning design but good design that can be implemented as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible.

  • Homelands where the heart is

    Homelands where the heart is

    The Australian recently published an article about three Martu communities we are working with now.

    Homelands where the heart is describes the housing crisis in Punmu, Parnngurr and Kunawarritji, where half of the existing homes have been deemed ‘beyond economic repair’. We have been working alongside JYAC and HealthHabitat on Ngurra Palyamaniny, a ‘survey-fix’ program enabling houses to be repaired in two-steps: simple repairs first followed by major works. The work is pacy and requires meaningful community involvement. You can read more about this project here .

    We are pleased that the poor quality of housing in remote communities has been raised in a major national publication. It’s something we address daily as part of our work. Our clients and the community tell us that people want to live in community on Country , rather than in the mining towns that dominate the northwest. Our job is to deliver the housing and community infrastructure to make that happen.

    Top image: the Survey/Fix team including TFA's Andrew Broffman (3rd from right) and Akira Monaghan (far right)Bottom image: Akira on the tools
  • Style Profile: Emma Williamson

    Style Profile: Emma Williamson
    Emma Williamson

    A fun and informative break from our regular programming!

    TFA’s Emma Williamson was recently invited to share her thoughts on fashion and creativity as part of (our favourite store) Dilettante’s style series. In doing so, she had the opportunity to try some fabulous outfits and talk about the work we do at TFA.

    Click here to read more.

  • Groote Eylandt Project Shortlisted for Social Impact Award

    Groote Eylandt Project Shortlisted for Social Impact Award
    Nick Juniper in conversation with community on Groote Eylandt.

    This morning started with the good news that we’d made the shortlist for the inaugural ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact! Our work on Groote Eylandt conveys what this award is all about – ’empathy over aesthetics, extending the spatial possibilities of architecture to advance the discipline and to empower its users.’ We are chuffed to be included amongst a lineup of outstanding projects. Find out more here .

  • Emma Williamson on the future of Fremantle’s city centre

    Emma Williamson on the future of Fremantle’s city centre
    Emma Williamson and Fremantle Mayor, Hannah Fitzhardinge

    Fremantle is home for most of us at TheFulcrum.Agency . We feel passionate about the city and committed to doing our bit to ensure it has a vibrant and sustainable future.

    The City of Fremantle recently invited TFA Partner, Emma Williamson to share her thoughts on how the city centre could be improved:: “It’s really about looking for the levers that can encourage activation and a dramatic increase in the resident population.” Those levers according to Ms Williamson include social and low-income housing, subsidised housing for artists and performers, limits on short-term accommodation and mechanisms to ensure buildings are not left empty when there is a clear demand for accommodation.

    These problems are not unique to Fremantle. Go here to read more.

  • Groote Archipelago Housing Programme wins (twice) at the Good Design Awards!

    Groote Archipelago Housing Programme wins (twice) at the Good Design Awards!

    Our work on the Groote Archipelago Housing Programme (GAHP) won two awards at the prestigious Australian Good Design Awards in Sydney last Friday – the award for Social Impact and the Michael Bryce Patron’s Award!

    The Patron’s Award is particularly special as it celebrates the best Australian-designed product, service or project and is awarded to the entry that has the potential to shape the future economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects of our planet.

    This was an inspiring example of human centred design in practice. The evidence of the engagement of people from the community, and the persistence of the team should be an example for future projects of this type. The approach led to a deep understanding of the complexities of creating culturally sensitive housing in remote Australia, and as a result an extraordinary outcome of which both the team and the community can be proud.
    The Good Design Awards Jury comment:

    The great thing about these awards is that they celebrate two distinct aspects of this project:

    + our seven-years spent working with the Anindilylakwa people to improve life on the Groote Archipelago through better designed housin g. By working with community over several years, we were able to enhance built environment literacy and empower people to be proactively involved in the design of their housing.

    + in 2020, TF.A launched a series of evidence-based tools to measure a project’s social impact. By applying our ‘Social Return on Design Investment’ (SRODI) kit to this project, we confirmed that the shift towards Local Decision-Making enhanced feelings of community confidence, happiness and cultural safety.

    The co-design process gave people the power to choose and the power to make decisions from their own mind and heart. Decisions we’ve never made before. Cherelle Wurrawilya, Chair of the Anindilyakwa Housing Aboriginal Corporation

  • A ‘conversation hour’ with Andrew Broffman and Dillon Kombumerri

    A ‘conversation hour’ with Andrew Broffman and Dillon Kombumerri

    TF.A’s Sydney-based Principal, Andrew Broffman , joined Dillon Kombumerri , Principal Architect at the Government Architect NSW, for a conversation about the Connecting with Country framework, which is currently being tested.

    The interview ends with this beautiful line: ‘Connecting with Country is a provocation, a guide, and a gift,’ and is worth reading by anyone working in the built environment… Go here .