Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i Architecture Australia

Awards season is a defining moment for our profession – an opportunity to celebrate achievement, acknowledge collaboration and reflect on the broader contribution architects make to society. While attention often falls on individual winners, it is the collective strength of the awards program that matters most: the demonstration of what architecture, in all its forms, can achieve for the people of Australia. Each project represented is evidence of our profession’s optimism and dedication, and its belief in making the built environment better. Whether or not an award is received, every architect contributes to this momentum. None of these achievements are realised alone: clients, councils, builders, consultants and collaborators are fundamental to our shared success. Excellence is rarely a solitary pursuit. Beyond celebration, the Institute has been deeply engaged in advocacy…

(SIR ZELMAN COWEN AWARD) Yarrila Place BVN (COUNTRY) Gumbaynggirr (LOCATION) Coffs Harbour, NSW (JURY CITATION) Yarrila Place distinguishes itself as an exemplar of regional social and civic infrastructure – one that places community impact before excess, efficiently yet generously weaving together library, museum, council and community functions within a single robust and dynamic form. The playful programmatic Tetris and hardworking structure result in a building that is resilient and delightful, fostering a unique sense of joy and optimism. Architecture at its best catalyses engagement, learning and inclusion across diverse communities. Yarrila Place embodies this ethos, challenging conventional paradigms to unlock broad opportunities for connection and shared experience. The central, light-filled vertical street provides vital precinct and landscape connections, animating the interior through the expressed performative spaces while establishing a beacon…

(EMIL SODERSTEN AWARD) Babylon House Casey Brown Architecture (COUNTRY) Garigal (LOCATION) Avalon, NSW (JURY CITATION) Nine years in the making, Babylon House is an extraordinary reworking of an existing house. Nestled in bushland on the ridge between Pittwater and Avalon Beach, the original home was a quirky product of the 1950s, typical of the area. Its purchase by new owners in 2015 was followed by a long and thoughtful collaboration between Casey Brown Architecture and the client, one that preserves the best of the original house while infusing it with the personality and spirit of its new owners. Everywhere you look, Babylon House has something surprising to capture your attention, a stark contrast to commoditised house interiors. Every space and detail has the heart of the architect and client in…

(FREDERICK ROMBERG AWARD) Blok Three Sisters Blok Modular in collaboration with Vokes and Peters (COUNTRY) Quandamooka (LOCATION) Point Lookout, Qld (JURY CITATION) Stradbroke Island is a special place, and this is a very special little building. Blok Three Sisters is the perfect collaboration between the prefabricated construction expertise of Blok Modular and the eloquent South-East Queensland design sensibilities of Vokes and Peters. As the name suggests, the project is accommodation for three sisters and their extended families in the form of three coastal “townhouses” that replace a single-family beach shack on the site that had been enjoyed by the sisters since childhood. This project is about nostalgia manifest in an architecture that facilitates intergenerational living, and the importance of passing on knowledge of place, community, ways of living at the…

(PUBLIC) AKEYULERRE HEALING CENTRE by Susan Dugdale and Associates Central Arrernte Country Alice Springs, NT ALLAN BORDER OVAL PAVILION by Archer Office Borogegal and Cammeraygal Country Mosman, NSW AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL NEW ENTRANCE AND PARADE GROUND by Studio SC Ngunnawal Country Campbell, ACT EVA AND MARC BESEN CENTRE by Kerstin Thompson Architects Wurundjeri Country Healesville, Vic FLINDERS CHASE VISITORS CENTRE by Troppo Architects Ramindjeri, Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna and Barngalla Country, Flinders Chase National Park, SA PAULA FOX MELANOMA AND CANCER CENTRE by Lyons Bunurong Country Melbourne, Vic TRUGANINA COMMUNITY CENTRE by Jasmax (Canvas Projects) Bunurong Country Truganina, Vic YARRILA PLACE by BVN Gumbaynggirr Country Coffs Harbour, NSW (EDUCATIONAL ARCHITECTURE) DARAMALAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE by Stewart Architecture Ngunnawal Country Dickson, ACT JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING AND INNOVATION PLACE by Kirk with I4 Architecture and Charles Wright Architects Bindal and Wulgurukaba CountryDouglas, Qld MICHAEL KIRBY BUILDING…

The death of Phyllis Murphy has meant the passing of an important Melbourne modernist, whose career wrought significant impact on both the form and appreciation of Australian architecture. She commenced her architectural education in 1942 at the Melbourne Technical College, then moved to the Melbourne University Architectural Atelier where she studied from 1944 to 1945. She worked with Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson 1945–47, before travelling overseas with her parents. Her future husband, John Murphy, met up with her in London and together they visited several European countries. They were particularly enchanted by Swedish architecture, later writing of their experiences for the journal Lines (1949). Returning to Melbourne in 1948, both entered the fourth year of the bachelor of architecture program at the University of Melbourne, where Phyllis topped…

Russell Callam Jack commenced his architectural studies at the Sydney Technical College (STC) in 1946, following several years in the RAAF. A gifted student, he won the Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship on graduation, travelling in Europe and working in London before returning to Australia at the end of 1953. In Sydney, he worked for Rudder Littlemore and Rudder for two years before going into practice with John Allen, an STC classmate who also had worked at Rudder Littlemore and Rudder. In 1957, the Jack House in Wahroonga, New South Wales, which Russell and his architect wife Pamela Jack had designed for themselves, was awarded the prestigious Sulman Medal, and this brought Russell wide acclaim. Set on a steeply sloping block and straddling a rocky creek, this house, with its oiled…

(DAVID OPPENHEIM AWARD) First Building – Bradfield City Centre Hassell (COUNTRY) Dharug (LOCATION) Bradfield, NSW (JURY CITATION) The First Building at Bradfield City Centre exemplifies a culturally grounded, environmentally responsive approach to contemporary civic architecture. Designed by Hassell in collaboration with First Nations cultural design and research practice Djinjama, the project represents a paradigm shift in integrating Country-centred knowledge systems with modern architectural processes. Informed by Djinjama’s methodologies, the project is situated on Wianamatta (Mother Place), land of profound significance to the Dharug people. This engagement shaped a spatial language rooted in care, water and ecological regeneration, articulated through a permeable site strategy, ephemeral hydrological expressions, and native plantings. Hassell’s architectural response materialises these insights into a pavilion of civic generosity and ecological sensitivity. Environmental performance is embedded at every…

(HARRY SEIDLER AWARD) Northern Memorial Park Depot Searle x Waldron Architecture (COUNTRY) Wurundjeri (LOCATION) Glenroy, Vic (JURY CITATION) The Northern Memorial Park Depot merges shed and workplace for staff who care for memorial parks under the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust. Responding to an unusual brief and workforce, Searle x Waldron developed an entirely fresh approach: creating a supportive environment for staff in emotionally demanding roles, while accommodating vehicles and equipment. Created in close collaboration with the client and landscape architects, the depot is embedded within an evolving ecological system of woody meadows, wetlands and future public space – reframing the cemetery not only as a place of grief, but also of life and regeneration. Site planning and a permeable green mesh facade draw significant trees into the building’s composition, while…

(ELEANOR CULLIS-HILL AWARD) Niwa House John Ellway (COUNTRY) Jagera and Turrbal (LOCATION) Highgate Hill, Qld (JURY CITATION) Niwa House, designed by John Ellway with Hannah Waring, is a nuanced reimagining of a traditional Queenslander, subtly transformed through a spatial and philosophical lens inspired by Japanese domestic architecture. Drawing on the concept of the niwa – a small, cultivated courtyard – this project introduces a 30-square-metre addition that mediates daily life through a careful interplay of architecture, nature and climate. The central courtyard acts as a contemplative heart of the home, allowing light, air and seasonal change to permeate, while promoting spatial calm and environmental responsiveness. The use of fine bronze mesh evokes Japanese screen architecture, delicately filtering light and views while enabling cross-ventilation, rain protection and insect control. The design’s…

(LACHLAN MACQUARIE AWARD) Parliament of NSW Restoration Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Purcell Architecture (COUNTRY) Gadigal (LOCATION) Warrane/Sydney, NSW (JURY CITATION) The Parliament of NSW Restoration, led by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer in collaboration with Purcell Architecture, is a landmark achievement in heritage architecture. The project revives the historical grandeur of the parliament while sensitively integrating the needs of a modern working legislature and enhancing the visitor experience. The restoration of the north wing of the former Rum Hospital involved the careful removal of later modifications to reveal the original materials and spatial qualities. The Parliamentary Chambers were meticulously restored and upgraded using bespoke materials and traditional craftsmanship, preserving their historic character. Through rigorous documentation and an innovative approach to revealing the building’s layered history, internally and externally, the team has enabled…

(NATIONAL AWARD) Denman Village Park Amenities Carter Williamson Architects (COUNTRY) Ngunnawal (LOCATION) Denman Prospect, ACT (JURY CITATION) The Denman Village Park Amenities project exemplifies the capacity of small-scale architecture to achieve outsized civic and emotional impact through thoughtful, joyful design. Within a modest footprint and utilitarian brief, Carter Williamson Architects has created a spirited public pavilion that delights in its playfulness and cares deeply for its users. The expressive upturned concrete roofs, bright-blue steel framing and whimsical circular openings transform a basic amenity into a memorable and uplifting landmark. Careful detailing, tactile materiality and accessible spatial planning signal an uncommon generosity of intent, making space not just for function, but for joy, inclusivity and community interaction. The architecture invites curiosity and encourages unstructured play and gathering, regardless of age or…

(NATIONAL WINNER) Kali Marnane (JURY CITATION) As a strategic advisor, educator and researcher, Dr Kali Marnane exemplifies an architectural career that is both broad in scope and deeply impactful. Her work shows how architectural leadership can transcend individual projects to shape collective outcomes. Early in her career, Kali volunteered in the slums of Ahmedabad, India – an experience that inspired her PhD research into spaces that support vulnerable women and children. This perspective continues to inform her work, from her appointment as associate lecturer at the University of Queensland to her current position as associate director at Urbis, where she champions the role of architectural expertise in shaping policy, planning and strategy. Kali keeps people and communities at the heart of her vision. She works closely with Indigenous communities, youth…

Brian was an extraordinary individual, a unique blend of architect, collaborator, mentor and friend. He achieved much through architecture: a successful business, peer recognition, longstanding friends and colleagues around the world, and many magnificent buildings that have left a lasting impression on the built environment of Australia, although he never took these achievements for granted. In establishing the successful business of Suters Architects (now Arch) in Newcastle, he mentored three generations of architects, many of whom now lead their own local, national and international practices. When recognised for his work, however, he was always quick to acknowledge the contribution his collaborators and family made to his success. Despite having retired from the practice more than 20 years ago, he continued to contribute to Newcastle’s cultural and community life. Brian was…

There is nothing more important in the human condition than joy. Joy is the word that best describes what David Boyle offered. This is beyond his profound contributions toward architecture, and even beyond the great sense of privilege felt by those working around him. This includes a significant number of people who themselves were affected by the warmth and tenor of David’s love for the human condition, and his regard for the intrinsic relationship between architecture and the wonders and beauty of things in our everyday lives – a bush turkey, a lovely cup, a beautiful pot, a marvellous door, a fireplace, a window, a chair, a lovely garden, a family meal around a perfectly simple table. All these things informed something incredible in David’s work: an acutely selfless observation…