2017 Victorian Architecture Awards celebrate healthy, liveable spaces

The Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects has announced the winners of the 2017 Victorian Architecture Awards. Juries noted that “creating places for people” was evident in all categories, showcasing architects’ ability to contribute to both the development of community and the public realm in a variety of positive and innovative ways.

According to Vanessa Bird, Victorian Chapter President, “this year there is a focus on designing healthy, liveable spaces. Living and working in well-designed buildings influences the way we think and feel; it inspires and uplifts us, promotes wellbeing and health and can bring us together in new ways. The value of good architecture is about creating places for people.”

Of the 223 entries, approximately 35 per cent were judged to be worthy of an Award or Commendation. With no single dominant winner taking home multiple awards, entries represented a broad range of practices and scales of work. Winning projects varied from a tiny beach shack and a temporary performance space, through to a multifaceted civic complex and a large research hospital.

Fifty-eight Named Awards, Awards, and Commendations were presented across 16 Awards and Prizes categories, representing the best of Victoria’s architecture. Each of the projects provides architecture that significantly contributes to its local community — culturally, economically and socially.

Forty houses were entered in this year’s Residential New category and the jury welcomed the variation of designs presented. Tim Jackson, Residential Architecture Houses – New Jury Chair noted “how encouraging it was to see the exploration of ideas across the range of entries that demonstrated how good design can enrich family life. In making our judgements we recognised the positive role that architects play in challenging our preconceptions about what makes a house both liveable and remarkable.”

This year’s winner of the John George Knight Heritage award, Albert Park College Environmental Arts Hub by Six Degrees Architecture, exemplifies the value of well-designed buildings as a contributor to stronger communities, and the creation of places for people. This building opens its doors to the local community. The school has positioned itself as a good institutional citizen, and is a shining example of how heritage places can be creatively adapted to take on a new and important role in their communities.

The 2017 Melbourne Prize for the first time went equally to two projects. Both public projects — Tanderrum Bridge by John Wardle Architects and NADAAA in collaboration and 2016 NGV Architectural Commission by M@ STUDIO Architects — make an evocative and memorable contribution to Melbourne’s cultural and urban landscape.

The strong showing of Health projects within the awards is an acknowledgement by both government and the design profession of the importance of quality design environments in ensuring positive health-related outcomes.

Winner of both the Victorian Medal and the William Wardell Award for Public Architecture, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), was acknowledged as a handsome new addition to Victoria’s notable public buildings. It has become a magnet for the world’s best cancer researchers and is testament to the skill and imagination of the sthDI + MCR architectural consortium.

As the Victorian Medal jury noted, “in a world where research institutes and cancer hospitals compete to attract the best researchers, the architecture assists in establishing a compelling image for the VCCC. It is an exemplary building which will serve the Victorian community for decades to come.”

Whether government-commissioned projects, or homes and private offices, this year’s winning projects put people and communities first.

The following is a full list of 2017 Victorian Architecture Award winners. Named Award and Architecture Award winners go on to compete in the National Architecture Awards, to be announced in Canberra in November.

Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

HAROLD DESBROWE-ANNEAR AWARD 
Rose House | Baracco+Wright Architects

ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
Dark Horse | Architecture Architecture
House A | Andrew Walter
Seaberg | Kerstin Thompson Architects
Fish Creek House | Edition Office

COMMENDATIONS
True North | TANDEM design studio
South Melbourne Beach House | Topology Studio
Twig House | Leeton Pointon Architects + Interiors and Allison Pye Interiors

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

JOHN AND PHYLLIS MURPHY AWARD
Sorrento House | Figureground Architecture

ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
Dorman House | Austin Maynard Architects
Perimeter House | MAKE Architecture
Shadow Cottage Daylesford | MRTN Architects

COMMENDATIONS
Alfred House | Austin Maynard Architects
Belmont House | Kennedy Nolan

Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing)

BEST OVEREND AWARD
RMIT Bundoora West Student Accommodation | Richard Middleton Architects (RMA)

ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
Assembly Apartments | Woods Bagot

COMMENDATION
Albert Street | DKO Architecture
Monash University Turner Building Student Accommodation | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Small Project Architecture

KEVIN BORLAND AWARD
South Melbourne Beach House | Topology Studio

ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
Balnarring Retreat | Branch Studio Architects
Casa de Gatos | WOWOWA Architecture & Interiors

COMMENDATIONS
2016 NGV ARCHITECTURE COMMISSION: Haven’t you always wanted…? | M@ STUDIO Architects
Shimmerlands | Ha – Architecture, Product & Environment with Ben Sibley, Architectural Craftsperson
Sound Cloud | Andrew Simpson Architects

Urban Design

JOSEPH REED AWARD
Frank Bartlett Library and Moe Service Centre | fjmt

ARCHITECTURE AWARD
Fitzroy Gardens Redevelopment Project | City of Melbourne City Design Studio

COMMENDATIONS
Reservoir Urban Nodes | Bellemo & Cat
Upper West Side | Cottee Parker Architects

Heritage Architecture

JOHN GEORGE KNIGHT AWARD
Albert Park College Environmental Arts Hub | Six Degrees Architects

ARCHITECTURE AWARD
Hiro-En House | Matt Gibson Architecture + Design

Interior Architecture

MARION MAHONY AWARD
Shadow House | Matt Gibson Architecture + Design, Mim Design

ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
Slack Melbourne Office | Breathe Architecture
The Gipson Commons, St Michael’s Grammar School | Architectus

COMMENDATIONS
Belmont House | Kennedy Nolan
Cox Box Office | Cox Architecture

Commercial Architecture

SIR OSBORN MCCUTCHEON AWARD
The Coppel & Piekarski Family Disability Respite Centre | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

ARCHITECTURE AWARD
TarraWarra Cellar Door | Kerstin Thompson Architects

COMMENDATION
STREAT Cromwell | Six Degrees Architects

Public Architecture

WILLIAM WARDELL AWARD
Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre | sthDI+MCR (Silver Thomas Hanley, DesignInc and McBride Charles Ryan)

ARCHITECTURE AWARDS
Bunurong Memorial Park | BVN
Pomonal Community Hall | Workshop Architecture
Brimbank Community and Civic Centre | Lyons

COMMENDATION
Frank Bartlett Library and Moe Service Centre | fjmt

Educational Architecture

HENRY BASTOW AWARD
Albert Park College Environmental Arts Hub | Six Degrees Architects

ARCHITECTURE AWARD
Arts West, University of Melbourne | ARM + Architectus
The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation – The University of Melbourne | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

COMMENDATION
Good Samaritan Primary School – Nazareth (Yr 1 & 2) Learning Village | Harrison and White

Sustainable Architecture

ALLAN AND BETH COLDICUTT AWARD
South East Water | BVN

ARCHITECTURE AWARD
Birkenstock Australia Headquarters | Melbourne Design Studios (MDS)
Fitzroy Gardens Redevelopment Project | City of Melbourne City Design Studio

COMMENDATION
Monash University Building 56 Redevelopment | McGlashan Everist

Enduring Architecture Award

University South Lawn Underground Car Park | Loder and Bayly in association with Harris, Lange and Associates

COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture

COLORBOND® AWARD
Arts West, University of Melbourne| ARM Architecture + Architectus

COMMENDATION
The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation – The University of Melbourne| Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Melbourne Prize – Joint Winner

2016 NGV ARCHITECTURE COMMISSION: Haven’t you always wanted…? | M@ STUDIO Architects
Tanderrum Bridge | John Wardle Architects and NADAAA in collaboration

Regional Prize

Pomonal Community Hall | Workshop Architecture

Victorian Architecture Medal

Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre | sthDI+MCR (Silver Thomas Hanley, DesignInc and McBride Charles Ryan)