Australia should be proud of its modernist houses, those beautifully elegant buildings constructed in the 30 years after World War Two.

But according to Tim Ross, we’re tearing them down instead.

In this year’s Griffin Lecture, presented by the Australian Institute of Architects, comedian and self-described ‘design nerd’ Tim Ross will declare his love for Australia’s modernist legacy and explain why we should value it.

Ross – comedian, radio host, design enthusiast and television presenter – delivers the lecture at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday 7 November.

Australia’s cities and suburbs are experiencing a development boom unlike any before.

In the mad scramble to go upwards and outwards, our architecture of the last 60 years is being destroyed in the process.

‘Why as a nation are we hellbent on erasing the past? What is it in our national character that makes us think that it’s okay to do so?’ Ross asks.

‘Our cities and suburbs should be like our record collections with the best of the new stuff, the best of the old stuff and some rubbish to remind us where we’ve come from. The way we are approaching things today we are embracing the worst of the new stuff and heading down the path to a bogan version of Blade Runner.’

Supported by leading national architecture practice, GHDWoodhead, the Griffin Lecture is a major event for the architecture profession. Named in honour of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, the lecture has been running since 1961.

Chair of the Institute’s Griffin Committee, Catherine Townsend, says the lecture looks at how modern architecture shapes our built environment and the way Australians live.

‘Our aim is to address the “big issues” of architecture and design, to make better and more liveable cities and overcome the problems endemic in our cities,’ she says.

Previous speakers include Prime Ministers Gough Whitlam and John Gorton, architects Roy Grounds and Romaldo Giurgola, historian Manning Clark, former Lord Mayor Lucy Turnbull and Edmund Capon.

Victorian architects have dominated the prestigious Australian Institute of Architects’ National Architecture Awards 2018 in Melbourne tonight, winning six named awards as well as numerous national awards and commendations.

This year’s winners displayed a commitment to sustainability, urban regeneration and social activation, with educational, public and residential architecture the big stand outs. There was also a regional focus, with major public and commercial projects in Bendigo and Geelong taking out key awards.

RMIT’s New Academic Street by Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects, won the Daryl Jackson Award for Educational Architecture and a National Award for Urban Design. The jury said the dramatic transformation of existing buildings reconfigured the heart of the university, creating ‘a city in a city, rich in connections, technology, diversity and complexity’.

In addition, Monash University’s Learning and Teaching Building by John Wardle Architects was awarded a National Award for Educational Architecture and a National Award for Interior Architecture, illustrating a ‘renewed commitment to bringing teaching and learning spaces … into a much more contemporary mode’.

Sean Godsell Architects’ House on the Coast won the prized Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New), which the jury described as ‘an exploration of refinement and reduction’. The holiday house, nestled into a steep sand dune bordering national park, is focused on privacy and connection with nature, created to take in the most spectacular ocean views.

The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing, was awarded to 35 Spring Street by Bates Smart, a 44-storey luxury apartment tower on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD. Designed with the location’s history in mind, the tower’s facade reflects a layering of fabric inspired by the bygone rag trade of Flinders Lane and the masonry patterning of Spring Street’s significant political buildings.

The innovative Nightingale 1 multi-residential project by Breathe Architecture was recognised for its outstanding environmental credentials, winning the David Oppenheim Award for Sustainable Architecture. The Melbourne-based development also won a National Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing for its ambitious vision ‘to shift the status quo of apartment design in Australia’. The jury noted ‘sustainability extends beyond the building into the social and economic elements’, encouraging its inhabitants to live as a community.

Bendigo Hospital, designed by Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart, won the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture. Described as ‘permeable and inviting, with a restrained demeanour that sensitively acknowledges that the hospital can be a place of life-changing events’. The design represents a new model of the hospital that ‘embraces the holistic nature of health and the important role that the environment plays in the wellbeing of a whole community’.

Barwon Water by GHDWoodhead was awarded two prizes, the Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture and a National Award for Sustainable Architecture. The project was a site renewal, adapting an existing 80-year-old buildings in Geelong’s CBD to create an intimate, sustainable and state-of-the-art workplace. The jury said it ‘sets an excellent precedent for re-using the aged, underperforming building stock located in regional centres throughout Australia’.

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.

‘For the jury, it was important that all the awarded projects implemented sustainability initiatives at a conceptual level, taking a holistic approach. It was impressive to see the growing sophistication and ingenuity in this domain.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

The local winners were among 12 projects to receive named awards, 20 that received national awards and eight that received national commendations from a shortlist of 69 projects drawn from a total pool of 975 of national and international entries.

The full list of Victorian award winners is:

The Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture – Barwon Water by GHDWoodhead (VIC)

The Daryl Jackson Award for Educational Architecture – New Academic Street, RMIT University by Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects (VIC)

National Award for Educational Architecture – Monash University Learning and Teaching Building by John Wardle Architects (VIC)

National Award for Interior Architecture – Monash University Learning and Teaching Building by John Wardle Architects (VIC)

The Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture – Bendigo Hospital by Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart (VIC)

National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) – King Bill by Austin Maynard Architects (VIC)

The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) – House on the Coast by Sean Godsell Architects (VIC)

National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) – Compound House by March Studio (VIC)

The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing – 35 Spring Street by Bates Smart (VIC)

National Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing – Nightingale 1 by Breathe Architecture (VIC)

National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing – Campbell Street by DKO Architecture and SLAB (VIC)

The David Oppenheim Award for Sustainable Architecture – Nightingale 1 by Breathe Architecture (VIC)

National Award for Sustainable Architecture – Barwon Water by GHDWoodhead (VIC)

National Award for Urban Design – New Academic Street, RMIT University by Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects (VIC)

2018 National Jury

Richard Kirk (Chair) – Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Architects; Director, KIRK
Jill Garner – Victorian Government Architect
Katelin Butler – Editorial Director, Architecture Media
Charles Wright – Director, Charles Wright Architects
Kevin O’Brien – Principal, BVN

The design excellence of two major Sydney urban renewal projects has been recognised at the Australian Institute of Architects’ National Architecture Awards 2018.

Announced in Melbourne tonight, the Darling Harbour Transformation by HASSELL/HASSELL + Populous won the Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design, while the Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage was awarded to Joynton Avenue Creative Centre and Precinct by Peter Stutchbury Architecture in association with Design 5 – Architects for City of Sydney.

Described by the jury as ‘a significant moment in Sydney’s urban transformation’, the Darling Harbour project has enhanced the precinct’s urban experience, connecting Chinatown and the harbour in an intuitive way. With a focus on interaction and connection, the project includes new cultural spaces and meaningfully integrated public art.

Built on the site of the former South Sydney Hospital, the Joynton Avenue Creative Centre and Precinct has breathed new life into several abandoned heritage buildings, a site renewal the jury said, ‘respects its past and makes a generous, contemporary public contribution to the Green Square inner-Sydney community’. The new precinct comprises the Joynton Avenue Creative Centre and the Banga Community Shed, which are separated by Matron Ruby Grant Park. The project also won a National Award for Public Architecture.

The Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture was awarded to 75 Myrtle Street, Chippendale by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects. The building, an early twentieth-century glass factory, maintains ‘a mute, gritty, urban presence’ on the exterior, only to reveal ‘a refined and delightful internal renovation of two levels of space, structure, light and occupation … an exotic cabinet of curiosities’. Designed to retain the building’s industrial past, the interior highlights original materials like brick, steel and timber.

Finally, the Eleanor Cullis-Hill Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) was awarded to the Laneway House by Jon Jacka Architects, a worker’s cottage in inner-city Sydney. Including a verdant rooftop garden for privacy and outlook, the home brings the outside in and connects with the surrounding laneways.

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.

‘For the jury, it was important that all the awarded projects implemented sustainability initiatives at a conceptual level, taking a holistic approach. It was impressive to see the growing sophistication and ingenuity in this domain.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

The local winners were among 12 projects to receive named awards, 20 that received national awards and eight that received national commendations from a shortlist of 69 projects drawn from a total pool of 975 of national and international entries.

Full list of NSW winners:

The Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design – Darling Harbour Transformation by HASSELL/HASSELL + Populous (NSW)

The Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage – Joynton Avenue Creative Centre and Precinct by Peter Stutchbury Architecture in association with Design 5 – Architects for City of Sydney (NSW)

The Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture – 75 Myrtle Street, Chippendale by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects (NSW)

The Eleanor Cullis-Hill Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) – Laneway House by Jon Jacka Architects (NSW)

National Award for Commercial Architecture – International House Sydney by Tzannes (NSW)

National Commendation for Commercial Architecture – Barangaroo House by Collins and Turner (NSW)

National Award for Educational Architecture – Macquarie University Incubator by Architectus (NSW)

National Award for Public Architecture – Joynton Avenue Creative Centre and Precinct by Peter Stutchbury Architecture in association with Design 5 – Architects for City of Sydney (NSW)

National Award for Public Architecture – Punchbowl Mosque by Candalepas Associates (NSW)

National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) – Cabbage Tree House by Peter Stutchbury Architecture (NSW)

National Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing – Short Lane by Woods Bagot (NSW)

People’s Choice Award – Cabbage Tree House by Peter Stutchbury Architecture (NSW)

2018 National Jury

Richard Kirk (Chair) – Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Architects; Director, KIRK
Jill Garner – Victorian Government Architect
Katelin Butler – Editorial Director, Architecture Media
Charles Wright – Director, Charles Wright Architects
Kevin O’Brien – Principal, BVN

A stunning residential project has won the People’s Choice Award at the Australian Institute of Architect’s 2018 National Architecture Awards. The home also received a National Award in the highly competitive Residential Architecture – Houses (New) category at a ceremony in Melbourne tonight.

Cabbage Tree House by Peter Stutchbury Architecture, is set into a bushland setting in Sydney’s northern beaches, engages with its surrounds, anchored into a north-facing escarpment that takes in both the bush and bubbling creek below.

The judging panel said the new three-storey home was ‘skilfully broken down into smaller spaces of seclusion to allow various modes of occupation … that invites slowing down the pace of life’.

Constructed from a raw material palette of recycled brick, concrete, steel and timber, the home is ‘an exercise in simplicity and restraint, demonstrating a symbiotic relationship between architecture and nature – like part of the landscape.’

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

An iconic brutalist court building, an information centre made from recycled wharf wood and a luxury beachfront apartment complex were among the diverse Queensland winners at the Australian Institute of Architects’ National Architecture Awards.

Five Queensland projects have been recognised as part of Australia’s premier architecture awards, which were announced in Melbourne tonight.

The winners included:

• National Award for Enduring Architecture – Townsville Courts of Law – Edmund Sheppard Building by Hall, Phillips and Wilson Architects Pty Ltd
• National Award for Small Project Architecture – Northshore Pavilion by Anna O’Gorman Architect (Brisbane)
• National Award for Residential Architecture (Alterations and Additions) – Gibbon St by Cavill Architects (Brisbane)
• National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing – M3565 Main Beach by Virginia Kerridge Architect (Gold Coast)
• National Commendation for Interior Architecture – Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre by BVN (Gold Coast).

Townsville’s Edmund Sheppard Building, part of the Townsville Courts of Law, has been awarded for its enduring design legacy.

Completed in 1975, remaining striking and relevant to this day, the jury described it as ‘a rare example of an intact brutalist building in the dry tropics’ and ‘representative of a period when regional public infrastructure was designed and constructed to the highest standards of the day.’

Brisbane’s Northshore Pavilion, located beside the Brisbane River, was built using recycled nineteenth-century ironwood wharves.

Designed as a place for Economic Development Queensland to share information on future plans for Hamilton Reach, Queensland’s largest waterfront urban renewal precinct, the jury was impressed by the architect’s research into the historical use of timber construction within the maritime context.

‘Northshore Pavilion is a mature work of architecture that contributes to the established regional movement dedicated to timber sustainability,’ the jury noted.

‘The Pavilion sits as both entry marker and landmark.’

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.

‘For the jury, it was important that all the awarded projects implemented sustainability initiatives at a conceptual level, taking a holistic approach. It was impressive to see the growing sophistication and ingenuity in this domain.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

The local winners were among 12 projects to receive named awards, 20 that received national awards and eight that received national commendations from a shortlist of 69 projects drawn from a total pool of 975 of national and international entries.

2018 National Jury

Richard Kirk (Chair) – Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Architects; Director, KIRK
Jill Garner – Victorian Government Architect
Katelin Butler – Editorial Director, Architecture Media
Charles Wright – Director, Charles Wright Architects
Kevin O’Brien – Principal, BVN

Perth’s newest landmark, Optus Stadium, has won two awards at the coveted Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards 2018.

Presented in Melbourne tonight, Optus Stadium by HASSELL COX HKS won the COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture and a National Award for Public Architecture.

Described as ‘an immensely complex undertaking … to deliver a world-class sporting arena’, Optus Stadium was applauded for its spectator-focused design, elegance and efficiency.

The stadium was constructed using more than 14,000 tonnes of structural steel, accommodating a seating capacity of 60,000 people, and has the potential to provide up to 10,000 additional seats in the future.

Other Western Australian projects to receive National Awards included the Cadogan Song School by Palassis for Heritage and Cottesloe Lobby and Landscape by Simon Pendal Architect for Small Project Architecture.

Highgate Primary School’s new teaching building by iredale pederson hook architects received a National Commendation for Educational Architecture.

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.

‘For the jury, it was important that all the awarded projects implemented sustainability initiatives at a conceptual level, taking a holistic approach. It was impressive to see the growing sophistication and ingenuity in this domain.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

The local winners were among 12 projects to receive named awards, 20 that received national awards and eight that received national commendations from a shortlist of 69 projects drawn from a total pool of 975 of national and international entries.

Full list of WA award winners:

The COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture – Optus Stadium by HASSELL COX HKS (WA)

National Award for Heritage – The Cadogan Song School by Palassis Architects (WA)

National Award for Public Architecture – Optus Stadium by HASSELL COX HKS (WA)

National Award for Small Project Architecture – Cottesloe Lobby and Landscape by Simon Pendal Architect (WA)

National Commendation for Educational Architecture – Highgate Primary School New Teaching Building by iredale pedersen hook architects (WA)

2018 National Jury

Richard Kirk (Chair) – Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Architects; Director, KIRK
Jill Garner – Victorian Government Architect
Katelin Butler – Editorial Director, Architecture Media
Charles Wright – Director, Charles Wright Architects
Kevin O’Brien – Principal, BVN

Country, culture and custodianship are the key themes of Tasmania’s krakani lumi, which was awarded the Nicholas Murcutt Award for Small Project Architecture at tonight’s Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards 2018.

The standing camp, which means ‘place of rest’, was designed by Hobart’s Taylor and Hinds Architects in conjunction with the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, comprising part of the Bay of Fires trail.

It serves as a two-night stop over for a four-day guided walk through the cultural landscape, providing accommodation and communal facilities for two guides and 10 walkers, the first of its kind in Tasmania entirely owned and operated by the Aboriginal Land Council.

Located on the rugged and remote north-eastern Tasmanian coast in wukalina (Mount William National Park), the jury described the project as ‘a compelling example of excellence in architecture and respect’.

‘A respectful collaboration between the palawa Aboriginal custodians and the architects has infused the project with cultural relevance and a technical precision emanating from the locale,’ the jury said.

‘The partnership enabled a setting that reveals Country as the beginning and the end.’

Operating entirely off-grid, krakani lumi is powered by a 5.3kW roof mounted solar array, with water harvested onsite.

It was built with robust timber and metal finishes, locally sourced from sustainably managed suppliers.

Impressively, not a single tree was removed during construction.

The site is impossible to see until arrival, the structures’ charred timber exteriors enveloped within a banksia grove.

Individual buildings are robust and resilient and, when opened, reveal the shelter of their half-domed blackwood-lined interior.

The project’s heart is its open pavilion, centred on a firepit to inspire cleansing and dreaming which is also a central place of gathering and storytelling.

In his awards submission, architect Mat Hinds said the project was derived from the traditional seasonal shelters of Tasmania’s first people.

‘This context and the notion of the story-telling interior is an important conceptual foundation for the work,’ he said.

‘The telling of the creation is an initiation into the spiritual and cultural interior of the landscape, and the open spatiality of the traditional half dome form amplifies this experience within the larger room
of the landscape.

‘Through the revelation of the interior a narrative of concealing and revealing is told, which allows
the Aboriginal communities to self-determine the audience and occasion of their story.’

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.

‘For the jury, it was important that all the awarded projects implemented sustainability initiatives at a conceptual level, taking a holistic approach. It was impressive to see the growing sophistication and ingenuity in this domain.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

The local winner was among 12 projects to receive named awards, 20 that received national awards and eight that received national commendations from a shortlist of 69 projects drawn from a total pool of 975 of national and international entries.

2018 National Jury

Richard Kirk (Chair) – Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Architects; Director, KIRK
Jill Garner – Victorian Government Architect
Katelin Butler – Editorial Director, Architecture Media
Charles Wright – Director, Charles Wright Architects
Kevin O’Brien – Principal, BVN

Sustainability and stunning interior architecture were key to several ACT projects being recognised at Australia’s most prestigious architecture awards in Melbourne tonight, the Australian Institute of Architects’ National Architecture Awards 2018.

Synergy by BVN, which houses the CSIRO at Black Mountain, won a National Award for Sustainable Architecture for its naturally ventilated mixed mode scientific design with the jury noting that, ‘architecturally, the building derives its expression from the surrounding Australian landscape’.

Light and ventilation are the key to the building’s sustainability, with daylight mediated through an external louvred sun screen and ventilation controlled by an integrated system that draws air into the building and expels it through two thermal chimneys.

The revamped Monaro Mall at the Canberra Centre, designed by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture, won a National Award for Interior Architecture. Inspired by research into Canberra’s mid-century vision for the CBD, the design ‘involves peeling back the layers of change to rediscover, celebrate and enhance one of Australia’s early state-of-the-art shopping centres’.

Finally, the new Australian Federal Police Forensics and Data Centre by HASSELL received a National Commendation for Commercial Architecture, for its radical approach in bringing many of the AFPs specialist experts into one workplace. The jury said ‘the new facility provides a workplace that will cultivate connections, exchange, and the sharing of intelligence’.

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.

‘For the jury, it was important that all the awarded projects implemented sustainability initiatives at a conceptual level, taking a holistic approach. It was impressive to see the growing sophistication and ingenuity in this domain.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’

The local winners were among 12 projects to receive named awards, 20 that received national awards and eight that received national commendations from a shortlist of 69 projects drawn from a total pool of 975 of national and international entries.

ACT award winners:

National Award for Interior Architecture – Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture (ACT)

National Award for Sustainable Architecture – Synergy by BVN (ACT)

National Commendation for Commercial Architecture – Australian Federal Police Forensics and Data Centre by HASSELL (ACT)

2018 National Jury

Richard Kirk (Chair) – Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Architects; Director, KIRK
Jill Garner – Victorian Government Architect
Katelin Butler – Editorial Director, Architecture Media
Charles Wright – Director, Charles Wright Architects
Kevin O’Brien – Principal, BVN

Up and coming practice leader Monique Woodward has been named the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2018 National Emerging Architect at the National Architecture Awards in Melbourne tonight.

The Emerging Architect Prize, is Australia’s most prestigious prize awarded to future industry leaders and celebrates the work of an emerging architect making an exemplary contribution to architecture and the wider profession.

The Institute’s National President Clare Cousins described Woodward as a passionate architect who had demonstrated excellence in practice, leadership, education and community engagement.

‘Monique is recognised for her entrepreneurial spirit and exploration of alternative modes of project procurement and advocacy, including self-initiated projects,’ Cousins said.

‘She is a passionate advocate for architecture who has embraced emerging forms of media, harnessing video, podcasts, radio, election campaigns, crowd-funding and Instagram to communicate the importance of architecture in shaping the built environment.’

After graduating from RMIT with a master’s degree in Architecture – also winning the Glenn Murcutt Student Prize – Woodward established Melbourne architecture practice WOWOWA in 2011 in collaboration with Scott Woodward.

The practice’s vibrant work has been widely published and awarded at a state and national level, with WOWOWA recognised for its commitment to exploring a uniquely Australian approach to architecture. In 2015, Woodward was awarded a place on the Institute’s Dulux Study Tour.

Elected as an Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter Councillor in 2016, Woodward has served on the Victorian Heritage Committee and is the co-chair for the chapter’s Small Practice Forum and EmAGN.

Since 2011, Woodward has combined tutoring design at RMIT and Monash University with speculative projects that offer alternative solutions to local sites, and has been an active contributor to the Nightingale Housing project

‘Monique is a deserving winner of the 2018 National Emerging Architect Prize and we look forward to her continued and colourful contribution to Australian architecture,’ Cousins said.

The jury for the Emerging Architect Prize included Clare Cousins FRAIA (Chair) – President, Australian Institute of Architects and Clare Cousins Architects; Thom McKenzie RAIA – 2018 EmAGN President and Winwood McKenzie; Christina Cho RAIA – 2018 National Emerging Architect Prize winner and Cox Architecture; and Sam Moorhouse – Marketing Manager, AWS.

The Emerging Architect Prize is supported by Corporate Partner AWS.