Commercial Architecture

405 Bourke Street • Woods Bagot • Photographer: Trevor Mein

The Commercial Architecture category recognises achievement in the design of projects used primarily for commercial purposes. Generally, projects considered in this category fall within BCA Class 3b | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8.

Andrew Cortese RAIA Jury chair Adrian Stanic RAIA Juror

Rachael McNally RAIA Juror

Jury chair report

The category of Commercial Architecture is challenging to evaluate given the broad diversities of scale, typology, locality, and program. The commercial category often intertwines with the public realm, it embraces the residential domus of hotelling, considers the infrastructure of industry, and can be seduced by the community of retail and hospitality, and occasionally the space of installation. The determination of projects is mostly in response to investment returns, though the public function and placement of sociability, community values, environmental leadership, and urban transformation. Projects situated in the CBD were in scales that define a city, those that define a street or refurbish a public space or interface were in both inner and outer suburbs emerging from context or establishing beacons of the future, and some were regional and responsible for renewal and opportunity. Our jury had the privilege to deliberate on a portfolio of buildings that emerged through the impact of COVID, many of which were in formation for up to a decade, and others which speculated on innovation and invention against the constraints of orthodoxy. All projects considered were identified for their consideration of the human place of work or habitation, their achievement within sustainability, responsibility for community within locality, and the demonstration of an enduring legacy that will distinguish the integrity of our profession’s shared values.

Category sponsor

The Sir Osborn McCutheon Award for Commercial Architecture 405 Bourke Street by Woods Bagot

Wurundjeri Country

405 Bourke Street is a subtle and elegant intervention into a site aggregated by varying building types, structures, and spaces at the centre of Melbourne’s CBD. The complexity of the existing circumstances of heritage – pedestrian movement, carparking and residential apartments – enabled a significant reformation of the city’s urban program while situating a place of intersection between street and laneway. The tower is founded through the utility of a rational steel frame resolving into a monumental cantilevering truss adjacent to a minimal side core. The spatially generous interconnecting floorplates have high levels of daylight and view equity and are complimented by a diversity of lightfilled heroic volumes and external terraces. The indented rectangular proportioned tower form has a sophistication arising from a repetitious clear-glazed facade, subtly animated by offset vertical striations, which merge into the stone lamina of the entry lobby and suspended ribbed lobby facade. The Woods Bagot design achieves a beautiful resolution to the challenges and priorities of a value-orientated commercial development brief with a precise economy of structure, energy efficient services and deftness in material craft, while contributing to the restoration of the urban realm enlivened by a calm and amenable place for work.

Practice team: Nik Karalis (Team member), Simon Dick (Team member), Marija Cakarun (Team member), Clement Nyanja (Team member), Pietro Meriggi (Team member), Peter Miglis (Team member), Andy Gentry (Team member), Kate Frear (Team member), Sarah Kay (Team member), Ivan Kokrhelj (Team member), Lorenzo Ju (Team member), Luciana Boudou (Team member), Richard Abicair (Team member), Ryan Draver (Team member), Michael Church (Team member), Charl Testa (Team member), John Liddiard (Team member), Leyla Moghimi (Team member), Kel Dennis (Team member), Yow Voon Choong (Team member), Eugene Leong (Team member), Helen Diao (Team member), Frank Rog (Team member), Sue Fenton (Team member), Damian Camplin (Team member), Cecilia Chau (Team member), Reza Rashi (Team member), Lawrence Ng (Team member), Ashan Perera (Team member), Philip Parsons (Team member), John Young (Team member), Femi Akande (Team member), Grant Boshard (Team member), David Christie (Team member), Eva Sue (Team member) Consultant / Construction team: Altitude (Facade access), Beveridge Williams & Co P/L (Surveyor), BG&E (Facade engineer), Brookfield Property Partners (Developer), DCWC (Project Manager), Diadem (Wayfinding and signage), GTA (Traffic), Hassell (NAB fit-out), Marshall Day Acoustics (Acoustic Consultant), Norman Disney Young (Vertical Transport Engineer), Norman Disney Young (Mechanical Engineer), Philip Chun & Associates (Building Surveyor), Philip Chun & Associates (Accessibility), Robert Bird Group (Civil Engineer), Robert Bird Group (Structural Engineer), Urbis (Planning), Waste Tech Services (Waste), WSP (Electrical Engineer), WSP (ESD Consultant), WSP (Fire Services), WSP (Hydraulic Engineer), WSP (Specialist Lighting) Builder: Multiplex Photographer: Trevor Mein

405 Bourke Street • Woods Bagot • Photographer: Trevor Mein

Award for Commercial Architecture Ballarat Gov Hub by John Wardle Architects

Wadawurrung Country

The Ballarat Gov Hub is a project of intentional influence, reintroducing the attributes of civic and regional investment in the formation of an institutional workplace building that integrates a public interface, and through site connections. A commercial office building that could equally be situated as a public building, one which integrates the adjacent mid20th century Civic Hall within a repaired urban landscape, while giving exhibition to its internal activities along a re-established streetscape. The five-storey building with gable roof constructed through a revealed mass timber frame is enclosed within zinc cladding that wraps and folds founded on a street defined by locally produced bricks. The variated composition of windows and open ends extend views across the historic hills of the goldrush landscape. The architecture alludes to the layers of character that define the city within its context and history, while emphasising a place that is distinct to most commercial development. The workplace environments within extol a material warmth and daylit openness that encourage the enjoyment of connections to city and landscape, and the appreciation of high levels of comfort and environmental impact awareness.

Practice team: Stefan Mee (Design Architect), John Wardle (Design Architect), Luke Jarvis (Project Architect), Meron Tierney (Project Architect), Tom Denham (Graduate of Architecture), David Churcher (Graduate of Architecture), Kristina Levenko (Graduate of Architecture), Adrian Bonaventura (Graduate of Architecture) Consultant / Construction team: Geyer (Integrated fitout), Aspect Studios (Landscape Consultant), AECOM (Structural Engineer), AECOM (Services Consultant), AECOM (Fire engineer), AECOM (Facade engineer), AECOM (ESD Consultant), AECOM (Acoustic Consultant), AECOM (Hydraulic Consultant), McKenzie Group (Building Surveyor), Grimbos (Building Surveyor), AECOM (Traffic consultant), AECOM (Civil Consultant) Builder: Kane Nicholson Joint Venture (KNJV) Photographer: Peter Bennetts

Award for Commercial Architecture Queen & Collins by KTA + BVN

Wurundjeri Country

A thoughtful and highly resolved re-imagining of three iconic neo-gothic inspired buildings, KTA + BVN have revived the unique identities of each building and the spaces in between. The design has reconnected the site back into the city via an interstitial network of pathways and spaces. There is a focus on pedestrian movement and social connection through open air laneways, tiered bridges, and intimate courtyards offering an alternative to the corporate lobby and challenging workplace conventions. These manoeuvres provide a legibility of space, exposing and celebrating the historic layers of the site. The project invites curiosity, activity, and engagement through the layering of space across multiple levels, an intimacy is evoked, enhanced by the use of light and darkness. Glimpses into workspaces are offered through varying openings and the playful use of colour resulting in an active space across all levels. This considered architectural response has successfully knitted these buildings back into the city, inviting the public, retailers, and workspaces to interact and discover the space in a new way.

Practice team: Kerstin Thompson (Design Architect), Kelley Mackay (Director of Projects), Michael Blancato (Associate, Project Lead), Claire Humphreys (Associate, Design Lead), Lloyd McCathie (Associate, Project Architect), Martin Allen (Associate, Senior Architect), Grant Dixon (Senior Architect), Patrick Phelan (Architect), Henry Russell (Architect), Caroline Chong (Graduate of Architecture), Darcy Dunn (Graduate of Architecture), Marwin Sim (Graduate of Architecture), Tamsin O’Reilly (Visualisation Specialist), Ninotschka Titchkosky (BVN, Co-CEO), Rob Vider (BVN, Senior Practice Director), Sean Regan (BVN, Architect), Alan Monckton-Milnes (BVN, Architect), Sally Campbell (BVN, Senior Practice Director), Marc Hine (BVN, Associate), Renae Tapley (BVN, Interior Architecture Project Leader) Consultant / Construction team: Armitage Jones (Project Manager), Tract (Town Planner), Aurecon (Structural / Civil Engineers), Aurecon (Facade Engineer), Arup (Mechanical / Electrical Engineers), Arup (Hydraulics / Fire Services), Arup (ESD Consultant), Arup (Fire Engineering), Acoustic Logic (AV Consultant), Irwin Consult (WSP) (Traffic Engineer), Slattery (Quantity Surveyor), Millar Merrigan (Landscape Architect), Bryce Raworth (Heritage Advisors), Lovell Chen (Heritage and Preservation Architects), DJ Coalition (Lighting Consultant), McKenzie Group (Building Surveyor), Studio Semaphore (Wayfinding + Signage), Morris Goding Access Consultants (Accessibility) Builder: Probuild Constructions Photographer: Derek Swalwell

The new company headquarters is totemic of the qualities and intentions that it pursues to define it. The seven-storey building located within the city-fringe suburb of Cremorne is situated with adjacencies to manufacturing facilities and historic terrace housing. The building is focused on establishing a localness of community benefit, character and relationships, and a collaborative, open- and learning-aligned workplace. The large format floorplate is square in typology, with a central atrium enabling an abundance of light and views. It is both personable and differentiated as it resolves itself into a twingabled-roof form, which seeks kinship to the local warehouses. The building is set back to all boundaries and offers landscaped public space and improved interfaces with its neighbours. The ground level has retail, amenities and large forum spaces and the upper level of the building becomes a community and social space with large Award for Commercial Architecture SEEK HQ by Hassell

Wurundjeri Country

outdoor terraces with prospect over both suburb and city. The brick walls with punctuated windows affiliate to the texture and tonality of its surroundings, and then extend to enclose the gabled roof giving the building a distinctive, legible, and unique identity that both defines the transformation of Cremorne, and which become an observable icon within the city.

Practice team: Anthony Thevenon (Designer), Ben Duckworth (Design Direction), Clare Chippendale (Architect), Fion Feng (Graduate of Architecture), Greta Stoutjesdijk (Architect), Ingrid Bakker (Principal in Charge), James Parker (Senior Architect), Kyle Hui (Architect), Laura Vallentine (Team Leader), Madina Zhazylbekova (Graduate of Architecture), Megan Carroll (Team Leader), Mia Willemsen (Architect), Nathalie Diaz (Designer), Nathania Widjanarko (Graduate of Architecture), Nick Weaver (Architect), Robert Backhouse (Design Review), Ryan Jayamaha (Architect), Sandra Leschke (Architect), Simon Rich (Model Maker), Victor Vieaux (Architect), Yoshia Kashima (Architect) Consultant / Construction team: Arup (Services Consultant), Paul Bangay (Landscape Consultant), Case Meallin (Project Manager) Builder: Built Photographer: Peter Bennetts

Commendation for Commercial Architecture

Cubitt Street Tower by Pandolfini Architects

Country: Wurundjeri

Cubitt Street Tower is an exemplar of the precast concrete infill contemporary warehouses of Cremorne. The design takes its cues from the built heritage of the area with a robust use of materials, predominately concrete, offset by playful steelwork on the upper levels. Generous floor-to-ceiling heights on the office floors create spacious light-filled tenancies with expansive framed views across the neighbourhood. The building is refined and honest in its materials demonstrating a high level of craftmanship and commitment from the project team.

Builder: Principal Constructions Pty

Photographer: Rory Gardiner Wesley Place, 130 Lonsdale Street by COX Architecture

Country: Wurundjeri

The historic Wesley Church with its ensemble of small buildings gives its ground and heritage to the insertion of a 35-level office building styled to context and view. The glazed building is nuanced into a curvilinear form that is inflected in response to the placement of the heritage building, and the rounded north and south ends give panoramic views across the city and landscape. The introduction of terraced gardens provides public connection between streets and establish an intimacy of relationship between church and workplace.

Builder: Lendlease

Photographer: Trevor Mein

Shortlisted • 80 Collins, Melbourne • Woods Bagot • Multiplex Construction • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Trevor Mein

Shortlisted • Woolworths Fishermans Bend • Hames Sharley • George Rydell Constructions Pty Ltd • Bunurong Country • Photographer Emma Cross 121 Hoddle • Ha Architecture • McCorkell Constructions • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Dan Hocking

Hyatt Place Melbourne, Caribbean Park • Peter Ryan Architects • Caribbean Park • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer John Gollings Shortlisted • ANZ Breathe • Breathe • Lendlease • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Tom Ross

Levantine Hill Estate Winery • Fender Katsalidis • ADP/Marcus Group • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Willem-Dirk du Toit Shortlisted • Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street • Bates Smart • Multiplex • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Paul Gosney

Caribbean Park; Commercial Offices, Stage 3 • Peter Ryan Architects • Caribbean Park • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer John Gollings

San Lorenzo Restaurant • Peter Ryan Architects • Caribbean Park • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Alex Reinders Shortlisted • Merrifield City • NH Architecture • Maben • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Lisbeth Grosmann

Hyatt Centric • Architectus in collaboration with Hecker Guthrie • Hickory Construction Group • Wurundjeri Country • Photographer Trevor Mein

Victoria • Finnis Architecture and Interiors • Mancini Made • Bunurong Country • Photographer Timothy Kaye

405 Bourke Street • Woods Bagot • Photographer: Trevor Mein