Humanist structures delivering an optimistic vision of the future celebrated with Victorian architecture award winners

The winners of the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2021 Victorian Architecture Awards from a shortlist of 117 entries across 14 categories are being announced tonight via a special online broadcast.

Chair of Juries, Rosemary Burne, said all winning projects demonstrate responses to the wider issues of our time, such as urban integration, placemaking, sustainability, universal access, health and wellbeing, and new technologies.

“We are delighted to take the opportunity during these difficult times to celebrate a rapidly evolving practice of architecture that seeks to better support the communities we serve,” Ms Burne said.

“As our cities become denser and the nature of work changes, projects in the commercial category were consistently optimistic and future focused, often with elements of fun, freshness and flexibility.

“Similarly, in the always highly competitive residential field, we saw architectural responses evolving to adapt to our ‘new normal.’ Accessibility emerged as a real concern, as well as integration of sustainability-focused technologies that have until recently been the preserve of larger building typologies.”

Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design by Grimshaw in collaboration with Monash University was the most awarded project of the night winning the Victorian Architecture Medal, as well as The Melbourne Prize, the COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture and an Architecture Award in both the Sustainability and Educational Architecture categories.

The Jury held this project up as it provides an optimistic vision of the future and a powerful reminder of “the fundamental role of architects in creating humanist structures that last for generations.”

“Data and research led, Grimshaw in collaboration with Monash University has created a future-focused, sustainable, education machine that never forgets human scale or human experience.”

Congratulating all winners, Victorian Chapter President Bill Krotiris, said, “A key theme among this year’s award winners was excellence at the precinct scale, underscoring that great architecture is about people and the creation of places that best enhance their daily lives”.

“With a COVID lens, it was not surprising to see how outdoor social gathering areas, trees, plants and play areas were also valued by the public.”

Highlighting this point, Carrum Station and Foreshore Precinct by COX Architecture won The Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design for what the Jury described as, “an extraordinary offer of civic generosity, elevating the commuter experience through the gift of a panoramic Port Phillip Bay view.”

Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects won The Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award for Commercial Architecture for Collins Arch, which was also awarded a commendation in the Urban Design category in recognition of what the Jury called “the rarity in the Australian context of truly integrated mixed-use buildings within a singular form and applauds the ambition of the project as well as the skilful handling and resolution of the complex programmatic constraints.”

Continuing the celebration of placemaking, Springvale Community Hub by Lyons won The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture for a project the Jury says “embodies the spirit of public architecture” that “balances charming Australian irreverence with evident respect for the importance of representing people and place.”

“The design concept incorporates strong cultural narratives that are advanced with enthusiasm – even joy – in the resultant architectural form,” notes the Jury. 

Demonstrating once again that the best architecture is not confined to Melbourne, Geelong College Junior School by John Wardle Architects won both the Regional Prize and The Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture. The Jury considers this project sets “an exemplary precedent for regional architecture through its rich storytelling and sensitive design focused on student scale.

Burwood Brickworks by NH Architecture has set a new standard by delivering the world’s first Living Building Challenge (LBC) certified retail building. The project received The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture along with commendations in both the Interior and Commercial award categories. The Jury said the project, “evidences that net-positive sustainable building practice is not only possible in shopping centres, but increases return on investment, presenting a compelling argument for a new sustainable benchmark in retail design.”

Studio Bright triumphed in the fiercely contested residential space winning The Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) for 8 Yard House which the Jury applauded for being “acutely attuned to the patterns of family activity, offering a multitude of functions and spatial moods that promote genuine interactivity.” The Jury was thoroughly impressed “by the depth of design thinking evidenced, and its effective translation into a built form that celebrates everyday family life.”

This year’s Victorian Emerging Architect Prize was jointly awarded to Jacqui Alexander and Ben Sheridan for demonstrating “the remarkable contributions emerging architects make to the culture of architecture in Australia.”

The Jury recognised that “Jacqui has made a significant contribution to education as a Director of the Bachelor of Architecture program at Monash University. While Ben has shared his experience of practice through teaching positions at the University of Melbourne and involvement with the Robin Boyd Foundation.

“Jacqui and Ben have demonstrated design excellence through their sustained contribution to numerous award-winning projects in senior roles at Australia’s leading architectural offices and more recently as Alexander Sheridan Architecture.”

The full list of 2021 Victorian Architecture Awards winners is included below. The Victorian winners will now progress to compete in the National Architecture Awards program, recognised as the most prestigious and rigorous of its kind.