2023 NSW President's Prize

BLACKTOWN CITY COUNCIL

Our cities are the melting pots of our communities. Great cities create environments that enable multicultural activities to exist and thrive in collaboration. Fairness is underpinned by access, and access is achieved through economic investment and long-term strategic planning, often seeded generations earlier.

Our daily lives are enlivened by public parks, swimming pools, sports centers, and even animal shelters. To this end good public leadership is both about doing and agitating. Doing what you can with what you have and agitating for more leverage – for the benefit of your community. For too long the western suburbs of Sydney have played second fiddle to the those in the east. As the most populous local government area in NSW Blacktown Council is undergoing radical change. With innovative procurement models and a commitment to investing in keystone public projects, Blacktown Council under visionary elected officials and steady bureaucratic leadership is delivering on its promise of a built environment as interesting and diverse as the people who call Blacktown home. This year Council has delivered two buildings of incredible significance – the imaginatively named BARC – 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. We congratulate Blacktown City Council and look forward to the continued growth of an urban fabric that is expressive and representative of its people while delivering on the promise of fairness and equity.

Image Credits (Clockwise):

Woodcroft Neighbourhood Centre | Traditional Owners: Dharug People | Architect: Carter Williamson| Builder: Westbury Constructions | Photographer: Brett Boardman

Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) | Traditional Owners: Dharug | People | Architect: Sam Crawfordarchitects | Builder: AW Edwards | Photographer: Brett Boardman

Kings Langley Cricket Club | Traditional Owners: Dharug | Architect: Eoghan Lewis Architects | Builder: Dezign | Photographer: Keith Saunders

Warrick Lane Plaza and Carpark | Traditional Owners: Dharug | Cox Architecture and McGregor Coxall | Builder: AW Edwards | Photographer: Guy Wilkinson Photography

Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology Hub (BEST) | Traditional Owners: Dharug | Architect: ARM Architecture | Builder: Buildcorp | Photographer: Adam Hollingworth

2023 NSW President's Prize

NSW Land and Housing Corporation

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. 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 while recognising housing as a basic human right rather than a real estate ‘play’. 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. 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. As a profession we are deeply committed to partnering with you to deliver the world’s best housing within reasonable budgets and construction programs.

Bigge St Liverpool | Traditional Owners: Cabrogal Clan of the Darug Nation | Architect: Turner | Builder: Hutchinson Builders | Photographer: Brett Boardman

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