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Cambodia Sustainable Housing Compeition: Winner VDD is happy to announce as a co-winner of Cambodia Sustainable Housing Competition. The competition brings new life to housing design and delivery for low income families living in Cambodia. All winning projects will be built later this year. Run by Building Trust International, Habitat for Humanity and Karuna Cambodia, the competition had over 600 registered entrants from architectural practices around the world. The other two winners were British and US architects. Once constructed, Visionary Design Development’s ‘WET + DRY HOUSE’ will be home to a widowed mother of 5 wanting to open a shop to provide for her family. The design of her new house will easily allow her to do accomplish this. We will upload our full entry in the near future. In the mean time, check out this release by Habitat for Humanity and a lovely press at Phnom Penh Post. |
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Emergency Shelter Exhibition 2013: Selected Entry VDD, in collaboration with Soledad Maldonado, Katherine Sampson, Nicole Mechkaroff, Marjan Sangari, and our friends at Here Studio, is excited to announce that our entry has been selected as a part of the Emergency Shelter Exhibition at Federation Square in May 2013. We approached the issue by questioning the nature of the provision of "emergency shelter": that is, beyond answering the pragmatic needs of people in an emergency, how + what can we do collectively to nurture resilience and uplift the spirit? |
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Architeam Awards 2012: Highly Commended for Unbuilt Project: Restorative Community We are happy to announce that VDD's Restorative Community project has received Highly Commended for the Unbuilt Project category at the Architeam Awards 2012. Restorative Community is a shortlisted submission for Building Trust International's HOME competition, dealing with the issue of homelessness in the context of developed countries. With the aim of taking this project forward, we are currently establishing a ‘Working Group’ in conjunction with Housing Resource and Support Services (HR&SS). We are talking with Government (state and local), housing organisations, disabled peoples organisations, funding bodies, not-for-profits, development agencies, individuals and other interested parties. If you want to find out more or contribute to the Working Group, please feel free to contact Nick or Kamil. Watch this space for more detailed info of the project! |
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Upgrading Apartments - Improving Existing Building Stock VDD is currently completing an extensive external upgrade to a 14 unit, two level, apartment block in Moonee Ponds. Like many of its age, the block was ripe for an extensive overhaul to obviate amenity and safety impacts for both owners and visitors. We look forward to reporting the resultant metamorphosis. Highlights include: Total roof replacement to preclude future storm damage; upgrades to fire services; compliant balustrading; balcony waterproofing resurfacing; insulation to reduce energy costs; window repairs and replacement; and rendering of all external walls. A carefully selected, gradated, neutral colour palette has further improved the external appearance. All paths, fences and landscaping will be replaced and/or upgraded to improve both appearance and safety for residents. New outdoor shelters and external lighting will provide safe access and enhanced communal spaces. Durable and low maintenance materials will reduce the need for frequent maintenance and ensure long-lived enjoyment of the transformed property. If you manage, or live in, a similar development requiring: maintenance and/or aesthetic upgrading and/or energy efficiency measures, please feel free to discuss how we can assist. Please contact Nick or Mary Ann. |
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Equitable Housing: An Ongoing Journey of Discovery Over the years we have been immersing ourselves in an ongoing research and implementation of "equitable housing". Started in 2004 as what we termed as The Affordable Australian, we implemented the core concept as a our response to the 2009 Affordable Bushfire Rebuild challenge, of which we received the Design and Construction Competition prize. In 2010, we looked further into integrating this concept as part of a larger masterplan for a compettion Darwin. And finally this year this concept is implemented in our recently built Social Housing for the Department of Human Services. There is a set of parameters that may be adapted and implemented in various context. Please download the pdf for more information. |
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Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd’s recently completed Social Housing project in Melbourne. 2 x 2bedroom houses and 3 x 1bedroom units, on time and within budget. All dwellings continue themes that we consider imperative to housing provision: accessibility, sustainability, affordability, indoor/ outdoor connectivity and an enhanced spatial experience. Wet areas accessibility features include: wide doors with lever handles, 1200 x 1200 level entry shower (glass screen can be easily removed), projecting basin can be accessed by a wheelchair user, dividing wall between toilet and bathroom can easily be removed and anti-slip flooring. External accessibility features include: gently sloping paths, covered entry, level entry (at all doors) and wide doors. External sustainability features include: water tank, lagged hot water piping, 75mm thick slabedge insulation and wide eaves. Other ‘architectural’ features include: robust materials, simple shapes, winter sun-capturing wide hallways and living areas, private courtyards or balconies, light, bright and airy interiors, plenty of storage and well-appointed kitchens. |
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Senofi Aventis New Facilities Completed VDD has recently completed various new facilities for Senofi Aventis: staff café and facilities, pharmaceutical laboratories and production. The departure point of the design is the investigation of the connection between the interior (work/controlled) and the exterior (open/free). More pictures coming soon. |
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School4Burma Competition Result VDD is pleased to be selected as part of the "best entries" in the competition that attracted over 800 submissions worldwide. Our entry is part of proposals that are deemed to be of "high level of thought, ingenuity and clarity in there presentation and design." We look into adaptability and modularity as our main concepts, due to the consideration of easy assemblage of locally available materials by a minimum number of human and technical resources required for construction. Well done to Nick and the team. See one of our presentation boards here. Full set of the submission will be uploaded online in the future. |
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Here is a January 2012 newsletter from the Anglican Church of Tanzania, detailing their Watu na Nuru project's progress. Watu na Nuru is an Australian government funded program of promotion and sale of solar powered lamps. You can download the newsletter here. |
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Finalist - BPN Sustainability Awards Visionary Design Development's Two Townhouses project has reached the list of finalists in the 2010 BPN Sustainability Awards. Presentation of the awards will take place in Sydney on 13 October 2010. Now in its fourth year, the 2010 BPN Sustainability Awards rewards designers, builders and manufacturers for best practice in sustainability. |
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Affordable Housing in Bushfire Affected Areas The Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority, the Department of Human Services and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect ran a competition in which Victorian builders and architects were invited to submit tenders for the design and construction of three-bedroom homes there were six-star energy rated and BAL 40 bushfire compliant. Winning team of builder, Wheeler Design & Construction and architect, Visionary Design Development are presently constructing a demonstration home at 58 Falls Road, Marysville. View the full presentations at the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction Authority Join Visionary Design Development on Facebook to follow Coco's progress. |
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August 5 2010 - Fiji Site Visit During a productive trip to Suva in early August, Mary Ann took the opportunity to review accessibility requirements at the new Pacific Eye Institute which is currently under construction. PEI's 2011 programs will take place in this brand new, state of the art building which will house a fully-equipped eye clinic, classrooms and resource centre. |
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Announced 8 June 2010. VDD project Permit Zone receives Highly Commended award in City of Yarra’s inaugral Sustainability Awards in category Innovation in Sustainable Building Design. Congratulations to all the VDD team, clients and Builder, Original Renovations. |
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Update: Fiji Access Consulting L to R, Ralph (VDD), Losalini (General Manager, Pacific Eye Institute), Dickson (representing Alfonso Margarit Associates, Architects), Glenn (Site Construction Manager, Pacific Building Solutions), photo taken by Mary Ann (VDD). Although being hindered by rain this week, construction of the new Eye Clinic for the Pacific Eye Institute is now underway and expected to be completed by December 2010. Ralph and Mary Ann are currently in Fiji to understand first-hand the mobility issues that persons with a disability face when accessing the existing hospital and the new clinic. |
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February 2010 |
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VDD Donates $US1500 to Argentinian medical NGO
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September 2009AN ACCESSIBLE BUILT ENVIRONMENTIn late September, Ralph Green and Mary Ann Jackson, Directors of Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd, were delighted to spend two days with seven participants from Timor-Leste delivering VDD’s short course, An Accessible Built Environment. The course was part of the program, Developing Disability-Inclusive Water and Sanitation Policy and Practice in Timor-Leste, being provided by the CBM - Nossal Institute Partnership for Disability Inclusive Development. “Access to clean water and adequate sanitation are basic necessities for survival, and fundamental human rights. However, people with disabilities are often excluded from water and sanitation development activities, resulting in a higher incidence of illness and secondary disability; and the reinforcement of dependency and poverty. In Timor-Leste, people with disabilities are generally excluded from water and sanitation programs due to the limited technical capacity to plan and implement disability-inclusive water and sanitation activities. This program will bring together key stakeholders from the NGO sector and Disabled Persons Organisations to strengthen individual and organisational knowledge in disability-inclusive development, enhance technical skills in disability-inclusive water and sanitation planning, and strengthen cross-sectoral networks within Timor-Leste.” (CBM - Nossal Institute Partnership for Disability Inclusive Development.) Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd would like to thank the CBM - Nossal Institute Partnership for the opportunity to be involved and would also like to specially thank our invited guests: Chris Porter, Architect and Access Consultant; Francesca Davenport, Architect and Access Consultant; Vickie Feretopoulos, Senior Social Planner, Access and Inclusion, City of Melbourne; Annie McIntyre, Senior Project Manager, Housing and Building Policy, Department of Planning and Community Development; Matthew Bond, Engineer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and Rural Energy, for their valuable assistance. Government organisations, DPOs or NGOs interested in An Accessible Built Environment contact Mary Ann Jackson, Managing Director, Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd. |
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South America Trade Mission May 2009 5 DAYS, 16 MEETINGS, 4 CITIES, 2 COUNTRIES While many developed-world countries are struggling with the demands of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the global crisis doesn't seem to have affected direct foreign investments in Latin America and the Caribbean. These investments are showing a significant resistance to economic meltdown and in 2008 reached a record US$139 billion up 9.4% from the previous year according to the United Nations Conference on trade and Development. Together Argentina, 40 million, and Brazil, 190 million, accommodate approximately 230 million people. These two countries also contain three of the top twenty five mega-cities, namely in descending order Sao Paulo (approx 21 million), Buenos Aires (approx 14 million) and Rio de Janeiro (approx 12.5 million). Such numbers indicate the scale of urbanisationand attendant challenges in South America. Victoria’s Construction and Related Industries expertise, experience and innovation have helped create Victoria’s great quality of life and Melbourne one of the world’s most liveabe cities. Therefore, improving commercial and cultural exchange between Victoria and South America in relation to sustainable development will definitely benefit both sides. Tremendous opportunities exist for Victoria to export its sustainable development expertise, technologies, products and services particularly in the fields of; urban planning, architecture, environmental technologies, engineering and ESD. Specific sectors of the Construction and Related Industries where opportunities lie include:
For more information about Construction and Related Industries opportunities in Latin America, contact Mary Ann Jackson, Managing Director, Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd.
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1 August 2009Fiji Access ConsultingFred Hollows Foundation New Zealand (FHNZ), supported by NZ Aid and AusAID, will be constructing a new Eye Clinic and upgrading an existing diabetic retinopathy clinic, in Suva Fiji. FHNZ have appointed Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd as the Access Consultant. All parties are committed to the provision of a world class eyecare facility. In accordance with AusAID’s Development for All: Towards a Disability-Inclusive Australian Aid Program 2009-2014 it is intended that the project also provide a model of accessibility for the region.
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31 July 2009Sustainability Assessment TrainingMary Ann Jackson, Managing Director, achieves Accredited Home Sustainability Assessor Trainer. Home Sustainability Assessors have a working knowledge of how to affordably improve a home’s environmental performance, heating and cooling, energy consumption and water use making homes more comfortable, saving householder’s money and the environment. Assessor training requires attendance at an intensive 4 day course. The Home Sustainability Assessment Scheme program is supported by the Australian Government Department of Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts.
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15 July 2009 ArtAbility returns to Fed Square in 2009 From 26 November 2008, thousands of visitors to The Atrium, Federation Square, viewed a magnificent collection of over 120 artworks created by 60 ethnic artists with a disability. Over half the works were sold, garnering income and recognition for the artists.
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June 2009 THE BRIEF The new work, fittings and finishes are to flow with the character of the existing house and adhere to the principles of the Heritage overlay. Storage space is to be maximised, as is outdoor living space. An off-street car park is required. CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT |
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