“What’s next for practice?” was the title of the most recent Architecture Symposium hosted in Sydney, bringing together an inspiring bill of emerging architects who are expanding the definition of architectural practice.
Sibling director Amelia Borg presented Sibling’s trajectory as a research based architectural practice and our recent explorations into sensory design. She shared some of Sibling’s earliest projects – such as the Sleeping Den and Space Cookie – to more recent works such as the Wangaratta District Specialist School and South East Centre for Contemporary Art.

You may have seen this in the news, but we are excited to present our upcoming exhibition Deep Calm at this year’s Melbourne Design Week.
Deep Calm explores how furniture can hug, hold and squeeze its users. Drawing on the therapeutic benefits of deep pressure – often experienced through sensations of being hugged, held, or squeezed – this exhibit highlights how such sensations can induce relaxation and reduce anxiety. This effect, known to trigger the release of serotonin, has been harnessed in an array of therapeutic tools such as weighted blankets, toys, and even hugging machines.
The exhibition features custom-designed floor rugs which are designed as a sensory tactile base for visitors to lay down along with weighted soft forms, or sofas, that give you a heavy hug. A soundscape by Jeanette Little will relax visitors under the weight of Deep Calm and invigilators dressed in SUKU Home will guide and tuck them in.

Deep Calm is one of the outcomes of a year-long research project funded by Creative Victoria that investigates approaches to designing for the senses. This builds upon our post-occupancy evaluation of the Wangaratta District Specialist School, which saw the integration of calm/focus areas, sensory spaces, social areas, and support facilities for students with different abilities. It also included guest editing the current issue of Architect Victoria entitled Sensory Design in Architecture.
The space will be open for visitors to drop in from the 15th -17th of May, or you can book in for the full Deep Calm experience 21st-24th of May.  Link here.

Sibling co-director Amelia Borg will be speaking at the annual Victorian Chapter 2025 International Women’s Day Breakfast, aligning with the United Nations IWD theme ‘March Forward’

Since 1995, women have broken barriers, reshaped policies, and ignited powerful movements worldwide. But despite these advances, millions of women and girls still face systemic inequalities, rising violence, and economic disparities that hold them back from reaching their full potential. Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, said, “Australia is committed to leading the charge on gender equality. As our Beijing+30 Gender Equality Report to the United Nations shows, we have made significant strides, but there is still much work ahead to close the gender pay gap, ensure women’s safety, and fairly value both paid and unpaid care work.” “The theme ‘March Forward’ reminds us that progress is not just about reflection but about taking decisive, bold steps to turn our commitments into action. This is our moment to drive change and ensure a truly equal future for all women and girls,” she continued.

Moderated by the Victorian Government Architect Jill Garner, she will be speaking alongside other industry professionals Emma Dawson, Lucinda Arundel and Eleanor Jackson.

Register for tickets here.

Last month, our co-director Amelia Borg, presented at the University of Melbourne LEARN conference, Talking Spaces – Exploring the Strategic Design of Schools.

The conference explores connections between wellbeing, space, and learning through conversations about how schools can be strategically re-designed to better meet the current and future needs of students, teachers, and the wider community. Supported by stimulating provocations from expert panelists and workshop facilitators, including Amelia who shared our work into designing for the senses and wellbeing in education, focusing on the Wangaratta District Specialist School.

The conference was hosted at the Centre for Higher Education Studies where students also shared their expert voices and perspectives.

Sibling have been working on the exhibition design for the Science Gallery Melbourne’s inaugural show, ‘Not Natural’, which finally opened at the end of January.

The exhibition explores the growing fiction between natural and artificial systems, showcasing a number of speculative local and international projects dissolving the line between what is considered natural and not natural.

We will be sharing more about our approach to designing the exhibition for some of the weird and wonderful exhibits including live jellyfish and a machete-wielding houseplant! But for now, here are some pics from the opening event.

Not Natural is on show from now until June 29 at Science Gallery Melbourne.

Just in time for summer, we celebrated the opening of the new South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Bega, NSW.
Located on Yuin Country in the far south coast of NSW, the redeveloped gallery doubles the area of the previous exhibition spaces and provides state of the art facilities to accommodate both community and international touring shows.

Sibling first started working on this project in 2018, so it was especially rewarding to finally see it open and occupied by the public.
SECCA has been warmly welcomed by the people of the Bega Valley Shire and is set to enhance the region as an arts and cultural destination. If you’re traveling up the east coast over the summer, be sure to drop in and check it out!

Unprecedented is this year’s Australian Institute of Architects National Conference, hosted on Ngunnawal land, Canberra. The conference is an opportunity to ‘reflect on what has come before, focus on how we face the future and shape what is yet to come.’

Keynote speakers include Denise Scott-Brown, Stan Grant and Kevin Carmody.
Qianyi will be speaking on a breakfast panel on Tuesday 31st October, alongside Shoba Cole, Adam Haddow, Bradley Kerr and Kerstin Thompson on the importance of diversity to creating an equal playing field.
Hope to see you there for a thoughtful and engaging conversation, Tuesday 31st October 7am!

Earlier this month we had the pleasure of welcoming delegates from the Regional Public Galleries NSW conference for a site walk through the nearly complete SECCA/Bega gallery ????We also joined gallery director Iain Dawson, artist Liam Benson and Cayce Hill on a panel to discuss what it takes to create equitable and accessible cultural spaces. Looking forward to the gallery opening later this year!