Queensland Art Gallery's Place Makers exhibits more than 20 local architects whose work mirrors the social and economic transformation of the Australian state over the past two decades. Despite the demanding subtropical climate, Arkhefield's Ballandean House employs an eco-friendly, sustainable design that closely integrates the landscape — the same challenges met by Richard Kirk's AIICS, a school for the crowded indigenous population of southwest Brisbane. Both structures embrace Queensland's enviable sunshine while maintaining the airy and open design that has characterized the region's architecture for over a century. Along with a strong visual emphasis on the lush environment, the exhibition includes elegant wooden models and spotlights contemporary-design motifs, such as the shimmering moiré effect of m3architecture's new building for the Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

-Niki Baylart