24 October 2002
The growing importance of ecologically sustainable ideas in building is coming through loud and clear in this year’s National Architecture Awards.
All the major concerns of ecologically sustainable development (esd) can be seen across the winning projects. They include: reducing energy usage, selecting materials that can be re-used or recycled and reworking existing buildings.
Conducted by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, the Architecture Awards are the most prestigious prizes given to buildings in Australia and are a showcase of cutting edge building design.
Coming up to this high standard is the RMIT Biosciences Building, Bundoora Campus winner of this year’s Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings. Designed by John Wardle Architects and DesignInc Melbourne, this project includes ecologically sustainable ideas such as geothermal pre-cooling and reclaimed stormwater.
In the residential categories, the sought after Robin Boyd Award has been given to the Lavarack Barracks Redevelopment Stage 2 - Living-In Accommodation in Townsville. Designed by architects Bligh Voller Nield (Qld) in association with Troppo Architects (Qld) the barracks are described by the jury as a ‘model for housing military personnel of different ranks in a manner far removed from the traditional notion of barracks living.’
Bligh Voller Nield also won another major prize, the Interior Award, for Campus MLC, North Sydney, described by the jury as taking ‘the notion of the workplace to another level in this country.’
A Melbourne icon, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, ‘refurbished with enormous skill and care’ by Gregory Burgess Architects received the Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design.
A newer landmark, the Shear Outback that celebrates the Australian wool industry, designed by architect Paul Berkemeier, received both the Commercial Award and the Colorbond Steel Award, for a ‘building which is powerful and essentially rural in character, without resorting to cliché.’
The Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage was given to Dawson Brown Architecture for ‘a wonderful, evocative and joyous restoration/renovation of a 1916 timber bungalow’ at Sydney’s Palm Beach.
‘A remarkable project demonstrating that houses do not need large amounts of supplied energy’ the Rozak House in Darwin by Troppo Architects (Darwin) received The Sustainable Architecture Award as well as a commendation in the residential category.
In addition to the eight named awards, the jury also gave commendations to: Sidney Myer Asia Centre, University of Melbourne by Nation Fender Kasalidis Architects, Connolly Residence (Neptune Place) St Kilda, Lindsay Holland Architect, Woodford Academy, Design 5 Architects, The Goodwill Bridge Brisbane, Cox Rayner Architects.
The jury members were architects Ed Haysom, John Denton, Wendy Lewin, Peter Dungey and lay member Joe Rollo.
National Architecture Awards were first given in 1981 in Canberra and presented by the then Governor General of Australia, Sir Zelman Cowen. This year, the awards are being presented in Sydney on 24 October and Sir Zelman Cowen will be in attendance to hand over the award named in his honour.
Nearly 500 projects were entered into the State and Territory Awards earlier this year. The national winners are selected from those projects that won awards in their respective State or Territory.
These are the hardest awards to win in the building and construction industry and the winners of this year’s awards will now be either strengthening or staking their place at the top of the architectural ladder. ENDS
Contact:
Stella de Vulder 02 9356 2955 mob 0412 341 013
Annette Dearing 02 9356 2955 mob 0407 921 324
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