Austin Maynard Architects’ Empire House in Forrest took the top prize at the 2019 ACT Architecture Awards. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
A contemporary extension to an inner-south bungalow has won the Territory’s top architecture award at the 2019 ACT Architecture Awards.
The Canberra Medallion went to Austin Maynard Architects for their Empire House in Forrest, which also took out the top honour for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) winning the Gene Willsford Award.
Australian Institute of Architects ACT Jury Chair, Sarah Truscott said Empire was a refreshing experiment in quality over quantity where the owners and architects had worked together to retain the heritage of the existing home, with an overriding emphasis on craftsmanship and detailing to create compact, contemporary additions.
“Empire is located on a road that forms a key part of Burley Griffin’s masterplan. The architects have shown respect for Canberra’s built heritage by preserving the best of this home and creating smart additional living spaces inside and out for all seasons,” she said.
An internal view of the Empire House showing the connecting stairs between the two buildings. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
The extension was built by Preferred Builders and completed in January.
“As architects, we felt an incredible sense of responsibility to protect and preserve the original modest cottage, rather than following the trend of demolishing Canberra cottages and replacing with large McMansions,” Austin Maynard says.
“Empire House is an exercise in considered intervention and restraint. It would have been easier, and a lot less fun, to knock down the existing cottage and start again.
“The answer was to go in with a scalpel, making some big moves, without damaging too much. We cleared the site lines and created a corridor straight through the house, allowing still spaces and activity zones. We opened up to the outdoors and celebrated the exterior, giving clarity and creating a discussion between the old and the new.”
Edgeworth Apartments in Turner won the Sydney Ancher Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing for Cox Architecture and the Concrete House by Rob Henry Architects won the Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New).
Concrete House. Photo: LightStudies.
ACT Chapter President Philip Leeson said this year’s awards saw 37 entries ranging from small alterations and additions to large public commercial buildings and institutions.
“Each year our awards showcase the extraordinary talent of the architecture profession and the outstanding buildings it produces and this year is no exception. The architects and their projects recognised by this year’s jury will enter the canon of great architecture that has contributed to the city of Canberra that we love,” he said.
The ANU’s Hanna Neumann Building by Clarke Keller and dwp design worldwide partnership received the Enrico Taglietti Award for Educational Architecture. The building also won the W Hayward Morris Award for Interior Architecture and the Pamille Berg Award for Art in Architecture.
Ms Truscott said this new building brought together ANU’s Mathematical Sciences Institute and Computer Science in a new teaching and research hub.
“Embedded coding in the façade and interior details create a series of mathematical puzzles for students to decipher as they work their way up the building with the most complex on the top level,” Ms Truscott said.
Hanna Neumann Building at the ANU. Photo: Rodrigo Vargas.
Wybalena Grove in Cook designed by Michael Dysart in 1974 and established by the Cook Aranda Housing Cooperative received the Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture, which is for buildings older than 25 years.
The Emerging Architect Prize was awarded to Will Gardner from Guida Moseley Brown Architects. The President’s Medal was awarded to Paul Barnett of Paul Barnett Design Group, while the Clem Cummings Award, which recognises the contributions by non-architects and architects to architecture and the public interest, was awarded to Jenny Edwards of Light House Architecture & Science.
ACT Chapter President Philip Leeson said this year’s awards saw 37 entries ranging from small alterations and additions to large public commercial buildings and institutions.
“Each year our awards showcase the extraordinary talent of the architecture profession and the outstanding buildings it produces and this year is no exception. The architects and their projects recognised by this year’s jury will enter the canon of great architecture that has contributed to the city of Canberra that we love,” he said.
The Hanna Neumann Building from the inside. Photo: Rodrigo Vargas.
A total of 30 Named Awards, Awards and Commendations were presented last Saturday night (15 June). Named Award and Award winners will now progress to the National Architecture Awards to be announced on Thursday 7 November 2019.
Full list of winners:
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
The Gene Willsford Award – Empire by Austin Maynard Architects
Award – Yarralumla Shed by Gerard O’Connell
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
The Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award – Concrete House by Rob Henry Architects
Award – Red Hill House by Mathieson Architects
Award – Courtyard House by Rob Henry Architects
Commendation – Carwoola House by de Rome Architects
Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
The Sydney Ancher Award – Edgeworth Apartments by Cox Architecture
Commendation – Shophouse by JUDD.studio
Commendation – Warehouse by JUDD.studio
CGGS Early Learning Centre won the Derek Wrigley Award for Sustainable Architecture. Photo: Ben Wrigley.
Commercial Architecture
Commendation – Manuka Oval Media and Function Centre
Interior Architecture
The W Hayward Morris Award – ANU Hanna Neumann Building by Clarke Keller and dwp|design worldwide partnership
Commendation – Denman Village Shops by AMC Architecture
Educational Architecture
The Enrico Taglietti Award – ANU Hanna Neumann Building by Clarke Keller and dwp|design worldwide partnership
Award – CGGS Early Learning Centre by Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn
Public Architecture
Commendation – Cricket ACT by Clarke Keller
Small Project Architecture
The Cynthia Breheny Award – Charly_Demonstrator by Stack Space
Sustainable Architecture
The Derek Wrigley Award – CGGS Early Learning Centre by Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn
Award – Courtyard House by Rob Henry Architects
Enduring Architecture
The Sir Roy Grounds Award – Wybalena Grove (1974) by Michael Dysart
Wybalena Grove in Cook. Photo: Can Ercan.
COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture
Award – Shophouse by JUDD.studio
Chapter Awards and Prizes
Canberra Medallion – Empire by Austin Maynard Architects
The Pamille Berg Award for Art in Architecture –ANU Hanna Neumann Building by Clarke Keller and dwp|design worldwide partnership
The Robert Foster Award for Light in Architecture – Red Hill House by Mathieson Architects
Architectural Professional Practice Award – Eric Martin, Eric Martin & Associates
President’s Medal – Paul Barnett, Paul Barnett Design Group
Clem Cummings Medal – Jenny Edwards, Lighthouse Architecture & Science
Emerging Architect Prize – Will Gardner, Guida Moseley Brown Architects
ACT Chapter Student Medallion – Byron Kelly, University of Canberra
Daryl Jackson Alastair Swayn Graduate Prize – Mark Bersolto, University of Canberra
John Redmond Prize – Justin Williams, University of Canberra
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