2015 Darling Downs/West Moreton Regional Architecture Awards Results

Major Awards

William Hodgen Award for Building of the Year
The Armitage Centre – James Cubitt Architects

Regional Project of the Year
St. Joseph’s College New Junior Science Centre and GLA Block – Sims White Architects and Kratzmann Architects

Regional Commendations

  • SABA Building– Aspect Architects and Project Managers

  • The Armitage Centre – James Cubitt Architects

  • Royal Flying Doctor Service – Charleville Base – DM2 Architecture

  • Hymba Yumba Community Hub – Deicke Richards

  • St. Joseph’s College New Junior Science Centre and GLA Block – Sims White Architects and Kratzmann Architects

Jury Citations

Faith Lutheran College – Year 7 Learning Centre

(Fulton Trotter Architects) The architect has created a series of learning spaces, each one of which is unique, by varying volumes, physical connections with individual external sheltered gathering points and visual connection through glazed internal walls.

These walls can also be operated to provide flexibility of room sizes and uses depending on the needs of the school.

Brodribb Home High Care

(ELIA Architecture) The facility has been scaled so as to fit comfortably within and compliment the detached residential setting of the existing streetscape.

It is carefully integrated within the existing aged care facility and provides for the complex care needs of the residents.

Toowoomba Grammar School Administration Building

(PDT Architects) The architect has refurbished the entire interior and north-west external verandah of this heavily modified late 19th century school building to provide office accommodation for administrative and teaching staff. Disabled access and Building Act compliance have been achieved without compromising the charm and heritage detail of the original building exterior.

Fire Station

(Cox Architects) The architect has questioned current construction methodologies and has undertaken a process of trial and evaluation to develop new processes of building in rural areas to withstand catastrophic weather events.

All aspects of the fabric and structure of the building have been designed and assembled to avoid the weaknesses inherent in current systems and ensure survivability during bushfire conditions.

SABA Building

(Aspect Architects and Project Managers) The successful redevelopment of this two storey high street building has given a positive and creative framework for the future direction of the CBD. The highly considered interior design has allowed for a diverse collective of tenancies and introduces a new
walkway link between Ruthven and Duggan Streets.

The Armitage Centre

(James Cubitt Architects) This inventive tilt-up concrete “black box” theatre sensitively embraces the existing adjacent church hall using its brick rear wall as both a container and a historical feature. The west facing tilt-up concrete and glass western portion designates the new building’s entry providing an understated backdrop to the heritage brick church hall. The new theatre enriches the current program of theatre facilities and productions available at the Empire precinct, reinventing the architectural significance of the existing church hall.　

Royal Flying Doctor Service – Charleville Base

(DM2 Architecture) This project includes a varied collection of steel framed buildings providing elegant solutions for aircraft accommodation and offices. Clerestory natural light is provided to the office areas within. The architect embraced a collaborative approach to procurement partnering with a builder to evolve a cost efficient building system that delivered excellent value for money for the client.

Chinchilla Christian School Stages 1 2A 2B 2C 2D and 3

(Fulton Trotter Architects) The architects have used a creative palette of materials, colours and building forms to successfully link a series of staged buildings along a meandering central access way. The vibrancy of the interior and exterior spaces is well balanced with the effective use of natural materials and landscaping elements to create an enjoyable school environment.

Hymba Yumba Community Hub

(Deicke Richards) This school has grown from a strong evocative design response to a highly constrained site lying between a noisy arterial road and a council water reserve. A compact 3 storey building turns its back to the busy road, opening its active edge to views of a creek and forest beyond.. The verandahs and linking stairs on the active edge, frame and connect students to an external ground level play space which facilitates informal assembly.

St. Joseph’s College New Junior Science Centre and GLA Block

(Sims White Architects and Kratzmann Architects) This exemplary structure is deftly detailed and memorable in experience within a limited budget. Subtly composed, refined and resolved to deliver a facility that sits seamlessly between an existing larger classroom block and detached residential neighbours. Spaces are enriched with sensitively considered materials and each moment is beautifully articulated.

Lockyer State High School – Year 7 Block

(ELIA Architecture) This building, through its choice of built forms, material choices and scale, has created a well-considered and resolved addition to the school campus. A south facing covered outdoor space is inspired in its design and successful with its engagement of the surrounding backdrop of landscaped terracing.