User Profile

Ben Wollen

Ben Wollen is the director of Wollen Architecture, a studio with a focus on sustainable design. “Only build what you need to” is one of his driving mantras. When he’s not working, Ben’s enjoying the natural wonders of the Illawarra escarpment with his wife and kids.

Opinion

Ladies and Gentrification: A tale of two suburbs

The dictionary defines gentrification as “the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, often displacing current inhabitants in the process”. It...

Ben Wollen

March 2025

Motoring & Property

Fan the flames: Why housing materials matter

By architect Ben Wollen The world has all gone topsy-turvy. I know that might seem pretty obvious to most of us who can’t help but to follow the news or happen to click on the wrong link on our socials. I’m mostly referring to the bushfires...

Ben Wollen

February 2025

Opinion

Street activation: A call for shade trees, traffic buffers and urban seating

Outside of the gobsmackingly beautiful coastline we live on, the other great thing about where we live is the community. During the last Illawarra Festival of Architecture & Design (IFAD), I met so many engaged people interested in our local...

Ben Wollen

January 2025

Opinion

Trumped Again

I was out on a multi-day hike when the US election played out. It was glorious to hear nothing but bird song and cicadas and nothing on the debacle of US politics for 5 days deep in the Aussie bush. The stars at night were crazy bright and immense...

Ben Wollen

December 2024

Motoring & Property

How to date an architect

No, I don’t mean in a romantic relationship! That’s not to say you shouldn’t date an architect. I mean, many of us make great partners and can show you how to pack a dishwasher like an obsessive-compulsive pro! Jokes aside – how do you find...

Ben Wollen

November 2024

News

2024 Illawarra Festival of Architecture & Design puts focus on resilience

I am a devourer of podcasts. I actually find it hard to keep up with all of the episodes of the numerous subscriptions I have going across various platforms and various devices. One podcast I never miss is 99% Invisible. Hosted by Roman Mars, the...

Ben Wollen

October 2024

News

Secrets of the Blue Zones: Could the Illawarra be one?

Do you and your friends always update each other on their latest Netflix show? Pre-interweb, these discussions would be about the latest movies showing at the cinema. Times have changed – and I do lament the loss of local cinemas – but we’re...

Ben Wollen

September 2024

Motoring & Property

Why we invented Uggs

Well, it took some time but I’ve finally got the puffer jacket out. Middle of July and the Antarctic winds have hit dropping the morning temperature in my house down to “uggboots essential in the morning” degrees. Whilst it might be a struggle...

Ben Wollen

August 2024

Motoring & Property

Affordable Architecture

I recently re-watched a documentary on one of the world’s most famous and most under the radar architects – Louis Kahn. The doco is called My Architect and it charts Louis Kahn’s son uncovering his father’s life. Nathaniel Kahn was only 12...

Ben Wollen

July 2024

Motoring & Property

Is this the new Australian (tiny) dream?

I have a plan. A very small plan, or perhaps more of a tiny dream. To buy a block of land somewhere along the beautiful South Coast and plonk something like a tiny solar home on it such that my family and I can escape the noise of Lawrence Hargrave...

Ben Wollen

June 2024

News

Flooding again: How to help your home be more resilient

Seriously! I really hope this isn’t a new normal, but climate scientists would suggest it is. That rain event in the wee hours of Saturday, 9th April saw my driveway become a level 3 rapid complete with wheelie bin white-water rafters from the...

Ben Wollen

May 2024

Motoring & Property

The how-to of heritage (the abridged version)

With the new planning amendments the State Government is proposing under its Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program, it could be that one of the only defences against the legislation will be if a building or an area is heritage listed. Whilst...

Ben Wollen

April 2024

Motoring & Property

Where’s all the housing Gong, part 2

Outside of doing Wordle every day, one of my other daily routines is to watch Alan Kohler’s financial report on the ABC news. This is a strange routine that I’ve taken up because I’m not an investor, outside of my super I don’t own any...

Ben Wollen

March 2024

Motoring & Property

Think Global, Embrace Local

There’s an architect named Rem Koolhaas who, as well as being an innovative architect, has written some seminal architectural books. When I was studying at University, it was Rem and his practice OMA [Office for Metropolitan Architecture] that...

Ben Wollen

February 2024