Cox Architecture

Five COX projects have been shortlisted in the 2025 IDEA Awards, in categories spanning Retail, Hospitality and Residential Multi. A meaningful reflection of the depth and range of work from across our studios, it is also a moment of recognition for the teams behind Una, Genzo, Soluna, Sol and Home Docklands.

Artist Troy Emery and COX have taken out top honours in the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize, one of Australia’s most visually rich and intriguing design awards.    Presented by Australian Tapestry Workshop, this year’s prize focused on Boyd House II / Walsh Street designed by Robin Boyd. Designers and architects were invited to respond to the intimate domestic spaces of the family residence.    The jury unanimously awarded ‘Longing (Camilla)’ the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize for its “authentic innovation and deep connection with Robin Boyd as a visionary himself”.    🔗read more: https://lnkd.in/gW8CZ5mP     📷 Astrid Mulder   Congratulations to all finalists and thank you to the jury, ATW, Metal Manufacturers Limited, Robin Boyd Foundation, Nexus Designs, Architecture Media and Envelope Group. 

Congratulations to our National Head of Sustainability, Dr Matthias Irger who has been selected for the NSW State Design Review Panel (SDRP).    A highly competitive process, Matthias joins the independent panel of expert peers in providing insight to guide high-priority state projects.   Matthias offers a fresh and broad-minded approach to integrating sustainable design principles and championing for innovation and environmental stewardship.     “I’m honoured to join the NSW State Design Review Panel and contribute to ensuring design excellence across projects of state significance and fostering positive outcomes for our cities and communities,” says Matthias.    The panel will be reviewing projects including housing and schools to hospitals, cultural sites, transport, and large-scale precincts, and offer specialist advice to shape impactful developments.    As Matthias steps into this role, we also acknowledge and thank our Director, Joe Agius who has served on the NSW SDRP for the past five years. Joe’s contribution has been instrumental in shaping projects of state significance and advancing design excellence across NSW.    Read more about the panel: https://lnkd.in/eJt2ca2i

Facing an urgent shortage of public pools, Royal Life Saving NSW | ACT | TAS and COX are proposing a solution: a modular design pattern book that delivers aquatic facilities faster and more cost-effectively - getting communities swimming sooner. With nearly half of Australia’s public pools nearing end-of-life, the country is at a crossroads. Do we persist with bespoke delivery models - or shift to a scalable approach that can meet growing community need? The pattern book explores modular, sustainable and inclusive pool designs, highlighting solutions that remain grounded in each community’s identity, ensuring facilities are both fit-for-purpose and future-ready. The Future of Pools document will be available at https://lnkd.in/gz5YE3qw. We look forward to sharing it soon. NSW Government | Waterco Limited Read more via The Sydney Morning Herald here: https://lnkd.in/gyJ4txqK

Three misty days at Tocal saw our Directors reconnect with one of COX’s formative works. Guided by Philip Cox, the team explored how this 1960s project - crafted from local timber and rooted in place, climate, and culture - set the foundations for the “Sydney School” ethos and continues to shape our values today. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/g_JV6nDx

Take a peek at our design for 2 Arundel Street for FREECITY – now approved for development. Located opposite the University of Sydney, this new student co-living development celebrates Forest Lodge’s layered history and unique character, with a contemporary modular design that honours identity, comfort, and its surroundings. Inspired by Forest Lodge’s iconic terrace housing, it reimagines the archetypical façade through scale and vertical proportion. Windows echo the tall, narrow proportions found in heritage terraces, helping the new building feel at home among its neighbours. Meanwhile, the upper levels appear recessive, set back discreetly behind a horizontal spandrel, designed to reflect the ornate parapets that can be found on neighbouring terraces. Residents can connect and unwind across shared spaces - from a communal rooftop and courtyard, through to a forecourt and indoor living facilities.

Set to almost double Canberra’s student accommodation supply once delivered, the proposed 496 Northbourne Avenue development will establish a new gateway to the city’s inner north. Canberra’s Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) pipeline remains among the smallest in the country, with only 378 beds currently at the development application stage and none under construction. Designed by COX, 496 Northbourne Avenue will comprise of 705 beds across two buildings, with a landscaped public plaza fostering connection between residents, visitors and the local neighbourhood. Providing essential supply to a market under increasing pressure, this proposal represents an important step for the city and its future student community. 🔗Read more: https://lnkd.in/gVsSZ96N

Located just 10 minutes from Cairns, the Mandingalbay Yidinji Eco Cultural Infrastructure Tourism Project (MYECITP) – an Indigenous-led vision for eco-cultural tourism in Far North Queensland.    This project will offer immersive, Traditional Owner-led experiences across four interconnected precincts spanning food, culture, adventure, and eco-accommodation.    Working closely with the Mandingalbay Yidinji Aboriginal Corporation (MYAC), COX and our collaborators at CA Architects were engaged to deliver the preliminary concept design.  “We are helping to realise MYAC’s vision of creating a sustainable, community-led asset that offers a powerful experience of place, culture and connection through the design of a unique tourism and adventure precinct. At its heart is our long-standing commitment to environmental rehabilitation and research on Country, work that has been guided by the Mandingalbay Yidinji community for years,” says COX Associate Director, Ali Farmer. The design builds on the original concept by architect Philip Follent and is currently seeking further funding to progress to the next stage.     🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gaq5T4b5

Set against the backdrop of Tocal - one of COX’s formative works and a place that continues to shape our thinking - this year’s AGM provided an important moment to recognise growth within the practice. In a setting that speaks so strongly to our values, we recognised a number of well-deserved elevations. Among them, Paul Focic’s appointment to Director, celebrating more than two decades of thoughtful design leadership and a deep commitment to community. We also celebrated our seven new Associate Directors - Alex York, Anthony Kim, James Park, Johannes Lupolo-Chan, Katie McKenna, Shirin Adorbehi, and Shohan Somasundaram - whose talent, passion, and leadership continue to shape the future of COX. Please join us in congratulating, Alex, Anthony, James, Johannes, Katie, Paul, Shirin and Shohan. 🔗read more: https://lnkd.in/gFh5CZ7z

Today marks the start of the Living Sectors Summit, where COX Director Felipe Miranda presents “Redefining Apartment Design by Unlocking the Potential of Modular Building.” Felipe will tackle a critical question: Can modular construction help solve Australia’s housing crisis? Drawing on projects from Australia’s tallest modular tower to mixed-use developments that champion sustainability and liveability, he’ll reveal how modular design is transforming the economics, speed, and quality of residential development. Can’t make it to the Summit? Join our mailing list to stay up to date on the latest in modular construction and receive invitations to exclusive webinars and events: https://lnkd.in/g8KUyWPR Ramin Jahromi, Simon Haussegger, Eliza Suffren, Paul Focic