The Australian Institute of Architects Awards program offers an opportunity for public and peer recognition of the innovative work of our NT architects.
The program also provides the Institute with a valuable mechanism to promote architects and architecture within the Northern Territory, across Australia and internationally.
The Cyclotron at the Royal Darwin Hospital may well be overlooked when visiting the hospital campus and that’s kind of the point. The look of the building is completely peripheral to the social importance of what’s inside.
This building houses a myriad of extraordinarily complex uses including laboratories, clean rooms, administrative offices, mechanical spaces and at its centre, a cyclotron. The cyclotron allows for the production of radiochemistry which in turns facilitates the diagnosis of various cancers. Nowhere else in Australia has a cyclotron been housed in its own standalone facility, which no doubt added to the project’s complexity.
DKJ’s role in this project challenges assumed notions of what an architect is meant to do. Here, we look past the architect as a creator of form to the architect as collaborator, listener and an interrogator. The success of this project relied on DKJ’s commitment to these qualities.
Once the jury visited the Cyclotron they were left in no doubt that this project is the worthy recipient of The Reverend John Flynn Award for Public Architecture.
The Cyclotron at the Royal Darwin Hospital may well be overlooked when visiting the hospital campus and that’s kind of the point. The look of the building is completely peripheral to the social importance of what’s inside.
This building houses a myriad of extraordinarily complex uses including laboratories, clean rooms, administrative offices, mechanical spaces and at its centre, a cyclotron. The cyclotron allows for the production of radiochemistry which in turns facilitates the diagnosis of various cancers. Nowhere else in Australia has a cyclotron been housed in its own standalone facility, which no doubt added to the project’s complexity.
DKJ’s role in this project challenges assumed notions of what an architect is meant to do. Here, we look past the architect as a creator of form to the architect as collaborator, listener and an interrogator. The success of this project relied on DKJ’s commitment to these qualities.
Once the jury visited the Cyclotron they were left in no doubt that this project is the worthy recipient of The Reverend John Flynn Award for Public Architecture.
The Molecular Diagnostic Complex at the Berrimah Farm is a great example of how architects can successfully extend their client’s brief. This project goes beyond simply supporting the scientific activities that it houses, it also enhances these activities with the introduction of light, colour and sophisticated planning.
Scientific work is often thought of as an inward-looking and focused activity that has no need for aesthetics, natural light, comforts or respite. The facility designed by Mode successfully flips that idea on its head with a building that celebrates amenity, sightlines, wayfinding, all with a bold and confident facade.
Ample amounts of natural light ensure the internal work spaces are well lit and when combined with a glazed corridor, the interior of the building never feels stale. The fresh and bold use of colour throughout enlivens the space and also acts as a way to identify crucial safety equipment. The playful facade of the building reflecting laboratory results in a fun and dynamic pattern is eye-catching and memorable, and also helps identify the building without gratieutios signage.
What impressed the jury most of all is that the building does all this without compromising its core function – which is to deliver world-class laboratories conforming to the strictest of biosecurity standards.
The Shed joins an under-appreciated segment of architectural design – the industrial building. In the early twentieth century this type of building was seen as the harbingers of new ideas, while more recently the humble industrial building has fallen victim to efficiency and cost. The Shed however bucks this trend by creating an architectural statement in the centre of the Winnellie Industrial zone.
Carefully detailed pre-cast panels and bold colourful motifs express a confidence in design and construction. During the day the storage facility stands out on the street, a landmark in a sea of grey buildings. At night the shed changes its clothes, lights up and breathes life into the area with a confident use of light and colour.
Originally designed by celebrated Northern Territory architect C.G Burnett and completed in 1941, the Banksian House is one of just a few remaining examples of tropical residential architecture of that era. The RAAF is to be commended for recognising the importance of this humble building and committing to a thoughtful refurbishment.
The jury was impressed with Hames Sharley’s commitment to the architectural heritage of the building. Where possible, many original architectural details were preserved or carefully reproduced, celebrating the original design intent. More importantly, Burnett’s original design which allowed ample cross ventilation to take the edge off those hot sticky nights was given a new lease on life.
The jury were further impressed with how the project team, from tradespeople, consultants and the client, never shied away from their responsibility to thoughtfully refurbish the building. Given the amount of heritage buildings lost to the Territory’s climate and at times the authorities architectural shortsightedness, it is wonderful to see a beautiful example of early twentieth century tropical architecture not only refurbished,but celebrated.
The Manunda Place interior is a wonderful example of how a diverse and ever evolving workforce can be catered for with a design that prioritises people over corporate image.
The project flips the typical office hierarchy by placing the closed offices in the centre of the floor plate and locating the majority of the open office next to the windows. Here they can enjoy natural light, ventilation, views and access to balconies. The glazed central offices are afforded privacy with motifs of clouds, cleverly bringing ‘the outside in’.
The inside corners are given over to break-out areas, modestly detailed to give users a sense of quiet privacy, while atriums towards the centre create a bustling air of community with shared kitchens. Lift foyers have been transformed with opportunities for each department to create an identity and showcase awards and memorabilia. Robust, colourful and natural materials have been used throughout the building creating a welcoming and warm feeling throughout the workspace.
The jury were impressed with how Mode put the office workers’ needs and wellbeing at the forefront of their design.
Congratulations to Hames Sharley for the Banksian House which was voted overall winner of the NT Chapter’s 2022 People’s Choice Award.
My name is Patricia and I’m 22 years old. I’ll be finishing my Architecture degree in CDU at the end of the year. I was born in the Philippines but I grew up in New Zealand. I’ve been in Australia for about 4 years.
I may or may not be a familiar face around CDU as I’m usually cooped in a little classroom in the architecture building. But one thing I can assure you all is that if and when you do see me around, I always have a smile on my face.
The NT Chapter congratulates Patricia Pindot on receiving the 2022 NT Student Prize.
Posthumous Award
Vale Charles Horner Wright
QS Services – Darwin
5/01/1948 – 12/04/2022
Rossi Kourounis, President of the NT Chapter asked members to put together a few words on their memories of Charles Wright from QS Services. We’re honoured to present a posthumous President Award to Charles Wright for his services to the built environment in 2022.
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“We had a wonderful working relationship where I would request impossible deadlines – usually through my own lack of organisation – and he, ably aided by his wonderful staff never (and I do mean never) let me down.
No matter the scale of the project, and we at Zone A deal mostly at the lower end of budgets, his enthusiasm and attention to detail were always worthy of great praise.
We enjoyed many emails back and forth over the years, usually after hours, trying to outdo each other with our wordsmithery whilst having a whale of a time, all the while turning work into fun.
I reckon that we only met face to face on 3 occasions, once when I was in Darwin and I dropped into his office and a couple of times when he was in Alice for work so we never had the chance to socialise over a frothy or two – something that I regret immensely.
I believe that he deserved a long and languid retirement but instead, from what I gather, he chose to die in harness, something I don’t personally understand but also something that speaks volumes about how the man was hardwired.
His input into our small practise was considerable and, for someone who was probably more of a pen pal (or whatever the modern day equivalent is) than sub consultant, he is already sorely missed – a sentiment that I expect will be repeated again and again by those gathered to celebrate his life.
Vale Charles!”
Stuart Chalmers and all at Zone A
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“Charles worked pretty well every weekend.
When I was working on and weekend, and emailing Charles. I would get a reply in 5 minutes – at any time from Saturday morning to late Sunday night.
Emailing Charles back and asking why he was always working on a weekend he would reply with – well so are you – we both must be mad!!!!!!!!
David King Jones
Principal/Director
DKJprojects.architecture
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“When I remember my many interactions with Charles, I recall that they were mostly by phone and always enjoyable. One of the few landline numbers I know off-by-heart. Speaking with Charles was always easy and helpful for a project and to boost my day. He had that effect, of bringing a smile. Rare and small treasures in a business of time and money weighing us down.
Charles beamed with pleasure when I suggested we frost his front office windows with projects that QS Services had been a part of. This small idea, hardly new or original, turned an ugly & messy view of the Woollies loading bay into a collection of joyous memories. He wasn’t so over-flowing with those good feelings about my white office kitchen vinyl selection, where the stains won’t easily come-off, especially thanks to the anti-slip grit. The local Grevillea flower was the inspiration I chose as the QS Services office colour-scheme, and it was generally well received. Brightly coloured chair fabrics and stained timber slats match the bright orange and yellow flowers and a muted green leaf wall colour feature, used sparingly, contrasts predominantly clean white desks and walls. We aimed for clear lines and bright, clean spaces with a splash of colour and vibrancy. I feel this is my most successful office fit-out and colour scheme and I am proud to have been asked to do this project, especially since Charles had such good connections with every architect and interior designer in town. I was surprised and very pleased, equally I put in my best efforts. Maybe others were surprised too, like Simon Scally who gave Charles a spontaneous defects inspection with yellow post-it notes dotted around the office, which he asked me to come and see. Over the time of the project, I was pregnant and had my second daughter. That time can be somewhat challenging for getting a respectable outfit organised every day, and sadly I had a rather serious wardrobe fail in the middle of Whitfield street, right in front of number 5, when the elastic of my skirt gave up while my hands were full with a box of finishes samples. I didn’t ever have the courage to ask who was looking out of the windows (before frosting).
When I first met Charles, I had no real understanding of how important cost estimates were to become in my career. Fiona Hog, an architect I worked with at Troppo’s in the 1990s, with a few more year experience. She explained that her father was a quantity surveyor in Perth. She said we work with Charles at QS services here in the NT, he is the best and we need a cost estimate on every job. It is very important because we need to know how much each job costs. I remember raising my eyebrows. She was right, though not every client can be convinced.
In recent times I was so pleased that Charles and Robin could come to my 50th birthday, and even more so when they told me it was the only dinner they had managed to attend together that year. Charles had his feet bandaged which made carrying in half a dozen wines harder than it might have been. They were great wines and I enjoyed then over the coming year. Along with some cheese. He was generous. He told me that he always thought of me as that skinny kid working under the elevated house which was the Lindsay St troppo Architects office until 1999.
He was cheerful and supportive, always. Thank you, Charles. I remember you fondly. You provided reliable excellent advice that gave anxious clients and architects an anchor in a way that was friendly, with humour and respectful cadence that guaranteed return.”
Jo Rees
Ajar Architects
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
