DIA WA 2015 Design Awards

Western Australia’s leading design practitioners and aspiring design students have been recognised with nineteen awards at the DIA WA 2015 Design Awards held on  Thursday 3 December, 2015.

Now in its thirteenth year, the Awards Program, an initiative of the Design Institute of Australia’s (‘DIA’) WA Chapter is the State’s only multi-disciplinary design program promoting and recognising excellence and innovation in design.

Over 250 design devotees filled one of the city’s most esteemed architectural landmarks, the State Theatre Centre of WA, designed by local architect, Kerry Hill Architects. Award winners were acknowledged for their diversity and creativity in the three primary design disciplines of Interior Spaces, Product Design and Visual Communication.

Taking out top prize, the Best in State Award coupled with an Award of Merit in the Interior Spaces (Corporate) category, as well as a Commendation in Lighting Solutions was Woods Bagot for Built (WA), a series of crafted free standing and suspended elements within an exposed building shell, celebrating contemporary design, workmanship and the base building form.

The coveted Best in State Award, open to all Professional Award of Merit winners, was considered by the judges to “have brought new life into this older style base building and by exposing the building shell in a creative and respectful manner successfully blended the old with the new”.

In Visual Communication (Exhibition) FORM was presented with an Award of Merit, together with this year’s inaugural Innovation Award for their open-air exhibition PUBLIC 2015 transforming distinctive urban neighbourhoods and regional landscapes. “The sheer scale, bold vision and evident tenacity of an organisation to successfully achieve such a well-designed strategy for a state-wide project is an exemplar of true innovation and inventiveness”.

 Other deserving Award of Merit winners included; Design Theory in the Interior Spaces (Corporate) category for their refreshingly clever fitout of Go Graphics, the “originality and humour of the design sending a very positive message” and Chindarsi Architects Pty Ltd in Interior Spaces (Residential) for Union Street Residence, a deco-inspired North Perth home which “has maximised space and opportunities for light and views, transforming this tight footprint into a space unbounded by its suburban location”.

Commendations were also awarded in Interior Spaces to Geyer Pty Ltd for Geyer Perth Studio and CODA Studio & Broderick Architects for Bunbury Catholic College. In Product Design (Jewellery) a Commendation went to Glenn Russell for GR.AFT#2. And taking out three Commendations for Visual Communication (Environmental), Interior Spaces (Hospitality) and Lighting Solutions, Design Theory for BamBamBoo, an exciting modern food destination which the judges felt ‘utilised an interesting and diverse range of materials and ideas to provide a fresh and enjoyable casual dining experience”.

An impressive selection of Product Design Student entries, resulted in the prestigious Emerging Student Award, coupled with an Award of Merit presented to Peter Milligan from Central Institute of Technology in the Industrial category. The judges’ felt Peter’s contemporary Counterpoint light demonstrated “a sophisticated restraint, unique material selection and simplicity of fabrication and assembly that is exceptional”.

All the results

The Best in State Award, Emerging Student Award, Innovation Award, five Awards of Merit and eleven

Commendations were presented in the following categories;

INTERIOR SPACES – Professional

Corporate

Best in State & Award of Merit – Woods Bagot, Built (WA)

Award of Merit – Design Theory, Go Graphics

Commendation – Geyer Pty Ltd, Geyer Perth Studio

Residential

Award of Merit – Chindarsi Architects Pty Ltd, Union Street Residence

Public/Institutional

Commendation – CODA Studio & Broderick Architects, Bunbury Catholic College

Hospitality

Commendation – Design Theory, BamBamBoo

PRODUCT DESIGN – Professional

Jewellery

Commendation – Glenn Russell, GR.AFT#2

VISUAL COMMUNICATION – Professional

Exhibition

Innovation Award and Award of Merit – FORM, Public 2015

Environmental

Commendation – Design Theory, BamBamBoo

LIGHTING SOLUTION – Professional

Commendation – Design Theory, BamBamBoo

Commendation – Woods Bagot, Built (WA)

INTERIOR SPACES – Student

Hospitality

Commendation – Kaila Cicchini of Central Institute of Technology, Intimo Restaurant

Retail

Commendation – Mia Maria Larsson of Central Institute of Technology, Aesop Retail Design

Set Design

Commendation – Tyler Hill of WAAPA, Much Ado About Nothing

PRODUCT DESIGN – Student

Industrial

Emerging Student & Award of Merit – Peter Milligan of Central Institute of Technology, Counterpoint

Textile

Commendation – Seth Cray of Curtin University, Digitised Craft

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