Latest news with #AnthonyGill
The Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Australian
NSW Government unveils New Housing Pattern Book amid Sydney pinch with designs for just $1
The new face of Sydney's terraces and townhouses has been revealed as the state government opens up its design book for would-be home builders for just $1. The NSW Labor government's New Housing Pattern Book will launch on Wednesday morning with eight terrace, townhouse, and manor house designs. Aimed at families, couples, and downsizers, the designs have been endorsed by the Government Architect following a 2024 design competition. For the first six months, the designs will be available for $1 each before rising to $1000, much less than the typical $20,000 price-tag for an architecturally-designed home. The NSW government has released its Housing Pattern Book, including designs by Anthony Gill. Picture: Supplied Premier Chris Minns said the government's Pattern Book was intended to give home buyers 'more choice, faster approvals, and affordable, high-quality homes. 'Whether you're a young person trying to get in, a family needing more space, or a downsizers looking to stay close to the community you know,' he said. 'This is a practical step to make the housing system fairer – and make sure NSW remains a place where the next generation can afford to live and thrive.' Planning Minister Paul Scully said the government was accelerating the designs, which he described as being 'simple and cost-effective'. 'The NSW Housing Pattern Book takes the guesswork and the delay out of home-building,' he said. The designs contained in the book are intended to be adaptable. Design: Sam Crawford. 'These designs are high-quality, easy to build, and for the first six months, they'll cost $1. 'These designs offer choice, with less complexity, making it easier to build homes in NSW.' Housing remains the single biggest cost of living pressure in NSW, with the Productivity Commission finding Sydney was losing twice as many young people as it gained. The designs contained in the book are intended to be adaptable to different family sizes and housing needs, including different room formations and layouts. Each design will also be accompanied by a complimentary Landscape Pattern to help new homeowners design their own garden that 'suits the climate'. A new approval pathway will also be implemented to fast-track building of the design-book homes, which will be subject to an advertising campaign. Each design will also be accompanied by a Landscape Pattern. Design: Sam Crawford. Bunnings CEO Michael Howard said the design book would provide much needed to support to the construction sector in NSW and boost supply. 'Bunnings is ready to help builders, developers and homeowners bring these architect-designed homes to life,' Mr Howard said. The design book comes as the Minns' government continues to face pressure over housing following the failure of the Rosehill Racecourse sale. The project would have seen 25,000 new homes and a Metro station erected on the site, but was shot down by members of the Australian Turf Club. Mr Minns is yet to formally unveil the state government's 'Plan B' following the failed sale, with a focus on new housing developments located close to the CBD. As part of the state budget, the government announced it would go guarantor for developers which follows the NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
First look at new face of Sydney's homes
The new face of Sydney's terraces and townhouses has been revealed as the state government opens up its design book for would-be home builders for just $1. The NSW Labor government's New Housing Pattern Book will launch on Wednesday morning with eight terrace, townhouse, and manor house designs. Aimed at families, couples, and downsizers, the designs have been endorsed by the Government Architect following a 2024 design competition. For the first six months, the designs will be available for $1 each before rising to $1000, much less than the typical $20,000 price-tag for an architecturally-designed home. The NSW government has released its Housing Pattern Book, including designs by Anthony Gill. Supplied Credit: NewsWire Premier Chris Minns said the government's Pattern Book was intended to give home buyers 'more choice, faster approvals, and affordable, high-quality homes. 'Whether you're a young person trying to get in, a family needing more space, or a downsizers looking to stay close to the community you know,' he said. 'This is a practical step to make the housing system fairer – and make sure NSW remains a place where the next generation can afford to live and thrive.' Planning Minister Paul Scully said the government was accelerating the designs, which he described as being 'simple and cost-effective'. 'The NSW Housing Pattern Book takes the guesswork and the delay out of home-building,' he said. The designs contained in the book are intended to be adaptable. Design: Sam Crawford. Credit: NewsWire 'These designs are high-quality, easy to build, and for the first six months, they'll cost $1. 'These designs offer choice, with less complexity, making it easier to build homes in NSW.' Housing remains the single biggest cost of living pressure in NSW, with the Productivity Commission finding Sydney was losing twice as many young people as it gained. The designs contained in the book are intended to be adaptable to different family sizes and housing needs, including different room formations and layouts. Each design will also be accompanied by a complimentary Landscape Pattern to help new homeowners design their own garden that 'suits the climate'. A new approval pathway will also be implemented to fast-track building of the design-book homes, which will be subject to an advertising campaign. Each design will also be accompanied by a Landscape Pattern. Design: Sam Crawford. Credit: NewsWire Bunnings CEO Michael Howard said the design book would provide much needed to support to the construction sector in NSW and boost supply. 'Bunnings is ready to help builders, developers and homeowners bring these architect-designed homes to life,' Mr Howard said. The design book comes as the Minns' government continues to face pressure over housing following the failure of the Rosehill Racecourse sale. The project would have seen 25,000 new homes and a Metro station erected on the site, but was shot down by members of the Australian Turf Club. Mr Minns is yet to formally unveil the state government's 'Plan B' following the failed sale, with a focus on new housing developments located close to the CBD. As part of the state budget, the government announced it would go guarantor for developers which follows the NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing.
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mailbag: Will the Washington Wizards add a big man in free agency or via trade?
The Washington Wizards have been silent so far in free agency. Do team officials see a need to add another big man, and if so, how will they address that need? Will Anthony Gill join the team's front office? And what is the franchise's biggest need? Josh Robbins, The Athletic's beat writer covering the Wizards, answers those questions in the latest edition of his Wizards mailbag. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. Are the Wizards looking to trade for a big? — Merl There is a clear shortage of bigs on the roster. Will the Wizards do the same thing as last year when they signed Jonas Valančiūnas as a stopgap/mentor for the skinny young guys? — Bob How do the Wizards get a big? Trade, free agents or G League? How much do they spend? — Johnaton The Wizards are non-participants in free agency thus far. Are there viable targets to sign a big that can help next season? — Tyrone We need a big banger to protect Sarr and let him play the four. Who fits that bill? — Rich How are the Wizards gonna address their lack of a big man? — Anonymous Is the lack of rebounding on this year's team a tanking strategy or part of some broader philosophy? — Jesse I see the redundancy of these questions. They focus on the Wizards' perceived lack of big-man depth. But I included all of them to demonstrate how much of a concern this issue is to the team's fans. I say this with all due respect: You've all gone quite mad! You're not entirely wrong, folks. Washington finished last season 27th leaguewide in defensive-rebounding percentage, and that occurred even though Valančiūnas, one of the league's most efficient defensive-rebounding bigs, appeared in 49 games and played 982 minutes before the team traded him at the deadline. Advertisement So, yes, I agree that defensive rebounding likely will remain a severe weakness this season. This wasn't the time to chase the likes of Clint Capela, Al Horford, Kevon Looney or Mason Plumlee in free agency. It would have been a disaster to reach a deal with Deandre Ayton after his Trail Blazers buyout. Let's talk about the big picture. As frustrating as it may be to hear, Washington has to — has to! — structure its roster to ensure it receives a top-eight pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Because of a prior trade, the Wizards would send the New York Knicks that pick if it falls anywhere from ninth to 30th. I know it sounds repugnant, and I know it contradicts everyone's long-held notions of trying to win as many games as possible, but keeping that pick should be at the forefront of the Wizards officials' minds. Improving the defensive rebounding too greatly could put that pick at risk. Keeping that pick will require a delicate balance as is. I think a big-man rotation of Alex Sarr, Kelly Olynyk and Richaun Holmes can be competitive. Sarr ranked in the 37th percentile among NBA bigs in defensive-rebounding percentage as a rookie, according to Cleaning the Glass. That's below average, for sure, but not quite as dire as so many of you seem to think. Because he's only 20 years old, I think he should receive the opportunity to improve. I also believe some improvement in the season ahead is a reasonable expectation. Olynyk used to be a league-average defensive rebounder, but the stats show he is far below average now. I think you're sleeping on Holmes. He's a strong defensive rebounder, ranking in the 78th percentile among NBA bigs last season, per Cleaning the Glass. He also adds some of the grit the Wizards desperately need. He can provide the physicality you're looking for. Barring a trade of Holmes or Olynyk before the start of training camp, I do not envision the Wizards attempting to sign a free-agent big. Team officials didn't pursue one at the start of free agency, and that's not going to change. Advertisement Ideally, a contending team ought to have the personnel to match up well against any kind of lineup, from a small-ball opponent to an opponent that starts two bigs. The Wizards' brain trust intends to become that kind of team eventually. But not now. It's still too early in the rebuild. I also think you're overestimating the value of bigs in some situations. From Feb. 24-March 15, the Wizards posted a 6-4 record. It was their best stretch of the season, and it included victories in Detroit and Denver. But over that 10-game stretch, coach Brian Keefe deployed starting lineups that consisted of one point guard, three wings and either Sarr or Holmes at center. The commonality is that the team did not open games with a traditional power forward. Those three wings were some combination of Bilal Coulibaly, Khris Middleton, Kyshawn George and Justin Champagnie. So, I think the Wizards can get by without adding to their cupboard of big men. Keep in mind that 'getting by' is relative to what the team's goals are, and those goals are modest. Some of the younger guys who opine about the Wizards say that general manager Will Dawkins missed the boat on bringing in a young big man either in the draft or free agency. I tend to disagree. So when the Wizards are not fielding a small-ball lineup (with Champagnie as the key rebounder), who gets the big-man minutes? Tristan Vukcevic? Olynyk? Are they keeping Holmes? (He has played well, in my opinion.) — Ken What do you mean by 'younger' people? Are you saying that I'm old? Other than that, I'm with you on this one for all the reasons I've already stated. But I'll add this: This was not the time to seek out positional balance in the draft. With the sixth pick, Washington drafted the player it ranked as the best player available, Tre Johnson. I agree with the strategy to take the best-available player. The Wizards need to add players who have the best chances of becoming upper-level players, not players who fill a positional need. Washington had Johnson ranked higher on its draft board than Khaman Maluach and Derik Queen. The 'opiners' are wrong. Any word on whether Anthony Gill is joining the front office? — Joe Some background first: The Wizards waived Gill on Sunday, which was the deadline for his 2025-26 salary of $2.5 million to become guaranteed. Gill, 32, is highly respected within the Wizards' front office and coaching staff. But no, he's not joining the front office. I expect the Wizards to re-sign him at a veteran's minimum salary and have him serve as their 15th man. Keep in mind that the 2025-26 veteran's minimum salary for a player with his service time will exceed the $2.5 million he was originally due to earn; in other words, if he re-signs for the veteran's minimum, he'll earn approximately $121,000 more than he would have earned if the Wizards hadn't waived him. Advertisement By the way, when a team signs a player with three or more seasons of NBA experience to a minimum-salary contract, the league reimburses the team for the difference of that salary and the minimum salary for a player with two years of service. The Wizards will make out better with that reimbursement if they re-sign Gill than they would have made out if they had not waived him. Gill has played a critical role as a resource and as an example for the team's young players. It appears that a significant segment of Wizards fans would prefer to see the team use its final roster spot on a young player with more on-court potential. That is a valid point. That said, even with Middleton, CJ McCollum, Olynyk (and possibly Marcus Smart) on the roster, I think Washington would benefit from having Gill as a player. Could Gill serve as a mentor to players as a member of the front office? To a degree, yes. But he'd be more effective as a player, in my opinion. There is a danger of having too young a roster, and re-signing Gill would guard against that. Plus, being the 15th man on a roster is not quite as easy as it may seem. It's a skill to be ready on a moment's notice, especially when you don't expect to play. Gill is not a league-average player, but his ability to play his best when called on is something that coaches value. What do you believe the team's greatest need long-term is? — DC Sports I think the team's biggest need is a player — any player — who reasonably projects as a future All-Star instead of merely as an NBA starter. In this rebuild, Washington has drafted, or traded for, a group of intriguing young players, headed by Bub Carrington, Coulibaly, George, AJ Johnson, Tre Johnson and Sarr. I can make reasonable cases that any one of those guys at his best, and when fully developed, could become good enough to be a starter on a contending team. Developing into a solid starter on a contending team is a pretty good outcome, especially in the case of a player who was drafted 14th (Carrington), 23rd (AJ Johnson) or 24th (George); as draft-obsessed observers would say, those would be cases of Washington finding solid 'value.' Advertisement But do any of the players project as likely future All-Stars? The short answer: probably not, but it's much too early to know for sure. The players I've mentioned range in age from 19 to 21 years old, and their NBA experience levels range from none (in Tre Johnson's case) to two seasons (in Coulibaly's case). It's incredibly difficult to predict how players this young and this inexperienced will develop. Sometimes youngsters make leaps that even the people who drafted them do not expect. Still, I say this all the time, and I stand by it: A potential danger for the Wizards' rebuild is that the team will wind up with 'merely good' young players but no one who truly drives winning. There would be avenues to overcome that scenario, such as a trade for an undervalued player or for a player who is redundant on his roster; an example would be how Indiana acquired Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson from Sacramento a few years ago for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a future second-round pick. Free agency would be another possibility; Houston, for instance, signed veteran free agents such as Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks and hired a top coach to complement its young nucleus. Still, for Washington or any other team that started a rebuild almost from scratch, the cleanest way to get a star is through the draft, because it would mean no players or draft picks would go out the door to acquire him. To the Wizards' credit, they haven't put all their hopes on winning the lottery and picking at the top of the draft. They've attempted to trade for as many future first-round picks or young players as possible in the hope that at least one of those players — Carrington, George and AJ Johnson, for instance — emerges as a top-flight player. At this moment, I cannot point to anyone on the roster whom I confidently envision as a future All-Star. It's early yet, though. The young Wizards are welcome to prove me (and many personnel evaluators around the league) wrong. (Top photo of Alex Sarr and Wendell Carter Jr.: Reggie Hildred / Imagn Images)
