Author Archive

‘In imagining what the city could be, enchantment lies at the heart. Enchantment asks us to rediscover and reanimate social tissues and repair the severances between us. The desire to reconnect lurks everywhere, bursting to get out given the chance. It expresses itself best in small acts of daily and ordinary consideration. These seek to resolve any fissure between being ‘me’, the individual, and being ‘us’, the collective… At its core this means letting the city… cast a spell, because we are surprised by an open response.’ Charles Landry – The Art of City-Making (more…)

In early June, the City of Perth voted to turn the Council-owned Gasworks building at 337 Wellington Street into artists’ studios. The decision was made in response to the inability of artists to afford such spaces in the CBD as a result of the property boom – as a result, Artsource have been given a lease for ten years at one dollar a year.

In combination with the Gasworks lease, McLean’s Laneway, next to the building, has been identified for upgrading, with the stated aims of the Council being to: (more…)

Comments from REIWA

For the March quarter of 2008, REIWA recorded a fall in the median house price of around 3 per cent. REIWA President Rob Druitt said the ‘retraction in price was caused by a combination of factors including interest rate rises, a drop in overall consumer confidence and a record number of listings now on the market.’ (more…)

Applying for a rental property in the current Perth market can be a nightmare. While the competitiveness of the market has subsided a little from last year’s less than 1% vacancy, it can still be very difficult to secure a tenancy.

The current market is still extremely competitive, particularly in the $200-$300 bracket. This means that in most cases agents carry out group home opens. To have a chance of securing a tenancy it is best to make yourself available for these, as not many agents will make the home available for viewing a second time. (more…)

I live in one of those horrifically designed houses from the 60s. A time when the height of interior design dictated that there should be turquoise carpet everywhere (even the kitchen), that home extensions should include hexagonal rooms, and that no lounge room could be complete without a holographic rose-in-vase still life. It was also a time where the correct orientation of a house was immaterial to DIY builders – thus the sweltering summer heat, which seems to be lingering into autumn, has been particularly unpleasant this year. (more…)

The past few weeks have seen a lot of public debate about Perth’s future. As part of the Perth International Arts Festival, a selection of artists, architects and planners were given billboard space across our city to present images and comments in The Architect’s Project. Around the same time, and to many people’s surprise, the State Government released a design concept for the Perth Waterfront - and this time, it should actually see the light of day. (more…)

This year has been punctuated by far too many moves. After finally securing a rental house for under $300/week – and yes, at that price it is infested with termites – my thoughts tentatively drifted to the possibility of living in the same accommodation for more than three months (!). With this in mind, I set about making myself at home. (more…)

After months of sloth resulting from a self-imposed hibernation (read: ‘no exercise’) after uni graduation, and overindulgence in all things comfort food related, it finally seemed appropriate welcome spring by getting out in the garden of my green to the extreme house (we have 100% natural power and compost all food scraps – we draw the line at removing the staples from tea bags). (more…)

Wandering down the stairs of my Northbridge apartment, I pat down my pockets for the essentials: ‘keys – check; wallet – check; mobile – check; iPod – always…’

It’s 3pm. My stomach is full with the Golden Duck House’s lunchtime special, and I can’t be bothered working. I have very little money and even less purpose, but set out on a quest for nothing in particular anyways, my mind open to the urban delights that may await. (more…)

Over the next few months, OUTinPerth will be looking at some of the major living styles that exist in Australian cities. Last issue, we examined the foundations behind the suburban style of living and its tie-in to what has become the ‘Australian Dream’. However, in the current climate of housing stress, and with serious questions being posed as to the future viability of the suburb as an urban form, there are some who are rethinking the way we live in Australia. (more…)