Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Architecture Australia

Jury citation The Walsh Bay Arts Precinct makes a significant contribution by bringing together Sydney’s cultural and arts-based communities into one of the city’s icons: the wharves. Masterfully crafted, respectful of its heritage and pedigree, and with abundant detailing, this project is transformative for a number of Sydney’s most important institutions as well as for the public. Highly resolved, technically complicated and culturally inclusive, the project’s excellence lies in a design response that facilitates performance, acoustic separation and visitor flow – all within a heritage envelope. The comfortable, evocative journey along the internal perimeter leaves you in no doubt as to where you are, with views and vistas capturing the city and its intrinsic relationship to the water and the harbour. — Walsh Bay Arts Precinct was reviewed by David…

Jury citation Brisbane South State Secondary College masterfully creates connections to place that fluctuate between distant visual connections and close physical connections. Architectural devices frame significant existing landscapes, carefully intertwining these views with primary circulation systems to allow distant landscapes to become part of the intimate everyday experience and educational opportunity. Building mass is strategically pushed to the site perimeter, creating generous internal courtyards and strong public connections. External movement systems are carefully structured around the sequence of courtyards, binding movement to landscape. The terracing of movement and landscape evokes a sense of moving through the hills, promoting the value of landscape to enrich the learning experience and subliminally improve our understanding of the world around us. External movement spaces are shaded, ventilated and effectively developed to encourage informal meeting…

Jury citation From the moment visitors arrive at the BVN Brisbane Studio, they become participants in a different way of working and being. Leaving the lift, one is embraced by the library, filled with knowledge and images that inspire the people within. Through the open shelves, the heart of the office is visible – a gathering space for the staff adjacent to the semi-enclosed verandah beneath the giant fig trees in the street. Visually and viscerally connected to place, the design caresses our senses and encourages a more nature-centred approach to life. The office is fitted out to enable transparent, flexible and collaborative ways of working. Appropriate technology, along with both open-plan and more intimate spaces, provide multiple ways of working. Materials and furniture are selected to both nurture and…

Jury citation An intricate and detailed insertion into the cultural streetscapes of Surry Hills, 52 Reservoir Street simulates simplicity through a highly resolved design. Carefully interwoven and fabricating a new laneway that activates the site, the project provides new pedestrian networks, liberating the street frontage, increasing connectivity and inviting citizens to enter the precinct. The mixed-use building accommodates ground-floor retail with boutique office space above. Responding to the expectations and needs of today’s workplace, the street and its precinct neighbours, its communal facilities serve to connect its tenants. A scalloped street facade of glazed bricks shimmers in a sublime response to its location, offering transparency across the floor plate while maintaining the street language. Architect SJB; Project team Adam Haddow, Patti Bai, Gabrielle Suhr, Sevda Cetin, Charlotte Wilson, Simone Rego,…

Jury citation Part of a growing lineage of projects produced by Trias that carefully explore questions of domesticity and materiality, Curl Curl House is a further study in rigorous civic strategy and craft. Generated by the nature of its corner site, the structure of the plan is bracketed by two brick “towers” that hold the communal realm of the house in relation to the garden and its wider context. This strategy is fundamentally a diagram of togetherness, where the life of a family, and its personal and public needs, are scaffolded by a carefully ordered plan. Exemplary in its tectonic resolution, Curl Curl House prioritizes longevity and durability. Deep reveals and screened thresholds are ingeniously located to provide depth for shading, joinery and occupation. Hardwood is used to elongate thresholds…

National Awards – Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) Jury citation The latest incarnation of this Victorian-era terrace with a 1980s renovation by architect Mick Jörgensen has delivered a family home full of thoughtfulness, consideration and style. Studio Bright’s work includes a new addition at the rear consisting of a kitchen, living room and main bedroom. A rooftop deck basks in the winter sun while a mesh framework prevents overlooking and waits patiently for the jasmine to take over. A sliding door off the kitchen reveals the best of Jörgensen’s work: the original lounge room with a central bagged brick fireplace that is presented almost as an architectural tribute. A wonderful example of the care that went into this work is the shower curtain, hand-sewn by architect Maia Close…

Jury citation Brisbane architect John Ellway’s solo career to date has been defined by a series of inventive and thoughtful homes for clients on modest budgets. Cascade House is a fine continuation of this tradition. On a hilly Paddington street, a weatherboard cottage has been modified solidly inside, but the magic of this project lies in the way the architect has backed the addition down the hill. A series of perfectly scaled, cascading spaces enable the new kitchen, dining room and inbuilt lounge to bask in the sun and interact with the lush and enchanting garden. During their visit, jury members found themselves living into the space, rather than judging – perhaps the definition of a successful design. Ellway has delivered a humble project that is playful and full of…

Jury citation An exemplary scheme in its spatial nuance and neighbourliness, Anne Street Garden Villas is an exquisite offering to the typology of community housing. Through a material and architectural language steeped in ancient ideas of domesticity and society, the enclave of villas possesses a sense of autonomy that can be seen in the traditional freestanding home, but with the added dignity of communal life and shared gardens. The planning is fine-grained, with thresholds, gardens, plinths and terraces ordering the social terrain of the site. The built volume steps up from the street to preserve scale at the frontage and rises to two storeys at the rear. Sensibly, cars are kept to the side and a court is established at the centre of the site, offering a communal biophilic garden…

Jury citation With humans already occupying more than their fair share of the earth’s biosystems, it is time for us to use our projects to help remediate and improve damaged land in locations already well-serviced by transport, shops and communal facilities. The Hütt 01 Passivhaus does this, using its clever design and high-performing building envelope to enable great amenity. Considerable care and enthusiasm have been applied to every aspect of this project. The house, built from lime-washed, exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT), with triple-glazed windows and doors, incorporates beautiful courtyards and roof gardens along with fun and joyful nooks for all family members. The garden, enclosed from the laneway with recycled bricks (sources all logged), encompasses water tanks, a natural pool with fish, aquaponic and standard food gardens, fruit trees, and…

Jury citation The cathedral-like spaces of Walsh Bay’s Pier 2/3, which was originally built from vast amounts of timber from old-growth forests and honestly and powerfully expressed, housed Australia’s main shipping facilities of the early twentieth century. They have been masterfully transformed, along with a lightly updated Pier 4/5, to contribute in scale and detail to what has become a cultural heart for Sydney. Key moves, such as separating the internal spaces from the external building fabric, and identifying the essence of the building and its surrounds, have allowed the various spaces’ qualities to be enjoyed and celebrated. The structure of the building and the materials that enabled it to deliver robust stevedoring facilities are brought to our attention, exposed in space and reflected in the mirrors on introduced walls.…

Jury citation Yuandang Bridge is an evolved geometric concept that interacts rather than transcends from landing to landing. As experimental as it is brave, its connectivity goes beyond the movement between two points. Journeys can be simple and direct or they can be playful and interactive, persuading you to pause and explore. This project is more of an experience than a lineal passage and makes a significant social contribution to its site. On top of the infrastructural engineering required, this complex work highlights the value of progressive design. Architect Brearley Architects and Urbanists; Project team James Brearley, Berry Pan, Huang Fang, Zhu Qizhen, Guo Lie Xia, Shi Zheng Ting; Builder CCCC Shanghai Dredging Co.; Structural engineer Peng Li, Shanghai Investigation Design and Research Institute; Photographer Zhu Runzi…

Jury citation Long Beach Amenities by Preston Lane is a compelling example of how a fundamental piece of infrastructure can enrich a site and diversify its public amenity. It is uncommon to see so much care afforded to such a prosaic building type executed so minimally. The high-quality offering bespeaks a deeper civic intention by both the practice and the client. The amenities are cleverly buried to manage the topography and oriented to existing playground facilities, with a rooftop terrace doubling as an informal gathering space or public stage. The subterranean nature of the facilities is playfully accented by skylights and screens – which help to mediate light, privacy and the connection to the adjacent landscape and trees. Architect Preston Lane; Project team Daniel Lane, Benn Turner, Rachel Licht, Sara…

Jury citation A symbolic place of gathering and celebration, the Victorian Pride Centre screams “St Kilda.” In this long overdue investment for an enduring sector, the architecture does not hold back. It is fun, provocative and celebrates the LGBTIQ+ community, while inviting in the neighbourhood as part of an educational experience to reduce prejudice. Its expressionist design concept promotes and attracts, making no apologies for its liberated spirit. This is a hardworking building that is still deciphering what it wants or needs to be – and that is its intrigue. The centre will continue to evolve as its community demands; its free spirit is captured in the building’s program. The Pride Centre evolves subliminally: through the light-filled atrium, which changes in response to day and night, over its multiple street…

Jury citation The tranquillity of the Kings Langley Cricket Club and Amenities is a delightful contribution to its community. Restrained, hardworking, humble and referencing its suburban Blacktown materiality and typology, the project makes no grand statements, but provides a beautifully crafted community building. Purposefully sited on the oval and community interface edge, and resisting the elevated viewing platform, the composition of club facilities establishes equitable roots on the ground plane with its community. Together with the landscaping, it brings together a blended and integrated design that has been embraced by its community. The council is also to be congratulated on its purposeful vision to invest in a quality community facility. Architect Eoghan Lewis Architects; Project team Eoghan Lewis, Jason Goh, Nick Woolley; Builder Dezign; Structural engineer SDA Structures; Services consultant…

Jury citation The revelation of the Corner House, which is a fascinating study in an ordered and considered plan, is its clarity of spatial sequencing, and the intensified and harbouring nature of the garden court. Shielding the residence from an active arterial road, the exterior intensifies a gentle, protected landscape strategy, which has been iteratively honed through Archier’s considerable research into the idea of the garden room. The plan arrangement is ambitious, nuanced and carefully composed, creating a new internal topography that is warm and delightful. The garden court section is subtly terraced and modulated as a series of stepping rooms, which work with the transparencies of the cruciform courtyard plan. Climateameliorating and tectonically rich, the house establishes a clear strategy of a protective exterior alongside welcoming interiors. Architect Archier;…

Jury citation If there’s a simple project that deserves to be applauded, it’s this renovation and reconfiguration by Nielsen Jenkins of an unremarkable 1984 AV Jennings project home in the backblocks of the Gold Coast. Among the aging Commodores and struggling palm trees, this budget intervention creates elevated spaces within the existing footprint and opens the house toward a new covered courtyard that finally gives this home the connection to climate it deserves. This is everyday, accessible architecture that paves the way for our aging suburban housing stock to evolve sustainably. Architect Nielsen Jenkins; Project team Lachlan Nielsen, Morgan Jenkins, Kelsey Homer, Nicholas Russell, Laura McConaghy, Dan Saragusti; Builder A and J Building Group; Engineer Westera Partners; Landscape consultant Nielsen Jenkins; Town planner Place Design Group; Photographer Nikolas Strugar “The…

Jury citation Within an economic context that is extremely difficult to negotiate, this collaboration between NMBW and MADA has delivered a flexible and dignified community housing model that focuses on the residents’ spatial agency and wellbeing. Through intelligent planning and a robust materiality, the design anticipates many modes of living and changes in household circumstance, and is supported by a sophisticated communal strategy. The quality of the interstitial spaces and gardens is highly purposeful and carefully resolved, providing the foundation for a genuine shared life for the residents. The innovative nature of the project is also a credit to the client, who is clearly seeking to extend the offering, diversity and quality of much-needed community housing. NMBW has consistently speculated within the realms of social housing and St Albans Housing…

Jury citation Projects that help transition communities and remediate places formerly dependent on extractive businesses are key to creating the regenerative future we need. At Spring Bay Mill Ridge Quarters, Gilby and Brewin Architecture demonstrate how good design is a key component for success in such an undertaking. The selection of this particular contaminated section of the former woodchip mill site required it to be remediated, while nearby middens and delicate landscapes were preserved. The gently arcing plan of the Ridge Quarters is generated from the adjacent sundial and amphitheatre, a separate project that upcycled the centre of the previous woodchipping operations. Sustainable timber frames, designed to sit off the ground and able to be demounted, relocated or repurposed, support prefabricated, insulated cabins; this method reduced both construction time and…

Jury citation The Arthur Birch Building, originally designed by Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb and completed in 1967 as an anchor point in the early ANU campus, has been given an apt new lease of life by Hassell. The architect has brought together a deep understanding of the original building with the intensive needs of twenty-first-century science teaching spaces. With seamlessly upgraded internal and external building fabric, high levels of flexible servicing, and room layouts that align with and develop the original intent, the building can continue to enhance campus life through its skilful pedagogical, urban and architectural design. The strength and beauty of this late-modernist building, deriving from its building details, materials and rigorous design, have been preserved and amplified by this skilfully restrained refurbishment. Attention has also been paid…

Jury citation Riverside Green South Bank Parklands forms part of a larger network of public spaces that interconnect to embrace the city and the river. During our visit to the site, a diversity of uses was on display, with people lounging about, cooking, gathering for large events and finding intimate moments together. The architecture acts as a curated backdrop to allow public activities to occur, rituals to unfold and stories to evolve. Shade, shelter, tiered platforms, relaxed seating and subtle elements extend beyond the immediate area, harmoniously binding people together in shared and individual activities. Hassell is to be congratulated on creating a place that generously connects people with each other as well as with a broader sense of place. Architect Hassell; Project team Daniel Kallis, Lucy O’Driscoll, Kevin Lloyd,…

Jury citation A pure expression of collaborative intentions between the architect and the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar nation, Gathering Place is a perfectly scaled, ephemeral civic work. Often, where a story is expressed literally, humility and wonder are lost. Here, the simple gesture of a curvilinear form, which makes a place for story, is a powerful, nuanced and never-ending proposition. Like an everlasting and ancient songline inextricably linked to its cultural landscape, this work by Whadjuk Nyoongar Elder Sandra Harben with Penhale and Winter is an expression of the infinity of story, cultural memory and togetherness. Both the process and the outcome reflect Harben’s intent to “walk softly, walk slowly, walk quietly.” The design locates a Moreton Bay fig tree as a witness to the stories and gatherings. This…

A great opportunity is yours. The occasion confronts you. The future is in your hands. Will you accept the responsibility or will you evade it? That is the only vital question I have for you – do you intend or do you not intend, do you wish or do you not wish to become architects, to whose care an unfolding democracy can entrust the interpretation of its material wants, its psychic aspirations. — Louis Sullivan1 The Sullivan quote had been written out neatly by my father, David, when he was an architecture student in the 1950s. I found it tucked away in the back of Frank Lloyd Wright’s The Natural House, which sat alongside An American Architecture (also by Wright) on the bookshelves of our house in the Melbourne bayside…

As the immediate past national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, it was an immense privilege and honour to chair the National Awards jury. Diversity of experience and practice within the jury is vital to achieving equity, relevance and breadth in the selection of winning and commended projects. This year, the jury comprised of Adrian Iredale (Western Australia), Poppy Taylor (Tasmania), Caroline Pidcock (New South Wales) and Tim Ross (New South Wales). We approached the enormous task with some trepidation and a sense of humility. We would like to acknowledge the generosity of clients who allowed us into their homes and projects, sharing personal stories and recognizing the impact that architects have had on their lives. Every awards program helps us build a portfolio of work that is representative…

Jury citation This true civic building transforms the heart of Fremantle into an inclusive, transparent oasis for its community. A veiled metallic screen dresses the building’s upper envelope, offering glimpses of the interior while shrouding it from the elements as a sustainable climatic response. The simple notion of a rolling lawn connecting the centre to the street realm and an elevated gathering platform from which the workings of its civic heart can be observed is delightful and imparts generational playfulness and activity. The visible, readable plan is anchored by the solid, representative geometry of the council chamber, which transcends multiple levels. Design and material interactions greet you as you journey through the building, from the library’s response to sunken courtyards to the main facade’s subtle interaction with the historic town…

Jury citation New Farm Neighbourhood Centre is an inclusive and welcoming social service facility that connects the street to its community. The equity of the architecture and its generosity in meeting the neighbourhood’s social needs and values reflect a sense of grace and social responsibility. The simple notion of opening to the street and welcoming those often-misaligned neighbourhood social needs does not comprise a social experiment; rather, it facilitates a return to the value that well-considered community architecture can bring to society in a sublime and contributory manner. Well-supported by its neighbours and community patrons, the design resolution allows this centre to offer refuge, friendship and somebody to talk to in the face of adversity and loneliness. Congratulations to the architects for encapsulating community spirit and establishing a building capable…

Jury citation Ultimo Public School strategically transforms a challenging sloping site into a sequence of complex and diverse experiences. Learning spaces, recreation and landscape are merged into one by the skilfully developed terraces that cascade down the slope, providing an abundance of light, ventilation and landscape opportunities. Teaching can extend into exterior areas, allowing landscape to inform learning. Terracing in section and extended arms in plan encourage interconnectedness between year groups while providing for more legible wayfinding. A safe and nurturing environment is created through spaces that allow for individual contemplation as well as collective excitement and engagement. Precise openings in the street elevations create opportunities for controlled community engagement, reinforcing a sense of community in a safe environment. Material robustness and experimentation extend the students’ educational opportunities and spatial…

Jury citation Eggleston, MacDonald and Secomb’s design intent for the interiors of the ANU Birch Building has been updated and amplified in the exemplary refurbishment work by Hassell. The creation of flexible and contemporary learning spaces for highly serviced needs in a thermally improved building envelope has been achieved with great sensitivity to the original building’s internal spaces. Original furniture, fittings and fixtures have been retained where appropriate, and updated or supplemented where necessary in a meticulously respectful manner. The original materials, textures and colours have been retained, inspiring the designers in their selections for the new work. Where a different approach was required, it is referential and clearly expressed. The quiet, dignified approach of the original interiors, along with the thoughtful renewal by Hassell, ensures that the Birch Building…

Jury citation A delightful exploration into compact suburban infill housing, Jimmy’s House resolves multiple competing site conditions through the considered delivery of a climate-mitigating courtyard plan. Situated adjacent to an open parkland, the house has two public frontages: one to a side laneway and the other toward a playground on the site’s immediate boundary. Subtle manipulation of the compact plan carefully negotiates the proximity of these public edges, using the shared realm to borrow amenity. Through a series of carefully observed moments, the interior life of the house is subtly expanded out into its neighbourhood. This effort is captured poetically in a series of unconventional and delightful adjacencies. While the scale of the plan is compact, the house finds release in generous areas of garden across three terraces. Biodiverse and…

Jury citation On a typically exasperating grey Melbourne winter’s day, we arrived at an unassuming weatherboard cottage in Brunswick to be greeted by a man-mountain of an architect. Once inside, we realized that this gentle giant had literally thrown caution to the wind, opening up the bevy of doors and windows, and exposing us to the near arctic blast – but also to the intent of the design. He humbly described an “adequate” home that met the client’s desire for a house that led you down an internal garden path. While the original double-fronted weatherboard remains in the streetscape, like a familiar friend, the additions carve out the plan, revealing courtyards and small-scaled rooms of green-filled wonder. Stone paving blurs the lines between inside and out, clinging closely to the…

Jury citation Part of a regenerated inner-city precinct, 8 Loftus Street is a masterful urban housing proposition. The project ameliorates a complex site through a series of restrained and carefully observed spatial moves. Its urban sophistication is coupled with a remarkable attention to detail. At street level, the bipartite plan affords an arcade, providing permeability, civic intrigue and a linkage through to Loftus Lane, while simultaneously calibrating the floorplate into two “neighbourhoods.” This permeability is carried through the public and retail functions on the first two floors; above this, 31 apartments are layered. The apartment interiors are subtle and restrained; each is afforded a garden terrace, and daylight to all living areas and bedrooms. The mass of the upper floors responds sensitively to the adjacent context and the urban envelope,…

Floor plan key 1 Carport2 Bike store3 Store4 Drying court5 Laundry6 Living7 Rumpus8 Dining9 Kitchen10 Pantry11 Courtyard/garden12 Pool13 Outdoor room14 Flexible space (spareroom/studio)15 Studio kitchenette16 Studio17 Studio entry courtyard18 Fire pit19 Vegetable garden/orchard20 Micro courtyard21 Garden22 Service courtyard Jury citation Sustainable buildings must address more than just the carbon required to operate them. They and the places they are located within also play a significant role in enabling lives to be less impactful in other arenas – mobility, food and embodied carbon, to name a few – as well as addressing the broader and more complex idea of connecting with and caring for Country. They can, and should, contribute to the regeneration of nature and people. Inspired and informed by this range of concerns, Live Work Share House showcases replicable…

Jury citation Addressing the complex issues of a beautiful but delicate site along with its climate future is a true challenge. Kerstin Thompson Architects’ Bundanon finds its expression and elegance in adroitly addressing these many issues. The overall planning meaningfully weaves together the existing buildings with an accessible path from a flood-safe site for parking, and clever landscaping provides many places to pause and contemplate the magnificent location that so inspired Arthur Boyd in his paintings. The new buildings required different approaches to deal with their different programs as well as potential floods, bushfires and variable temperatures, resulting in two distinct sections that pivot around the entry area: the Art Museum and the Bridge. As potentially the most energy-intensive space, the Art Museum – which also holds the estate’s most…

Jury citation Quay Quarter Lanes masterfully captures the best of Sydney urbanism and succinctly creates a sensitive and confident city in microcosm. Spatial variety is choreographed as a succession of complementary spaces that embrace diversification: laneways, avenues, compressed spaces, covered spaces and open spaces combine to create a network of unique experiences, all of which are fully connected to the broader precinct as a result of the architects’ and landscape architects’ thorough understanding of the surrounding city. This project demonstrates the power of skilful architects and landscape architects working together with respect and mutual understanding for the value of urban space. Each voice considers the next, working collectively while allowing individual identity to shine. This variety delivers a richness of experience and a generosity that tempts the visitor to remain…

Jury citation The Newcastle East End project is an exemplar of regional urban revitalization that challenges familiar typologies to create diversity of built form and experience, skilfully retaining and re-interpreting existing buildings and offering new movement systems for the benefit of all. Such shifts in regional planning require considerable time and dedication by authorities, planners and landowners alongside a team of skilled designers working harmoniously together with a shared vision for now and the future. Newcastle East End achieves more than a typological shift; it activates the street, creates new laneways that are able to expand as adjacent areas are developed, and allows for an increased densification of mixed programs while improving amenity. The team must be commended for creating a high-quality urban model that has the capacity to enrich…

Jury citation This project constitutes a remarkably clever resolution for a dental practice within the fabric of an inner-city Melbourne suburb. Using the scale, materiality and density of Victorian terrace housing on a street-corner allotment, Rob Kennon Architects has unlocked the space by wrapping the footpath into the body of the site. This seemingly simple move reconciles the entire proposition, resulting in an intriguing entry sequence, a purposeful plan and universal accessibility – while sensitively negotiating the heritage fabric. By borrowing the materiality of the surrounds, and even deploying bitumen as part of the continuation of the entry sequence, the architect has made this unusual setting for a dental practice into a success. Continuing a dialogue with the exterior materiality of the context, the interiors are subtle and restrained, resulting…

Jury citation Ken Woolley had a knack for making the most of a difficult site. Far more than a laboratory for a young architect’s ideas, the Mosman home he designed and built for his family in 1962 is a testament to his considerable talent. Situated below street level, this modest-sized home comprises a series of garden terraces clinging to a steep and rocky bush block. It is defined by its rough-sawn timber beams, angled roofs and classic Sydney School clinker bricks. Architecture books and lecture notes contain numerous descriptions of this house, but its enduring legacy is arguably more important than other buildings awarded this prize in the past. Its impact goes beyond those who have lived in it and the architects who have been inspired by it. Designed to…