AFP forensics facility takes out ACT’s top architecture award

The Australian Federal Police’s leading-edge Forensics and Data Centre designed by HASSELL was awarded the ACT’s Territory’s top architectural architecture award at the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2018 ACT Architecture Awards tonight.

HASSELL was presented the prestigious Canberra Medallion by the Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman for the AFP facility. This project also took out the top honour in the commercial category winning the John Andrews Award for Commercial Architecture.

Australian Institute of Architects (ACT) Jury Chair, Rob Henry, said for the first time, the new AFP building brings together 200 experts in digital, biological and chemical forensics, weapons intelligence and fingerprint and facial identification into one complex.

‘“This brief could so easily have succumbed to an explicitly defensive architecture. Instead, the Forensics and Data Centre extracts generosity and openness from a highly sensitive program to engender a collaborative and collegiate workplace and find a welcome ease of fit between organisation and built form,’” he said.

ACT Chapter President, Philip Leeson, said, ‘“‘wWe’ve had a record number of entries in this year’s awards, which is a promising sign that Canberra homeowners and business leaders see the benefit and return on investment achieved through architectural design. Many of the projects were commissioned by the private sector including a number of education buildings and several private residences.’”

The CSIRO’s new Black Mountain research facility, Synergy by BVN received multiple accolades winning the sustainable and public architecture categories with the Derek Wrigley Award for Sustainable Architecture and the Romaldo Giurgola Award for Public Architecture as well as an Award for Interior Architecture.

The redevelopment of Australia’s first fully enclosed shopping mall, Monaro Mall by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture was highly acclaimed by the judges receiving the JS Murdoch Award for Heritage, the W Hayward Morris Award for Interior Architecture, an Award for Commercial Architecture and the Robert Foster Award for Light in Architecture.

‘“An ambitious project, the practice team has successfully and sensitively restored, revealed, reinstated and re-imagined Monaro Mall’s heritage values, intent and finishes. Monaro Mall is now a light-filled and material-rich contemporary retail transformation which demonstrates the powerful potential of adaptive reuse of heritage buildings over demolition,” ,’ Rob Henry said.

On the residential architecture front, Swan by Collins Caddaye Architects, a bold home on a semi-rural property, seven years in the making, received the Malcom Moir and Heather Sutherland Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New).

The Emerging Architect Prize was awarded to Shannon Battisson from The Mill: Architecture + Design. Robert Foster was acknowledged for his contribution to art and architecture through the Lifetime Contribution Prize.

A total of 38 Named Awards, Awards and Commendations were presented on the night from a record field of 58 entries. Named Award and Award winners will now progress to the National Architecture Awards to be announced in Melbourne on Thursday 1 November 2018.

 

Full list of winners:

Commercial Architecture
The John Andrews Award – Australian Federal Police Forensics and Data Centre by HASSELL
Award – Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture
Commendation – Dairy Road (3.4) by Craig Tan Architects

Educational Architecture
The Enrico Taglietti Award – STEM Centre by Collins Caddaye Architects
Commendation – RN Robertson Building by CCJ Architects

Heritage
The J S Murdoch Award – Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture

Interior Architecture
The W Hayward Morris Award – Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture
Award – St Christopher’s Precinct by Cox Architecture
Award – Synergy by BVN
Commendation – Capital Airport Group Office Fitout by Cox Architecture

Public Architecture
The Romaldo Giurgola Award – Synergy by BVN
Award – St Christopher’s Precinct by Cox Architecture
Commendation – High Commission of Samoa in Australia by Cox Architecture

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
The Gene Willsford Award – Chowne Street House by PHILIP LEESON ARCHITECTS
Commendation – Puutalo House by JUDD.studio
Commendation – TL House by Ben Walker Architects
Commendation – DC House by Ben Walker Architects

Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
The Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award – Swan by Collins Caddaye Architects
Award – Box House by Paul Tilse Architects
Award – Inset House by JUDD.studio
Commendation – Moss River House by Cox Architecture
Commendation – Sawtooth House by JUDD.studio

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
The Sydney Ancher Award – St Germain by Cox Architecture
Award – St Christopher’s Precinct by Cox Architecture

Small Project Architecture
The Cynthia Breheny Award – Phased Change House by Erin Owens | MAKO Architecture
Award – Kingston Boat Sheds by Tait Network
Commendation – Parents room, Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre by Mather Architecture

Sustainable Architecture
The Derek Wrigley Award – Synergy by BVN
Award – RN Robertson Building by CCJ Architects
Commendation – The Link by CCJ Architects

Urban Design
The Sir John Overall Award – Throsby Infrastructure by Tait Network
Award – ANU Pop-Up Reunion Village by OCULUS with Craig Tan Architects
Commendation – St Christopher’s Precinct by Cox Architecture

Enduring Architecture
The Sir Roy Grounds Award – St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Charnwood by Mitchell/Guirgola Thorp Architects

COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
Award – Roberts Residence by formi building creators

Chapter Awards and Prizes
Canberra Medallion – Australian Federal Police Forensics and Data Centre by HASSELL
The Pamille Berg Award for Art in Architecture – Chowne Street House by PHILIP LEESON ARCHITECTS
The Robert Foster Award for Light in Architecture – Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre by Universal Design Studio and Mather Architecture
Architectural Professional of the Year – Remco Alexander de Vries, SQC Architecture
President’s Medal – Harold (‘Hal’) Guida, Guida Moseley Brown Architects
Clem Cummings Medal – Rachael Coghlan, CraftACT
Emerging Architect Prize – Shannon Battisson, The Mill: Architecture + Design
Lifetime Contribution Prize – Robert Foster
ACT Chapter Student Medallion – Joel Smith, University of Canberra
Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn Graduate Prize – Joel Smith, University of Canberra
John Redmond Prize – John Roberts, University of Canberra

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