Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
We are currently amid a revolution in architectural thought and design where sustainability and designing for Country have been interwoven into architectural form and space as new dimensions of how architecture is created, experienced and assessed.
This revolutionary process will continue over the coming years as our profession develops a more comprehensive understanding of how to engage in the deep listening of our old Country and the practices that have sustained it over tens of thousands of years as well as by adjusting to a global appreciation of resources, carbon and energy in the development of our built environment. Being good custodians of the resources residing within existing buildings, expended in the creation of new buildings and utilised through operation are fundamental to our future and are becoming more measurable than ever before. These parameters have been firmly supported and encouraged by the leadership of the profession.
This is our second year where environmentally sustainable design has had a high-profile role in the awards program and the first of the new era where sustainable design sets a mandatory requirement for all entries. As with last year, entry into the Sustainable Architecture category is only by high-level ESD performance in the direct entry categories. The Sustainability Checklist was used across the country last year for the first time, and thanks to the vision of our National Council its role has been upgraded to requiring a pass in two of the checklist’s six categories. The checklist promotes protection of land and ecological systems; siting and urban design; energy efficiency and consumption; selection of building materials and process; and social issues. In terms of designing with Country, the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia’s issue of the 2021 National Standard of Competency for Architects with its series of competencies dedicated to Country has been a significant plank in our acknowledgement and understanding of Country.
Victorian Chapter President David Wagner FRAIA
As Chair of juries, it was my privilege to witness and be involved in the informed debate and consideration by jury chairs in the appointment of the Victorian Medal of Architecture. Reaching a decision across a broad range of projects of the highest standing was not easy; however, this year’s winner of the Victorian Architecture Medal, Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab, won the named award of each category it was shortlisted in: Regional Architecture, Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design, which made for an impressive start to the discussion. Public Realm Lab approached this project through deep listening of First Nations considerations, respecting and adapting existing buildings and materials and reimaging how the site might work through the construction of a series of pavilions for the local community. Other named awards had differing approaches to sustainability. The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture winner, Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre in Cowes by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects is a beautiful rendition of its context, clad in low-carbon brickwork and adopting Passivhaus principals to minimise operational expenditure. By contrast the Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award for Commercial Architecture winner, Sanders Place by NMBW, Openwork and Finding Infinity is a two-storey factory converted into a co-working space through the strategic modification of the existing, largely retained building fabric to optimise embodied carbon, materials and energy, while reimagining and recalibrating the building for its new purpose.
Congratulations to all the 2024 award winners with a special thanks to our volunteer juries appointed by the Awards Committee chaired by Simon Knott. Thanks also to Victorian Chapter staff, in particular our Awards Coordinator Natasha Ugrinic for successfully managing the complex awards program. With the further progression of the Sustainability Checklist, as well as our profession’s greater engagement with First Nations peoples and designing with Country, change is underway, and it is truly exciting to see that manifested in our leading projects exhibited across our awards program.
Australian Institute of Architects
Victorian Chapter
Level 1, 41 Exhibition Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
ABN 72 000 023 012
Boston Publishing
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Oakleigh South, VIC 3167
T: 1300 838 280
E: james@bostonpublishing.com.au
Managing editor
Natasha Ugrinic
Editorial director
Emma Adams
Editorial advisor
Dylan Borg
Assistant editor
Tiffany Waddill
Awards coordinator
Natasha Ugrinic
Art director
Kate Noseda
Creative direction
Annie Luo
Graphic designer
Rizla Herdaru
Publisher
Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter
Executive director
Daniel Moore RAIA
On the cover
Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab
Photographer: Tom Ross
Printing Printgraphics
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Acknowledgement of Country
I recognise First Nations peoples ongoing connection and caring to Country, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. I do this because this is protocol – I’m am not on my Country. I do not conduct business on my Country, I live, learn and work on the lands of the Kulin Nation.
Through tremendous adversity, Elders have continued to care for Country, and to share Traditional Knowledge when you have earned the right to receive it. By keeping culture alive, they enable us to feel pride in our Aboriginality. I’m extremely grateful for the role they’ve played in my life, and in particular want to thank my grandma for her incredible strength and determination. While I feel she has every right to be angry with the challenges and racism faced through colonisation, she’s taught us strength and resilience; and to direct our anger and frustrations to create a better future for our Blak Brothers and Sisters.
I do this by first understanding three truths:
- The industry that I work in is complicit in the continued commodification of Country
- The industry that I work in played a significant role in Terra Nullius
- The construction industry is one of the most resource demanding and tangibly impactful industries on Country.
As built environment professionals, we have a long way to go to reconcile with how our industry has historically and continues to impact Country and First Nations peoples. Country holds embedded memory and narrative of place; landscapes are knowledge, and we know that there is an interconnectedness of Country (Sky, Land, Water, Below). This architecture of Country is how we understand place. First Peoples in the industry share a commonality in appreciating and understanding that we are always on somebody else’s Country, and the work that we do primarily revolves around shaping places. We have a cultural responsibility to understand and respect the Country that we’re shaping.
So, please, ask yourselves – how has the architecture of Country shaped the built environment? Where can we head if we all take the opportunity to care? Always Was, Always Will Be.
Map of Traditional Owners/Custodians as sourced from Victoria’s current Registered Aboriginal Parties. Accessed from Vicplan (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning) February 2024.
2024 Awards committee and Chair of juries
Simon Knott FRAIA
David Wagner FRAIA
Ingrid Bakker LFRAIA
Melissa Bright RAIA
Matt Gibson FRAIA
Ann Lau FRAIA
Madeline Sewall RAIA
Committee chair
Chair of juries
Committee member
Committee member
Committee member
Committee member
Committee member
Simon Knott FRAIA
Committee chair
BKK Architects
Atelier Wagner
HASSELL
Studio Bright
Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
Hayball
Breathe Architecture
Ingrid Bakker LFRAIA Committee member
Melissa Bright RAIA Committee member
Matt Gibson FRAIA Committee member
Ann Lau FRAIA Committee member
Madeline Sewall RAIA Committee member
David Wagner FRAIA Chair of juries
Awards committee and Chair of juries
Awards chairs and jurors
Aaron Lougoon RAIA Core Collective
Aaron Roberts RAIA Edition Office
Aimee Goodwin RAIA Project 12 Architecture
Alexander Lake RAIA Therefore
Alix Smith RAIA Hassell
Amber Young RAIA Grad Architectus
Andrew MacKinnon RAIA Grad Rebecca Naughtin Architect
The 2024 Victorian Architecture Awards are proudly supported by —
Joshua Christian RAIA Grad Kirby Architects
Julian Kosloff FRAIA Kosloff Architecture
Lauren Trainor RAIA Eastop Architects
Leanne Zilka RAIA ZILKA Studio
Lloyd McCathie RAIA Kerstin Thompson Architects
Lucy Clemenger RAIA Lucy Clemenger Architects
Madeline Sewall RAIA Breathe
Maggie Lin RAIA Grad Grimshaw Architects
Malisa Benjamins RAIA Wardle
Mark Austin RAIA Austin Maynard
Maycon Sedrez Deakin University
Mel Bright FRAIA Studio Bright
Michael Roper RAIA Architecture architecture
Michaela Prunotto RAIA Grad Hayball
Mick Moloney RAIA Moloney Architects
Mietta Mullaly RAIA Grad Rob Kennon Architects
Millicent Anderson RAIA Office MI-JI
Natalie Miles RAIA ..................... Studio Neon
Nessie Frangos RAIA Grad ARM Architecture
Nick Bourns RAIA NH Architecture
Rachael McNally RAIA MA&Co
Robert Mosca RAIA Hayball
Ruth Wilson LFRAIA Architectus
Sarah Mair RAIA Grad Hassell
Scott Woodward RAIA WOWOWA Architecture
Simon Knott FRAIA BKK
Simone Koch RAIA architect brew koch
Suzannah Waldron RAIA Searle x Waldron Architecture
Tamara Dunkley RAIA ADDARC Architects
Temitope Adesina RAIA Grad Sibling Architecture
Wojciech Pluta RAIA Denton Corker Marshall
VIC Awards Category Partners
Victorian Architecture Medal
The Victorian Architecture Medal is the highest honour awarded by the Victorian Chapter each year.
The Medal derives from the original ‘Street Architecture Medal’ introduced by The Royal Victorian Institute of Architects (RVIA) in 1926 as an award for the design of a building of exceptional merit. Today’s Victorian Architecture Medal is
selected by the jury chairs (or their jury proxy) from the field of Named Award overall winners in each category. The winner of the Victorian Architecture Medal is therefore judged to be the most outstanding project of the entire field of entries, a building of exceptional merit.
Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab
Millewa-Mallee Country
Powerhouse Place stands as an outstanding exemplar for contemporary placemaking and adaptive reuse, redefining how we approach public spaces. The project transforms a neglected riverfront site into a vibrant community hub, prioritising social wellbeing and environmental responsibility. Extensive consultations ensured community needs were met, fostering a strong sense of custodianship and belonging.
Sustainability is integral throughout, from the considered restoration of the existing powerhouse to minimise waste, salvaged and reused materials, and native vegetation which all ground the project in place.
Four new pavilions, arranged as a collection to complement the historical powerhouse, are consciously knitted into the landscape, where the spaces in-between are as crucial as the buildings themselves. The design is honest and humble, offering a multitude of experiences through flexible spaces that cater to day-and-night use, across all seasons. Unnecessary embellishments
are removed, allowing users to inhabit the space freely for gathering, learning, celebrating.
The jury was impressed by how the new precinct celebrates community, and renews a relationship with the river and Country, setting a joyful precedent for public space. A testament to the power of deep listening and collaboration, Powerhouse Place exemplifies a commitment of building less to give more, a crucial consideration in this age.
Practice team: Anna Maskiell (Design Architect), Mitch Gow (Project Architect), Philip Ward (Director), Stacey Ng (Documentation Support)
• Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates • Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize
The Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize recognises projects that have made a significant contribution to the city of Melbourne. All projects located within the urban growth boundary are eligible for
Jury chair report
It is an interesting task to reflect on what qualities make an architectural project significant to our city – and as we discovered there are many ways to do so. The Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize entrants this year were a diverse mix of 67 innovative, civic and community projects located across the metropolitan area.
We looked for projects that might contribute more to Melbourne – through an architectural approach that sought to give back, add to and improve our communities and city. It was commendable to see so many projects and architects tackling the challenge of adding more through their architectural creativity and civic generosity.
Shortlisted projects ranged from cultural centres, to housing, hospital, school and library. The site visits were generously led by architects who shared their careful design thinking and project stories with us. We enjoyed these conversations and tours, and they led to jury deliberations
consideration. Projects may be of a built form, an urban design solution or an innovation that has influenced and improved the fabric of the city.
and discussions that were both thoughtful and engaging. Comparisons were often challenging.
We reflected on how raising the bar with the design of a public school can prompt aspirational and educational gains for a community. How light-filled and patient-centric hospital spaces can be a catalyst for a research precinct. How rethinking a suburban civic typology can reflect local character and activate place. How public generosity of civic spaces in a library, can encourage social connectivity. And how a connection to Indigenous culture and community can be embedded in our city.
We congratulate all the shortlisted projects and the winner of the 2024 Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize, each of which are exemplary and undoubtably make significant contributions to Melbourne. We think it’s a wonderful thing for Melbourne that there are so many projects and architects making lasting contributions to our city in diverse and delightful ways.
The Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, incorporating the Melbourne School of Design (MSD), is a creative and people-oriented built environment faculty at the University of Melbourne, Australia’s leading research-intensive university. Together with our students we are working towards sustainable and inclusive homes and cities that nurture Country.
Category sponsor
Suzannah Waldron RAIA Jury chair
Wojciech Pluta RAIA Juror
Lauren Trainor RAIA Juror
Nessie Frangos Graduate juror
The
Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 by Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates
Wurundjeri Country
The Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 by Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates
The Koorie Heritage Trust transcends conventional architectural achievements by embedding Indigenous stories into our urban fabric, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal heritage within Melbourne.
Situated within Federation Square, the architectural team have deftly collaborated to simultaneously reveal Indigenous narratives, navigate heritage listings, and create a delightful and important cultural place.
Reconciling the brief with existing spaces, a clever internal fit-out has been executed with the utmost respect for the building’s facade, while ingeniously reimagining its interior to create a renewed connection with the Birrarung. Considered apertures open lines of sight to the river and square and invite southern light deep into the building’s core.
Koorie knowledge and stories are shared with playful dexterity across project
scales from siting to seat. Shimmering ceilings referencing dappled waterways create spaces both of and for reflection. Repurposing the existing building also exemplifies a sustainable approach to civic spaces, and an attitude towards caring for Country which retains and transforms our built fabric.
The Koorie Heritage Trust is not just an adaptation of space, but an important reconnection of the city with Country, culture and community, embodying the spirit of the Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize’s recognition of significant contributions to Melbourne’s cityscape.
Practice team: Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates (Design Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: Waterman (Services Consultant), Philip Chun (Building Surveyor), Philip Chun (Access Consultant), WSP Australia (Structural Engineer), Arup (Fire Engineering), Wilde & Woollard (Quantity Surveyor)
Builder: DLG Shape
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
The Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize
Koorie Heritage Trust
Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Regional Prize
The Regional Prize recognises projects that have made a significant contribution to Regional Victoria. All projects located outside the urban growth boundary are eligible for consideration. Projects may
Jury chair report
The high calibre of entries into the Regional Prize this year has made the experience of the jury highly rewarding, but also very challenging to select a single winner. From a total of 34 entries, a shortlist of nine was chosen for site visits. Over four days, the jury travelled 2300 kilometres to see an outstanding variety of commercial, civic and education projects in their regional settings. These site visits offered an opportunity to experience projects firsthand, to meet clients and understand their broader context.
A strong theme that emerged was the depth and breadth of community engagement undertaken, including with Traditional Owners, and a commitment to making places that were inclusive for all members of a community. This year’s entries often embodied a strong connection to culture and place through their sensitive integration with the local fabric and landscape. Offering notable levels of sustainability, and an awareness and recognition
be of a built form, an urban design solution or an innovation that has influenced and improved the fabric of the region.
of Country, projects displayed a commitment to both a socially and environmentally sustainable future.
In many cases, the design strategies adopted had impacts reaching beyond the realms of site boundaries, activating adjacent landscapes and civic spaces to act as catalysts for further neighbourhood renewal. In a regional context where funding can be scarce, this ability to leverage a project to contribute to a community more widely is particularly laudable.
The jury wishes to acknowledge that there were many projects deserving award recognition and we commend their collective contribution to regional Victoria. The dedication evident in each project has resulted in significant and meaningful new places that are each of great value within their communities. The jury wish to congratulate all entries in the Regional Award category, in particular the shortlisted projects and this year’s category winner, Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab.
Since 1935, Haymes Paint has been dedicated to providing all Australians with quality and innovative paint and coating solutions. Today, the business, led by the third generation of the Haymes family, employs over 420 team members and is available through 350+ stockists Australia-wide. We are still Australian Made and Owned and based in Ballarat, where we began.
Category sponsor
Julian Kosloff FRAIA Jury chair
Bianca Scaife RAIA Juror
Mick Moloney RAIA Juror
Maggie Lin Graduate juror
Regional Prize
Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab
Millewa-Mallee Country
Nestled on the banks of the Dhungala (Murray River) in Mildura, Powerhouse Place is a compelling example of an architect acting as place-maker. By reimagining a former industrial site, the project is instrumental in restoring the town’s relationship with the river.
In response to a strong push from locals to create a project that benefited them, not just tourists, Public Realm Lab have resisted the pressures to immediately begin architectural production and instead adopted an approach of deep listening and advocacy on behalf of the community.
The result is an assemblage of modest, yet finely calibrated civic spaces. It is an architecture of possibility rather than prescription. And while the colonial history of the powerhouse building is undeniable, the adaption of this structure allows for re-occupation by all members of the community, including First Nations groups who are reclaiming their connection to Country.
In a time of limited resources, Powerhouse Place serves as an exemplar of a different way of working, one where success is defined by the degree of
ownership and occupation of a site by a community. It is restrained, yet generous and demonstrates how minimal architectural intervention is necessary to create a sense of place.
Practice team: Anna Maskiell (Design Architect), Mitch Gow (Project Architect), Philip Ward (Director), Stacey Ng (Documentation Support)
This category is for any built conservation project or study developed in accordance with the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, or any adaptive reuse of a heritage structure.
Jury chair report
This year’s entrants took the jury on a journey across typology, scale, and the State of Victoria. As a jury, we undertook our reviews through the perspectives of conservation, adaptation, and the responsibility of each project to ensure an enduring cultural legacy for years to come. We looked to understand the history, cultural significance and ongoing use of each space, while looking to understand the architect’s role in ensuring the successful outcome of each project. We saw projects that restored a building to its former glory, projects that artfully created second lives to now forgotten buildings, and creative additions that made nods to their old-world partners.
For this year’s winners, the jury was drawn to projects that surprised us, through the unwavering research of the architect into conservation decisions, upskilling tradespeople with the reinstatement of a lost skillset, acknowledgement of pre-Colonial heritage, and the creative balance that can be found in celebrating the old while creating an entirely new purpose for a space.
This year’s winners exhibit these traits, and they all show a skilful understanding of how much intervention is necessary and how much physical and cultural heritage should be retained and celebrated. Congratulations to all winners and shortlisted projects.
Category sponsor
Nick Bourns RAIA Jury chair
Tamara Dunkley RAIA Juror
Hugh Goad RAIA Juror
The Heritage Council of Victoria recognises and celebrates Victoria’s cultural heritage, providing advice on the protection and conservation of historically important places and objects. We value Victoria’s heritage as an asset to be enjoyed and appreciated, and are proud to sponsor the 2023 Award for Heritage Architecture.
Amber Young Graduate juror
The John George Knight Award for Heritage Architecture St George’s Performing Arts Centre by Kneeler Design Architects Bunurong Country
The conservation and adaptive reuse of the St George’s Performing Arts Centre impressively balances the need for careful repair and restoration of the original church fabric along with the need for extensive adaptation for its second life as performing arts facility.
A significant investment was undertaken into both in-ground water ingress prevention and sub-floor servicing, roof replacement and leadlight window repair.
Through this repair, the architects where able to utilise this new structure to artfully place a new independent foyer and seating structure within the existing church volume. The raked seating allows the original church volume to be celebrated while a new appreciation of the stainedglass windows and timber detailed ceiling is celebrated.
The architects have also skilfully integrated the old with the new, the original perimeter timber panelling revealing the existence of the original pews alongside the new accessways.
The design team derived solutions to provide the infrastructure required
for a world class performance venue. While respecting the existing church is most evident in the installation of the performance equipment itself, the existing timber roof structure being tested and utilised as an integrated solution for lighting and audio rigging allows the insertions to feel light and unencumbered.
Practice team: Robert Bienvenu (Design Architect), Eldo di Muccio (Senior Design Associate), Allison Jessup (Interior Designer), Dominic On (Graduate of Architecture), Maria Torres Lopez (Graduate of Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: Marshall Day Acoustics (Acoustic Consultant), Studio Entertech (Theatre Consultant), Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec (Structural Engineer and Civil Consultant), Lucid Consulting Australia (Services Consultant), Philip Chun Building Compliance (Building Surveyor), Bryce Raworth Conservation & Heritage (Heritage Consultant), Robert Rusev Stained Glass (Leaded Glass Conservator), Australian Pipe Organs (Organ Conservator), Fabmetal Specialist (Brass Panel Fabricato)
Builder: SJ Higgins Group
Photographer: Scott Burrows
The John George Knight Award
St George’s
Photographer: Scott Burrows
Award for Heritage Architecture – Creative Adaptation
Memorial Hall - Christ Church Grammar School by McIldowie Partners
Bunurong Country
The strength of the Christ Church Grammar School adaptive reuse is its seemingly simple palette, material choices and pared-back interventions. The architects responded to a simple brief, to insulate, open up and adapt the existing multi-use hall to ensure the space would be more appropriate in scale and feel for its young users.
The architects responded by editing the space rather than making wholesale changes, the reinstatement of the upper balcony seating, a lower stage in front of the original and the addition of acoustic panels over the original internal brickwork. Original doors and lower wall paneling were reinstated to ensure that both old and new histories can be read in unison.
Careful attention was taken to ensure that natural light is exploited throughout the space with the reestablishment of the existing gable end glazing and the addition of light timberwork throughout the space. The result is an impressive use of a limited budget to
create a sensitive adaptive reuse of the original hall, creating a new front door and social hub for the school that has a sense of warmth and welcoming engagement.
Practice team: John McIldowie (Design Architect), Steven McIldowie (Design Architect), Bridget McKid (Graduate of Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: BRT (Services Consultant), Clive Steele Partners (Structural Engineer), Design Guide (Building Surveyor), DIB (AV Consultant), Buckford Illumination Group (Lighting Consultant), Marshall Day (Acoustic Consultant)
Builder: Sinjen Group
Photographer: Eve Wilson & McIldowie Partners
Award for Heritage Architecture – Conservation
Princess Theatre Auditorium Conservation Works by Conservation Studio Australia
Wurundjeri Country
Princess Theatre Auditorium Conservation Works by Conservation Studio Australia
The Princess Theatre Auditorium is an important cultural landmark for Melbourne, with primary use and all aspects of the building largely unchanged for over 140 years. The restoration’s primary objective was to repair and refurbish the paintwork to the auditorium interior, after many years of altered paint schemes for productions such as the recent Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The architects and contractors had a short 14 weeks to complete the investigation and delivery of the project.
Under time pressures of an undeniably compressed period, the team conducted extensive research and review to ensure colours and painting methods were meticulously reinstated. The team decided on a restoration of the 1922 Henry E White decorative scheme and worked with stakeholders and skilled artisans in parallel to achieve the outcome.
A commendable aspect of the project was that through the desktop and
onsite research, the team working with Heritage Victoria devised solutions to best preserve the layers of history in the walls. This approach ensured a refreshed final finish that retained the grandeur and theatrics of the building’s past and allowed theatregoers to appreciate its rich history.
Practice team: Christophe Loustau (Project Architect), Dan Blake (Project Architect), Christine Jorge (Graduate of Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: Landair Surveys (Land Surveyor), International Conservation Services (Conservator), Vision Ornate Plaster (Plasterer), Robert Shannon - Chandelier Therapy (Chandelier), Almond Glass (Leadlight), Health & Hospitality Flooring (Carpet), Aluminium Scaffolds (Scaffolding)
Builder: Prestigious Painting and Decorating Services
Photographer: Dianna Snape and Conservation Studio
Riverbend Repair by Vaughan Howard Architects
Country: Wurundjeri
Riverbend Repair deserves commendation for collaborating with traditional Wurundjeri landowners, previous occupants, and like-minded stakeholders. This engagement enriches, restores, and celebrates shared cultural and experiential qualities, fostering meaningful repair to both fabric and shared memory.
The project marks the beginning of sensitive restoration and reuse projects at Laughing Waters. Restoration and alterations to the Alistair Knox House preserve its fabric for cultural gatherings and artists in residence. The project also honours the Indigenous
and
the
Other entries for Heritage Architecture
Shortlisted • Cobden Terrace • Matt Gibson Architecture Design • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Shannon McGrath
Medley Hall Conservation Works
Wurundjeri
Photographer Jax Oliver
Silhouette House • Powell & Glenn • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Sharyn Cairns
Shortlisted • All Saints Estate
Technē Architecture + Interior Design
Wurundjeri Country
Photographer Tom Blachford
Maryborough Railway Station Activation Project
Plico Design Studio
Dja Dja Wurrung Country
Photographer Plico Design Studio
Shrine of Remembrance Light Towers • Conservation Studio Australia • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Conservation Studio
Shortlisted • Mygunyah By The Circus • Matt Gibson Architecture Design • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Shortlisted • Mar Thoma Church • RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants • Yorta Yorta Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Springthorpe Memorial • RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants and Sands de Vos • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
St Georges Queenscliff Bell Tower • Conservation Studio Australia • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Conservation Studio
Woomelang Station • Davidson Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Luke David
Projects in this category must be built primarily for commercial purposes, generally falling within BCA Classes 3b, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Jury chair report
With such high-quality projects submitted, it has been an absolute pleasure for the jury to participate in and deliberate over which projects will be recognised this year.
The shortlisted projects ranged from a large commercial workplace, flexible co-working space, small local business and hospitality venues, across inner-city Melbourne and regional Victoria; a showcase not only of excellence in commercial architecture but signifying the broad range of scale and diversity of submissions within the category.
We were treated to guided tours and thorough conversations covering the conceptual, the practical and the technical, followed then by our own challenging and robust jury deliberations. We thank not only the architects, but also the clients and staff members who took the time to show us their workplaces and generously contributed to the conversation.
What was evident to the jury across all projects was the high level of collaboration between client, builder, and
Category sponsor
design team to align goals, ensuring not only commercially viable outcomes but demonstrating a collective commitment to sustainable and social responsibility, contextual sensitivity, and consideration always to the health and wellbeing of the end user.
In particular, the jury was deeply impressed by Sanders Place; starting with the prudent act of strategic demolition, followed by an exceptionally rigorous yet poetic application of sustainable thinking, has resulted in an outstanding and innovative commercial benchmark. The project epitomises a philosophy to interrogate the purpose and necessity of what is built and what is excised and rethinks the modern workplace moving towards a carbon-neutral future.
We congratulate all the shortlisted projects, and we are honoured to shine a light on the outstanding outcome of Sanders Place by NMBW, Openwork & Finding Infinity, the winner of the 2024 The Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award for Commercial Architecture.
Hannah Jonasson FRAIA Jury chair
Joshua Christian Graduate juror
Lucy Clemenger RAIA Juror
Lloyd McCathie RAIA Juror
Sanders Place by NMBW, Openwork & Finding Infinity
Sanders Place is a remarkable and unique retrofit of a 1980s factory building into a modern co-working space, which prioritises and advocates re-use and renewal over replacement. The result is an energypositive workplace that feels more like a home.
The act of demolition is considered equal to construction. Taking a prudent approach, the corners of the existing building are eroded to create courtyard gardens and balconies that draw light and air into the building. The previously impenetrable facade has renewed porosity, contributing to the streetscape and vibrancy of the Richmond precinct.
Curated openings generate a dialogue between old and new, and visual links across the interior drive a sense of collective purpose. A central void cut into the original upper-level slab creates a dramatic entry and communal space. Operable skylights and fabric scrims filter light into the large internal garden enhancing the calm, generous and poetic interior.
Achieving outstanding sustainability credentials, energy
Wurundjeri Country
generation and material minimisation is considered at every moment, with all demolished materials stored and repurposed during construction.
A successful and ambitious collaboration between client, design team and builder, Sanders Place demonstrates an exceptionally innovative and replicable approach to healthy, adaptive and sustainable commercial development for the future.
Practice team: Lucinda McLean (Design Architect), Nigel Bertram (Design Architect), Daniel Bisetto (Project Architect), Rosanna Blacket (Designer), Marika Neustupny (Design Architect), Harry Bardoel (Graduate of Architecture), David Mason (Graduate of Architecture)
The Sir Osborn McCutheon Award for Commercial Architecture
The Sir Osborn McCutheon Award for Commercial Architecture
Award for Commercial Architecture
T3
Collingwood by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects Wurundjeri Country
T3 Collingwood demonstrates conceptual clarity and strength of conviction, resulting in a building which exudes purpose, thoughtfulness, and rigour.
The urban design moves are clear, revealing the neighbouring post-colonial historical shot tower, and continuing a dialogue with the established urban pattern. Setting back the ground level colonnade allows space on the street to gather or pause, enhancing a sense of belonging to the surrounding area.
Designed and delivered within the challenges and constraints of COVID lockdowns, commercial yield drivers and construction market volatility, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects’ steadfast commitment to delivering a quality architectural benchmark is admirable.
T3 responds to human needs and workplace habitation, in this case through tenant’s working week, with extensive access to natural light and views, excellent end-of-trip facilities, and the presence of the mass-timber structure, with all the sensory warmth this material brings.
Judicious restraint is deployed throughout the interior of the project. A reduced material palette of warm timber and red brick against cool galvanised steel, used seamlessly throughout the foyer, lobbies and amenities, contributes to a sense of calm while clearly referencing the site’s recent industrial past.
T3 is applauded for its critical position in commercial design moving towards a post carbon future.
Practice team: Graham Burrows (Design Director), Chris Botterill (Project Director), Jimmy Walker (Project Architect), Sebastian Noguera (Project Leader), Natalie Cain (Graduate of Architecture), Melita Kei (Delivery Support), Tess Wrigley (Interior Designer)
Consultant / Construction team: Duo (Project Manager), Openwork (Landscape Consultant), Scientific Fire (Fire Engineer), Contour (Town Planner), du Chateau Chun (DDA Consultant), Phillip Chun (Consulting Building Surveyor), Altitude (Façade Access Consulting), Rider Levett Bucknall (Quantity Surveyor), AECOM (Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Fire Protection, ESD, Acoustic, Traffic, Façade, Waste), McKenzie Group (Building Surveyor), WRAP Engineering (Peer Review Services Engineers)
Builder: ICON Construction
Photographer: Tom Blachford
Moving away from the ubiquitous singular form, 54 Wellington by Wardle has been arranged as a dynamic assemblage of buildings that deftly addresses a complex site and structural challenges around the existing historical telephone exchange.
The generous primary setback is cleverly balanced by the companion building which holds the street edge, provides human scale to the pedestrian realm and intimate enclosure to a newly inserted laneway.
Reflecting the spirit of Collingwood, the laneway is an inviting arrival experience and extension to the lobby. Moments for engagement and occupation at street level, a well-occupied cafe, and considered entry points, ensure an activated pedestrian realm.
Raw and tactile exterior detailing and materials carry seamlessly into the interiors, offering patina, warmth and contrast. An unexpectedly whimsical wildflower rooftop garden provides a welcome daytime retreat for workers.
The vertical articulation and tailored sun-shading of the upper building facade plays with light, reflectivity and shadow to provide a pleasing textural depth when viewed from afar.
Led by impressive client ambitions and integration of high-performing sustainability and WELLS credentials,
Award for Commercial Architecture
54 Wellington by Wardle Wurundjeri Country
the positive impacts on the quality of the workplace environment are evident and sets 54 Wellington apart as an exemplary precedent for commercial design.
Practice team: John Wardle (Design Architect), Stefan Mee (Design Architect), Mathew van Kooy (Project Architect), James Loder (Project Architect), Alexandra Morrison (Project Architect), Stephen Georgalas (Project Architect), Adrian Bonaventura (Visualisation), Adam Kolsrud (Project Lead), Stuart Mann (Graduate of Architecture), Sharon Crabb (Interior Design), Jeff Arnold (Interior Design), Charlotte Churchill (Project Architect), Barry Hayes (Facade lead), Mark Esbech (Graduate of Architecture), Daniel Sykes (Project Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: Aurecon (Structural, civil, building services, ESD consultant, acoustic consultant), PLP (Building Surveyor), Open Work (Landscape Consultant), GTA (Traffic and pedestrian modelling), Golders (Geotechnical engineer), WP (IrwinConsult) (Fire engineer), Urbis (Town Planner), MEL Consultants (Wind consultant)
Located in the civic centre of Bendigo, Galkangu by Lyons establishes a strong urban presence through its perimeter block typology, and tuned, rhythmic articulation. Clever and nuanced, the form defers at moments, responding to city axis, approaches, and significant established gum trees.
Including extensive engagement with Dja Dja Wurrung community representatives, the serene central landscaped courtyard, omnipresent mass-timber structure, and vibrant staff hub interiors which reference local wildflowers, create a wellconsidered commercial workplace filled with natural light and joy.
Builder: Icon Fairbrother JV
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Galkangu by Lyons
Other entries for Commercial Architecture
Shortlisted
550 Spencer Street
Kennon
Wurundjeri Country
Photographer Kennon Shortlisted
Four Pillars Gin Distillery
Shortlisted • Murran - First Nations
Retail and Arts Hub
Dawn
Wadawurrung Country
Photographer Earl Carter Studio
151 Toorak Rd • Bird de la Coeur Architects
Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Albert Park Hotel • Six Degrees Architects
Bunurong Country • Photographer Simon Shiff
All Saints Estate • Techne Architecture Interior Design • Yorta Yorta Country • Photographer Tom Blachford
Bruce Street • Carr • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Rory Gardiner
Elizabeth North Stage 2 - CSL Global Headquarters and Centre • Cox Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Five Vineyard • F2 Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tim Griffith
The Glenroy Dental Group • Wall Architects • Wadawurrung Country • Photographer Tom Blachford
Industry Lanes • Architectus • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Trevor Mein
Victoria Parade • fjcstudio • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer John Gollings
Spink Street • Peter Ryan Architects • Bunurong Country • Photographer John Gollings
St Germain Toorak • Hassell • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Mount Alexander College (MAC)
Kosloff Architecture
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Educational Architecture
Projects in this category may be any preschool, primary, secondary or tertiary educational facility and/or joint research facilities in
which an educational institution is a significant partner. Education projects may not be entered in the Public Architecture category.
Jury chair report
While a smaller field of entries than in recent years, 19 in all, the quality of those submitted was impressive. Tertiary projects were underrepresented – no doubt reflective of the COVID squeeze on this sector – but there was a healthy balance between public and private school projects across the full gamut of year levels which included several public specialist schools.
The public/private divide presented us with a significant challenge in comparing projects, being mindful not to be unduly swayed by the opportunity afforded by higher budgets compared with the budget restrictions inherent to government projects – nor to be unfairly swayed by their elevated contribution to the common good. There were excellent examples of each which are reflected in the choices we made. A further tussle was between architectural ambition and architectural refinement with the best of the projects demonstrating both.
Category sponsor
Our shortlist of ten – a lot given the number of entries – covered all project types as described and was necessary to cover the quality and diversity of the field, with several projects of genuine merit still having to miss the cut.
The jury was impressed by the focus on a range of critical considerations including pedagogical practice, all abilities inclusion, environmental sensitivity and performance, Indigenous recognition, technical innovation, spatial strategy and contextual response.
The Henry Bastow Award winning project is an exemplary project – a unanimous decision in the end – but this was not an immediate or clear-cut decision, nor were the remaining awards and commendations. After oscillating for some time over the balance of awards and commendations we added additional commendations to reflect the quality of the field, while maintaining an appropriate number of awards given the number of entries received.
James Staughton FRAIA Jury chair
Sarah Mair Graduate juror
Scott Woodward FRAIA Juror
Aimee Goodwin RAIA Juror
The Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture Mount Alexander College (MAC) by Kosloff
Architecture
Wurundjeri Country
Robust yet playful, this building pays close attention to its wider context while providing much needed facilities for this inner-city secondary college. The rich terracotta precast and russet-facade detailing captures the essence of the red brick buildings of the area – an effect magnified by morning and evening sunlight – but with contemporary materiality at an elevated scale.
The pedagogical alignment with the school’s vision is evident, facilitating their vertically integrated senior years curriculum with a considered balance between structure and flexibility. Formal teaching spaces combine with informal gathering spaces which encourage opportunities for self-directed learning and positive social interaction.
The strength of the precast panel facade plays a critical role in articulating the large box form, giving necessary visual texture to the external envelope. In places this offsets the repetition of internal floor plates and elsewhere allows the contained spaces to respond to localised requirements – without compromise –within a clearly defined whole.
This building showcases the best of what the government education system has to offer, providing quality local education for an evolving demographic with evocative architecture. It is embraced by the school community and carried out with impressive finish and care.
Practice team: Stephanie Bullock (Project Director), Julian Kosloff (Project Director), Simon Lobianco (Project Lead), Lance van Maanen (Project Team), Michael Ferrarin (Project Team), Geema Wijerathne (Project Team), Riley KilkennyJones (Project Team), Yuchen Gao (Project Team), Seathrun Hayes (Project Team), Yadamsuren Idenbayar (project Team)
Consultant / Construction team: Philip Chun Building Compliance (Access Consulting), Resonate Consultants (Acoustic Consultant), MBR Tree Care (Arborist), Philip Chun Building Compliance (Building Surveyor), Matter Consulting Engineers (Structural and Civil Engineer), Inhabit Group (Façade Consultant), Focused Fire Engineering (Fire Engineer), A.C Geotechnical (Geotechnical Engineer), Hellier McFarland Pty Ltd (Land Surveyor), GLAS landscape architects (Landscape Architect), Deloitte PDS Group (Project Manager), Wilde and Woollard (Quantity Surveyor), WRAP Engineering (Services Engineering and ESD), Studio Semaphore (Signage & Wayfinding)
Builder: Built Environs
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
The Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture
Clifton Hill Primary School by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Wurundjeri Country
This project provides a generous and playful addition to the streetscape of Clifton Hill. The three-storey building sits comfortably on the corner site, responding to the scale of the surrounding context and acting as an identifiable landmark for the school.
The robust detailing and articulation of the red and green brick facade references the school’s original 19th century building, offering a contemporary response to the crafted and enduring public buildings of this bygone era.
Earthy tones of red brick, timber, plywood, and eucalyptus greens throughout the internal spaces provide a welcome sense of calm and warmth. The material selection, spatial planning and clean lines demonstrate a high degree of care and refinement. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this building is its environmental credentials.
As the first VSBA building designed to Passivhaus standards, it sits as a benchmark for future buildings in this sector to aspire towards. Sustainable design principles have been seamlessly integrated into the design, achieving a low carbon, low maintenance and highly efficient building for the school. Jackson Clements Burrows have set a high bar, proving that architectural rigor and sustainable outcomes do not need to be compromised when delivering a VSBA project.
Practice team: Graham Burrows (Design Director), Thom McCarthy (Interior Designer), James Hoogenbosch (Project Manager/ Architectural Assistant), Damon Van Horne (Project Director), David Burton (Project Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: TTW (Structural Engineer), Inhabit Group (Passivehaus Consultant), Philip Chun (Building Surveyor), GLAS (Landscape Consultant), du Chateau Chun (Accessibility
Award for Educational Architecture
Consultant), Scientific Fire Services (Fire Engineering), Plan Cost (Quantity Surveyor), WSP (Services Consultant)
Builder: Kapitol (base build) and Figurehead (fitout)
Photographer: Peter Clarke
Xavier College Kostka Building by MGS Architects
Wurundjeri Country
Xavier College Kostka Building demonstrates consistent excellence across all facets of the assessment criteria. The sensitive integration of cherished elements from the original Kostka Building preserves the school’s historical legacy while allowing a new chapter to commence. It evokes a sense of familiarity to its alumni while building on its legacy in this new location.
The real star of the show is the exposed Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) structure, which features throughout the internal spaces. Not only does it add to the building’s environmental credentials, but it also serves as the backbone of a rich palette of robust natural materials that balance lightness and darkness, creating a civic feel to the internal circulation paths.
A more colourful, playful palette comes to the fore in the quieter study areas, providing wayfinding cues to guide young students through the
various learning environments and to their classrooms. It is a complex and sophisticated combination that defies conventional expectations for a building of this type.
Externally, the architecture exudes robustness while maintaining the visual connection between the internal day-today activities within, and the thoughtfully designed external landscape spaces that complement and ground the building in its sloping site.
The project strikes a delightful balance between tradition and innovation, familiarity and forward-thinking design.
Practice team: Elliet Spring (Director, Project), Catherine Ranger (Director, Design), Rob McGauran (Director , Urban Design), Joshua Wheeler (Director, Construction), Alistair Nancarrow (Project Architect), John Bezemer (Project Leader), Marta Fisher (Lead Interior Designer), Jake Hartman (Graduate of Architecture), Pulina Ponnamperuma (Architect), Eu-Jin Lo (Interior Designer), Miray Bas (Architect), Tahj Rosmarin (Urban Designer and Architect),
Consultant / Construction team: Case Meallin (Project Manager), Openwork (Landscape Consultant), WSP (Structural, Civil and Fire Services Consultant), Introba (Services and ESD Consultant), Lovell Chen (Heritage Consultant), Resonate (Acoustic Consultant), du Chateau Chun (Consulting Building Surveyor and Access), Phlip Chun (Relevant Building Surveyor), New Learning Environments (Pedagogy and Space Consultant), Inhabit (Facade Engineer), Traffix (Traffic Consultant), Civica (Arborist), WT Partnership (Cost Consultant), STRI Australia (Sports Turf Consultant), Leigh Design (Waste), Diadem (Wayfinding Design)
Builder: Ireland Brown Constructions
Photographer: Tom Ross
Commendation for Educational Architecture
Dandenong High School Design and Technology Hub by Kerstin Thompson Architects
This project artfully explores the potential of adaptive reuse within an educational setting. Situated along Dandenong’s main highway, the building creatively engages with the big-box retail typology, establishing its distinctive identity amid bustling surroundings. The spatial gymnastics of the entry sequence skilfully celebrate the volume of the former gymnasium to reveal the potential of this found space. Thoughtful material selections pay homage to its past while embracing its new educational purpose, exemplifying a harmonious blend of residual infrastructure and innovation.
Builder: Devco Builders
Photographer: Tom Ross
The new performing arts centre for St Patrick’s College is a refined yet robust response to a hard-working brief. The considered spatial planning and careful integration of services allow for a range of uses and modes. The red textured precast panels appear to drape the building like a curtain, the repeating rhythm responding to the more delicate scale of the adjacent heritage-listed building, while offering a sense of monumentality and grandeur along the street frontage. Overall, a highly skilled outcome.
Builder: A W Nicholson
Photographer: Luke Jarvis
North Melbourne Primary School (Molesworth Street Campus) by ARM Architecture
This ambitious project nimbly negotiates a complex brief and difficult triangular site, providing an innovative vertical school filled with joyous learning environments that enrich the lives of those lucky enough to interact with it. The spatial arrangements are complex but deeply functional, with careful consideration of how spaces interact with each other and encourage different learning opportunities. The interiors are vibrant and playful and embrace their Indigenous narratives dynamically and engagingly, inspiring a deep appreciation for diversity and inclusion.
Builder: Hansen Yuncken
Photographer: John Gollings
Wangaratta District Specialist School is a truly joyful building. This sense of joy goes beyond the playful use of colour and sculptural forms. The real delight is the outcome it has provided for the students and the school community. Sibling Architecture have taken the time to truly understand the specific needs of the users. There is a tenderness in its approach, creating spaces which are dignified and calming, yet also engaging and thoroughly uplifting. This building really does make you smile.
Builder: Moretto
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Country: Wurundjeri
Country: Yorta Yorta
St Patrick’s College Performing Arts Centre by Wardle
Wangaratta District Specialist School by Sibling Architecture
Country: Bunurong
Country: Wurundjeri
Other entries for Educational Architecture
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Saint Teresa of Kolkata
Lyons
Wurundjeri Country
Ashwood High School • Content Studio
Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Fern Street Childrens Centre • Zen Architects
Bunurong Country
Photographer Tom Ross
Oakleigh Grammar - Stage 1 • Morea Architects
Wurundjeri Country
Photographer Grant Kennedy
Morwell Trades Skills Centre • GHD Design • Gunaikurnai Country • Photographer Chris Matterson
Monash Innovation Labs • Brand Architects • Bunurong Country • Photographer Blue Tree Studios
Port Phillip Specialist School • Bourke and Bouteloup Architects • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Monash University Caulfield Campus Building B and C Adaptive Reuse • NH Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Marko
St Bernards Margret Tierney Senior Centre • Baldasso Cortese • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Croxton School • Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer John Gollings
Projects in this category must be interior spaces and environments within a new building or the refurbishment of an existing building.
Jury chair report
The jury welcomed the opportunity to consider this incredibly diverse category and how each of the interiors supported a diversity of living, working, social, commercial and community spaces.
The shortlisted projects all displayed a focused design intent and conceptual rigour, ranging in type from commercial, cultural, public, multi-residential as well as remarkable private dwellings. Projects carefully balanced issues and outcomes associated with sustainability, connecting to Country and community engagement.
Site visits were invaluable in understanding the spatial and experiential qualities of each of the projects, while enabling
time for robust conversations between the jury both within and while travelling between projects. Making decisions was tough within a field of high-quality projects. The jury were impressed with the playful, conceptual rigour of the Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) by ARM, where design intent was clearly articulated in the built and experiential outcome, resolving highly complex technical and functional requirements with joyous and effortless public spaces.
We congratulate all the shortlisted projects and the winner of the 2024 Marion Mahoney Award for Interior Architecture.
Aaron Roberts RAIA Jury chair
Leanne Zilka RAIA Juror
Rachael McNally RAIA Juror
Ciaran Snooks Graduate juror
The Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture
Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) by ARM Architecture
Shedding pretension with its street transparency, tight bombastic thresholds and a literal sense of entering behind the curtain, Stage 3 of the Geelong Arts Centre extends a playful, welcoming invitation to the public to engage with theatre. Careful attention to the program and the experiential parade through the building signal and reinforce this message. Beginning with an entry linked to a relaxed street-edge cafe, adjacent to the cinematic, immersive ground foyer and glimpses through the void to the tent-like draping ply ceilings, pay homage to Victoria’s early travelling circuses. Weaving co-design with Wadawurrung and First Nations artists, each of the building’s four levels evokes a different Wadawurrung creation narrative through large-scale integrated artworks. Colour saturated, highly technical, stateof-the-art multifunctional theatre spaces underscore attention to function and detail which feel effortless and joyful. Lobby spaces connect to one another through the grand entry stairs and void spaces heightening the procession experience and audience connectivity. A wonderful sense of contrast exists between the precision
Wadawurrung Country
and performance requirements of the theatres, and that of the loose spacious lobbies, as if parts of the theatre have been turned inside out. All in all, a great deal of fun.
Practice team: Ian McDougall (Project Architect), Andrea Wilson (Interior Design), Jeremy Stewart (Project Lead), Neil Masterton (Design Architect), Beth Solomon (Project Architect), Jenny Watson (Project Architect), Dylan Li (Project Team), Sam Rice (Project Team), Toby Flaye (Project Team), Sia Malek (Project Team), Ross Liddell (Project Team), Georgia Eade (Project Architect), Norin Ahmadpour (Project Team), Stephanie Griffin (Project Team)
Consultant / Construction team: Hanson Associates (Acoustic Consultant), PLP Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor), Meinhardt (Civil and Structural Engineer), Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL) (Landscape Consultant), Glowing Structures (Lighting Consultant), Development Victoria (Project Manager), Rider Levet Bucknall (Quantity Surveyor), Vivid Wayfinding (Signage), Charcoalblue (Theatre Consultants), Introba (Umow Lai) (Services Consultant), MGAC (Access Consultant)
Builder: Lendlease
Photographer: John Gollings
The Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture
Award for Interior Architecture
Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle
Wadawurrung Country
Burnt Earth Beach House embodies a rich tactility and sentiment steeped in collective storytelling, collaborative research, and experimentation. The home displays a masterful control of craft and detail while relishing in material saturation and exploration. Drawing a particular-coloured internal atmosphere from its use of burnt earth –terracotta and brick – balanced by timber ceilings, joinery and purposeful steel detailing. Light and shadow are carefully shaped and drawn across surfaces through concise openings, amplifying the terracotta’s warm hue. The home embodies a lifetime of honing formal and spatial language and a delight in drilling into detail. The living space, a singular continuous volume with a slung study space above, fosters spatial connections horizontally and vertically, folding in plan around a courtyard, creating separation
between dining and living zones anchored by the kitchen at its heart.
A celebration of long relationships with artists, makers and craftspeople of various trades such as upholsterers, textile and fabric makers, furniture designers, joiners and steel fabricators, can be found in the many objects, pieces and details throughout the home. This Incredibly bespoke detailing and construction quality is countered by an intentionally modest scale to all spaces, unfolding experientially as continuous, complex furniture to house the body and mind.
Practice team: John Wardle (Design Architect), James Loder (Project Architect), Chloe Lanser (Project Architect), Diego Bekinschtein (Project Architect), Megan Fraser (Project Architect), Sumeda Dayaratne (Documenter)
Consultant / Construction team: PJ Yttrup & Associates (Civil and structural engineering), Inhabit (Facade consultant), Introba (Hydraulic Consultant), Greensphere (ESD Consultant), SWA (Building Surveyor), South Coast
Fairlie Apartment by Kennedy Nolan Wurundjeri Country
The entry sequence to the celebrated Regency flavoured late-modernist apartment building by Yuncken Freeman Bothers, Griffiths and Simpson, sets in play a palette-cleansing, white crushed-rock valet drive and sublime white spiral stair – the perfect preparation for experiencing this cinematic apartment reconfiguration by Kennedy Nolan. It’s clear, once stepping into the teal, bronze, and mirrored entry hall, reverberating with a flower-wall photographic piece by Dr Christian Thompson AO, we were in for a sensorial treat. Moving from the saturated entry into the main living space, a tonal shift to a calmer, beige volume highlighted with the tertiary hues of late modernism captures the incredible lens across the Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens, drawing its rich green tapestry of colour across the polished plaster ceiling. This room exemplifies the fulfilment of the client brief,
to downsize while holding and celebrating a carefully curated lifetime collection of art and furniture, an interior in the guise of a Wunderkammer. Colour intensity and saturation pick up once more within the intimate sleeping and bathing spaces, where a deft, masterful control of material layering, detail and graphic pop bring a delicious sense of material and spatial delight.
Practice team: Patrick Kennedy (Design Architect), Rachel Nolan (Design Architect), Adriana Hanna (Project Architect), Elizabeth Campbell (Project Architect)
Builder: COMB Construction
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Award for Interior Architecture Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 by Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates
Wurundjeri Country
The relocation of the Koorie Heritage Trust from the periphery of the city to the centre of Melbourne at Federation Square is a deep collaboration between Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associate, the Koorie Heritage Trust community s. The project makes available a wide range of public spaces for the community, allowing access to First Nations knowledge and creative enterprises. The conceptual approach finally reorientates Federation Square towards the Birrarung recalibrating interior circulation and facade openings to frame views to the river – no easy task in the LAB-designed building that is geometrically and materially complex. Narrative-driven way finding is carried out via spatial layering of Koorie patterns and symbolic colours and textures reflecting
Country, together with carefully curated artefacts, educating visitors about the Koorie community and its connection to Country. Visitors are embraced upon arrival with new, much-needed signage and Bunjil canopy, and directed towards the exhibition or meeting spaces. The complex task of reconciling the existing condition with Indigenous sensibilities has been completed in a way that provides an understanding of where the building emanates while pointing to a confident future that embraces Indigenous identity.
Practice team: Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates (Design Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: Waterman (Services Consultant), WSP Australia (Structural Engineer), Arup (Fire Engineer), Philip Chun (Building Surveyor), Philip Chun (Access Consultant), Wilde & Woollard (Quantity Surveyor)
Builder: DLG Shape
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Commendation for Interior Architecture
Up There, a subterranean deep dive into the mnemonic use of colour, delivers graphic material gestures and haptic signifiers with punchy concise spatial planning. Each moment of interaction has been highly considered and precisely detailed. From the tappy metallic shift underfoot giving way to the grounding aurally soft green carpet at the entry, to the elevated and embracing colour saturation of the fitting-room salon to the roughcast curved concession shells holding shifting seasonal displays, to the sharp infrastructural galvanised steel central hanger concealing services, culminating in a cafe to hang while your partner peruses the mirrored sneaker wall – it has it all
Builder: Emac Construction
Photographer: Sean Fennessy
Squarely aimed at testing a potential prototype investigating the social and financial benefits of retrofitting existing apartment blocks within an inner-city environment, Kennedy Nolan and Finding Infinity have thrived in the complexity of an ESD, budget-driven project that proves low cost does not mean poor design. The project must be commended for its positive social and environmental outcomes. Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit demonstrates that modest, clever, and generous design can produce housing that elevates even the tightest accommodation.
Builder: Wilderness Building Co
Photographer: Eve Wilson
Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit by Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity
Up There by Kennedy Nolan
Country: Wurundjeri
Country: Wurundjeri
Other entries for Interior Architecture
Shortlisted • Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre • Jackson Clements Burrows Architects • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Shortlisted • Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity Hub • Jackson Clements Burrows Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Blachford
Shortlisted • Melrose Avenue • B.E. Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Timothy Kaye
Shortlisted • Northcote House • LLDS • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Alpine Apartment • Chandler Architecture • Taungurung Country • Photographer Tom Blachford
Aurecon Melbourne Workplace • JPE Design Studio • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Nicole England
Balwyn House • Wall Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Timothy Kaye
CSL Global Headquarters and Centre for Research & Development • Cox Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Central Goldfields Art Gallery • Nervegna Reed Architecture • Dja Dja Wurrung Country • Photographer John Gollings
Hames Sharley Melbourne Studio • Hames Sharley • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Nicole England
Galkangu • Lyons • Dja Dja Wurrung Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Murran - First Nations Business, Retail and Arts Hub • Dawn Architecture • Wadawurrung Country • Photographer Earl Carter Studio
Memorial Hall- Christ Church Grammar School • McIldowie Partners • Bunurong Country • Photographer Eve Wilson
Brunswick Galley House • Topology Studio • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Thurston Empson
Deco House • Pop Architecture and Karyne Murphy • Bunurong Country • Photographer Willem-Dirk du Toit
Collingwood Football Club Visitor Centre • NH Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Nicholas Smith
Life Cycle • Steffen Welsch Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tatjana Plitt
Garragarrak Witness And Victim Support Centre • Hames Sharley • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Nicole England
Mygunyah By The Circus • Matt Gibson Architecture + Design • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Monash Teaching Learning Spaces • Harmer Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Sarah Anderson
Other entries for Interior Architecture
Rio Tinto Melbourne Headquarters • Woods Bagot • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Sharyn Cairns
Munro Development and narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services • Architect Six Degrees Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer City of Melbourne
Shoreham House • Noxon Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Shannon McGrath
Saint Teresa of Kolkata Teresa of Kolkata • Lyons • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre • NTC Architects and NH Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Riverbend House • Vaughan Howard Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Parkville House • Placement Studio • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
South Yarra House • Pandolfini Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Lillie Thompson
Shakespeare Grove Residence • B.E. Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Victor Vieaux
Xavier College Kostka Building • MGS Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Tarakan Street Social and Affordable Housing • NH Architecture and Bird De La Coeur Architects and Openwork with Tract • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre
Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Photographer: Peter Clarke
Public Architecture
Projects in this category must be predominantly of a public or institutional nature generally falling within BCA Class 9. However, this category does not include projects falling within the definition
Jury chair report
The jury has been privileged to review 25 exemplary submissions that demonstrate a diversity of typologies, scales, and approaches to architecture for public use. This year’s projects include: mobility infrastructure; libraries, galleries, performance venues and museums; hybrid/multiple-use community centres; recreational, sports, and aquatic facilities; high-tech research and mental care hospitals; and reimagined heritage places for community use. Inspiringly, the range extends to considering other living species and landscape systems, including a design for rehabilitating raptors.
Common to all projects are commitment, intelligence, and the willingness to find opportunities to create architectural outcomes that celebrate the connection of communities, the value of civic space, places where society can gather, and designs that encourage diversity and heterogeneity in our public realm. We acknowledge our professional peers and their clients’ appreciation of First Nations profound cultural knowledge and connection to Country. A deep sense of responsibility to place
of Educational Architecture or any BCA Class 9b building used primarily for educational purposes.
and context is richly evident, as is a holistic approach toward sustainability through cultural and science-led climate restorative systems.
The panel sought to shortlist projects that expanded the brief and lead conversations for future generations for measurable social value, civic and climate restorative benefits, and ongoing cultural and economic legacies. The panel looked for a project’s transformational or catalytic potential to initiate change within their contexts. We looked for memorable, surprising, intriguing, joyful, and celebratory projects for well-made architecture that stimulate public discourse and enhance the quality of life for the end users. Creating a shortlist was immensely challenging, so the panel opted for a generous approach, selecting 11 projects across Victoria to experience in person. The panel selections were guided by the awards criteria, and our deliberations were robust, with the input of all jurors respected. We thank our graduate juror for her discernment and contribution to a genuinely intergenerational collaboration.
Ann Lau FRAIA Jury chair
David Wagner FRAIA Juror
Grant Amon RAIA Juror
Mietta Mullaly Graduate juror
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Bunurong Country
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre is a beautifully crafted evocation of its context and an inviting focus for arts and culture on Philip Island. A dynamic spatial fluidity links an auditorium, multi-purpose spaces, library, gallery, museum, meeting rooms and council offices around retained mature eucalypts forming a community courtyard. The seemingly water-coloured washed brick clad form cleverly consolidates this broad brief into a singular, elemental composition, combining two storey, single storey and auditorium into an undulating interpretation of the region’s natural geology and topography.
Stepping through this outer shell reveals a tranquil and welcoming two-storey hospitality space rhythmically ordered by a laminated mountain ash colonnade and lined with spotted gum flooring and warm, blackbutt-faced walling. Sustainability is demonstrated through the low energy, low carbon, thermally efficient Passivhaus envelope which significantly reduces operational energy consumption. Sustainable materials are locally sourced including
carbon-neutral bricks from Wollert, and Gippsland-grown hardwood, further reducing the carbon footprint.
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre is the jury’s unanimous choice for Victoria’s highest accolade in the public category, the William Wardell Award for Public Architecture for its holistic composition of a community’s diverse cultural program into an extraordinarily well crafted and delightful place for gathering.
Practice team: Graham Burrows (Design Director), James Stewart (Project Architect), Thomas McCarthy (Interior Designer), Julie Rabaud (Architectural Designer), Danielle Pacella (Project Architect), Simon Topliss (Project Director), Nick Rosati (Architectural Designer), Ben Pitman (Architectural Designer), Richie Machuca (Interior Designer) Consultant / Construction team: WGA (Structural and Civil Engineer), ADP (Services Engineer & Acoustics), Inhabit Group (ESD, Façade Engineer, and PassiveHaus Consultant), Setting Line (Theatre Specialist), Site Office (Landscape Consultant), Latitude (Signage and Wayfinding), Scifire (Fire Engineer), du Chateau Chun (Accessibility & Consulting Building Surveyor), BSGM (Building Surveyor), Traffix (Traffic Engineer), Slattery (Quantity Surveyor), Greenwood (Arborist)
Builder: McCorkell Constructions
Photographer: Peter Clarke & Victor Vieaux
The William Wardell Award
The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre • Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Photographer: Victor Vieaux
Award for Public Architecture
Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) by ARM Architecture Wadawurrung Country
The juxtaposition of the Geelong Art Centre’s rippling, sculptural facade against the neighbouring 1979 brutalist icon of the Buchan Laird & Bawden’s Government office is an arresting visual and spatial experience.
The theatrical concrete draping energises the street, announcing a remarkable world within. It offers a welcome that is democratic, fun, and without judgment. It invites us to come in, gather, and enjoy.
In the internal world, formal hierarchies of cultural centres are abandoned, divisions removed between players and audience, between high, popular, entertainment, circus and other arts; the dazzling gender-inclusive restroom emulates the multiple-level foyers as the pre-eminent space for people watching. Spaces operate as theatre/cinema sets, transforming just as theatrical forms metamorphise.
The Geelong Arts Centre is anchored by two theatres, each with its unique significance. The Open House,
a 250-seat space, evokes the grandeur of a memorial hall and opens to a landscape, extending the performance outdoors. The larger Story House, with a capacity of 550, is a moody, warm, velvety space, co-designed with Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong artist Tarryn Love as the symbolic fire pit/hearth of the centre, representing the heart of artistic expression.
Inventive, ingenious, engaging, joyous: The Geelong Arts Centre is empathetic and human-focused architecture filled with collaborative voices.
Practice team: Ian McDougall (Project Architect), Jeremy Stewart (Project Lead), Andrea Wilson (Interior Design), Jenny Watson (Project Architect), Georgia Eade (Project Architect), Beth Solomon (Project Architect), Sam Rice (Project Team), Toby Flaye (Project Team), Ross Liddell (Project Team), Norin Ahmadpour (Project Team), Sia Malek (Project Team), Stephanie Griffin (Project Team) Consultant / Construction team: Hanson Associates (Acoustic Consultant), Meinhardt (Civil and Structural Engineer), Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL) (Landscape Consultant), Glowing Structures (Lighting Consultant), Development Victoria (Project Manager), Rider Levet Bucknall (Quantity Surveyor), MGAC (Access Consultant), Vivid Wayfinding (Signage), Introba (Umow Lai) (Mech
+ Electrical Services), PLP Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor), Charcoalblue (Theatre Consultants) Builder: Lendlease Photographer: Peter Foster
Award for Public Architecture
Munro Development and narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services by Six Degrees Architects
Wurundjeri Country
Located at the central city edge, where the corner site meets the expanses of the Queen Victoria Market, Six Degrees have wonderfully woven a complex and community-based project into the very fabric of our city. Centered around a contextual response to a multi-layered program, interlaced with community aspirations and services, the Munro Development features a new library, family support services, social housing, community rooftop garden terrace, retail offerings and laneway connections that collectively knit function and design to city life.
Within a very cost-efficient delivery, this project duly achieves its aim to integrate the locations’ given city masterplan, adeptly connecting surrounding buildings, carparks, access
routes and pedestrian walkways for exemplary public amenity, opportunity and discovery. Through a collaborative design process involving extensive Indigenous collaboration, sustainable design, social equity and a simple yet layered material palette, the texture, colour and life of the project exudes a sense of the city in all its manifestations. To cap this off, the super graphic signage with ambiguous text adorning the perforated metal screens, completes a micro to maxi scale strategy that epitomises the nature and joys of an integrated urban life. The project is a welcome addition to the city and public of Melbourne.
Practice team: Peter Malatt (Project Director), Michael Frazzetto (Design Director), Luke Braakhuis (Documentation Lead), Mastura Mokhtar (Project Lead), Ryan Weybury (Documentation)
Award for Public Architecture
Consultant / Construction team: Simpson Kotzman (Services Consultant), RED Fire (Engineer), Tract (Town Planner), Codus (Building Surveyor), Architecture & Access (Access Consultant), PDG (Developer), Webber Design (Structural Engineer), Ark Resources (ESD Consultant), Introba (Services (fitout)), Bush Projects (Landscape Consultant)
Builder: Hamilton Marino (basebuild and apartments), Buildcorp Group and Pirotta (fitout)
Photographer: Nick Bebbington
Preston Level Crossing Removal Project by Wood Marsh Architecture
Wurundjeri Country
Bell and Preston stations are a tour de force in railway design, illustrating that stations can at once enhance the enjoyment of travel and the public realm, satisfy the technical demands of transport infrastructure and still be great pieces of architecture. Bell and Preston stations are iconic and readily identifiable from both the train and their built environments.
Preston Station, adjacent to the popular market, has been inspired by the colour and movement of the market with pleated coloured folds to become a polychromatic beacon among the market’s transient visual kaleidoscope. Bell Station by contrast is in a quieter, more residential environment and has taken an expressive cue from the suburban roofscape to provide relief to precast concrete paneled walls, captured above by a glazed top light. Swathes of landscape beneath the elevated rail lines have been released
to the public accommodating shared user paths, playgrounds and gathering spaces. Extensive Indigenous co-design has created culturally inclusive spaces as well as contributed to the articulation and detail of the project.
The successful interpolation of the many technical demands upon railway stations knitted into colourful and sculptured architecture, makes the Preston Level Crossing Removal Project a worthy winner of an architecture award for public architecture.
Practice team: Roger Wood (Design Architect), Mitch Keddell (Project Architect), Emma Seaton (Graduate of Architecture), Mary Spyropoulos (Graduate of Architecture), Sida Feng (Graduate of Architecture), Elia Cuadrado (Graduate of Architecture), Thomas Harrington (BIM/ Technical), Andrew Pope (BIM/ Technical), Vanessa Jackson (Architect), Jesse Gould (Architect) Consultant / Construction team: KBR (Acoustic Consultant), KBR (AV Consultant), Philip Chun (Building Surveyor), John Holland Group (John Holland Group), KBR (Electrical Consultant), KBR (Structural Engineer), KBR/ John Holland
Group (ESD Consultant), KBR (Hydraulic Consultant, Tract (Landscape Consultant), Electrolight (Lighting Consultant), KBR (Services Consultant), John Holland Group (Quantity Surveyor), Philip Chun (DDA Consultant)
Builder: John Holland Group
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Award for Public Architecture
The Boronggook Drysdale Library by Antarctica Architects and Architecture Associates
Bunurong Country
The Boronggook Drysdale Library is a robust, joyful, and generous civic building. It advocates for a broader definition of public client by incorporating nonhuman habitat to the building’s rooftop. This native landscape supports the ecology of the wider site and promotes an all-encompassing view of who public architecture is for.
The architects have skilfully navigated challenging site conditions by strategically ‘building in the round’. Adjoining interfaces, access points and varying site levels are neatly swept up and funnelled into a coherent civic building and public forecourt. A network of pedestrian pathways demonstrates an inclusive landscape strategy, one that seamlessly integrates universal access at gradients free of handrails.
On approach, the building’s sweeping facade and reflective undercroft unfolds with an element of surprise and delight. Its anamorphic form and glazedbrick pattern (like scales on a reptile) are reflective of a uniquely Australian identity – one that is accepting of difference and celebrates Country.
Consultant / Construction team: ARGALL (Structural Engineer), BCA Engineers (Services Consultant), Atelier Ten (ESD Consultant), Fytogreen (Green Roof Consultant/ Subcontractor), Zinc Cost Management (Cost Consultant), Ratio (Town Planner)
Builder: Nicholson Construction
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Commendation for Public Architecture
Country: Wurundjeri
The Koorie Heritage Trust is a well-executed, public project that embodies the aspirations of its client. Through a clever reworking of interior spaces and the peeling back of outer layers, the architects have adapted the existing building to meet the needs of their client, and not the other way around. Meaning, Indigenous matters are prioritised and not forced to fit within existing structures. This defiant approach to business-as-usual connects users to Country.
Builder: DLG Shape
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Country: Wurundjeri
The Round has a dignified civic presence with its high level of architectural virtuosity and built craftsmanship in becoming a new cultural hub for the Whitehorse community. Engaging thoroughly with local Indigenous connections and histories, this sophisticated building with its diverse program seamlessly integrates landscape, ecology, sustainability, and infrastructure to become a premier event and performance facility.
Builder: Kane Constructions (building) and Building Engineering (car park)
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 by Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates
The Round by BKK Architects + Kerstin Thompson Architects
Other entries for Public Architecture
• Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach Stations • Cox Architecture with Rush Wright Associates • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
• Raptor Rehabilitation Centre, Healesville Sanctuary • Harrison And White • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Rhiannon Slatter
Shortlisted
Shortlisted
Central Goldfields Art Gallery • Nervegna Reed Architecture • Dja Dja Wurrung Country • Photographer John Gollings
Bendigo Botanic Gardens, Larni Garingilang Central Hub • GHD Design • Dja Dja Wurrung Country • Photographer Trevor Mein
Lewin Reserve Pavilion • Kennedy Nolan • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Nevett
Korumburra community Hub • fjcstudio • Bunurong Country • Photographer John Gollings
North Williamstown Station • Denton Cocker Marshall • Bunurong Country • Photographer James Taylor
Olivine Sports Pavilion • Canvas Projects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Sunshine Mental Health and Well being Centre • NH Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre • Warren And Mahoney • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Powerhouse Place • Public Realm Lab • Millewa-Mallee Country • Photographer Tom Ross
The Alba • Fender Katsalidis • Bunurong Country • Photographer Willem Dirk duToit
Shortlisted • Victorian Heart Hospital • Conrad Gargett (now merged with Architectus) • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Merrifield Pavilion • Davidson Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Luke David
Shortlisted • Wirrng Wirrng • Kerstin Thompson Architects • Wadawurrung Country • Photographer Leo Showell
Glenroy Station • Genton • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Ned Kelly Discovery Hub • Content Studio • Yorta Yorta Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Mansard House
Studio Bright
Photographer: Rory Gardiner
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Projects in this category must be residential in nature, generally falling within BCA Class 1a, and must include renovations or alterations or additions to an existing building, whether or not the
building was residential in nature in the first instance. Projects with up to two self-contained dwellings may be entered in this category.
The Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) category is commonly the largest in the Victorian architecture awards program. However, with reduced residential construction during the pandemic, 2024 saw a marked drop in the number of entries in this category, with just 27 projects entered for consideration. Of these, the jury shortlisted 14, with five projects recognised, including one named award, three awards, and a commendation.
Projects of particular delight were those attentive to the personalities and lives of their residents. In Bob’s Bungalow, Blair Smith Architecture draws together a loose collection of his client’s fancies with deceptive ease. In Brunswick Galley House, Topology Studio recalls their clients’ years spent living on a boat. In Ember, MRTN creates sanctuaries for creativity and refuge that could only result from deep client collaboration.
The jury noted a trend towards projects with minimal or no extension works. In some instances, this has been a consequence of tightening purse-strings, in others, a growing awareness of the environmental impacts of construction.
Category sponsor
Whatever the cause, it is encouraging to see architects making the most of existing building fabric. Notable examples include Studio Bright’s Mansard House, Fowler & Ward’s Smith House, Vaughan Howard’s Riverbend Repair, and SSdH’s Stewart.
In each case, there has been a distinct and loving consideration for the qualities of the existing house, honouring the materials, forms, details and spatial planning of our architectural heritage. Restorative architecture, nevertheless, attentive to the needs of contemporary life.
Our collective reverence for the architectural styles of times past is a notable feature of the current moment. Is this a timely shift towards working with what we’ve got, or the symptom of a culture reluctant to identify with its future? What do our architectural predilections say about our moment in history? Such questions inevitably arise when surveying architecture that grapples with what is old and what is new
Jury chair report
Michael Roper RAIA Jury chair
Madeline Sewall RAIA Juror
Jacqueline O’Brien RAIA Juror
Andrew MacKinnon Graduate juror
The John and Phyllis Murphy Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Mansard House by Studio Bright
Wurundjeri Country
Sometimes it takes vision to see what we already have. It would have been easy to demolish this house and begin again. Instead, Studio Bright had the clarity to imagine what could be made of this 70’s gem, drawing out its charms with subtlety and grace while deftly attending to its shortcomings.
While the home remains within its existing footprint, artful remodelling of internal walls has relaxed the formality of living spaces and revealed views to adjacent parklands, simultaneously improving internal daylighting and natural ventilation.
Indeed, daylighting can be a challenge for a house with dark walls and a deep plan. Studio Bright have opted to work with these qualities. Battened shafts lend atmospheric light to the darker reaches of the plan, improving visual comfort without ridding the home of its shadows.
The material palette strikes a similar line, balancing lightness and reflectivity with a textural heft befitting the deep tones and metallic sheen of
the brickwork. The effect is earthy and protective, but never oppressive.
Externally, the house remains intact. The only noticeable addition is a band of finely crafted concertina balustrades. This inspired addition echoes the bold horizontality of the mansard roof above, and sensitively grounds the house in its landscape. Here to stay. .
Practice team: Melissa Bright (Principal and Design Director), Maia Close (Project Architect), Pei She Lee (Pei She Lee), Rob McIntyre (Director for Design Realisation)
Consultant / Construction team: Metro Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor), Meyer Consulting (Engineer), Sam Egan Gardens (Landscape Consultant)
Builder: ProvanBuilt
Photographer: Rory Gardiner
The John and Phyllis Murphy Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Mansard House
Studio Bright
Photographer: Rory Gardiner
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Bob’s Bungalow by Blair Smith Architecture Wurundjeri Country
Unassuming from the street, this 1930s Californian bungalow offers glimpses of a modest one-storey renovation beyond. The classic charm of the bungalow’s entry is enriched by a light-filled hallway enticing you towards the extension. The transition through the home is articulated with a shift in floor, wall, and ceiling materiality, where the existing hall sweeps up a curved ceiling to a linear skylight and along exposed rafters that extend through full height glazing into the northern garden.
A step down from a concrete slab to a warm terracotta-tiled kitchen and dining area accentuates the space’s volume, while a sunken lounge provides comfort and intimacy. A controlled material palette of steel and timber is consistent throughout the entire home, from timber beams, wall panelling, battens and joinery, to steel columns, fenestrations, brise soleil and kitchen benchtop.
Efficient planning and delightful detailing, such as an anthropomorphic cabinet in the ensuite, cantilevered cabinetry in the kitchen, and concealed
television in the lounge, are a testament to the architect’s deep understanding of their client’s brief. Bob’s Bungalow is a lovingly curated project in memory of a beloved pet, and an exemplary collaboration between an architect and owner-builder.
Practice team: Blair Smith (Project Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: Smitcon Consulting
Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor), Marcon & Tedesco
O’Neill (Structural Engineer), EnergyLab (ESD Consultant), Karl Schnell (Facade Engineer)
Builder: Mark Howland
Photographer: Tom Ross
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Ember by MRTN Architects Wurundjeri Country
Upon arrival at this suburban block, nothing unexpected can be seen from the street. A landscaped path invites the visitor down the side yard, winding around mature trees and native grasses, before opening to a small creek flanked by two striking timber structures. Both curious and comfortable in the landscape, these objects peel apart from one another, inviting the visitor to rock hop across a fishpond, slipping in between. Tall and short, light and dark, flexible and specificeach unit is meticulously designed for its unique occupant, yet in a language cohesive with one another and in conversation with the original CHI house.
Crafted and whimsical, the structures nestle into the landscape and feel like a supreme discovery. Ember reminds us how powerful and playful architecture can be when an architect puts effort into unpicking a client’s personal narrative and representing them so completely. Thoughtfully
designed, lovingly built, and clearly adored, Ember sparked joy for the jury and is well worthy of celebration.
Practice team: Antony Martin (Design Architect), Michaela Prunotto (Student of Architecture), Michaela Bonetti (Project Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: Charlie Ritsikos (Engineer), Nick Stone Joinery (Cabinetmaker)
Builder: Rod Greaves
Photographer: Anthony Basheer
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Smith House by Fowler and Ward Wurundjeri Country
In an era obsessed with new, oversized housing and market-driven renovations to secure investment returns, Smith House boldly inverts the discussion to one of quality and character resulting in a delightfully revitalised family home.
This 70s brown brick is a celebration of our built cultural heritage from post-war southern European migrants that Fowler and Ward have creatively reimagined. Careful edits have unlocked and restructured the segmented living spaces while providing modern comforts and volumes with only an additional 8sqm added to the footprint - showing an astute sense of spatial economy. While these considered additions and insertions are in dialogue with the detail and charm of the existing home, materially Fowler and Ward stay on theme celebrating timber panelling, laminate, brick, amber glass and tessellated tiles. Skylights and new openings create a soft and consistent wash of light across the new entry and living spaces to provide relief and
connection to the backyard – a decidedly fresh and light feel.
Smith House is a confident and charming template for future suburban renovations by doing more with less through adaptive reuse, and a case for maintaining our cultural heritage that instils a sense of belonging and pride for each new generation.
Practice team: Jessie Fowler (Design Architect), Mikaela Prentice (Graduate of Architecture), Tara Ward (Architect) Consultant / Construction team: Maurice Farrugia & Associates (Structural Engineer), Miniscape Projects (Landscape Consultant), Grimbos Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor), Energylab (ESD Consultant, Civil Consultant)
Builder: Never Stop Group Photographer: Martina Gemmola
Brunswick Galley House by Topology Studio
A light and bright, robust family home, Galley House is punctuated with fun and personal details that speak to the client’s nostalgia for living aboard a houseboat in a previous life. The interior of the space is warm and tactile, colourful and lovingly considered. We delighted in exploring the hardworking plan that balances cozy moments for daily rituals, with long views and family connection. Galley House is a skilful renovation that brings joy, personality and amenity to this charming bungalow.
Builder: Technique Construction Group
Photographer: Thurston Empson
Other entries for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Country: Wurundjeri
Shortlisted
Maar Country
Photographer Martina Gemmola
Shortlisted
Mygunyah By The Circus
Matt Gibson Architecture + Design • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Shortlisted
Northcote House
MA+Co
Wurundjeri Country
Photographer Tom Ross
Shortlisted
Quarry House • Winwood Mckenzie
Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Rory Gardiner
Shortlisted
Riverbend House
Vaughan Howard Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Shortlisted • Stewart • SSdH • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Pier Carthew
Brunswick West House • NARDEL Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Pier Carthew
Deco House • Pop Architecture and Karyne Murphy • Bunurong Country • Photographer Willem-Dirk du Toit
Habitat House • Ben Callery Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Marnie Hawson
Northcote Abode • BQ architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Space Craft
The minamere • Jesse Ants Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Sophie Tomaras
Little OG • mcmahon and nerlich • Bunurong Country • Photographer Shannon McGrath
Shoreham House • Noxon Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Shannon McGrath
Life Cycle • Steffen Welsch Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tatjana Plitt
Northcote Terrace • Evissa • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Lisa Cohen
Villa Rotunda • WOWOWA Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Motif House • Peter Winkler Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Jack Lovel
The Linton House • Sonelo Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Pier Carthew
Mansard House
Studio Bright
Photographer: Rory Gardiner
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Projects in this category must be residential in nature, generally falling within BCA Class 1a, and must be new builds. Projects with up to two self-contained dwellings may be entered in this category.
Jury chair report
The jury enjoyed a diversity of opinion and assessment considerations which established respectfully robust discussions about the projects at hand.
A total of 34 projects were presented with 12 shortlisted. The range of projects ranged in scale and budget, from high-end luxury to budget conscious owner-builders constructing their family home. The projects were located on tight inner-city sites, suburban quarter-acre blocks, as well as coastal and rural homes.
The shortlist captured the diversity of the projects. Well established practices with larger budgets and scale, demonstrated the importance of experience to produce high-level designs of exceptional quality and detail. Emerging practices also featured strongly, working with limited means producing inspiring design responses paving the way forward for responsible costeffective design outcomes, with many lessons to be learned for prospective housing both on a mass scale and bespoke
architectural designs. All the shortlisted entries displayed strength and creativity in their design response toward the site context, the particularities of their clients’ needs and budget, as well as providing sustainable design responses with careful consideration of natural amenity.
The final awarded houses reflect this diversity of scale, budget and context. All demonstrate a clear conceptual framework and innovative use of materials and budgets with embedded sustainable design responses through all aspects of the design process.
The jury’s consideration of future housing and subsequent discussions are emblematic of current key concerns for Victorian architecture. We believe the awarded houses offer examples of excellence at all scales, budgets and locations throughout Victoria which will contribute to the advancement of architecture.
Fiona Dunin FRAIA Jury chair
Mel Bright FRAIA Juror
Alexander Lake RAIA Juror
Jennifer Chen Graduate juror
Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Naples Street House by Edition Office
Naples Street House successfully integrates into its suburban context while challenging its oversized neighbours about the possibilities on a typical suburban block. Its humble street presence with single-storey gable profile carved from brick, references its interwar past while reflecting the twin elders of this multigenerational home in the dual roof forms.
The folding roof forms define the internal spaces in the undulating ceiling while curating views of the sky and neighbouring trees as you circumambulate the central courtyard. A singular outer material is counterbalanced internally with modest plywood linings and burnished concrete. These simple materials are elevated in the richness of the detail, establishing strength in its materiality and confidence in restraint.
The plan of the house continues the efficiency of the design offering a myriad of opportunities and ways of living while ensuring every space is occupied and its use maximised. While the house strongly reflects clients’ particularities, it offers opportunities for a different model
Wurundjeri Country
of suburban housing that could extend beyond this singular design.
This cohesive and tailored architectural response demonstrates the strength of the architect interpreting client needs and site in a restrained and modest house full of light and joy.
Practice team: Kim Bridgland (Design Architect), Aaron Roberts (Design Architect), Erin Watson (Project Architect) Consultant / Construction team: Detail Green (ESD Consultant), Florian Wild (Landscape Consultant), Measure Consulting Engineers (Structural Engineer)
Builder: Format Group
Photographer: Tasha Tylee
Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle
Wadawurrung Country
Burnt Earth Beach House is a house in vigorous conversation with its site and its inhabitants. The plan is expertly sculpted to the light and views while carefully considering the daily movements of the people within and around it.
Materiality is at the core of its connection to the surrounding landscape. Custom hewn and glazed bricks reflect the local flora as well as the scorched earth of the nearby cliffs. Each twist and turn of space and form has a raison d’être with a whimsical reply. The architecture is a gallery of Wardle’s love of craft and detail, and a laboratory for testing his ideas and exploring materials’ potential and possibilities. His long-term relationships with makers, craftspeople and artists are celebrated in every element, and every space.
Every moment within and around the house is a testament to the enduring
practice of architecture and its refinement over time. It is a house full of love for its occupants and its makers, and the craft of architecture.
Practice team: John Wardle (Design Architect), James Loder (Project Architect), Chloe Lanser 9Project Architect), Diego Bekinschtein (Project Architect), Megan Fraser (Project Architect), Sumeda Dayaratne (Documenter)
Consultant / Construction team: PJ Yttrup & Associates (Civil and structural engineering), Inhabit (Facade consultant), Introba (Hydraulic Consultant), Greensphere (ESD Consultant), SWA (Building Surveyor), South Coast (Bushfire Consultants), Brett Essing Landscapes (Landscape construction), Security Power (Security), Tract (Town Planner)
Builder: Spence Construction
Photographer: Trevor Mein
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Courtyard House by Clare Cousins Architects Bunurong Country
Courtyard House reinterprets the local corner shop typology into a modest and generous home that shares its courtyard garden with the street. The difficult site constraints have been negotiated in a series of efficient formal moves that belies the amount of program within. Upperlevel bedrooms are concealed within the roof form and the lower living rooms all benefit from the courtyard garden outlook. Materiality is sensitive and restrained, responding to the original shop and the weatherboard homes in the area.
The corner shop has allowed a zero-setback street response, challenging conventional planning setbacks, resulting in an architectural response which considers and contributes to the local streetscape. This project is an admirable example of an infill project that has managed to balance density with a sensitive and site responsive design
outcome that contributes to the lives of the inhabitants and the city. Permeability and privacy are carefully balanced to ensure there is opportunity for both connection and retreat. This is a singular and cohesive solution that navigates the complexities of heritage, orientation, scale and amenity.
Practice team: Clare Cousins (Design Architect), Oliver Duff (Project Architect), Tom Goodchild (Project Architect), Timothy Mettam (Graduate of Architecture), Yaseera Moosa (Graduate of Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: Ipsum Structures (Structural Engineer), RBA Architects & Conservation Consultants (Heritage Consultant), Eckersley Garden Architecture (Landscape Consultant), Urbis (Town Planner)
Builder: Original Projects
Photographer: Tom Ross
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Six Ways House by Kennedy Nolan
Bunurong Country
Six Ways House is a compelling example of civic-minded architecture in a residential context. Set within the established heritage of Fitzroy North, the prominent corner block interfaces a busy roundabout, neighbourhood pub and significant native trees. The response demonstrates a thoughtfulness towards these aspects of people and place, inverting the public functions of the home to the first floor and challenging arbitrary assumptions around neighbourhood character, privacy and connection.
The architecture embraces this duality; balancing prospect and refuge along with generosity and intrigue; all within a compact and highly responsive building. This choreography has been followed through meticulously. Six Ways House imparts an abstraction of the site’s complex surrounds while responding in dialogue, reflecting proportion,
texture, and other idiosyncrasies of the neighbourhood.
Predominant brick forms are purposefully stoic, providing necessary privacy and retreat in contrast to the open surrounds. Simultaneously, a series of crisp steel lanterns have been carefully detailed to filter and reflect the activity of the occupants, cleverly conducting a theatrical dialogue with the street.
Practice team: Rachel Nolan (Design Architect), Patrick Kennedy (Design Architect), Victoria Reeves (Design Architect), Dominic Wells (Project Architect), Susannah Lempriere (Design Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: Webb Consult (Structural Engineer), Metro Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor), Urban Digestor (ESD Consultant)
Builder: Ben Thomas Builder
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
The suburban home is transformed into a series of thoughtfully composed concrete volumes. This project holds a distinct architectural language as each design move is strategically made with intent and careful consideration. Voids, openings, and views through layered spaces come to define the project, with natural light consciously sculpting the interiors. The distinction between form and space produces a sophisticated outcome, where each space is as delightful as the next.
Builder: Elite Property Group
Photographer: Trevor Mein
Sweetwater House is a carefully crafted and thoroughly considered home for a young, dynamic family. Its thoughtful design approach is reflected in the rigour of the plan, the organisation of the spaces, and the precision of the construction methodology. Adhering to a strict grid and datum, this project celebrates the constraints of working with Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). While exploring ideas of proportion and scale, and the direct relationship this may have on the comfort of a space. This project is a balance between the personal, playful and rigour.
Builder: Owner builder
Photographer: Tom Blachford
Award and Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Adelaide Street House by Robert Simeoni Architects
Sweetwater House by Christopher Botterill and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Country: Wurundjeri
Country: Bunurong
Other entries for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Shortlisted • Dennis House
Photographer Tom Ross
Shortlisted • South Yarra House • Pandolfini Architects
Wurundjeri Country
Photographer Rory Gardiner
Balwyn House • Wall Architects
Wurundjeri Country
Photographer Timothy Kaye
Deans Marsh House
Maar Country
Esplanade House
Bunurong Country
Gable Park • Weaver and Co Architects
Bunurong Country
Photographer Tasha Tylee
Home Pavilion • MRTN Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Projects in this category must be residential in nature and comprise of or include two or more self-contained dwellings (whether or not the building includes uses for other purposes).
Jury chair report
The 2024 multi-residential category included a wide variety of project types: student accommodation, Aboriginal housing, aged care living, Indigenous school boarding house accommodation, retrofit walk-up units, commercial conversion to apartments, multi-townhouse development and medium- to high-rise towers offering single-bed studio apartments to luxury penthouses.
A positive trend this year was the increase in social and affordable housing projects and their level of architectural resolution, in the face of demanding budgets, briefs and value management. The Victorian Big Housing Build is welcomed and gaining significant momentum to start addressing the considerable gap in the State’s social housing stock.
The jury was encouraged by the quality of projects given the procurement and delivery challenges associated with the COVID epidemic, cost escalations and rising inflation. The
commitment to locally sourced materials and workmanship has underpinned a greater awareness of the impact of sustainability over the life of a building. The jury noted the increasing shift to electrification and a client-led brief to deliver carbon-neutral apartment buildings. Socially minded goals, through brief development and overall program, further supported a depth to the cross section of projects entered. The effects of the Better Apartment Design Standards are finally being realised in built outcomes and improving baseline amenity. The opportunity remains for apartment standards to evolve and align with policy objectives for design quality, as evidenced in NSW.
The most successful projects were able to achieve consistent design quality and elevate the role of architecture to support amenity, sustainability, social cohesion and liveability.
David Islip FRAIA Jury chair
Simon Knott FRAIA Juror
Mark Austin RAIA Juror
Georgia McCole Graduate juror
The Best Overend Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing)
Ferrars & York by Six Degrees Architects
Ferrars & York, designed by Six Degrees Architects, is a wonderful example of how sustainability can be integrated seamlessly into well-considered multiresidential architecture. Apartment living that is resolved, comfortable and engaging. Twenty-two carbon neutral homes built on under-utilised land, between a busy road and a light-rail tram line, seizing the opportunity to harness natural light, cross ventilation, and uninhibited views.
One and two bedroomed apartments with unique three-bedroom duplexes are provided, with much consideration given to how people live in a multi-residential environment. There are social spaces that encourage community, such as a landscaped roof terrace and generously proportioned common entry gantries.
While Ferrars & York is highly efficient in regard to servicing and structure, thoughtful design and the use of responsibly sourced materials, strategically placed tiles, stained glass and timber, show warmth, texture, and durability.
The building is powered by 100% renewable energy, featuring airtight
Wurundjeri Country
construction with a HRV unit in each apartment and a high level of acoustic performance, resulting in significantly lower energy bills and lower carbon footprint.
Six Degrees Architects demonstrate best practice in sustainable design, with a strong emphasis on community.
Practice team: Horaci Sanchezct (Project Lead / Design), Caroline Moureau (Documentation and construction lead), Ryan Weybury (Documentation), Mark McQuilten (Construction Oversight), James Legge (Project Director / Design), Simon OBrien (Director / Design and visualisation) Consultant / Construction team: SBLA (Landscape Consultant), HIP V. HYPE (ESD Consultant), Edge / Robert Bird Group (Structural Engineer), ECM Group (Services Consultant), Dobbs Doherty (Fire Engineering), Checkpoint (Building Surveyor), Traffix (Traffic), Leigh Design (Waste Consultant)
Builder: Ironside
Photographer: Dan Preston
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing)
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School Boarding House by McIldowie Partners Wurundjeri Country
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) Boarding House has been delivered to provide accommodation for Indigenous secondary school students from the Northern Territory and regional Victoria. Designed by Mclldowie Partners, MITS is exemplary in its embedding of cultural safety into a design process and outcome.
In meaningful contrast to the heritage colonial surrounds, the building successfully foregrounds Indigenous narrative through an operable perforated screen designed by Melbourne based artist, MITS teacher and Gunmok woman, Lorraine Kabbindi-White.
The materiality of MITS has clearly been carefully considered, resulting in spaces that are calming and durable. Similarly, artworks, furnishings, and fabrics designed by Indigenous artists have been thoughtfully woven throughout the design and selected from the six regions that students call home, an example of the power of collaborative design processes to cultivate connection to Country and a sense of cultural safety.
MITS successfully delivers flexible living spaces with a series of generous rooms that can be openly reconfigured. These operate in dialogue with the courtyards sited on the northern, and southern site boundaries, creating a flexible gathering space that can accommodate the entire MITS cohort or a range of smaller groups.
This thoughtful, flexible space stands as a testament to the value of deliberative and collaborative design.
Practice team: John McIldowie (Design Architect), Bridget McKid (Graduate of Architecture), Emma Ross-Edwards (Interior Designer), Stefanie Greiner (Design Architect), Laura Binazzi (Design Architect), Lisa West (Signage & Wayfinding Designer)
Consultant / Construction team: NJM Design (Services Consultant), Design Guide (Building Surveyor), Ipsum Structures (Structural Engineer), Ratio (Town Planner), Marshall Day (Acoustic Consultant), SBE (ESD Consultant), Before Compliance (DDA Compliance), IND Windows (Facade), Lorraine Kabbindi White (Indigenous Artist), Edwina Green (Indigenous Artist), Russellina Puruntatameri (Indigenous Artist)
Builder: Kane Constructions
Photographer: Tom Ross
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing)
Markham Avenue by Architectus
Wurundjeri Country
A renewed commitment to public housing is evidenced with five tenure-blind buildings, of 178 social and affordable homes, which sit comfortably in an established residential context, setting a new precedent for design quality. Highly considered master planning has protected the site’s established trees, maximising retention and integrating with the riparian character of Gardiners Creek. Universally accessible outdoor spaces and boardwalks establish a hierarchy of pathways that support public connections beyond the site. The community experience is enhanced by embedding car parking within the site’s topography, intuitive wayfinding, and communal gardens. Internal stair circulation includes visual connection to the landscape and natural light from the stairwells. The number of apartments, serviced by the core on each level, are
minimised to create a more connected cohort in the buildings.
Apartment layouts have been optimised, exceeding the minimum standards to achieve high internal amenity. Corner apartments are light-filled, afforded by the dual aspect with cut-out corners to maximise outlook. Ground floor apartments are activated with their own sense of address from the street and park. The robust use of patterned brickwork of varying hues externally and restrained interiors show attention to detail in the context of a challenging brief.
Practice team: Oliver Mayger (Principal in Charge), Stephen Perkins (Project Leader), Madeleine Joyce (Interior Design Lead), Thomas Chung (Delivery Lead), Hugh Veale (Team Member, Architecture), Zoe Teltscher-Taylor (Team Member, Interior Design), Joel Lee (Senior Team Member, Architecture), Linton Hart (Team Member, Architecture), Thurston Empson (Team Member, Architecture), Sarah Hanley (Team Member, Interior Design), Virgil Lay (Senior Team Member, Architecture), Fran White (Team Member,
Architecture), Joey Azman (Team Member, Architecture), Jennifer Chi (Team Member, Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: Ontoit (Project Management), Built (Contractor), WSP (Structural & Civil Engineering), Stantec (MEP Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Hydraulic, Fire Services), Vertical Transport, Sustainability/ESD, Acoustic), MALA (Landscape Architect), ID Lab (Signage Consultant), proUrban (Town Planner), OneMileGrid (Traffic Engineering), Leigh Design (Waste Consultant), McKenzie Group Consulting (Building Surveyor), Architecture & Access (Access/DDA Consultant), Reeds Consulting (Land Surveyor), SCL (Architectural Specifier)
Builder: Built Pty Ltd
Photographer: Peter Clarke
Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing)
Inkerman + Nelson is to be praised for delivering a housing offering that differs to the standard apartment development. Each townhouse responds to its position on the site, providing a medium density typology well-suited to families. A strong street presence, responding well to the existing fabric through a well-considered street interface to living areas, is mediated by small level changes and screen plantings. The architects have worked hard to address the siting challenges higher density developments often fail to overcome.
Builder: Minicon Construction (Aust)
Photographer: Tom Ross
On what was a much-loved site and business for Melburnians, the architects have inserted a well-considered and contemporary mix of retail, apartments and office space that appears like it has been there for some time. It draws heavily from the history of the site; through the retention of the leafy soaring courtyard space, and the repurposing of the original brick materiality. The dwellings are thoughtful, generous and draw on the architect’s long history in crafting environments for living.
Builder: Marino Construction Management Pty Ltd
Photographer: Tom Ross
Inkerman + Nelson by MA+Co
The Nursery on Brunswick by Clare Cousins Architects
Country: Wurundjeri
Country: Bunurong
Other entries for Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing)
Shortlisted • 17 Spring Street • Bates Smart • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Bellfield Social Housing Project • ARM architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Hurstmon • Telha Clarke • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Tan Tat • SJB • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Shortlisted • Aboriginal Housing Victoria • Breathe
Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Andrew Wuttke
Blythswood Townhouses • Jack Fugaro • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dave Kulesza
Iglu Melbourne Central • Bates Smart • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Felix Mooneeram
Shortlisted • Tarakan Street Social and Affordable Housing • NH Architecture, Bird de la Coeur Architects and Openwork with Tract • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Shortlisted • Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit • Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Eve Wilson
Dunlop Avenue, Ascot Vale - Big Housing Build • Hayball • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Hayball
HousingFirst Marlborough Street • Baldasso Cortese • Bunurong Country • Photographer Elizabeth Schiavello
Kodawari • T-A Square • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Ukiyo • K2LD Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Jeremy Wright
R. Iconic Stage 1 • Plus Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Victoria and Vine • Cox Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennett
Thornbury Canopy
Gab
Olah
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Small Project Architecture
Projects in this category will be those considered to be “small” in terms of area or budget. Projects are recognised that have been constrained by space or cost restrictions, but have achieved a level of invention, creativity and craftsmanship despite these constraints.
Jury chair report
The Small Project Architecture category was brilliant at catching our imagination and suggesting ways of practicing architecture. We visited architecture that was provocative and contemplative yet ultimately instructive and available.
We were searched for projects that upheld the values of the Institute and demonstrated architecture’s potential to extend beyond its constraints to affect positive change. These surpassed familiar notions of design and invited clients and the public to engage with design, the environment and their circumstances and to find delight in doing so.
The commended and awarded projects stand as an exemplar of each practice and, we hope, for the profession:
Melbourne Now: Community Hall (an installation from 2023) leapt out of its presentation pages as a vibrant and inclusive experience, inventive in its concealment of utility behind the familiar form of a bleacher, curved to welcome guests and contain events. (This
This category can accommodate projects, typically projects in the public realm, which may be over-looked against larger scale projects in other categories or may be transient or experimental in nature. Projects of all functional types may be considered.
is) Air held an idea of imperfection, of time and of imminent life against the enduring mass of Grounds’ NGV wall in a receptive form no less imposing. Macarthur Street Amenities Pavilion exploded the toilet upgrade brief to reconfigure the school entry and provide a gathering space and the stage for assemblies and daily performances.
We were thrilled with all of our encounters but never more than with our visit to the eventual winner of the Kevin Borland Award, the Thornbury Canopy. The architect Gab Oláh mistook a simple brief for a verandah for a Swiss army knife: Imagining all the other things that we might need a canopy to do, he conjured a magical experience changing at the whim of the clients and even its own, subtly, in the strongest of breezes. An experience that has transformed the way the occupants understand their place and its nature. This project captured our idea of what architecture might also be and is.
Simone Koch RAIA Jury chair
Aaron Lougoon RAIA Juror
Natalie Miles RAIA Juror
Jamie Danino Graduate juror
Thornbury Canopy by Gab Olah
Wurundjeri Country
Jose Quetglas’ Fear of Glass: The Barcelona Pavilion opens with this evocation: “the puppeteer usually places on the ground, at the start of his presentation, a rug, a rope, or a hat, whatever is necessary to define the space in which the figures will interact, thus separating it from the undefined space of the audience. In this conventional frame, so precarious and ephemeral in its definition, the figures are permitted anything. A clothespin can become a transatlantic ship, a gun, or a dog biting a cop’s rear end”.
This description of the frame perfectly fits the curious canopy we found propped off the face of a Thornbury house. As its architect Gab Oláh performed the sequential routine of sliding roof panes the magical play of the seasons and nature’s fleeting gifts unfolded before us, implicating the house and its occupants in this perpetual show. Two swings, in memory of childhood summers, take centre stage beside a laconic faded hammock. Small decorative vines furtively replace the expectation of grapes or passionfruit from an old neighbour’s yard. The figures
here are permitted anything yet seemingly everything has already been imagined and brought into play by this fastidious auteur.
Practice team: Gab Olah
Consultant / Construction team: DSL Consulting Pty
The Kevin Borland Award for Small Project Architecture
The Kevin Borland Award for Small Project Architecture
Thornbury Canopy • Gab
Olah • Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Award for Small Project Architecture
Macarthur
Street Amenities
Pavilion by Searle x Waldron Architecture
Wadawurrung Country
The Macarthur Street Amenities Pavilion is a masterful example of architects exceeding a simple brief to deliver more with less.
In this project, the deceptively simple brief of a school bathroom refurbishment takes a back seat to the extra amenity provided: a stage; an outdoor learning space; and a reinvented accessible entry to the primary school – all under a simple but joyous canopy. The bathroom refurbishment itself is well considered and vibrant, including a new DDA-compliant accessible bathroom lacking from the original layout.
Seeing potential in the existing structure, a low-brick amenity block typical of schools across the state, the architects found spatial efficiencies within the bathroom layouts to provide additional storage and DDA-compliant bathroom while simultaneously reducing the internal footprint. This allowed for the project’s
main offering, a vibrant verandah canopy connecting the much-loved existing mural by local artist Travis Price to the street.
The exuberance of this project is contagious, showing the value of architecture in the simple structures of everyday life.
Practice team: Suzannah Waldron (Design Architect), Pearl Dempsey (Project Architect), Hannah Zhu (Graduate of Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: Creo Consultants (Structural Engineer), S.P.A. Consulting Engineers (Services Consultant), Travis Price Illustrator (Mural Artist), C & M Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor)
Builder: BowdenCorp
Photographer: Emma Cross
Commendation for Small Project Architecture
Country: Wurundjeri
A 14-metre ‘lung’ slowly breathes in the NGV garden. Stand close enough and you may feel it exhale. (This is) Air is a contemplative architecture acting as an invitation to reconsider our relationship to air, making it both visible and tangible. Watching the enormous, white sphere, mechanically breathing, swaying in the breeze and then reclining on the ground, you become acutely aware of your environment. At times disconcerting, the impressive commission is a reflective experience for its observers.
Builder: Studio Eness (Technical Consultant)
Photographer: Ben Hosking
Country: Wurundjeri
For the 10th edition of Melbourne Now, BoardGrove Architects re-established Community Hall as the central performing and gathering space of the exhibition. Bold modular yellow bleachers both welcomed participants through their open curved form and enclosed the performers in an intimate theatre setting. The flexibility of the space created comfortably matched the flexibility of the program, befitting various performances, workshops and talks. The simplicity of the design allowed the space to fully celebrate the art and artists of Melbourne Now.
Builder: Artazan Alliance Pty Ltd
Photographer: Eugene Hyland
(This is) Air by Nic Brunsdon
Melbourne Now: Community Hall by BoardGrove Architects
Other entries for Small Project Architecture
Shortlisted
Adesina
Shortlisted
13th Beach Surf Life Saving Club
atelier Architects • Wadawurrung Country
Photographer Nic Stephens
Design Wall 2023 • Hassell and National Gallery of Victoria • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Earl Carter
Johnny Loo Portable Restrooms • J. Kidman Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Elisa Watson
The Waratah Studio - Chelsea Australia Garden Olinda • Decibel Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer John Gollings
Village 21 Preston Pilot • NH Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Memorial Room • Jolson Architecture and Interiors • Bunurong Country • Photographer Timothy Kaye
Urban Design
Projects in this category may be single buildings, groups of buildings or nonbuilding projects, studies or masterplans, which are of public, civic or urban design in nature. Awarded projects
Jury chair report
The Urban Design category was a colourful mixed bag this year spanning rail, ground transport, multi-residential, mixed use, education, cultural and commercial buildings, civic gathering spaces and even a pier. All shortlisted projects went beyond their brief to challenge project assumptions, explore new thinking, and set new benchmarks.
Awarded and commended projects are distinguished by their careful analysis of context and the opportunities they have created to make urban connections beyond their project boundaries. While some of these connections are yet to be completed and will be validated by community usage patterns over time, better access and better amenity has been strongly propagated.
must have enhanced the quality of the built environment or public domain or contribute to the wellbeing of the broader community.
These projects have been imprinted by meaningful First Nations’ engagement and robust stakeholder consultation. Collaborative design partnerships were particularly evident in shortlisted projects, with special recognition given to the landscape architects involved in the awarded and commended projects. In every case the landscape was full of care and delight and was a large part of the positive experience when visiting the projects.
Congratulations to all shortlisted projects and deep thanks to those awarded and commended projects which show us the enduring value of architectural design thinking and the positive outcomes that result from engaging with community and collaborating with design colleagues.
Ruth Wilson LFRAIA Jury chair
Bahman Andalib RAIA Juror
James Loder RAIA Juror
Michaela Prunotto Graduate juror
The Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design
Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab
Powerhouse Place is a benchmark for our time; an exemplar of doing more with less and putting the human experience at the core of every design decision. It balances Country against the industrial heritage of its place, ensuring the mighty Murray River remains the hero of the precinct while a new level of amenity offers a myriad of possible experiences in a generous and welcoming way.
The flexibility inherent in every design move is impressive, each element has been carefully crafted to be multifunctional for both public and private uses, day and night, and in all seasons. Three new buildings are assembled around the historic Powerhouse, one is the framed footprint of the former boiler house, the amenities block slides in as a green lozenge constructed from hemp concrete, and the cafe gathering space is crowned with a translucent sawtooth that glows at night.
Powerhouse Place is knitted into its context, a collection of shapes, typologies and eras of buildings which work because of the spaces in between them. Nothing is wasteful or elaborate,
Millewa-Mallee Country
it honestly expresses itself and inspires us to imagine how we could be within it –gathering, learning, socialising, celebrating, truth telling, relaxing, and enjoying.
Practice team: Anna Maskiell (Design Architect), Mitch Gow (Project Architect), Philip Ward (Director), Stacey Ng (Documentation Support)
Preston Level Crossing Removal Project by Wood Marsh Architecture and Tract Wurundjeri
The Preston Level Crossing Removal project masterfully redefines rail infrastructure, transforming it into a vibrant artery of civic life and community engagement.
Both Preston and Bell stations are more than mere transit nodes; they are landmarks uniquely reflecting and contributing to the character of their communities. Employing bold colours and distinctive facades, each station builds upon its local urban fabric – Bell featuring a landscape amphitheatre that playfully extends the nearby Darebin Arts & Entertainment Centre, while Preston captures the bustling energy of the Preston Market, mirrored in both its facade and an expansive, flexible undercover space.
Inside, the stations offer expansive, secure spaces that combine functionality with grandeur, complete with clear, accessible entries that welcome all. The
Country
connecting landscape is a meticulously crafted urban corridor of green spaces designed for leisure, engagement, and rejuvenation, enriched with native plantings and a deep commitment to Indigenous co-design, creating both educational and functional community spaces.
This project exemplifies the crucial role architects play in pushing the boundaries of transport infrastructure to better shape communities and establish a paradigm for stations as catalysts for community identity and growth.
Practice team: Roger Wood (Design Architect), Mitch Keddell (Project Architect), Emma Seaton (Graduate of Architecture), Mary Spyropoulos (Graduate of Architecture), Sida Feng (Graduate of Architecture), Elia Cuadrado (Graduate of Architecture), Thomas Harrington (BIM/ Technical), Andrew Pope (BIM/ Technical), Vanessa Jackson (Architect), Jesse Gould (Architect)
Consultant / Construction team: KBR (Acoustic Consultant), KBR (AV Consultant), Philip Chun (Building Surveyor),
Commendation for Urban Design
The Munro Site exemplifies innovative urban design, seamlessly integrating diverse housing typologies and public spaces within a vibrant mixed-use environment. It establishes an active urban edge prioritising pedestrian movement through a widened footpath and a network of laneways, enriching Melbourne’s laneway culture. The ensemble of elegant built forms and engaging streetscapes enhance the legibility and identity of the Victoria Market precinct. Noteworthy for its meticulous integration of artworks, preservation of heritage structures, and the delightful moments woven into its fabric, it stands as an exemplary energetic urban hub.
Builder: Hamilton Marino and Mirvac Construction
Photographer: Kane Thompson
John Holland Group (John Holland Group), KBR (Electrical Consultant), KBR (Structural Engineer), KBR/ John Holland Group (ESD Consultant), KBR (Hydraulic Consultant, Tract (Landscape Consultant), Electrolight (Lighting Consultant), KBR (Services Consultant), John Holland Group (Quantity Surveyor), Philip Chun (DDA Consultant)
Builder: John Holland Group
Photographer: Peter Bennetts
Tarakan Street Social and Affordable Housing by NH Architecture, Bird de la Coeur Architects and Openwork with Tract
Tarakan Street Social and Affordable Housing proffers an optimistic urbanism, where density, affordability, and landscape flourish in dialogue. Skilfully massed, the housing is contextually agile. It steps from homely townhouses to civic proportions of six levels, respectfully evading the canopies of 20 mature trees and providing 130 comfortable homes in the same space as 13 homes across the road. Abundant public/private gradients are interwoven dexterously throughout with particular care given to the privacy of the ground level apartments. This is a rigorous, generous architecture.
Builder: Besix Watpac
Photographer: Dianna Snape
Munro Site - Queen Victoria Market Precinct by Bates Smart and Six Degrees
Country: Wurundjeri
Country: Wurundjeri
Other entries for Urban Design
• Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach Stations • Cox Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Shortlisted
Shortlisted • Altona Pier • Jackson Clements Burrows Architects + Site Office + AW Maritime • Bunurong Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Shortlisted • Fleming Park • fjcstudio • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Trevor Mein
Elizabeth North Stage 2 - CSL Global Headquarters and Centre for Research & Development • Cox Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Galkangu • Lyons • Dja Dja Wurrung Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Saint Teresa of Kolkata • Lyons • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) • ARM Architecture • Wadawurrung Country • Photographer Peter Foster
The round • BKK Architects + Kerstin Thompson Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Derek Swalwell
Glenroy Station • Genton • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Victoria And Vine • Cox Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
North Williamstown Station • Denton Cocker Marshall • Bunurong Country • Photographer James Taylor
Shortlisted • NELP Bulleen Park & Ride • Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design with GHD & CPB • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dianna Snape
Xavier College Master Plan Stage 1 - Central Precinct • MGS Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Sustainable Architecture
This category recognises projects which excel as architecture, and also display innovation and excellence in terms of environmental sustainability.
Jury chair report
Sustainability in architecture is the most exciting and important part of our industry. We are in a climate emergency, and we need to address it head on. As architects, we have the ability to influence how buildings are designed and constructed, even deeper, what they are constructed of – this holds more value than people realise. The materials we choose and specify within buildings have the capacity to create real industry shifts.
There is still a long way to go as an industry to decarbonise the built environment. However, this year’s awards program has instilled a sense of hope, creativity and
appreciation of how so many of us are taking steps to make positive change. There have been buildings made of Victorian mass timber, carbon neutral bricks and bio-based materials which are by-products from other industries. Further, many of the projects we had the privilege of visiting this year are made of materials local to their sites, some within 5km.
Like most years in the sustainability category, the awarded and commended projects are varied in scale. However, they each have something in common – they are conscious of the climate we live in and are taking active steps to change this reality. We believe this year’s projects build upon last year.
Elizabeth Campbell RAIA Jury chair
Hazel Porter RAIA Juror
Robert Mosca RAIA Juror
Temitope Adesina Graduate juror
Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab
Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab reconnects the Mildura CBD and community to the Murray River. The project revitalises a neglected postindustrial site, transforming it into a hub for community and connection. The project demonstrates exemplary sustainable design principles through adaptive reuse, materiality, and community engagement.
The approach is underpinned by asking the right questions of how best to reuse, and where required to build new with material choices that have a positive impact on the environment by sequestering carbon. The first of their kind in Australia.
The existing Powerhouse structure was retained and repurposed, minimising demolition and waste. Salvaged materials, like the roof sheeting, were incorporated into the new design, providing deep shade to the hot climate. Native vegetation and mature tree preservation is prioritised, increasing the site’s canopy cover.
Sustainable transportation is encouraged through dedicated pedestrian
Millewa-Mallee Country
and cycling paths, promoting active lifestyles and reducing reliance on cars. The design’s flexibility anticipates future development within the masterplan.
The jury was impressed by the extensive community consultation leading to a deep understanding of community needs, promotion of local business and inclusion of social enterprise. By prioritising both community and environmental responsibility, Powerhouse Place sets a model for future development in Mildura and provides an example for how to build less to give more.
Practice team: Anna Maskiell (Design Architect), Mitch Gow (Project Architect), Philip Ward (Director), Stacey Ng (Documentation Support)
The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture
The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture
Northcote House by LLDS is a provocative addition to the Westgarth context, drawing in key views and offering glimpses of an extraordinarily crafted internal environment. The three-level terrace house transforms a previously unused carpark on a service lane with its street address composed of exposed skeletal roof eaves floating between the two boundary walls, with hints of the undulating surfaces of the roof garden above.
Loaded with native planting, the roof acts as a thermal blanket with strategically placed skylights punctuating the ceiling ribs to bring light through the open stairwell to the library at ground level.
The jury was impressed with the explorations that David and Paul have been able to execute as the clients, architects, owner builders, and researchers for this meticulously crafted and holistically considered home. Materials were considered for their longevity, thermal performance, and
Award for Sustainable Architecture
Northcote House by LLDS
Wurundjeri Country
honesty, with very few finishing surfaces evident. The house further expresses sustainability ambitions and outcomes by integrating design for deconstruction and advanced manufacturing processes and Passivhaus principals seamlessly to create highly crafted spaces and solutions.
Northcote House demonstrates a refreshing approach to local, lowembodied energy materials and an ongoing commitment to testing how the integration of sustainable building systems can enhance the lived experience.
Practice team: David Leggett (Project Architect), Paul Loh (Principal Designer), Nan Li (Graduate of Architecture), Psyche Yuhan Hou (Graduate of Architecture)
Consultant / Construction team: Bollinger+Grohmann (Structural Engineer), TGA Engineer (Structural Engineer), Torple Energy Ratings (ESD Consultant), Roniak Group (OffForm Concreter), Power to Make (Roof and Stair fabricator), Metro Building Surveyors (Building Surveyor)
Builder: Foundation Constructions Pty Ltd
Photographer: Tom Ross
Commendation for Sustainable Architecture
Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit demonstrates a comprehensive engagement with issues extending beyond the subject site, notably seeking to challenge the demolition of existing housing throughout the State. In the face of a housing and climate crisis, this retrofit initiative stands as an exemplar, characterised by the conscientious approach to sustainability.
The jury was impressed by the materiality and upgrades to operational systems that are well-considered. This ethos was admirably embraced by the entire project team, from client and consultant to builders.
Builder: Wilderness Building Co
Photographer: Eve Wilson
Preston South Primary School acts as a conduit for imparting, championing, and advocating sustainability objectives to its students, the broader community, and the extensive building program overseen by the Victorian School Building Authority.
Designed with Passivhaus principles, the jury was impressed by the commitment to operational sustainability, notably underpinned by a rigorous and pragmatic integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Addressing climate and material sustainability, social responsibility, resources, and equity by cleverly weaving the school’s pedagogical philosophy.
Builder: APM Group
Photographer: Thurston Empsom
Preston South Primary School by Kerstin Thompson Architects
Country: Wurundjeri
Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit by Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity
Country: Wurundjeri
Other entries for Sustainable Architecture
Shortlisted • Aboriginal Housing Victoria • Breathe • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Andrew Wuttke
Shortlisted • Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre • Jackson Clements Burrows Architects • Bunurong Country • Photographer Victor Vieaux
Shortlisted • 550 Spencer Street –Catching the Sun • Kennon • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Kennon
Shortlisted • Clifton Hill Primary School • Jackson Clements Burrows Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Clarke
Shortlisted • Ferrars & York • Six Degrees Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dan Preston
Shortlisted • Sweetwater House • Christopher Botterill and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects • Bunurong Country • Photographer Tom Blachford
Shortlisted • Life Cycle • Steffen Welsch Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tatjana Plitt
Shortlisted • Dennis House • Olaver Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Shortlisted • Sanders Place • NMBW, Openwork & Finding Infinity • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Peter Bennetts
Shortlisted • Cloud Street • Steffen Welsch Architects • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Shortlisted • Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre • Warren and Mahoney • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Roe
Sweetwater House
• Christopher Botterill and Jackson Clements
Burrows Architects
• Photographer: Tom Blachford
COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
The COLORBOND® Award recognises projects in which steel products play a significant role in the architectural solution and which exemplify innovation in the use of steel products. Use of
Jury chair report
The COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture showcased a strong and diverse field of entries. One of the pleasures of judging this award is the discussions around the comparative value of architecture in different typologies, contexts, locations and budget ranges.
The prevalence of steel within architectural projects, as evidenced by the diverse array of entries, shows its pivotal role in contemporary design. This year’s submissions compromised an equitable distribution between residential and public buildings, this mix was mirrored in the shortlist, indicative of the material’s widespread application and relevance across architectural typologies. We saw custom cladding colours, complex steel structure, intricate patterned screens, industrial steel in residential applications, and steel used to meet bushfire protection requirements.
Throughout lockdowns and amid disruptions in the global supply chain, a notable trend emerged; architects increasingly
BlueScope products, including COLORBOND®, is a criterion for selection or award.
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turned to steel as an economical choice for cladding and roofing solutions. It is relatively cheap, wears well, is easy to manipulate on site and is readily available.
While the utilisation of steel was a requisite criterion for consideration, it is evident that the awarded projects excelled not merely due to their material choice but also due to their intrinsic architectural merit. They were generous in their siting, had strong conceptual agendas, met and went beyond client briefs and budgets, were aesthetically appealing and just enjoyable spaces to occupy.
Despite the commendable quality of this year’s nine submissions, the pool of entries remained relatively modest. Most architectural projects include an element of steel, we would encourage broader participation in forthcoming years of the award to reflect the wider industry’s achievements in this category.
James Wilson RAIA Jury chair
Evie Blackman RAIA Juror
Millicent Anderson RAIA Juror
James McLennan Graduate juror
COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
Sweetwater House by Christopher Botterill and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Bunurong Country
Botterill’s family home hosts a conceptual narrative that is architecturally intelligent whilst considering a deeply personal brief –both are compelling. A response to COVIDera supply chain interruptions resulted in a unique use of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) construction – innovative in a residential context with the result creating a warm and deeply inviting frame with a natural timber interior. Botterill refines this system and successfully layers family life into its rigid dimensions, with intimate and generous spaces responding to needs for quiet and social alcoves that edge open spaces.
With its exterior wrapped in a pure galvanised steel facade, the siting and interface with the public and private realms has been dealt with in a simple and effective manner. The balance of privacy to the street yields a generous public meeting place for the local community and reveals a roof form that allows views to the Sweetwater creek – a local waterway that the Botterill family are restoring in an equally important civic gesture.
The raw use of materiality reveals every element is working hard, and careful
detailing internally and externally creates an outcome that harmonises simple materials into a thought-provoking home.
Practice team: Chris Botterill (Project Architect)
• Christopher Botterill and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
• Photographer: Tom Blachford
The Round by BKK Architects + Kerstin Thompson Architects
BKK + Kerstin Thompson Architects have worked hard to transform a beloved institution, succeeding on a number of complex briefed fronts while creating a community asset that feels generous and warm.
The building flows from one space to the other in an easy manner, and the public realm creates an urban dialogue that feels genuinely connected to its suburban context. The architectural collaboration is unified here, a true melding of thoughtful design moves to create a flexible civic asset.
Builder: Kane Constructions (building) and Building Engineering (car park)
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Other entries for COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
Shortlisted • Shoreham House • Noxon Architecture • Bunurong Country • Photographer Shannon McGrath
Country: Wurundjeri
Sweetwater House
• Christopher
Botterill and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
• Photographer: Tom Blachford
Knox-Schlapp
Peter Elliott
Photographer: John Gollings
Maggie Edmond Enduring Architecture Award
Buildings of outstanding merit that, considered in a contemporary context, remain important as high quality works of architecture. Open to buildings in Victoria of at least 25 years of age.
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Knox-Schlapp by Peter Elliott
Bunurong Country
Forty years ago, Victoria’s Ministry of Housing pursued an active strategy of providing social housing across inner city Melbourne, using experiments with urban infill housing typologies. It was a visionary initiative. Led by the ministry’s John Devenish, young and progressive architectural practices were invited to explore new ways of giving dignity, coherence and amenity to modest houses. One of the program’s most significant outcomes was the Knox Schlapp Housing Development in Graham Street, Port Melbourne, designed by Peter Elliott in 1984 and completed in 1985.
Thirty-nine family units were located in a single perimeter block on a former industrial site next to the decommissioned Port Melbourne gasometer. Elliott’s aim was, in his words, “to normalise social housing by retaining the traditional house-to-street pattern and integrate it into the surrounding public realm.” Conceptually, each little ‘house’ was part of a much bigger ‘house’. Each unit had a small courtyard front and back and a front door that opened directly to the street. Everyone had an address. The
perimeter block, which ranged from two, three and four storeys, was organised around a large, shared courtyard garden. Today, this exemplary piece of public housing remains intact and in public ownership. Its gardens and trees have matured, and there is evidence that it is much loved. The Knox Schlapp development shows that public housing can set new benchmarks for urban design, and in the making of place and home. It is also a reminder of a time when architects and government worked together as agents of positive change and for the public good.
The Maggie Edmond Enduring
Knox Schlapp Housing Development for the Ministry of Housing
Practice team: Peter Elliott, Lindsay Holland, Michael Phillipson, Mike Tanner, Daryl Smith Photographer: John Gollings
The Maggie Edmond Enduring Architecture Award
Knox-Schlapp
Peter Elliott
Photographer: John Gollings
Wangaratta District Specialist
The EmAGN Members of Sibling Architecture
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
EmAGN Project Award
The EmAGN Project Award is a celebration of a project that has come about through the process of valuing and recognising the contributions members of the EmAGN demographic make, in the
Jury chair report
The EmAGN Project Award celebrates excellence by acknowledging projects where members within fifteen years of graduation and ten years of registration have made significant contributions to a project in the areas of leadership, collaboration, and expertise and quality of architecture.
This year, the entries comprised a wide range of typologies, locations, and scales – showcasing the epic contribution of the EmAGN cohort to the profession. Six projects were shortlisted for site visits which occurred across two days. These included Wangaratta District Specialist School by Sibling Architecture, 550 Spencer Street – Catching the Sun by Kennon,
areas of leadership, collaboration and application of expertise and quality of architecture.
Dennis House by Olaver Architecture, Steward by SSdH, Murran by Dawn Architecture and Bob’s Bungalow by Blair Smith Architecture.
To assist in the decision-making process, the jury put together a scoring table for the shortlisted projects, evaluating each against the EmAGN award criteria and sustainability checklist. Upon the conclusion of site visits, the unanimous winner was Wangaratta District Specialist School by Sibling Architecture. Awarded for its palpable collaborative approach, growth of expertise for a project team within the EmAGN cohort and exceptional built outcome.
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Ingrid Bakker LFRAIA Jury chair
Malisa Benjamins RAIA Juror
Alix Smith RAIA Juror
Isobel Moy RAIA Graduate juror
EmAGN Project Award
Wangaratta District Specialist School by The EmAGN Members of Sibling Architecture
Yorta
Yorta Country
The project demonstrated a collaborative leadership approach between a practice director in the EmAGN demographic and a graduate team member, who grew into the role of project architect throughout the project’s duration. Leadership was particularly evident throughout the sensory design zones, as the team were challenged to draw upon insights garnered from Sibling’s experience in exhibition design to champion innovative sensory solutions within the VSBA framework and tight budget.
The project team demonstrated their commitment to collaboration, actively involving end-users and specialists throughout the design process. The team interrogated the initial design brief, to enrich the building’s functionality and flexibility through extensive end-user consultation. This ensured that the project has a high-level of research and understanding embedded within the design, to meet the diverse needs of students and educators.
The built outcome is a playful, thoughtful, and a highly functional
response, expertly balancing a challenging brief and tight budget. The jury believes the project sets a new benchmark for the design of inclusive spaces and exemplifies best practice in designing for students who have clinically diagnosed intellectual disabilities. The outcome is dignified, responsible and delightful.
Practice team: Amelia Borg (Design Architect), Lauren Crockett (Design Architect), Hannah Lim (Student of Architecture), Rafid Hai (Graduate of Architecture), maria Gutierrez (Project team member)
Builder: Moretto
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Wangaratta District Specialist
The EmAGN Members of Sibling Architecture • Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Other entries for EmAGN Project Award
Shortlisted • Bob’s Bungalow • Blair Smith Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Shortlisted • 550 Spencer StreetCatching the Sun • Kennon • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Kennon
Shortlisted • Stewart • SSdH • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Pier Carthew
Shortlisted • Dennis House • Olaver Architecture • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross
Shortlisted • Murran - First Nations Business, Retail and Arts Hub • Dawn Architecture • Wadawurrung Country • Photographer Earl Carter Studio
Wangaratta District Specialist School
The EmAGN Members of Sibling Architecture • Photographer: Derek Swalwell
Emerging Architect Prize
The Emerging Architect Prize recognises an emerging architect’s contribution to architectural practice, education, design excellence and community involvement.
Emerging Architect Prize
Bradley Kerr RAIA | Winsor Kerr
Bradley Kerr’s impact on our architectural profession is profound, resonating across practice, advocacy, education, and community engagement. He worked within several architectural practices before co-founding Winsor Kerr, a collaborative practice that focuses on exploring opportunities for Country-centered design responses.
As a member of the Institute’s First Nations Advisory Committee, Bradley has been instrumental in embedding First Nations criteria into architectural education, urging the profession to acknowledge and respect diverse cultural perspectives. His contributions to the Architects Accreditation Standing Panel ensure that university courses align with revised competency standards, shaping the next generation of architects to be more attuned to cultural heritage and stewardship.
Bradley’s involvement in the Institute ’s Conference Committee amplifies Indigenous voices within the profession, facilitating critical dialogue on reconciliation and decolonisation efforts. His dedication extends beyond
professional obligations to voluntary work with organisations like the Quandamooka Truth Embassy, advocating for Indigenous rights and cultural preservation.
Bradley is a member of the Victorian Chapter Council, the curator of the BLAKitecture forum for the 2023/2024 season, is on the advisory panel for MPavillion and continuously volunteers time speaking at public events. He is generous with his time in the pursuit of educating all architects in their responsibilities to Country.
Kerr’s multifaceted contributions epitomise excellence, reshaping the architectural profession towards a respectful and appropriate engagement with First Nations peoples and the Country we live and work on. Understanding the conversation is far from over, the jury commends Bradley’s achievements to date and anticipates the award as a platform to further his advocacy work.
Photographer: John Gollings (project)
Bates Smart Award for Architecture in Media
The Bates Smart Award for Architecture in the Media is Australia’s most prestigious media award for journalists, editors, producers and event organisers working in the field of architecture and
design. It is an annual award to encourage and to recognise media discussion of architecture.
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Claudia Fleuter RAIA Jury chair
Dr Maycon Sedrez Juror
John Doyle RAIA Juror Bates Smart is
Advocacy Award
Papulu-ku Nyinjjiki (Seeing Houses)
by Simon Robinson
Papululu-Ku Nyinjjiki (Seeing Houses), an exhibition, forum, and publication by Wilya Janta and OFFICE, communicates the systemic issues with Indigenous housing, the undersupply in the Northern Territory and describes the ongoing work of Wilya Janta to generate meaningful change. Elders, academics, health professionals and architects were brought together in a public forum to share experiences and discuss housing issues with a particular focus around Tennant Creek. The recorded forum aired on ABC Big Ideas, broadening the public reach of this critical issue. The publication was deeply moving with diverse content from Dreaming Stories and stunning landscape photography to illustration of the bleak realities of government housing. The work of Wilya Janta to provide culturally appropriate housing is documented in this publication in a clear and concise manner. The proposed plans and images of the first Wilya Janta home provides hope for a new standard of living deeply connected with the culture and the environment. Impressively, as part of the exhibition, funds were raised through the sale of artwork by the Tennant Creek Brio artist collective with proceeds going towards construction of the first house; a demonstration house which will become home to Norman Frank Jupurrurla and Serena Morton Napanangka.
We commend the Wilya Janta and OFFICE team for raising awareness and for their vision, innovation and valuable contribution to Aboriginal housing that is respectful, culturally safe and climate appropriate. Through cross-cultural collaboration on the design of Norman and Serena’s home, Wilya Janta have established a process of listening to Aboriginal People about how they would like to live. Their work is an outstanding example of a group of people advocating for relevant societal issues and producing tangible outcomes with the potential to impact the lives of many. The work of Wilya Janta and OFFICE deserves recognition and robust support.
State Award
Peter + Dione McIntyre 1950-1962
by Toby Reed
Counterbalancing Forces
This documentary offers viewers a captivating look into the modernist work of Peter and Dione McIntyre. It documents their architectural designs spanning from 1950 to 1962, highlighting some projects built in Melbourne. What sets this documentary apart is its inspirational blend of narration by Peter, intertwined with voiceovers, film footage, recordings, photographs, and especially, architectural drawings, all presented with an imaginative use of colour, forms, and composition. Through an informal dialogue, Peter guides the viewers into his influences, architectural details, and encounters with other iconic Australian modernists such as Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler.
One of the central themes explored is the concept of counterbalancing forces, a tension between architecture, form, function and structure, which Peter elucidates as a sustainable need driven by the scarcity of materials at that time. “In the early 1950s, there was a tremendous shortage of materials… and everyone was looking into ways of designing, reducing materials” (Peter McIntyre). His message resonates strongly with contemporary architectural discourse, emphasising the importance of designing with circularity and resource efficiency in mind.
The documentary offers a unique perspective on Australian modernism, shedding light on how architectural designs intersect with societal dynamics, particularly in the aftermath of World War II. Peter reflects on the historical disregard for housing needs, which is a problem that extends until today with the ongoing housing crisis in Australia. Housing is a topic discussed by several of the 2024 Architecture in Media entries. We believe that these conflicts inherent in modern architectural thinking are extremely relevant for today’s young generation of architects and those interested in Australian history and modernism.
National Award
John Andrews: Architect of Uncommon Sense
by Paul Walker
John Andrews was one of Australia’s most accomplished architects. In an era before globalisation, he established a highly successful practice that ran across two continents, delivering projects across North America and Australia. His career laid the groundwork for a generation of Australian architects and built environment practitioners who have since studied, practiced, taught and exhibited in the United States, Canada and Europe. Despite this, his life and work have been understudied, with many of his projects now demolished or altered. While his work was published extensively in contemporary journals during his career, there are few critical appraisals of his body of work, and he has been neglected in the history syllabi of our schools.
John Andrews: Architect of Uncommon Sense seeks to redress this situation, providing a comprehensive chronology of Andrews’ life and work from his time as a student at the University of Sydney, through to the latter stages of his career and his retirement. Andrews’ life is eloquently presented through a series of key projects, building typologies or engagements that describe the formation of his practice, his approach to design and characteristics of his work, and the broader influence of his work on the discipline. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of Andrews’ career, building a detailed understanding of the projects and the nuanced understanding of his personality and motivations. In particular, the book’s exploration of Andrews’ work outside of practice, serving as a competition jurist and a member of the Australia Council, celebrates his role as a public intellectual and advocate for design.
The book is the outcome of an 11-year research project, funded in part through an Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant, and encompassing contributions of dozens of researchers around the world, and involving some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. The book is heavy with information, illustrations and archival material that represents thousands of hours of work. Despite its density the book is a joy to read, effortlessly spanning the vast breadth of Andrews’ oeuvre.
John Andrews described his approach to architecture as simple “common sense.” It is only fitting then that a book written on his life exhibits the same qualities of simplicity, expedience and directness in capturing John Andrews’ outstanding contribution to Australian architecture.
Wangaratta District Specialist School
The EmAGN Members of Sibling Architecture
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
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