2019 Barry McNeill Student Prize

Barry McNeill Graduate Prize recipient - Dylan Rowbottom 2

The 2019 Barry McNeill Student Prize was announced at the Displace exhibition, showcasing the work of shortlisted graduating students from the University of Tasmania, on Friday evening.

Congratulations to Dylan Rowbottom, who was the recipient of this year’s prize, and to Kathrine Vand, who received a Commendation.

Thank you to all involved, including prize sponsors, JAWS Architects and VOS Construction, along with the jurors, Neal Mackintosh, Darryn Scott and Megan Baynes.

From the jury:

This year the jury found it difficult to choose between two graduates who distinguished themselves by innate confidence and protracted educations. These impressive young people have demonstrated themselves to be on the very cusp of greatness. The jury wishes to congratulate each of the shortlisted graduates and indeed the entire cohort of the 2019 Master of Architecture at the University of Tasmania.

Congratulations Kathrine upon being the recipient of this year’s Commendation for the Barry McNeill Graduate Prize. Kathrine is concise and generous. Her architecture stems from a great curiosity about people and how architecture might augment our lives. She understands and embraces the essentially collaborative nature of practice and her work is humane and sincere. A Rare Relation explores the notion of a changing climate and how Hobart’s waterfront might be understood as a register to grasp the enormity of what is coming. Volumes have been designed to literal rise with the oceans and defensive embankments are proposed to protect us. From the geological to the experiential scales – the project is intelligent, pertinent and delightful.

Dylan Rowbotttom is an impressive person. He possesses a humility which belies his achievements. Dylan has sought diverse experiences and these have enriched him enormously. He has worked and travelled extensively – in places as diverse as Poland and Nepal. This self-directed learning has been most fruitful. Lyells Lament is a quintessentially Tasmanian endeavour. Tragic and fantastic, the history of Queenstown and its denuded terrain is a hefty thing to confront in a student project. Deliberately avoiding any sentimental attempt to resolve the environmental damage, Dylan cleverly and confidently deploys the brutal spatial tactics of mining to create an honest and profound architectural intervention. His deep and abiding appreciation for construction, and mastery of model making are inherent to his prolific design practice. Dylan’s work is poetic and pragmatic. He is well on the way to becoming a very fine architect. Congratulations Dylan on being the recipient of the 2019 Barry McNeill Graduate Prize.

The exhibition of the work of students shortlisted for the 2019 Barry McNeill Student Prize will be on display at the Tasmanian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects until Friday, December 20.

When: Daily, 9 am – 5 pm
Where: 1/19a Hunter Street, Hobart

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