JAWSArchitects

15/06/2026

PLACE, PEOPLE AND REGIONAL HEALTHCARE

Regional healthcare carries a responsibility beyond the provision of clinical services. In towns like Sorell, a health centre becomes part of the community fabric. It becomes a place of trust, reassurance and connection for the people it serves.

This belief sits at the centre of JAWS Architects’ approach to regional healthcare design.

We feel privileged to have contributed to the concept design for the Sorell Health Centre, a project that reflects the importance of delivering care close to home for regional communities.

The design has been shaped around the idea that healthcare should feel accessible, calm and connected to place. Its low-scaled timber form responds to the local setting, while the central courtyard brings landscape, daylight and orientation into the heart of the building.

The courtyard provides a quiet point of pause within the care journey. It helps soften the clinical experience and creates a shared connection to landscape for patients, visitors and staff.

Together, these design moves reflect a simple but important ambition: to create a health centre that feels grounded, legible and genuinely connected to its community.

01/06/2026

In 2018, JAWS upgraded the Strahan Cruise Terminal. The challenge with this project was to figure out how to make an ageing building work better for its visitors and operators, all within an extremely tight budget and time frame.

Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, we focused on what parts of the structure could be retained and reused. The interior layout was reworked to create better flow, more retail opportunity, and clearer circulation. The exterior upgrades helped reconnect the terminal to the waterfront.

Even the carpet tiles became part of the solution - used as way finders to guide people through the space and future-proof the fit-out without adding unnecessary cost.

This is the kind of problem solving that adds so much variety to our day! We get excited about how we can work within a strict design brief to create a building that works smarter, and leaves a client satisfied.

25/05/2026

21/05/2026

Align. Reflect. Perform.

Yesterday the JAWS team came together for a day focused on reflecting on the history of the practice. Thinking about our journey was a reminder that strong architectural practices are built over time through collaboration, resilience and a willingness to keep improving.
The day also reinforced something that has remained central to JAWS throughout that history: listening to our clients, understanding what matters to them, and responding with the creation of thoughtful architectural solutions.
With strategic planning, team discussions and excellent food thanks to Flint Kitchen, it was a great chance for the team to come together, reflect on our journey so far and look ahead to what’s next.

18/05/2026

During National Palliative Care Week last week, it feels especially meaningful to reflect on the privilege of working on the Allambi Building in Launceston.

Projects like this remind us that architecture can play a quiet but important role in supporting people through some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Palliative care design asks for more than just functional outcomes, it asks for spaces that offer dignity, comfort, calm, connection and support for patients, families and carers alike.

Listening to the stories shared by the incredible team behind has been a powerful reminder of the impact these environments can have on people’s lives.

There is also a thoughtful video feature available on YouTube that shares more about the vision and importance of the project, and the people driving it forward.

We’re incredibly grateful to be contributing to a project grounded in compassion, care and humanity, alongside so many people dedicated to improving palliative care outcomes for Northern Tasmania.

The video can be found here - https://youtu.be/_owS6DhXvBE?si=9e6tJqsRTY8BZTY3

06/05/2026

Our Managing Director, Scott Verdouw, recently spoke with Leah Nanpei from NYC about the design thinking behind Pumphouse Point Retreat and Shorehouse.

Leah writes the Substack blog “Imperfect Process” and describes herself as:
“Designer and founder. NYC expat building hospitality brands in the Pacific Northwest. Writing about the process - the real one, mostly after 9pm.”

With a bio like that, Scott was more than happy to accept the invitation for a conversation.

Thanks for the opportunity to revisit the story behind this award-winning project and reflect on the thinking, challenges and process that shaped it, Leah.

https://imperfectprocess.substack.com/p/on-designing-a-place-where-doing?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

20/04/2026

What a privilege it was for JAWS to speak at the AHDC Healthy Beginnings: The First 1000 Days.

Hanz and Jan shared insights from two of our projects, reflecting on how deeply we explored what it takes to design spaces that genuinely support children and parents during this critical stage of life.

It was equally valuable to hear from Eleni Kondos from the Victorian Health Building Authority, alongside Laurence Robinson and Christopher Falzon from Brand Architects Australia, who spoke about the Child and Family Centres being delivered across Victoria.

A strong reminder that in this space, design isn’t just about buildings, it’s about shaping environments that support health, connection and long-term outcomes from the very beginning.

31/03/2026

ST CLEMENTS CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT

Good architecture isn’t always about starting fresh, sometimes it’s about making sense of what’s already there.

This project brought together a collection of buildings developed over decades, each with its own logic, level and language. The challenge wasn’t just adding new space, but resolving how the site works as a whole, improving connection, clarity and usability without losing its history.

By rethinking circulation, consolidating key functions, and introducing a new foyer as a central point of arrival, the design transforms a fragmented campus into a welcoming and inclusive place for the community.

Now under construction, we are excited to see this design come to life.
🔨 MAVERIC BUILDERS PTY LTD
⛪ St Clements Kingston

20/03/2026

Anyone else craving a quiet retreat this weekend?

With the pace of life rarely slowing and so much noise around us, it’s easy to feel constantly “on.” This is a gentle reminder to step away, even briefly, to find a calm corner, a view, a moment to pause.

Bruny Island Hotel offers accommodation with calming views, thoughtfully designed to encourage rest and relaxation, providing a considered setting to reset and reconnect with a sense of stillness.

🏠
📸 .gibson.photo

05/03/2026

For the past five years, JAWS has been actively involved in shaping the Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department expansion, working alongside the Department of Health and clinical leaders to respond to a demanding and evolving project brief.

This is not a conventional architectural commission. It is a complex, multi-staged redevelopment of a critical care environment within a live tertiary hospital, requiring disciplined sequencing, rigorous buildability planning and uninterrupted operations while the Emergency Department remains fully functional.

At JAWS, we develop design solutions that extend beyond architectural aesthetic. We create environments that enable care, strengthen operations and deliver long-term public value. Projects of this complexity demand strategic thinking, risk management, stakeholder alignment and a deep understanding of local delivery conditions.

We are excited to see the next step of this project move forward and look forward to working closely with the builder to deliver this important piece of infrastructure for our community.