NSW Student Architecture Awards
NSW Student Architecture Awards
Celebrating the skills and talents of architecture students in NSW
The NSW Student Architecture Awards program was established in 2010 coinciding with the introduction of the Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees. The aim of the program is to promote the skills of architecture students in NSW.
NSW Student Architecture Awards program
Student scholarships and prizes
Submit your entry for additional prizes and scholarships
The NSW Student Architecture Awards program features two additional travel scholarships. Brain Patrick Keirnan Prize for Students of Architecture is open to all NSW current students.
BRIAN PATRICK KEIRNAN PRIZE FOR STUDENTS OF ARCHITECTURE
The Brian Patrick Keirnan Prize is open to all current NSW students of architecture and is based on the theme of ‘Reimagining, Reinventing and Reinterpreting Public Space’. The prize is for overseas travel and research and/or overseas study to enrich professional development.
Following review by the jury, only one winning proposal will be selected each year. The winning individual or group will receive funding of $10,000 expressly for overseas travel and overseas research and/or overseas study for professional development that is aligned with the prize theme. In addition to selecting a winner for the Prize, it is also open to the jury to award a commendation/s for an entry/ entries which expresses strongly the themes of the Prize.
Rafiq Azam Travel Bursary (this will not be available as part of the 2023 program)
The Scholarship known as the Rafiq Azam Travel Bursary was established in 2010 by architect Rafiq Azam and Bangladeshi Architects in Australia (BaA) to enable students to gain architecture experience in Bangladesh.
This bursary provides an excellent opportunity for Australian-based students to study under architect Rafiq Azam and his team in Bangladesh. In addition to visiting local projects by renowned architects such as Louis Kahn, Paul Rudolf and Mazharul Islam. Following their travels, it is expected that the successful candidate/s will submit a short report and deliver a presentation on a topic of their choice.
The Rafiq Azam Travel Bursary consists of in-kind support of approximately $5,000 to cover economy airfare, accommodation and daily allowance for food and transport for a two-week residential work experience in Bangladesh for each successful candidate.
This scholarship is open to all entrants of NSW Student Architecture Awards in the same year only. Entrants will be invited to enter and are required to submit a statement addressing the two key criteria identified below (maximum one A4 pages per entry):
- The applicant’s interest in Bangladeshi architecture and design and their interest in exploring the potential for architecture to be of service to the Bangladeshi community.
- How this opportunity will enrich the applicant’s development and the understanding and capacity of the profession.
2022 NSW student Awards winners
NSW GRADUATE MEDAL
Stayin’ Alive | Natalie Wing Sum Ho | The University of New South Wales
By using her lived experience Natalie was able to establish a brief that considered the potential for architectural program to help create connections in her community. This project suggested the establishment of ‘free space’ on a university campus – released of academic programming, but available to fertilise the creative and community minds of students.
Located at an elbow junction of the university built form grid, the project aims to make space for both large collections of people and individual endeavour. Using a slab and tower typology the project establishes a strong urban street edge, allowing the traditional campus to extend and hold the public domain, while the verticality of the tower creates a marker building to announce the buildings importance. The freshness of simple creative thinking and well considered urban edges is delightful.
The Policy Document Defining Dwelling and Domestic Formalities 2022 | Calum York, Hannah Clifton and Raphael Newell | University of Technology Sydney
This project addresses the urgent need of delivering better housing across a broader range of typologies and scales within the well serviced existing urban fabric of the city.
The project identifies housing parameters not currently met by existing policy and looks to address housing shortfall by providing flexibility in typology to ensure that delivered housing is capable of meeting contemporary and future residents needs. By identifying a range of specific urban sites, the students tested their research and hypothesis through the design of site-specific buildings to increase sleeping density rather than the typical built form density response.
The challenge of addressing the seemingly mundane issue of housing should never be underestimated. Only because of creative thinking that challenges assumed and established norms – like that proposed by the students, will we ever come close to delivering the level of equity in our built housing stock that is required.
NSW UNDERGRADUATE MEDAL
The Motion Repository | Michael Connolly | The University of Sydney
‘The Motion Repository’ is a speculative work where a theatre is removed from its usual enclosed, conditioned box and becomes the mechanism by which the landscape becomes the performer. The site’s location along the Glebe Island Peninsula has a direct play on how the architectural spaces are configured. The changing tides and wind alters the space and compels inhabitants to acknowledge the nuance of site and landscape.
The project marries the natural conditions of the site with an architectural style that is reminiscent of its industrial heritage. Its bold material expression celebrates structure through exposed steel framing and rammed earth, drawing clear contrast with the site, its foundations sitting proud of the low water line. Here, the opposing forces of natural and man-made are given equal billing.
The architecture is contextualised by a compelling analytical framework and shows a breadth of understanding to be commended for undergraduate studies, clearly communicated through high quality drawing and imagery tied together though a memorable graphic language.
NSW ARCHITECTURAL Technologies AWARD
Revive 75 | Tyla Venish | University of New South Wales
With housing affordability being a prominent issue impacting the nation and the future generations of Australia, ‘Revive 75’ proposes an alternative housing model that challenges traditional ideas of how we dwell within our cities.
Tyla’s project looks at a Built-To-Rent development that addresses this, while incorporating a simple yet sophisticated series of sustainability interventions that rejuvenates a contaminated site of the Sydney suburb of St. Peters.
Through a considered system of consumption, redirection of waste, and the collection of solar energy and natural resources, ‘Revive 75’ looks to generate a circular economy that benefits both residents and neighbouring communities.
The project is a wonderful solution in how developments have potential to address key issues of housing affordability, while simultaneously creating a machine that functions to heal our communities and the environment.
NSW ARCHITECTURAL Communcations AWARD
Allegory of the Museum of Fiction | Kevin Hwang | University of Sydney
‘Allegory of the Museum of Fiction’ takes us on a journey that traces the complete evolution of an architectural concept from its historical context, to its reinterpretation, to its architectural realisation, and ultimately to its abandonment and extinction. The process is boldly and unconventionally presented through a manifesto that challenges conventional thinking and communicates the design process via storytelling, resulting in a narrative that is relatable and accessible to a broad audience. With architecture this is important.
Effective communication can be uncomfortable. It can move you to question your own beliefs, but it can persuade you to see things from a different perspective. Kevin’s manifesto engages the reader in questioning what is history and how it is represented. In today’s world, where history and facts are increasingly challenged, politicised, and reinterpreted, this is particularly relevant.
The portfolio has an artistic quality to it with an historical feel that is graphically powerful.
The emotive imagery is predominantly black and white and is dark and moody, but it is punctuated with colour and touches of humour. Along with Kevin’s verbal presentation, it is a body of work that is beautifully communicated with a high level of confidence and conviction.
NSW RAFIQ AZAM TRAVEL BURSARY WINNER
Allegory of the Museum of Fiction | Kevin Hwang | University of Sydney
This project is a spark of innovation. It’s an exhibition of powerful manifesto. Kevin Hwang is a talented storyteller. He has merged the past, present and future through the story what makes his architecture so timeless.
I believe we architects look at the world through stories and every project is another chapter of the greater tale. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Stories are powerful, also they makes us little less alone in this life.
The project has shown high level of understanding of the Design brief and articulate that into a meaningful architecture. Finding a new purpose for The Registrar General’s Building from early 20th century is challenging, by telling stories Kevin has created a certain narrative and certain history. The theatrical ability to demonstrate the future has found a solitary edge to its program. Finally, the multidimensional idea concluded into an architecture that is inventive, critical, and appropriate to their urban and social context.
NSW BRIAN PATRICK KEIRNAN PRIZE
Build Back Better; Urban Resilience for the Township of Lismore | Carmelo Nastasi | The University of Sydney
Global warming is challenging our resilience. We can no longer ‘wait and see’, nor simply shift our settlements to places that won’t be impacted – ours is a continent of drought and flooding rains, leading to increases in bush fire and flooding.
Architecture must play a role in creating capacity for our communities to respond to expanding natural disasters of increased intensity. Rather than aiming to design out the challenges presented by this new normal, we need to design them in – to work out how to live with greater fluctuation.
Carmelo’s proposal, set in Lismore, offers a view into a new normal, where communities through the employment of better architectural systems can respond and adapt to flooding. His travel proposal, to learn from those who consistently respond to flood offers an opportunity to build confidence, approaching flooding more laterally, as a natural and regular occurrence to be designed for.
As a jury we were excited by Carmelo’s passion for the challenge and his connection to the community through lived research. We look forward to seeing how grass roots community engagement and collaboration may better prepare our communities for change.
NSW RAFIQ AZAM TRAVEL BURSARY WINNER
High Watermark – An Evolving Landscape Legacy | Gracie Grew | The University of Sydney
The sympathetic approach towards its context makes this project irreplaceable. I call this Responsive architecture. It’s not about hierarchy, it’s about assimilation. It’s not about standing high, it’s about seeking truth.
It is inspirational to experience how Gracie Grew tailored her architecture to touch the earth lightly. Elegant choice of built form materialises to its surrounding context. The subject site has few challenges, i.e flood, pollution, poor built fabric and roadway. Despite all the odds, a powerful synthesis of the history of this land and the desire to preserve the glorious past reflects into her choice of architecture. Understanding the notion of this project, I believe it is safe to say, ‘Less is more’.
2022 NSW UNIVERSITY PRIZES
The University of New South Wales
Benjamin Selig – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s program)
Natalie Wing Sum Ho – Graduate of the Year (Master’s program)
Mona Keophonexay – History & Theory Prize
Joanne Nicole Andrade – Construction & Practice Prize
The University of Newcastle
Grace McLean – Graduate of the Year (Master’s Program)
Charlie Dibley | Mahalia Leckner | Bonanta Adity – Construction & Practice Prize
Richard Eastman – History & Theory Prize
The University of Sydney
Sophia Di Giandomenico – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s Program)
Alexandra Jablonowska – History & Theory Prize
Timothy Millross – Construction & Practice Prize
Jeffrey Liu – Graduate of the Year (Master’s Program)
The University of Technology Sydney
Kaitlyn Demol – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s Program
Sophie Wruck – History &. Theory Prize
Callum York – Graduate of the Year – (Master’s Program)
Mengkun Zu – Construction & Practice Prize
University of Western Sydney
Asal Fathi – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s Program)
Christopher Teo – Graduate of the Year (Master’s Program)
2020 NSW UNIVERSITY PRIZES
The University of New South Wales
Natalie Ho – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s program)
Jincheng Jiang – Graduate of the Year (Master’s program)
Nailah Masagos Zulkifli – History & Theory Prize
Natalie Ho – Construction & Practice Prize
The University of Newcastle
Jye Whyte – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s program)
Thomas Byard – Graduate of the Year (Master’s program)
Emilie Winter – History & Theory Prize
Annie Murphy – Construction & Practice Prize
The University of Sydney
Rachel Liang – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s program)
Xiaoxi Tan – Graduate of the Year (Master’s program)
Alvin Hui – History & Theory Prize
Jake Boydell – Construction & Practice Prize
The University of Technology Sydney
Ho Kyeong Kim – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s program)
Grace Louise Dwyer – Graduate of the Year (Master’s program)
Sarah Choo – History & Theory Prize
Farah Rehman – Construction & Practice Prize
Watch the 2020 student awards on livestream
On 21 Feb 2020, the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects announced the winners of the 2020 NSW Student Architecture Awards, recognising the best student work completed last year at the four accredited schools of architecture in NSW.
NSW Chapter President Kathlyn Loseby said: ‘The awards program from the Institute is one of the most rigorous and prestigious in the industry. Simply being shortlisted in the NSW Student Architecture Awards provides graduates and undergraduates with the recognition for design excellence that can be a stepping stone to an outstanding career.
‘Following the recent bushfires and floods the jury were inspired by the students’ approach to environment, regeneration and rejuvenation,’ said Ms Loseby.
2020 NSW People's Choice Award
Vote for your NSW favourite house
Residential projects in the 2020 National Architecture Awards shortlist from both the Houses (New) and Houses (Alterations and Additions) categories are eligible for the People’s Choice Award.
This year 13 houses are in the running to become Australia’s favourite house. Vote for your favourite today!
Vote for your favourite house and go in the running to win one of three $500 Bunnings vouchers thanks to our Major National Corporate Partner Dulux.
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