ABOUT SUPERSTUDIO

Responding to a national brief with a theme of sustainability and regenerative design, this year participants were invited to think about architecture in a different light in the hope they would leave with a greater sense not only of the architect’s societal responsibility, but also the capacity and opportunity for our projects to instigate wider change.

2022 Superstudio national winners congratulations Caleb Lee and Nithya Ranasinghe

We are pleased to announce the national winner of Super Studio 2022, is Caleb Lee and Nithya Ranasinghe (Masters students, RMIT), for their proposal The Rinse Cycle.  

2022 State winners

Congratulations to our state and territory winners. 

SUPERSTUDIO 2022

Registrations are now closed 

Super Studio is a national design competition open to SONA members from all year levels. As a conceptual design competition, Super Studio gives students licence to explore highly creative responses to a design brief set by a creative team comprising student representatives and industry professionals.

Participants are encouraged to think big and share ideas you might not have the chance to in a regular studio. 

Responding to one national brief, participants will be mentored to help with design development and present their proposal to a judging panel in each state and territory. 

Eligibility

Super Studio is open to all SONA members from all year levels.

Teams of up to 3 

Prizes

National: 
The winners from each state will go into the national competition for the chance to win
$3000! 

State Prizes

State winner 

  • Exclusive office immersion experiences with a local practice – check where in your state or territory
  • Progression to national level of judging ($3000 prize) 
  • Architectural stationary voucher
  • Your Home book – learn more
  • 2023 SONA membership

Runners up (2 in each state) 

Previous participants

2022 Super Studio expereince

KEY DATES & ACTIVITIES

Competition Date Time More info
Reading of the Brief Saturday 2 July 9.30am AEST Virtual Session Connect here
Last chance for teams to register Saturday 2 July 11.00am AEST
Design Day talk Monday 4 July 5:30pm AEST Virtual Session Connect here
Face to face mentoring Tuesday 5 July from 5:30pm AEST Face to face session check the venue details n your state
Design Day talk Wednesday 6 July 5:30pm AEST Virtual Session Connect here
Virtual Mentoring Thursday 7 July from 5:30pm AEST Virtual Session connect here
Online Submission Due Saturday 9 July 9am AEST Submit Here
Face to Face Presentations Saturday 9 July from 3pm Local time Face to face session check the details for your state
National Judging and Announcement
National Winner Announcement Friday 15 July 5:30pm AEST Virtual Session Connect here

ket dates & activites

READING THE BRIEF

Saturday, 2 July

9.30am AEST

Virtual Session Connect Here

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER

Saturday, 2 July

10.00am AEST

Register for SuperStudio here

DESIGN DAY TALK

Monday, 4 July

5.30pm AEST

Virtual Session Connect Here

FACE TO FACE MENTORING

Tuesday, 5 July

From 5.30pm AEST

Face to face session check the venue details in your state

DESIGN DAY TALK

Wednesday, 6 July

5.30pm AEST

Virtual Session Connect

VIRTUAL MENTORING

Thursday, 7 July

From 5.30pm AEST

Virtual Session link will be shared after you register

ONLINE SUBMISSION DUE

Saturday, 9 July

9.00am AEST

Submit here

FACE TO FACE PRESENTATIONS

Saturday, 9 July

from 3.00pm (Local Time)

Face to face session check the details for your state

NATIONAL JUDGING AND ANNOUNCEMENT

Saturday, 9 July

from 3.00pm (Local Time)

Face to face session check the details for your state

NATIONAL WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Friday, 16 July

5.30pm AEST

Virtual Session Connect here

Find out more about the brief and the reading of the brief session on 8 May.

SuperStudio Design Day presentations are an opportunity for students to dive deeper into the themes of the SuperStudio brief, spark creativity and connect with other students and design professionals.

Details of local juries and mentor sessions to help with design development.

Designed for individuals with built environment related qualifications or those holding a degree from a recognised architecture course, but not registered. Maintain and extend your connection with the profession with opportunities for networking and continuous learning.

A profile of Caleb Lee and Nithya Ranasinghe from Victoria and their winning proposal – Ceremonial Shards.

Participants of SuperStudio make a submission online and present their idea face to face to a jury in their state

Creative Directors & National jury

 The creative team is also responsible for developing the brief,  curating the design inspiration talks and deciding the National winner of SuperStudio.  

MATTHEW ALFRED

Matthew is a designer working with ARM Architecture in Adelaide. Along with projects across Australia and internationally, Matthew has been heavily involved in architectural education, having taught at both South Australian Universities and with RMIT in Melbourne. 

Yaara PLAVES

Yaara Plaves is Hames Sharley’s National Sustainability Forum (NSF) leader, sharing her knowledge and passion with the team and clients alike. Her in-depth understanding of sustainability and regenerative design has seen her involved in several committees and professional organisations within the built environment. 

Christopher Pongrac 
Christopher Pongrac is an Architect with Snøhetta, and has experience on projects nationally and internationally. 

He is a sustainability representative for Snøhetta’s Australian studio, spanning project sites across Australia and New Zealand, tying into a broader, global pool of projects at the forefront of environmentally and socially sustainable architecture. 

reem daou

Reem Daou is the SONA Vice President (Competitions and Events).

At the University of South Australia, Reem is currently completing a Master of Architecture, focusing on her passions in Regenerative Design, Intercultural Placemaking and generally, just having fun with it.

graham hunt

Director of Delisle Hunt Wood Architects who strive to deliver sustainable, connected and considered architecture. Our designs aim to be simple and sustainable with people in mind. 

Graham has 35 years of experience as an architect and over 20 years experienced as NatHERS assessor. A member of ABSA since its foundation, he assists them with technical support. 

MATTHEW ALFRED

Matthew is a designer working with ARM Architecture in Adelaide. Along with projects across Australia and internationally, Matthew has been heavily involved in architectural education, having taught at both South Australian Universities and with RMIT in Melbourne. 

Yaara PLAVES

Yaara Plaves is Hames Sharley’s National Sustainability Forum (NSF) leader, sharing her knowledge and passion with the team and clients alike. Her in-depth understanding of sustainability and regenerative design has seen her involved in several committees and professional organisations within the built environment. 

reem daou

Reem Daou is the SONA Vice President (Competitions and Events).

At the University of South Australia, Reem is currently completing a Master of Architecture, focusing on her passions in Regenerative Design, Intercultural Placemaking and generally, just having fun with it.

Susan Ang 
Associate Head (International) of School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University 

Susan was a registered practicing architect in Geelong, Melbourne and Byron Bay for 15 years before entering academia where she is in her 23rd year of teaching, research and academic leadership. 

Through her teaching and research Susan is a champion of socially consciousness architecture, inclusive design and inter-professional education.  Susan is the Founder and Consortium Chair of Intercultural Dialogue Through Design (iDiDe est.2010) – Sustainable Rural Built Environments (SRBE est.2019), a global community design study tour that acts as a collaborative education platform and research network consisting of students, researchers, academics, and industry professionalsThe iDiDe-SRBE Consortium is particularly vested in meaningful engagement in participatory design with vulnerable and underrepresented communities around the world and addressing the imbalances between rural and urban environments and orientating these concerns towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

 

(Wei) Wei Yap, Ooi 
Principal, HAYBALL Architecture 

Wei is a Principal at HAYBALL, and he leads practice-based research and design. With over 20 years of architectural practice experience, Wei has worked on prominent award-winning public and private sector projects of varying scales across Australia and Southeast Asia. Currently, Wei serves as a Jury for the AIA International Chapter ‘s 2021 International Chapter Architecture Awards. During his undergraduate years, Wei was the recipient of the University Medal from the University of Newcastle, the NSW AIA Graduate Prize and was the second recipient of the AIA Student Prize for the Advancement of Architecture in 2000. 

design day Talks

Open to all design students, these presentations are an opportunity to dive deeper into the themes of the brief, spark creativity and connect with other students and design professionals. 

Monday 4 july
5.30pm aest

introduction into regen design

Speaker: Yaara Plaves

This session will introduce the concept of regenerative design, take a look into the principles of the field, and provide the tools and a hands-on opportunity to incorporate regenerative design into practice. 

Wednesday 6 july
5.30pm aest

Design Narratives

Speaker: Mark Raggatt 

 In this session Mark will discuss our historical connection to storytelling and its foundational connection to, mostly, western architectural influence. Mark will then lead the audience through our responsibility to engrain first nation identity within our design narratives as a step toward social regeneration in Australia and how this may ultimately mean throwing out all of our architectural narrative foundations.

Evolving Identities – A discussion with Dr Samantha Ratnam, Leader of Victorian Greens

Samantha is the MLC for Northern Metropolitan and the Leader of the Victorian Greens. Prior to entering the Victorian Parliament, Samantha was a social worker for over 15 years and also spent five years as a Councillor at the City of Moreland, where she was elected the first Greens Mayor of Moreland in 2015.  

Samantha discusses her personal migration journey and how the process of migration and change have helped to shape her identity. In this discussion Samantha also reflects on how differences in the built environment can influence the sense of who you are, how you relate to your community and your sense of well being. 

Evolving Identities – A discussion with Luke Hayward 

Luke is an Australian architect and Japanese 1st-class Kenchikushi, Architect and Building Engineer. Through his practice, atelier Luke, he collaborates closely with clients and local craftspeople to create uniquely personalised and culturally sensitive designs in both Australia and Japan.

Luke will reflect on the role of empathy in architectural practice when operating across cultures and borders. He will also examine the ways identity is defined and evolved by context and events

Evolving Identities – A discussion with Dr Tyson Yunkaporta  

Dr Tyson Yunkaporta is an Author, academic, educator, Indigenous thinker, maker (traditional wood carving), arts critic, researcher, poet. Apalech clan (west cape) with ties in the south, born-country is Melbourne and adoptive and community/cultural ties all over, from Western NSW to Perth.

In this presentation our Creative Directors Susan Ang and Wei Yap Ooi discuss the theme of the SuperStuio brief, evolving identities. Tyson shares stories of personal identity and his perspectives on evolving identity and what this means to him.  

Evolving Identities – A discussion with Kieran Wong 

Kieran is a co-founder and Partner at TheFulcrum.Agency, a creative consultancy that leverages community and social outcomes through evidenced-based design strategy, advocacy and research

Kieran discusses in particular how the practice has started to re think the work they do in community housing and infrastructure and strengthening the ways the practice connects to community. Thinking about what does practice mean not just in the professional sense but practice as an individual. 
Kieran shares advice for participants of SuperStudio on managing ideas to tackle the competition brief. 

Evolving Identities – A discussion with Dr Gary Presland and Professor Mel Dodd 

Dr Gary Presland
Over a 25-year period, Gary held positions as an archaeologist, historian, archivist and museum curator in the Victorian Public Service. He is a prize-winning author of nine books on aspects of Melbourne’s history.   

Gary discusses  the intricate ways in which  identity (in both Aboriginal and colonial settler society) is connected to ‘place’, and how they differ so markedly from each other and also how elements of Melbourne’s landscapes features were regarded in vastly dissimilar ways, through disparate cultural frameworks. 

Prof. Mel Dodd
Mel Dodd has led architecture at a range of Universities in London and Melbourne, and is currently Professor and Head of Department of Architecture at MADA, Monash University. Responsible for pedagogy that bridges the gap between the academic institution, the profession, and wider society, her practice-based research critically engages with urban place-making as evidenced in her recent publication ‘Spatial Practices: Modes of Action and Engagement with the City (Routledge 2020). Mel sits on the Architecture Committee for the Royal Academy of Arts, and is an Adjunct Professor at Central Saint Martins in London.

STATE and territory COMPETITION INFORMATION

Each state will hosted a presentation day on Saturday 9 July for participants to present their proposal to their state jury.  

2021 Superstudio national winners congratulations Angela xu and thomas li

Congratulations to the national winners of SuperStudio 2021, Angela Xu and Thomas Li, currently in their third year at The University of Sydney for their submission, Sedimentary Fabrics

 

Mentors

Participants of SuperStudio can access 2 mentoring sessions to help with design development, ask questions and to get some advice. Mentoring sessions are virtual, and participants could be connected to any of our below mentors from all over Australia, 

Levi Fletcher, City Geeks QLD
Sam Mcqueeny, Vokes and Peters QLD
Paul Worroll, Reddog Architects, QLD
Alistair Kirk, Local Architects PTY LTD
Sam Auckland, SA
Taya Brooks, BHI Architects, NSW
Paola Incer, QLD
Sarah Yap, JPW, NSW 
Benjamin Greaves, NSW
Saxon Hall, SAXON HALL architecture, TAS 
Gary Henighen, Architectus, NSW

Kim Mudie, VIC 
Angus McNichol, John Wardle Architects, NSW
Matias Chadwick, HASSELL, QLD
Belinda Allwood, POD (People Orientated Design) QLD
Colin Strydom, design+architecture, QLD
Paola Incer, QLD
Sarah Aisworth, Cottee Parker Architects, QLD
Chloe Pellicer, TKD Architects, NSW
Simon Rochowski, studioplusthree, NSW
Bronwyn Litera, Litera Trotta Architecture, NSW
Mary Ann Jackson, Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd
Hugh Michelmore, Walter Brooke & Associates, SA
Robert Davidov, Davidov Architects. VIC
Paul Bartsch, Troppo Architects, NT
Ursula Chandler, Ursula Chandler Architects, VIC
Gina Taylor, Nettletontribe, QLD 

online submission

Submissions are now closed.  

Online Submission: 

Due on/or before Saturday 15 May 9am AEST
Specific submissions requirements and instructions can be on the brief document 

Face to Face Presentations:  
Saturday 15 May check here for information about your states presentation day 

If you cant present live, pre-recorded submissions are due at 9amAEST along with online submission. 

For the face to face presentations, there is no limit to the number of supplementary slides you can use for this presentation. If you want to include a video or other forms of media, it’s up to you. The time each team has to present is 5mins + 2 mins q&a with the jury. All teams should be ready to present a 3pm.

2020 superstudio winner

Congratulations to Caleb Lee & Nithya Ranasisinghe

Our team immediately recalled the devastating Beirut port explosion in August, streets littered with shattered glass, possessions and paraphernalia strewn on the ground like trash – compounding Lebanon’s waste problem. We critiqued this year’s brief to be respectful of place. In order to be considerate, we strongly believed that we needed to be knowledgeable too. Thus we began the project by questioning the systems, culture, history and how would those indirectly affected resonate with this tragedy?

Under quarantine, the sphere in which we experience space has condensed yet conflated. Objects that surround us suddenly have a profound influence in how we act. Building upon the idea of lost possessions and sustainability, our team was interested in how material transmutation of objects affect our behaviour. What if we woke up and all our possessions were made from glass? Would we value them as much as our memorabilia? What would we be willing to discard?

Those who have been through trauma tend to gravitate towards rituals of consistency and routine, aspects found in religion. Therefore, we believed that a built outcome was not the answer to grief. We saw an opportunity to address Lebanon’s pre-existing problems surrounding waste disposal. Resonating with this year’s theme of “renewal”, we sought to propose a gradually dissipating ceremony, in a domestic setting to empathize with those in grief.

View the winning proposal here.

FAQ

Yes you can, you must register yourself/your team as usual. 

How to submit if you can’t present live:

Record your presentation via Zoom as if you were presenting live – this cannot exceed 7 minutes in length – if it does, we will cut the recording short. On the briefing document there will be clear instructions on how to submit your recording. This is due Saturday 15 May 9am AEST along with your online submission. 

It is highly recommended participants present live. If you are prerecording, you will miss out on a Q&A session with the jury and the opportunity to clarify elements of your proposal.

To participate in Super Studio, you firstly need to register your team (4 people max) or register as an individual.

At the time of registering select your preferred mentor time slot links to access mentoring are above ensure you connect at the time you register for. 

Attend the reading of the brief session. If you are unable to participate in this session, the recording will be available on our website afterwards.

Start designing!

Connect to one of the design day presentations during the week. We have some interesting speakers who will be conducting interactive chats around topics connected to our brief to help you to expand your thinking.

Connect to your mentoring session to get some feedback about your proposal from an industry professional.

Presentations and submission due on Saturday 15 May.

You can participate as an individual or as a team of 2,3 or up to 4 students.

Team members don’t need to come from your university but all team members should be SONA members.

Get in touch with Madelynn at the Institute – sona@architecture.com.au

This is important to let us know rather than not turning up as our mentors are giving up their time to help you.

There will be two virtual mentoring sessions available for all teams to help with their proposals.

Tuesday 11 May & Thursday 13 May from 5.30pm onwards. 

At the time of registering you select your preferred mentoring time slot. The link to access mentoring time slots is above in the table titled SuperStudio dates and activities.

Refer here for more information on who the 2021 SuperStudio mentors are

Register for SuperStudio here. The last chance to register is Monday 10 May 7.30pmAEST

The Design Day Talks are not compulsary for participants. We do encourage you to come along though, its a chance to explore the themes of the SuperStudio brief further with fellow participants and design professionals. Refer here for more information about the Design day presentations. 

1-2 business days after you register for SuperStudio you will receive an email with information about your states presentation day and access to your mentoring session. 

you can also refer here to view the location of your states presentation day. 

SONA COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Review the Terms and Conditions for SONA competitions here 

SUPERSTUDIO PARTNER

YOUR HOME

Your Home – Australia’s Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes – Australian Government.

The new Your Home has the latest on emerging energy efficiency technologies, sustainable design practices and construction systems for the residential building sector.

Your Home is available free online and as an affordable book. To read online or buy the book visit yourhome.gov.au.

This form is now closed.