Top winner: For Our Country, the Australian War Memorial’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial. Photos: Supplied.

Ian Bushnell, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Memorial tops ACT Architecture Awards, The Riot Act, 6 June 2020

‘For Our Country’. the Australian War Memorial’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, took out the top prize at the ACT Architecture Awards last night (5 June), winning the prestigious Canberra Medallion.

Designed by artist Daniel Boyd and Edition Office Architects, the memorial commemorates the military service and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have fought to protect their country.

For Our Country also took out the top honour for Small Project Architecture, winning the Cynthia Breheny Award, the Pamille Berg Award for Art in Architecture and the Robert Foster Award for Light in Architecture.

Australian Institute of Architects ACT Jury Chair Marcus Graham said For Our Country is a provocative and important piece of work.

“Physically small, but carrying an enormous weight of significance, For Our Country reflects honestly upon a complex history, and looks forward to greater cultural understanding,” he said.

ACT Chapter President Shannon Battisson said that an incredible array of architecture had been displayed during this awards presentation and was testament to the professionalism and talent of architects to find practical, cost-effective solutions to the challenges of our rapidly changing built-environment.

“I’d like to congratulate our winners and everyone who entered. I’m especially proud that we had such a high level of interest in the Sustainability Award this year with 14 entries,” she said.

There is no question that good architecture including energy-efficient design is fundamental to quality, affordable housing both now and into the future.

“We had 43 entries across all of the categories this year, ranging from residential projects to large public commercial buildings, and the quality of these entries was exceptional. It’s clear that we’re leading by example in ACT.”

Philip Leeson Architects won the Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) for Lemon Wedge House, while Joanna Nelson Architect won the Gene Willsford Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) for their Higgins Crescent project.

Three ANU projects featured: the College of Law, which won Guida Moseley Brown Architects the Enrico Taglietti Award for Educational Architecture; the Marie Reay Teaching Centre, which garnered BVN the Derek Wrigley Award for Sustainable Architecture; and Bruce Hall and Wright Hall, for which nettletontribe won the Sydney Ancher Award for Multiple Housing.

The Di Riddell Student Centre also received a Commendation in the Commercial category.

The ACT Law Courts by Lyons was another big winner, taking out two Named Awards, the Romaldo Giurgola Award for Public Architecture and the W Hayward Morris Award for Interior Architecture.

Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects won the Sir John Overall Award for Urban Design for the Campbell Section 5 Master Plan; and Ben Walker Architects won the COLORBOND Award for Elm Grove House.

The Emerging Architect Prize went to Sarah Lebner from Light House Architecture and Science.

Ms Battisson, a former ACT Emerging Architect Award Winner and Chair of this year’s Emerging Architect Jury, commended Ms Lebner on her ability to balance architectural practice, community advocacy and social awareness.

“Sarah is an example of what dedication and hard work can achieve and is an inspiration to those around her,” she said.

Greenwood House won the Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture. The house was designed by Ian Slater in 1975 in close collaboration with the client and contractor. The jury noted that after 45 years it remained in almost original condition and continued to embody the confidence and optimism of the period in which it was built.

All Award winners will now progress to the National Architecture Awards.

The full list of winners:

Canberra Medallion

• For Our Country by Edition Office and Daniel Boyd.

Emerging Architect Prize

• Sarah Lebner, Light House Architecture and Science.

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

• The Gene Willsford Award – Higgins Crescent Project by Joanna Nelson Architect
• Award – Snorkel House by Philip Leeson Architects
• Award – Marty + Naomi’s SunTrap by MAKO Architecture
• Commendation – MM House by Collins Pennington Architects.

Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

• The Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award – Lemon Wedge House by Philip Leeson
  Architects
• Award – Stepping House by Rob Henry Architects
• Commendation – Coolbardie House by de Rome Architects
• Commendation – AB House by Ben Walker Architects.

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

• The Sydney Ancher Award – Bruce Hall and Wright Hall by nettletontribe
• Commendation – Dominion Residence by Collins Pennington Architects
• Commendation – Kingsborough – Warehouse by JUDD.studio.

Commercial Architecture

• Commendation – Civic Quarter by Cox Architecture and May + Russell Architects
• Commendation – Di Riddell Student Centre, ANU by BVN.

Interior Architecture

• The W Hayward Morris Award – ACT Law Courts by Lyons
• Award – ANU College of Law by Guida Moseley Brown Architects
• Commendation – The Australian National Audit Office by Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn.

Educational Architecture

• The Enrico Taglietti Award – ANU College of Law by Guida Moseley Brown
• Architects Award – Marie Reay Teaching Centre, ANU by BVN
• Commendation – St Mary MacKillop College Science Technology Engineering Maths (STEM) Centre by Thursday Architecture
• Commendation – St Mary MacKillop College, Academic Resources Centre and Canteen by CCJ Architects.

Public Architecture

• The Romaldo Giurgola Award – ACT Law Courts by Lyons
• Award – Kambri at ANU by BVN (public domain by lahznimmo architects and ASPECT Studios).

Small Project Architecture

• The Cynthia Breheny Award – For Our Country by Edition Office and Daniel Boyd Urban Design
• The Sir John Overall Award – Campbell Section 5 Master Plan by Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects
• Award – ANU Kambri Precinct by lahznimmo architects, BVN and ASPECT Studios.

Sustainable Architecture

• The Derek Wrigley Award – Marie Reay Teaching Centre, ANU by BVN
• Commendation – ANU College of Law by Guida Moseley Brown Architects.

Enduring Architecture

• The Sir Roy Grounds Award – Greenwood House (1975) by Ian Slater
• COLORBOND Award for Steel Architecture
• Elm Grove House by Ben Walker Architects
• The Pamille Berg Award for Art in Architecture
• For Our Country by Edition Office and Daniel Boyd
• The Robert Foster Award for Light in Architecture.