Community Hub - Kingston: Expression of Interest

1. urban room ♪╠ land identity
. Debox_Geographic.
MJ LATHAM, REGISTERED ARCHITECT TAS , ACCREDITED BUILDING DESIGNER TAS VIC, TRADING AS DEBOX GEOGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURES
M. John Latham 0447 651 420 debox@bigblue.net.au 16 SanFrancisco Street, Midway Point 7171 ABN 41 893 428 929
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
Mr Tony Ferrier, Deputy General Manager
Kingborough Council
Dear Tony,
EOI AB1519 - Architectural Design Competition for the Proposed Kingston Community Hub Facility
Thankyou very much for this opportunity and congratulations to Kingborough for its energetic
initiative, including the richly considered and clearly presented precinct design - Former Kingston High
School Site Development Plan. The following is my understanding & submission:
THE PHYSICAL SUBSTANCE OF THE HUB will:-
 Exist initially lonely in greenfield on the edge of free land awaiting and inspiring precinct growth.
 Be facility and cultural entity, adaptable, ephemeral, permanent and ‘fit for the moment’. It will exude a
strong presence, growing ever onward – not one of many future imaginative options – rather a nurture for a
growing present, today and tomorrow; a being of its own unfolding character. Local identity, local
ownership, local place.
 Exude and reflect the administrative initiatives in social and community context.
 Exude its unique identity in Tasmanian context.
 Embody, in its imagery and in-outdoor interfacing, locale, town & land intimacies & some reference to
neighbouring municipalities in materials, forms, finishes, cultural narrative texture & imagery.

2.  Draw from its geographic heritage – land, native, colonial, shack recreation, residential, industrial etc.
 Hopefully, embody local industrial innovation and community thumbprint.
 Be a base facility adaptable to varying requirements and with a first set of requirements for immediate use.
Debox will use the available resource with our indicated capacities to suit the nominated and new priorities to
convert the ‘spaces’ of the precinct report into the ‘places, rooms, yards, squares, facilities, amenities’ for a
community full of individual identities, groups and organizations. In simple it will be well dressed down-home facility.
A WAY FORWARD to manage the complexities of a basic need:-
In essence, for Debox Geographic Architectures, it’s simple to produce designs for this hometown hub to your
timetable.
The design strategy indicated below shows preference for the architect’s familiarisation with - site history, local
creative and constructive resource, additional cultural enterprise funding, prospective hub users and managers. This
familiarisation is variously anticipated as research, workshops and meetings. This must meet your project pragmatics,
and so instead of workshopping, a ‘simple sweeping assessment’ together with Council’s imminent Stage 2 briefing
may suitable.
However such two-way familiarisation – ie. Architect(+subconsultants) talking with Client(community+industry,‘Kingbourians’) –
can bear fruit. The Competition prerequisite for Stage 2 sketch designs can be met with the ‘sweeping assessment’.
The client-community and winning architect may then, if time avails, adopt a familiarisation process using
competition sketch designs as part of the fray. It may be possible to achieve more than a ‘sweeping assessment’ if
some arrangement can be made in the early part of the 8 week period prior to Stage 2 submissions. This could benefit
all competitor designs. The winning architect even so in the end would be best furnished with direct familiarisation;
talk between design identity and client identity is best when maximised.
DESIGN STRATEGY
1. Confirm brief and funds including; detailed facility & amenity breakdown allocations (services, in-
outdoor interfaces, partitioning, glazing, lighting, signage, paving, narrative imagery etc); ie. Breakdown

3. from nominally $3m = 775sm interior at say$2500/sm,($2m) + 600sm exterior at say $1500/sm ($1m) +
possible community arts Australia Council funding ($100,00) + any other.
Facility and amenity requirements supplied by Council briefing will likely be sufficient, including the
precinct report considerations and background, however architect insight as to construction,
fabrication, appearance and expression may seek enhancement to the brief – within budget. Confirm
likely pace of precinct growth in light of optimising initial greenfield potential in hub appearance and
outdoor facility.
2. The gymnasium: Assess its emotional, structural creative values. Nominate its aspects that will be part
of the base building. Retain and enhance as appropriate.
3. Assess the quality of the ground for earth masonry, the gymnasium for construction under at the north
and land necessary for vertical geothermal rods.
4. The Initial Greenfield Period: Assess any visual and functional building design or outdoor
amenity/outlook advantage in the early period of precinct growth – as precinct kickstart, as hub
kickstart and general related use extension.
5. Differentiate the Base Building; the ‘shell’ or ‘frame’ to which ongoing variable fit-out renovation can
be applied – as community needs will change. The base building will carry the binding physical-visual
character – from its greenfield appearance, through precinct growth & into the consolidated and
culturally changing future.
6. Lay Out Required Facility Areas for the Base Building - allowing for renovation within.
Make room, overlap, connection, flows & draw for ephemeral and regular public activity for a wide
range of groups, ages, meeting, greeting, playing, learning, performing, delighting, all-safe,
indoor/outdoor functional. Make this room flow connect from wide open outdoor, through intimate
court strips to ventilated halfway zones, through to pure weathertight interior windowless where
needed. This is to say ‘varying purpose specific room’ is allocated and created indoor and out. Activity
open areas interface in urban connection.

4. Do this in context with solar light and heat and prevailing winds
7. Building Management and Facility Management: lockup zones, maintenance access, asset
management, moveable walls and roofs, service vehicles etc. Ongoing maintenance, cheap power,
water, sustainability, low carbon etc. Regime for cultural relevance character updates.
8. The Feel & Appearance:
It is for the architect to amalgamate, fuse & enhance the nuances of practicality and public visions to
both create and allow inherent growth of built-site character such that it is fit for place & purpose to
foster a hometown hub.
Once the planned aspects and quantities of the proposal are well discussed and absorbed by the
architect,
a collaboration program may be deemed appropriate; workshopping involving not only proactive
‘Kingbourians’ but also some talked into the process. Such that we optimize the richness of the old with
potted histories, the young renegades, the creative passions and the creative skills. Local fabricators,
suppliers & makers may participate in creating hub substance that may be workaday innovation or
simply stunningly local. Councils own workforce, intelligence and connections resources may be helpful.
Where sensible such resource may be sought from elsewhere on Tasmania or further afield.
In these regards, funding additional to the current Hub budget may be available from the Australia Council ($10,000 to $100,00)
for projects that intimately involve a mix of architects, engineers, artists and community.
Prepare notional sculptural-construction palette – materials, techniques, forms. Nominate to embellish
a main focal heart for the overall development in its ongoing capacity and its kickstart inspiration
potential for the precinct. It is tentatively envisaged that the character design will carry cues -
multigenerational, classical, colloquial, ephemeral, avante garde. Each element (urban furniture,
skylines, various ‘room’ interiors etc) will be of original thinking, identity of place & people. An item may
be as interesting and meaningful as the whole. In this, assess the worth, cost and possibility of using the
full fifteen metre urban height limit.

5. 9. Urban Built Character Guidelines for Future Adjacent Development including Renovate Existing
Street Detail:- Reach the hub energy into the growing precinct such that there is a visual fusion hub-
with-neighbour and vice versa. The fusion will be outwardly diminishing. This is not to foist aesthetic on
new buildings but to request aesthetic communication between the buildings to enhance central-
precinct and connection. It may mean a simple single measure.
For street connection with existing Kingston downtown, some street detail suggestions could be made
gratis.
10. Visual Cues to local beaches and other assets will be listed and weighed for integration in the visual
narrative of the Hub; by sculpture, signage, colour, mural, sound whatever.

6. Probably the tension in this proposal is in apportioning money best between
 At-hand facility and comfort across a specific range of demand and hope and
 the expression of the same and with a singular cultural urban appearance together with
powerful west-north-west land and tight existing downtown opposite.
Please find my practice justification following.
Again with Sincere Thanks,
Monte John Latham, Sole Practice Architect 8/12/15
DEBOX CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE
 Snaps below are all work in which architect John Latham has been deeply involved as noted. They
encompass the areas needed for this project:
 Building & associated outdoors design; substantially by the architect – subconsultants (landscape, structure,
services, acoustic, stage, lighting etc) sourced at the appropriate time when architect’s schematic drawings.
The architect may, out of wholistic design enthusiasm, carry the detail drafting himself.
 Community collaborations and motivations; well experienced – possibly applicable as discussed.
 Urban connections and understanding; ample – very handy skill to have developed over the years per, cv.
Project Design Architect for
HCC Wasterwater Laboratory
Latham DesignerMaker Reno: Interior
can sometimes be cheaply dynamic.
Project Architect for HCC: Lord
Mayors formal renovation.

7. 3/6
Architect for Tasmanian
30 unit integrated
landscape, solar &
environmental stormwater
Architect:BatteryPt
townhouses.
Architect:sensitive
focalwaterfronthouse.
Architect:industrial,
offices&showrooms
Project Design
Architect for HCC
Public
environment
Oceans
Embrace:
Sullivans.Cove
Competition.
Public
environment.

8. Wave Pump House:
Team Architect for HCC
Public environment.
Bus Shelter
Architect for HCC
Public environment.
Fingal Information Centre Building
Architect to Break O’Day
Public townscape
Plaque
Architect for HCC
Public environment.
Midway Point
Neighbourhood
Centre Additions
Project Director &
Urban Architect ’95,
community forum. St
Marys Townscape job.
Fond memory
Well worn copy of
North Hobart
Townscape :
JLatham Managing
Coordinator to
Consultant Team &
Council
RHand:
Thumbn
ail,
Peggys
Pt
Accomo
dation
Bicheno
Townscape
Plan: JLatham
Project Manager,
Urban Architect,
Team
Coordinator
Huon
Arcade
Reno:
public
realm
Richmond
Pharmacy –
foot lane:
public realm

9. DEBOX Heartbeat
Architecture, townscape, land-use and community-cultural development, as they exist in reality amid the mixed results of our sullied human nature,
are my link to true actualisation and the ideal of ‘paradise’. In this real world I work gregariously to extend the culturally supportive environment
in order to enhance our individual and collective delight.
People living in a paradise will actualise and construct … to joyfully fulfil themselves, their family and fellows. Any threat to that paradise will
modify that actualisation by the development of solemn purpose.
My own individual impulse in a paradise would be to actualise both ethereally and functionally in art and in building - focused on identity, home,
cultural communication in daily life and the natural untouched beauty and potentials of locale. This would address any aesthetical intervention in
the environment and the politics of it. This focus would be in finishing works and events that support appeal to the spectrum of delights. In this way
land-use planning is an architecture capable of fostering delight. Functional constructions carry delight.
One of the collective delights is achievement by others of appropriate individual expression in the environment as part of the cultural accumulation –
a celebration of individuality. This delight can arise from the ethereal thumbprint on a jewellery piece, a manner of speech, unique placement of an
industrial item, an inspiring land-use program or simply an aesthetic aspect of an otherwise pragmatic building. All interface in physicality and
culture.
Another collective delight is the home locale. This is under severe threat in today’s world. It is invaluable to remind people of the fullness of their
individual address, their original landscape, their rights and potentials in the public realm and their shared ownership of development. It is
invaluable to refresh the delicately sensitive links to the paradise portion of our world - and consequently to foster individual actualisation and
delight …… unique development, industry and enjoyment.
Art is real. It is the difference between building and architecture … and planning and cultural landscape. Architecture is art. Art may be economic
or otherwise. Packaging may be pragmatic or communicative. A building is much more than an artful package.
Excellence more often than not is low in profile. ∑

10. Monte John Latham Architect EXPERIENCE (CV)
REFER ALSO: AIADeboxPortfolio: http://www.architect.net.au/debox
DeboxGOOGLE:https://plus.google.com/+DeboxDegridArchitecturesMidwayPoint/posts BOOK by MJ Latham: .facebook.com/HouseFandango
RECENT
Debox_Geographic Architectures - MJ Latham Architect(Tas), Accredited Practitioner(Tas,Vic)
 AIA Sustainability Committee, Open House Program support
 Huon Arcade parking area slab plan and arcade floor
 Picnic Island Updates
 Sullivans Cove Railyards Proposal
 Sorell Council Chambers submission,
 ( Previous years: Pre-Colonial Hobart Landscape series of researched paint sketches, Devonport urban proposals, Bellerive urban proposals, State of the Environment
Committee - Settlements, Tasmania Together Workshops, Rottnest Urban Design conference, Adelaide Urban Design Conference, Melbourne Urban Design Conference, State
Heritage Planning Proposal, Sullivans Cover Urban Design Competition, Hollybank Forest submissions)
 Australian Institute of Architects
Heritage Committee, Sustainability Committee, City Hall Heritage evaluation, Building Control Board classifications submission workshop, CPD seminars, BCA seminars.
 3 Visitor Accommodation Units: Huonville
 House: Moola Dr, Sandford
 Legalisation of farm shed & dwelling & conversion to visitor accommodation: Huonville
 House Proposal: 42 Malachi Dr, Kingston
 Rear dwelling proposal: 307 Nelson Road
 24 dwelling unit site proposal Montagu St, Mt Stuart
 Conversion of Chapel to Dwelling: Dover
 House Extension: Venetat Pt, Bruny
 Visitor Accommodation & legalisation; Jetty Rd, Cygnet
 Warehouse conversion to sport training: Farley St
 Dental Practice relocation: Clarence
 Shops, Signage & Arcade Floor: Huon Arcade, Huonville
 Shop & 3 town houses site proposal Stowell&Hampden, Battery Pt.
 Picnic Island Tourist Project, Coles Bay – camp huts, bird watching, boardwalks, jetties, heritage.
 Crossover steps: 24 Willowdene
 Steep site drive access, garage, garden: 125a Forest Rd
 Rear Unit: 2 Campbell St, Kingston
 Peter Mackay Garage: Kingston
 Deck: 343 Cambridge Rd
 House BA: 22 Beach Rd, Middleton

11.  Shop Building Designer confirmations: 2 Cooper St, Glenorchy
 Shop fitout Building Designer confirmations: Eastlands
 Proposed Halfway House, Caretaker Unit & Site (Part 5 conservation & bushfire compromise): Baskerville
 Griffiths House: Eaglehawk Neck
 Tan House & Outbuilding: Eaglehawk Neck
 House legalisation & auxillary dwelling DA BA: Risby Rd, Middleton
 Visitor Accommodation legalisation: Orford
 3 Shops, building design confirmation: Main Street, Huonville
 Renovation & Deck: Bananya st, Mornington
 Conversion to warehousing tenancies: Farley St
 Industrial workshops tiltup aesthetic design: Runway Rd, Cambridge
 Rear dwellings proposal: 207 209 Campbell St, Hobart
 Margate Marina Development Construction Drawings
To 2011 Debox_Degrid Architectures - MJ Latham Architect(Tas), Accredited Practitioner(Tas,Vic)
 Free Spirit Animal Sanctuary DA with Town&Country Planning
 St Helens 3 shops prelim scheme, Myuana Rd underhouse renovation BA, Bundalla Rd Warehouse use conversion BA, Richmond Pharmacy BA, 207/209 Campbell St DA, 42
New Town Rd Surgery addition BA, Richardson Avenue 3 flats BA.
 TOOL workshop addition & renovation -Mornington, Chapel front addition, Orford units DA, Davenport house, warehouse tilt slab rendition proposal, New Town surgery
expansion, appeal management for two units Campbell Street (withdrawn), Waterfront house/property Dennes Pt DA, contracts for Dellas & Town & Country Planning.
 Via Town & Country Planning - Chemist expansion sketch Richmond; residential schematics, renovation & additions; Woodbridge health centre DA; warehouse strata; appeal
witness; 20 unit subdivisions; Huonville arcade redevelopment; Redwood Drive village centre proposal; change of use applications; scoping plan Kingston Surf Club; Melbourne:-
shoptop redevelopment proposal; heritage house rooftop additions BA, units.
 Residential schematics, renovation & additions, St Georges grounds Sorell Rose Garden masterplan, Blue Lagoon camp toilet conversion.
 Marketing self-authored 350p paperback - Hows the House
Currently available in bookshops in Hobart & Wellington (Get your copy today!)
 Entrant - Hobart Waterfront International Design Competition.
Who’s Planning Tasmania Anyway – conference attendance.
2006 Crown Lands Office
 One-year contract with Shack-sites Project (Title rationalisation from
shack-licensees to freehold or unencumbered Crown incl Aboriginal & European heritage, wastewater and bushfire management, access, political protocol, public/shackowner
meetings, dispute resolution – shackies, local councils, bureaucracy, government, ombudsman, wastewater and road engineer, aboriginal heritage consultant, heritage council).
2001 - 2005 Debox_Degrid Architecture - MJ Latham Architect, registered Architect and Accredited Building Practitioner – Tasmania
 Small scale work (primarily low end residential).
 Submissions:-
East Devonport Urban Framework for local Community and Council (short-listed);
Wedgetail’s Eden, Forestry Tasmania Hollybank Tourism Proposal (short-listed);

12. DPIWE, State of the Environment Settlements Committee sittings,
Devonport Plaza Submission,
Voluntary Proposal, Settlement Museum (Hobart Town Hall),
State Housing Competition,
Sorell Townscape Committee,
Devonport Heritage Study Submission.
 Now accredited.
 Ongoing professional development attendance to sustain solo practice.
1999 - 2000 M.J.Latham - Architect
 Tasmania Together Future Search Workshops, participant.
 Promotion of voluntary proposal, A Special State’s Special Towns - speculation for urban masterplanning.
 Bellerive Village Townscape competition – winner.
 DPIWE, State of the Environment Settlements Committee sittings
 Book manuscript.
 Miscellaneous.
1999 Development Services Division, City of Hobart
 South Hobart Main Road Streetscape Plan – initial site documentation, in-principle brief.
 City of Hobart Streetworks Masterplan - initiation and detail brief.
1994 – 98 Tecton Consulting, City of Hobart
Municipal architecture, townscape projects, community cultural development, public art coordination, streetscape design - all including: -
 CBD Revitalisation –research and schematics, some initial mall studies; mall roof initial schematics and location; some design committee involvement.
 New Selfs Point Wastewater Laboratory Building – location review, design and contract observation.
 Argyle Street multistorey Carpark revamp and Wellington Court Redevelopment – basic spatial designs (landform, removal of vehicular ramp, pedestrian movement), cladding
and colour discussions.
 National urban design conferences.
 Development control consultation.
 North Hobart Grandstand rooms refit designs.
 Civic Square Site design discussions and schemes.
 Wapping, Lower Collins Street, art wall and defunct entrance sculpture dispute discussions, artist selection committee and liaison.
 Bicheno Townscape Manual, St Helens Township Plan; project coordinator, team management, community workshops, committee liaisons, urban architecture, site assessment,
report manager.
 Context friendly pump houses at Long Beach, Queenborough and Selfs Point
 Town Hall Site Development, initial design brief – incl original cove landform interpretation, use options, multiple building accommodation connections, integration with Franklin
square.
 Lord Mayors Secretarial Office – gut 1970’s refit and reinstate heritage quality.
1988 – 94 Planning and Development Division, City of Hobart

13. Urban architecture and planning, varied, interesting work in the midst of professionals and workers of many disciplines - including coordinations, briefs, schematics, detail,
documentation, contract administration, reports, committees, multidisciplined specialists, aldermanic consultation, public relations and ‘crows nest’ view of many development
applications.
 Statutory Urban Design and heritage development appraisals - planning appeals, Council reports, letter writing.
 Public Art Policy – self initiated proposal to Council.
 Town Hall and Council buildings renovation, interiors, kitchen and work on Town Hall Conservation Plan, heritage interiors and stone restoration detail.
 North Hobart Oval - various schematics
 North Hobart Oval Spectator Roof .
 Salamanca Public Toilets – location proposals, design, detail, contract management.
 Urban detail - signs and interpretation panels, bus shelters and street furniture, public spaces, small pool shade, monument design, Dutch Fountain location and negotiation, St
Davids Park Lion Sculpture placement.
 North Hobart Townscape Project (award) – community-based multi-discipline placemaking project, project brief and coordination, video direction, community committee work,
Community Art Pavement. - St Marys Townscape Project – role as HCC coordinator. -Cove Tramway Committee member.
M J Latham - Architect
 St Marys Townscape Project - Urban Architect and Manager for St Marys Association for Community Development.
 House designs.
 Forestry Tasmania Hollybank Forest Centre competition - entrant.
 Registration - Architect.
TO 1988
 University of Tasmania ,Semesters 1-6 Architecture, graduation, thesis - Value Architecture; incl Sorell Regional Library Plans.
Blythe, Yeung and Menzies - Architects, Hobart, Government Executive Building - Interior layout, fitout and furniture.
Housing Department of Tasmania , Design, drafting, unit planning. Jeremy Olphert and Associates, Wellington, New Zealand, Corporate office interiors and small building
design
- flat out documentation. Department of Construction, Architecture Unit, Tasmania - Ulverstone Hospital - presentation sketch, renovation plans, bedside service details, site
assessment.;School renovation drafting.;Gymnasium signs and logo piece.; Entrant Roma Railway Expo Urban Renewal Competition, studies EARLY DAYS Tasmanian State
Institute of Technology, Final semester and graduation Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Design, Major Study - Dream House; the Complete Romance and Handbook. Self
employment , Tasmanian Art Outlet, local art hire - establishment and running own business; Contract drafting, small building and renovation design, exploration of painting and
graphic design, handyman, café, market garden, farm hand. Lawrence H Howroyd and Associates - Architects and Town Planners; Cadet architect working in Hobart and Perth
on job winning presentations and designs for transportable buildings and town planning for Rosebery mining village, Shay Gap and Laverton remote mining villages, minor
buildings and renovations, squash courts, school gymnasium, tavern, caravan park ablution modules and kit houses, Port Arthur Model Prison Chapel heritage interior
reconstruction, surgery - involving drafting, model-making, various, sketch design and presentation.; L Howroyd wins Duke of Edinborough Award .