A regional building described as a ‘spectacular icon for imaginative civic regeneration and community identity’ has taken out the highest accolade at this year’s Australian Institute of Architects’ 2010 Tasmanian Architecture Awards.
At a special awards ceremony in Hobart tonight (Saturday 19 June 2010), the Alan C Walker Award for Public Architecture was presented to the Makers’ Workshop by Terroir. Presenting the award, Jury Chair Ian Moore said: “The project incorporates and reinterprets two key regional activities – an emerging creative crafts industry associated with Burnie’s paper manufacturing, and a centre for local rural and pioneering heritage – as a single visitors’ centre with a robust approach to context, form and materiality.” He added: “This is architecture with an arresting attitude to vision – looking out pointedly at different aspects of its setting – port, town, hinterland, ocean and built context – just as it demands to be looked at from different vantage points, distances and times of day and night. Completed on a stringent budget within 15 months from initial briefing, the Makers’ Workshop is a testament to lucid architectural intent and direction.“
Makers’ Workshop by Terroir
Transend Primary Store by HBV Architects
A building with similar presence and status from a quarter of a century ago was awarded the 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture. The jury said the Supreme Court Complex in Hobart by Department of Public Works/ Peter Partridge, “projects the primary qualities of a major public building; an august presence, stoic, serious, secure, solid and timeless, without the frequent bombastic display of power, subjugating the individual through scale”. They added: “The Supreme Court is an enduring and impressive exercise in civic restraint, retaining the respect for the institution without over-institutionalizing the building.”
In a double win, the conversion of an 1840s stone barn into a contemporary studio residence, the Strangio House by Maria Gigney Architects, was awarded the Roy Sharrington Smith Award for Heritage and a Small Project Architecture Award. The jury said: “The Strangio House at West Hobart epitomises the principles of The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance (The Burra Charter) whilst confidently balancing the challenges of contemporary occupation. This unambiguously modern refurbishment, sensitively placed within existing heritage fabric, appears as robust as its environs, yet retains a perceived element of mobility, as if ready to be introduced to an equally deserving locale.”
Strangio House by Maria Gigley
J Boag & Son New Brew House by Birrelli
Also taking out two honours this year was the Transend Primary Store by HBV Architects – presented with the Commercial Architecture Award and Colorbond Award For Steel Architecture. Presenting their award, the jury said: “Within a newly-developed industrial ‘estate’, in which most of the buildings are primarily storage facilities, it is unusual to discover a building which has a distinctly individual identity and makes a significant aesthetic statement.” They said the desire to create a completely open and flexible space devoid of roof supports was achieved by using a series of overarching external trusses from which the roof is suspended, “giving the building great sculptural character”.
The major residential award, the Esmond Dorney Award for Residential Architecture – Houses was presented to Trial Bay House by HBV Architects. The jury said the house, consisting of four pavilions, two existing and two new looking east across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel to Bruny Island “is a quietly elegant and extremely liveable house, where new and old blend seamlessly rather than compete for attention.”
The UTAS School of Furniture Design in Launceston by Six Degrees Pty Ltd and Sustainable Built Environments, architects in association, was awarded the Sustainable Architecture Award and a Public Architecture Award, with the jury saying: “The School of Furniture Design, at the Launceston campus of the University of Tasmania, seamlessly incorporates simple sustainable design techniques into an architectural expression that is appropriate not only to the industrial nature of the site, but also the pragmatic requirements of the newly established furniture school. It is evident that environmentally sustainable design principles have been considered and integrated from inception although this has not been allowed to dominate.”
The John Lee Archer Triennial Prize was presented to Dominic College Chapel by DesignInc Tasmania (now Forward Brianese + Partners), being “an architecture of excellence, it goes further ‘in design’; it is brave, thorough and thoughtful. It provides a journey that delights..”
The 2010 President’s Prize was presented to multi-award winner architect Robert Morris-Nunn. In presenting the honour, Tasmanian Chapter President Richard Crawford said: “Along with his (Robert’s) body of fine work, he demonstrates often that he is willing to stand up for what he simply believes is right – an example of this is his community involvement and voice against the Lauderdale Quay proposal at Ralphs Bay.” The Emerging Architect Prize went to Todd Henderson, “who exhibits a consistent commitment to career progression and has a proven track record in managing projects from small residential to large scale commercial projects, including two Technical Colleges in Northern Tasmania” and the SWT Blythe Student Prize to Chloe Comino for Sub-urban Dwelling, a project that “presents an engaging multi-layered investigation of ‘new suburban living’ in East Brunswick, Melbourne”.
Full List of 2010 Awards and Commendation Recipients:
25 Year Award For Enduring Architecture
Supreme Court Complex, Hobart by Department of Public Works, Peter Partridge
Commercial Architecture
Commercial Architecture Award and Colorbond Award For Steel Architecture
Transend Primary Store by HBV Architects
Commercial Architecture Award
J Boag & Son New Brew House by Birrelli
Heritage
The Roy Sharrington Smith Award for Heritage
Strangio House by Maria Gigney Architects
Public Architecture
The Alan C Walker Award for Public Architecture
Makers’ Workshop by Terroir
Public Architecture Award
Fahan Gymnasium & Performing Arts Centre by JAWSARCHITECTS
Public Architecture Award
UTAS School of Furniture Design by Six Degrees Pty Ltd and Sustainable Built Environments, architects in collaboration
Residential Architecture -Houses
The Esmond Dorney Award for Residential Architecture-Houses
Trial Bay House by HBV Architects
Small Project Architecture
Small Project Architecture Award
Strangio House by Maria Gigney Architects
Sustainable Architecture
Sustainable Architecture Award
UTAS School of Furniture Design by Six Degrees Pty Ltd and Sustainable Built Environments, architects in collaboration
Sustainable Architecture Commendation
J Boag & Son New Brew House by Birrelli
President’s Prize
Robert Morris-Nunn
Emerging Architect Prize
Todd Henderson
John Lee Archer Triennial Prize
Dominic College Chapel by DesignInc Tasmania (now Forward Brianese + Partners)
SWT Blythe Student Prize
Chloë Comino for Sub-urban Dwelling
People’s Choice Prize
UTAS Medical Science 1 by Lyons
All awards recipients are now in the running for National Architecture Awards, to be announced in late October.
And,
Regional Queensland wins top spots in State Architecture Awards
In a trend unequalled in other Australian states and territories, regional architecture has again dominated the Queensland Architecture Awards – with projects outside Brisbane scooping more than half the top awards and commendations for the second year running.
Announcing this year’s Australian Institute of Architects’ 2010 Queensland Architecture Awards in Brisbane tonight (Saturday 19 June), Awards Jury Director Bud Brannigan said projects outside Brisbane and from regions across Queensland have claimed 26 of this year’s 47 awards and commendations, including seven of the State’s 10 best new public architecture projects and four of the State’s six best new urban design projects.
Commenting on this year’s entries, Mr Brannigan said: “It’s commendable to see such a high proportion of projects entered into the public architecture category across the State, a trend which reflects the growing confidence of government organisations and regional councils in working with architects on key projects.” Speaking on the quality of this year’s entries, he added: “The jury has noted that it’s very obvious the best results are being seen in projects where architects have been employed at every stage of the process, from concept through to end of construction.”
Leading the regional charge was this year’s top public architecture winner, with the F.D.G Stanley Award for Public Architecture going to the Ipswich Justice Precinct by Cox Rayner Architects with ABM Architects (ABM Cox Rayner). Presenting the award, Mr Brannigan said: “Located on the edge of the Ipswich CBD, this court building engages with the public domain in a number of ways, and makes the interaction of the community with the justice system, highly visible and accessible.” In a multiple win for the Precinct, it also received this year’s Art and Architecture Prize and the G.H.M. Addison Award for Interior Architecture.
Above: Z House by Donovan Hill;
Right: Ipswich Justice Precinct by Cox Rayner Architects with ABM Architects (ABM Cox Rayner)
Barcaldine Tree of Knowledge Memorial by Brian Hooper Architect and m3architecture Architects in Association
The Barcaldine Tree of Knowledge Memorial by Brian Hooper Architect and m3architecture (Architects in Association) in Central Queensland, and the University of Queensland – Rural Clinical School by Arkhefield on the Darling Downs received two of the three other public architecture awards, with Brisbane’s The Lilley Centre by Wilson Architects picking up the third.
The Karl Langer Award for Urban Design was presented to Kurilpa Bridge by Cox Rayner Architects with Arup described by the jury as “a major addition to the strategic public infrastructure of inner Brisbane”. They said the bridge’s “‘radical’ structural design is a thoughtful and creative response (in both its overall conception and its detailed implementation) to the challenges of its detailed city context, its topographical and functional constraints, and its high public visibility and indigenous cultural significance”.
Four regional urban design projects, and one from Brisbane, were also honoured – ranging from a railway station on the Sunshine Coast to railway yards in North Queensland, a marina and esplanade in far north Queensland and parklands on the Gold Coast.
In a major coup for Brisbane practice Donovan Hill, the firm confirmed its strength across a range of building types to take out three top named awards. The Beatrice Hutton Award for Commercial Architecture was presented to Santos Place by Donovan Hill, a “building that creates a great sense of place to a site that has been displaced by the south-east freeway off-ramp”, with the result being “an active and restful ‘new’ lane to the CBD”. The practice was also awarded the State’s coveted top residential award – the Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture – Houses for the Z House in Brisbane. The jury said: “An ordinary person can have an extraordinary house. Organised around an internal garden, this house in an inner urban environment maintains its privacy from the street while contributing to it in a neighbourly and sensitive fashion. The planning investigates an appropriate and sustainable paradigm for urban living in a mature society.” Rounding off its awards tally, the practice received the Job & Froud Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing for the Seaspray Resort and Spa in Zilzie (Central Queensland) – “17 4.5 metre wide, two-storey, two-and-three bedroom apartments configured to combine void spaces within a concisely planned arrangement of open and enclosed areas, creating continuous cross-ventilation throughout”.
University of Queensland – Rural Clinical School by Arkhefeld
A “superb example of how an historic building can be restored and revitalised for the benefit of the wider community as a whole” – Old Government House Conservation and Adaptation by Conrad Gargett Architecture was honoured with the Don Roderick Award for Heritage.
The Willawong Bus Depot by City Design was awarded the Harry S. Marks Award for Sustainable Architecture, with the jury saying it “represents a major investment by the Brisbane City Council in environmentally sustainable design. Situated on a 22ha remediated waste disposal site the depot has embraced a broad range of strategies that simultaneously minimise the operation’s environmental impact and enhance the workplace. “
This year’s Hayes & Scott Award for Small Project Architecture was presented to the Balmoral Residence by Kieron Gait Architects, with the jury saying “the architect has enhanced the living experience within the house whilst still being sympathetic to the existing building structure”.
A Brisbane icon was presented with this year’s 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture – the Queensland Performing Arts Centre by Robin Gibson & Partners. The jury said: “Originally comprising Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall, Cremorne Theatre, Foyers and Plaza, QPAC has provided for a continuous cultural life in Brisbane, for 25 years, in one of the most prominent and identifiable positions of the city.”
2010 also marks the 25th anniversary of an enduring relationship between the Institute of Architects and principal corporate partner COLORBOND Steel. This year’s COLORBOND Award for Steel Architecture was presented to Tyto Wetlands by Troppo Architects (Qld) Pty Ltd.
Australian Institute of Architects
