2022 NSW student Awards winners
NSW GRADUATE MEDAL
Stayin’ Alive | Natalie Wing Sum Ho | The University of New South Wales
By using her lived experience Natalie was able to establish a brief that considered the potential for architectural program to help create connections in her community. This project suggested the establishment of ‘free space’ on a university campus – released of academic programming, but available to fertilise the creative and community minds of students.
Located at an elbow junction of the university built form grid, the project aims to make space for both large collections of people and individual endeavour. Using a slab and tower typology the project establishes a strong urban street edge, allowing the traditional campus to extend and hold the public domain, while the verticality of the tower creates a marker building to announce the buildings importance. The freshness of simple creative thinking and well considered urban edges is delightful.
The Policy Document Defining Dwelling and Domestic Formalities 2022 | Calum York, Hannah Clifton and Raphael Newell | University of Technology Sydney
This project addresses the urgent need of delivering better housing across a broader range of typologies and scales within the well serviced existing urban fabric of the city.
The project identifies housing parameters not currently met by existing policy and looks to address housing shortfall by providing flexibility in typology to ensure that delivered housing is capable of meeting contemporary and future residents needs. By identifying a range of specific urban sites, the students tested their research and hypothesis through the design of site-specific buildings to increase sleeping density rather than the typical built form density response.
The challenge of addressing the seemingly mundane issue of housing should never be underestimated. Only because of creative thinking that challenges assumed and established norms – like that proposed by the students, will we ever come close to delivering the level of equity in our built housing stock that is required.
NSW UNDERGRADUATE MEDAL
The Motion Repository | Michael Connolly | The University of Sydney
‘The Motion Repository’ is a speculative work where a theatre is removed from its usual enclosed, conditioned box and becomes the mechanism by which the landscape becomes the performer. The site’s location along the Glebe Island Peninsula has a direct play on how the architectural spaces are configured. The changing tides and wind alters the space and compels inhabitants to acknowledge the nuance of site and landscape.
The project marries the natural conditions of the site with an architectural style that is reminiscent of its industrial heritage. Its bold material expression celebrates structure through exposed steel framing and rammed earth, drawing clear contrast with the site, its foundations sitting proud of the low water line. Here, the opposing forces of natural and man-made are given equal billing.
The architecture is contextualised by a compelling analytical framework and shows a breadth of understanding to be commended for undergraduate studies, clearly communicated through high quality drawing and imagery tied together though a memorable graphic language.
NSW ARCHITECTURAL Technologies AWARD
Revive 75 | Tyla Venish | University of New South Wales
With housing affordability being a prominent issue impacting the nation and the future generations of Australia, ‘Revive 75’ proposes an alternative housing model that challenges traditional ideas of how we dwell within our cities.
Tyla’s project looks at a Built-To-Rent development that addresses this, while incorporating a simple yet sophisticated series of sustainability interventions that rejuvenates a contaminated site of the Sydney suburb of St. Peters.
Through a considered system of consumption, redirection of waste, and the collection of solar energy and natural resources, ‘Revive 75’ looks to generate a circular economy that benefits both residents and neighbouring communities.
The project is a wonderful solution in how developments have potential to address key issues of housing affordability, while simultaneously creating a machine that functions to heal our communities and the environment.
NSW ARCHITECTURAL Communcations AWARD
Allegory of the Museum of Fiction | Kevin Hwang | University of Sydney
‘Allegory of the Museum of Fiction’ takes us on a journey that traces the complete evolution of an architectural concept from its historical context, to its reinterpretation, to its architectural realisation, and ultimately to its abandonment and extinction. The process is boldly and unconventionally presented through a manifesto that challenges conventional thinking and communicates the design process via storytelling, resulting in a narrative that is relatable and accessible to a broad audience. With architecture this is important.
Effective communication can be uncomfortable. It can move you to question your own beliefs, but it can persuade you to see things from a different perspective. Kevin’s manifesto engages the reader in questioning what is history and how it is represented. In today’s world, where history and facts are increasingly challenged, politicised, and reinterpreted, this is particularly relevant.
The portfolio has an artistic quality to it with an historical feel that is graphically powerful.
The emotive imagery is predominantly black and white and is dark and moody, but it is punctuated with colour and touches of humour. Along with Kevin’s verbal presentation, it is a body of work that is beautifully communicated with a high level of confidence and conviction.
NSW RAFIQ AZAM TRAVEL BURSARY WINNER
Allegory of the Museum of Fiction | Kevin Hwang | University of Sydney
This project is a spark of innovation. It’s an exhibition of powerful manifesto. Kevin Hwang is a talented storyteller. He has merged the past, present and future through the story what makes his architecture so timeless.
I believe we architects look at the world through stories and every project is another chapter of the greater tale. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of education, cultural preservation or instilling moral values. Stories are powerful, also they makes us little less alone in this life.
The project has shown high level of understanding of the Design brief and articulate that into a meaningful architecture. Finding a new purpose for The Registrar General’s Building from early 20th century is challenging, by telling stories Kevin has created a certain narrative and certain history. The theatrical ability to demonstrate the future has found a solitary edge to its program. Finally, the multidimensional idea concluded into an architecture that is inventive, critical, and appropriate to their urban and social context.
NSW BRIAN PATRICK KEIRNAN PRIZE
Build Back Better; Urban Resilience for the Township of Lismore | Carmelo Nastasi | The University of Sydney
Global warming is challenging our resilience. We can no longer ‘wait and see’, nor simply shift our settlements to places that won’t be impacted – ours is a continent of drought and flooding rains, leading to increases in bush fire and flooding.
Architecture must play a role in creating capacity for our communities to respond to expanding natural disasters of increased intensity. Rather than aiming to design out the challenges presented by this new normal, we need to design them in – to work out how to live with greater fluctuation.
Carmelo’s proposal, set in Lismore, offers a view into a new normal, where communities through the employment of better architectural systems can respond and adapt to flooding. His travel proposal, to learn from those who consistently respond to flood offers an opportunity to build confidence, approaching flooding more laterally, as a natural and regular occurrence to be designed for.
As a jury we were excited by Carmelo’s passion for the challenge and his connection to the community through lived research. We look forward to seeing how grass roots community engagement and collaboration may better prepare our communities for change.
NSW RAFIQ AZAM TRAVEL BURSARY WINNER
High Watermark – An Evolving Landscape Legacy | Gracie Grew | The University of Sydney
The sympathetic approach towards its context makes this project irreplaceable. I call this Responsive architecture. It’s not about hierarchy, it’s about assimilation. It’s not about standing high, it’s about seeking truth.
It is inspirational to experience how Gracie Grew tailored her architecture to touch the earth lightly. Elegant choice of built form materialises to its surrounding context. The subject site has few challenges, i.e flood, pollution, poor built fabric and roadway. Despite all the odds, a powerful synthesis of the history of this land and the desire to preserve the glorious past reflects into her choice of architecture. Understanding the notion of this project, I believe it is safe to say, ‘Less is more’.
2022 NSW UNIVERSITY PRIZES
The University of New South Wales
Benjamin Selig – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s program)
Natalie Wing Sum Ho – Graduate of the Year (Master’s program)
Mona Keophonexay – History & Theory Prize
Joanne Nicole Andrade – Construction & Practice Prize
The University of Newcastle
Grace McLean – Graduate of the Year (Master’s Program)
Charlie Dibley | Mahalia Leckner | Bonanta Adity – Construction & Practice Prize
Richard Eastman – History & Theory Prize
The University of Sydney
Sophia Di Giandomenico – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s Program)
Alexandra Jablonowska – History & Theory Prize
Timothy Millross – Construction & Practice Prize
Jeffrey Liu – Graduate of the Year (Master’s Program)
The University of Technology Sydney
Kaitlyn Demol – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s Program
Sophie Wruck – History &. Theory Prize
Callum York – Graduate of the Year – (Master’s Program)
Mengkun Zu – Construction & Practice Prize
University of Western Sydney
Asal Fathi – Graduate of the Year (Bachelor’s Program)
Christopher Teo – Graduate of the Year (Master’s Program)
