- Two organisations were recognised with a President's Prize.
- There were three winners of the Reconciliation Prize.
Thirty practitioners and organisations have been recognised for outstanding achievements at the New South Wales Architecture Prizes.
Chapter President, Adam Haddow, said the accolades celebrated the diversity of work across the industry, including in project design, reconciliation and First Nations perspectives, housing affordability and industry excellence.
President’s Prize
Two President’s Prizes were awarded, with the accolades going to NSW Land and Housing Corporation and the Blacktown City Council for their efforts on housing and community development.
The NSW Land and Housing Corporation was recognised for its procurement of high-quality social housing, in the Bigge Street Apartments.
“If we accept that you can judge a society by how we treat our most vulnerable, the NSW Land and Housing Corporation is our conscience. With 125,000 properties under management and with more than 60,000 people on the waiting list, the NSW Land and Housing Corporation has an immense challenge ahead of it,” said the award citation.
“While housing itself is the priority, well-designed housing that is fit for purpose, reduces running costs, increases individuals sense of health and well-being, and is robust and future proofed, are all
important contributing factors to delivering value to the people of NSW,” Haddow said of the NSW Land and Housing Corporation.
“To achieve the immense task of delivering on such significant housing numbers LAHC are invested in numerous delivery structures from standalone delivery to partnerships. At this year’s NSW Architecture Awards the Bigge Street Apartments in Liverpool designed by Turner Studio and built by Hutchinson Builders was awarded a Multiple Housing Award,” continued the citation.
“This award recognised the design excellence of the project within a building typology rarely celebrated. In recognition of this excellence, I am awarding a President’s Prize to the NSW Land & Housing Corporation for leadership in the procurement of high-quality social housing.”
The Blacktown City Council was recognised for two of its projects: the Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre designed by Sam Crawford Architects and built by AW Edwards, and the Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology Hub (BEST), designed by ARM Architecture and built by Buildcorp.
Reconciliation Prize
Three Prizes were awarded, with the accolades going to the La Perouse Aboriginal Community social enterprise Gujaga Foundation, architect and educator Dr Michael Mossman, and the Heritage NSW and Heritage Council of NSW.
“We believe that our efforts as a profession and community to engage with and consider First Nations stories and perspectives is critical to the betterment of society and our collective culture,” said Haddow.
Marion Mahony Griffin Prize
Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Catherine Lassen, won the Marion Mahony Griffin Prize for her inspirational career as a practitioner and academic, and her consistent and passionate promotion and mentoring of those around her.
“Drawing upon her experience in private practice, Catherine’s unique approach to teaching encompasses social, cultural, technical, and historical narratives of architecture, emphasising the advancement of a profession that is innovative, critically engaged, and socially responsible,” notes the award citation.
David Lindner Prize
The graduate and emerging architect prize was awarded to Isabella Reynolds for her proposal entitled “Soft Spaces: Designing for Pain in the Public Realm”.
The proposal is to research the invisible experiences of people living with chronic pain and disease, and how the built environment should address this.
Christopher Procter Prize
Andrea Lam took home the prize for her project to reinvigorate Australian urban Chinatowns through a study trip to San Francisco.
The award citation notes, “Andrea’s research will focus on San Franscisco’s Chinatown which is one of the largest and oldest of its kind.
“Her study will be about its distinct cultural, economic and physical characteristics, as well as which local renewal strategies may be translatable into an Australian context.”
