Victorian architects have dominated the prestigious Australian Institute of Architects\u2019 National Architecture Awards 2018 in Melbourne tonight, winning six named awards as well as numerous national awards and commendations.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
RMIT\u2019s 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 \u2018a city in a city, rich in connections, technology, diversity and complexity\u2019.<\/p>\n
In addition, Monash University\u2019s 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 \u2018renewed commitment to bringing teaching and learning spaces \u2026 into a much more contemporary mode\u2019.<\/p>\n
Sean Godsell Architects\u2019 House on the Coast won the prized Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture \u2013 Houses (New), which the jury described as \u2018an exploration of refinement and reduction\u2019. 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.<\/p>\n
The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture \u2013 Multiple Housing, was awarded to 35 Spring Street by Bates Smart, a 44-storey luxury apartment tower on the edge of Melbourne\u2019s CBD. Designed with the location\u2019s history in mind, the tower\u2019s facade reflects a layering of fabric inspired by the bygone rag trade of Flinders Lane and the masonry patterning of Spring Street\u2019s significant political buildings.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 Multiple Housing for its ambitious vision \u2018to shift the status quo of apartment design in Australia\u2019. The jury noted \u2018sustainability extends beyond the building into the social and economic elements\u2019, encouraging its inhabitants to live as a community.<\/p>\n
Bendigo Hospital, designed by Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart, won the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture. Described as \u2018permeable and inviting, with a restrained demeanour that sensitively acknowledges that the hospital can be a place of life-changing events\u2019. The design represents a new model of the hospital that \u2018embraces the holistic nature of health and the important role that the environment plays in the wellbeing of a whole community\u2019.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s CBD to create an intimate, sustainable and state-of-the-art workplace. The jury said it \u2018sets an excellent precedent for re-using the aged, underperforming building stock located in regional centres throughout Australia\u2019.<\/p>\n
Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia\u2019s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.<\/p>\n
\u2018Projects 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,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018Most 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.<\/p>\n
\u2018For 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.\u2019<\/p>\n
National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.<\/p>\n
\u2018In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n
\u2018These 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.<\/p>\n
\u2018They 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.\u2019<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The full list of Victorian award winners is:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architectur<\/strong>e \u2013 Barwon Water by GHDWoodhead (VIC)<\/p>\n The Daryl Jackson Award for Educational Architecture <\/strong>\u2013 New Academic Street, RMIT University by Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects (VIC)<\/p>\n National Award for Educational Architecture<\/strong> \u2013 Monash University Learning and Teaching Building by John Wardle Architects (VIC)<\/p>\n National Award for Interior Architecture<\/strong> \u2013 Monash University Learning and Teaching Building by John Wardle Architects (VIC)<\/p>\n The Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture<\/strong> \u2013 Bendigo Hospital by Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart (VIC)<\/p>\n National Commendation for Residential Architecture \u2013 Houses (Alterations and Additions)<\/strong> \u2013 King Bill by Austin Maynard Architects (VIC)<\/p>\n The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture \u2013 Houses (New)<\/strong> \u2013 House on the Coast by Sean Godsell Architects (VIC)<\/p>\n National Commendation for Residential Architecture \u2013 Houses (New)<\/strong> \u2013 Compound House by March Studio (VIC)<\/p>\n The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture \u2013 Multiple Housing<\/strong> \u2013 35 Spring Street by Bates Smart (VIC)<\/p>\n National Award for Residential Architecture \u2013 Multiple Housing<\/strong> \u2013 Nightingale 1 by Breathe Architecture (VIC)<\/p>\n