2025 Victorian Architecture Award Winners
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Woodleigh Regenerative Futures Studio by McIldowie Partners with Joost Bakker. Photography: EarlCarter
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Woodleigh Regenerative Futures Studio by McIldowie Partners with Joost Bakker. Photography: EarlCarter
The winners of the 2025 Victorian Architecture Awards have been announced showcasing outstanding contributions to architectural design across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Recognising excellence in collaboration, sustainability, and innovation, this year’s awards highlight the transformative power of architecture in shaping our communities.
The prestigious Victorian Architecture Medal was awarded to Searle x Waldron Architecture recognising its sustainable and beautiful workplace through the Northern Memorial Park Depot. This project for the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT) won the Melbourne Prize and received an architecture award and commendation in the Commercial and Sustainable Architecture category respectively. The two-storey timber operations hub rethinks the traditional industrial truss and reflects the client’s values to create a design for longevity and sustainability.
A total of 19 Named Awards, 21 Architecture Awards, and 17 Commendations were presented following rigorous assessments by independent juries, recognising 384 submissions across 15 categories that demonstrate a commitment to environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
Noticeable in this year’s winners is the strength of sustainable architecture across Victoria and the different sectors. Awarded projects exemplifying this theme include The Paddock, a cluster housing development in Castlemaine by CROSBY architects and Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence by ARM Architecture which has upgraded facilities, shaded gathering areas, and indigenous planting to encourage community connection, storytelling, and learning. Additionally, many homes have made the step to include more sustainable features in the creation process, or in the alterations.
“The thirty-nine entries in this year’s Sustainability awards highlighted innovative design in housing, education, commercial and public sectors, in a variety of forms and scales. Shortlisted entries often displayed intelligent designs that championed not only environmental sustainability but also social sustainability. Winners however were noteworthy for pushing beyond the conventional with their responses to low-carbon and regenerative design, occupant well-being and for setting standards for new and unconventional typologies. The overall winner demonstrated how sustainable multi-residential design is possible in regional Victorian, where often volume builder housing is the norm, creating a sense of place and a thriving community” – Deb Adams, Jury Chair for the Sustainability prize.
The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture –Â The Paddock.
Architect: CROSBY architects
The Paddock is a cluster housing development where contributive self-governance, return of biodiversity, food production, water conservation and waste minimisation are core goals. The buildings form six groups of houses in a horseshoe formation around shared food gardens, an orchard, shared wetlands and dam, and a communal workshop.
Architecture Award – Woodleigh Regenerative Futures Studio.
Architect: Mcildowie Partners with Joost Bakker
More than simply a school building, the Regenerative Futures Studio at Woodleigh School Senior Campus is a carbon-sequestering, solar-powered living ecosystem that provides a dynamic project-based learning environment for students to explore and address real-world problems with a regenerative focus. Fit with five flexible learning spaces, staff amenities, social space and an outside Aquaponic tank with native fish, it provides ecological learning opportunities and a food source for students. On the green roof, there are native plants and grasses to foster life cycles of native butterflies, birds and bees.
Commendation –Â Northern Memorial Park Depot.
Architect: Searle x Waldron Architecture
The Northern Memorial Park (NMP) Depot, a project for the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT), redefines the depot typology by providing a sustainable and beautiful workplace for those in emotionally challenging roles. A pleated and perforated screen wraps the building, amplifying shadows and depth. The screen compresses at double-height public entry points and curves around existing tree canopies. Colours shift to reflect the muted green hues of the surrounding cemetery landscape. The two-storey mass-timber operations hub rethinks the traditional industrial truss and reflects the clients core values to design infrastructure for longevity and sustainability. The NMP Depot plays a crucial role in shaping the future of GMCT while respecting the solemnity and purpose of its surrounding landscape.
All winners for 2025 Victorian Architecture Awards:
Category: Commercial Architecture
Melbourne Place. Kennedy Nolan
– The Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award for Commercial Architecture
116 Rokeby Street. Carr
– Architecture Award
Everlane Cremorne. Fieldwork
– Architecture Award
Northern Memorial Park Depot. Searle x Waldron Architecture
– Architecture Award
The StandardX. Woods Bagot
Architecture Award
120 Collins Street Revitalisation. Hassell
– Commendation
Decjuba HQ. Jackson Clements Burrows Architecture
– Commendation
Category: Educational Architecture
Pascoe Vale Primary School. Kosloff Architecture
– The Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence. ARM Architecture
– Architecture Award
Kangan Institute Health and Community Centre of Excellence. Architectus
– Commendation
Woodleigh Regenerative Futures Studio. Mcildowie Partners with Joost Bakker
– Commendation
Category: Heritage Architecture
Central Goldfields Art Gallery. Nervegna Reed Architecture
– The John George Knight Award for Heritage
Gunn Ridge House. Kennedy Nolan
– Architecture Award for Creative Adaptation
Parliament House Stone Restoration Works. FPPV Architecture
– Architecture Award for Conservation
Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve. Lovell Chen
– Commendation for Conservation
Category: Interior Architecture
Melbourne Place. Kennedy Nolan
– The Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture
Eva and Marc Besen Centre. Kerstin Thompson Architects
– Architecture Award
she sells sea shells. Multiplicity
– Architecture Award
Domain. Flack Studio
– Architecture Award
Hume Council Chamber. Architecture Associates
– Commendation
Category: Public Architecture
Eva and Marc Besen Centre. Kerstin Thompson Architects
– The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture
Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre. Lyons
– Architecture Award
Truganina Community Centre. Jasmax (Canvas Projects)
– Architecture Award
Dendy Beach Pavilion and Brighton Life Saving Club. Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
– Commendation
St Mary’s Coptic Church. Studio Bright
– Commendation
Category: Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Dunstan. SSdh
– The John and Phyllis Murphy Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Carlton Cottage. Lovell Burton Architecture
– Architecture Award
Gunn Ridge House. Kennedy Nolan
– Architecture Award
A Light Addition. Office MI-JI
– Commendation
Category: Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Hedge and Arbour House. Studio Bright
– The Harold Desbrowe Annear Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Otway Beach House. Kerstin Thompson Architects
– Architecture Award
she sells sea shells. Multiplicity
– Architecture Award
Terrace House. Rob Kennon Architects
– Architecture Award
Fishharven. Neil Architecture
– Commendation
Shady Creek Farm House. MRTN Architects
– Commendation
Stumpy Gully House. Adam Markowitz Design with Stavrias Architecture
– Commendation
Category: Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
Nightingale Preston. Breathe Architecture
– The Best Overend Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
Newburgh Light House. Splinter Society Architecture
– Architecture Award
Shiel Street North Melbourne, Community Housing Project. Clare Cousins Architects
– Architecture Award
The Paddock. CROSBY architects
– Commendation
Category: Small Project Architecture
Grace Darling Hotel Parklet. Kerry Kounnapis Architecture Practice
– The Kevin Borland Award for Small Project Architecture
Geelong Laneways: Malop Arcade. NMBW Architecture Studio with ASPECT Studios
– Architecture Award
Wangun Amphitheatre. Equity Office
– Commendation
Category: Urban Design
Glen Huntly Station. COX Architecture with Rush Wright Associates
– The Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design
Dendy Beach Pavillion and Brighton Life Saving Club. Jackson Clements Burrows
– Architecture Award
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence. ARM Architecture
– Commendation
Category: Enduring Architecture
Nicholas Building. Harry Norris
– Maggie Edmond Enduring Architecture Award
Category – COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
Casuarina Pavilion. Greenaway Architects (GA)
– COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence. ARM Architecture
– Commendation
Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize
Northern Memorial Park Depot. Searle x Waldron Architecture
EmAGN Project Award
Dunstan. SSdH
Category: Regional Prize
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence. ARM Architecture
– Regional Prize
Category: Sustainable Architecture
The Paddock. CROSBY architects
– The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture
Woodleigh Regenerative Futures Studio. Mcildowie Partners with Joost Bakker
– Architecture Award
Northern Memorial Park Depot. Searle x Waldron Architecture
– Commendation
Emerging Architect Prize
Stephanie Kitingan. Jacqueline OBrien. James Flaherty. Placement
Bates Smart Architecture in Media
March Studio: Making Architecture, Material & Process. Dr Fleur Watson
– State Award
Grounds, Romberg & Boyd: Melbourne’s Midcentury Modernists. Maria Larkins
– National Award
When Robin Boyd Went to Japan. NMBW Architecture Studio and Robin Boyd Foundation
with CIBI
– Advocacy Award
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