GRESLEY Abas is a name to watch in Western Australian design circles after the architectural practice won the ‘emerging architects’ award at a recent Royal Australian Institute of WA event. The award was created this year to acknowledge a practice or architect that the institute believes has the ability to strongly influence architecture in WA. Gresley Abas was established in 2004 by architects Phil Gresley and Ahmad Abas, who have since won significant education, multi-residential and commercial design and master planning commissions. Among these are the Mandurah Foreshore Focus 2020, the City of Perth’s Northbridge Piazza on the former Pallas Hotel site, and the Maddington Campus of the Australian Technical College. RAIA WA president Rod Mollett said Gresley Abas had produced a substantial body of work of significant architectural merit, and to a consistently high standard, “These and its other multi-residential projects demonstrate a diverse portfolio and highly refined design skills, good management practices and a capacity to protect the design intent throughout the building process,” he said. “The firm certainly has the ability to influence the future of architecture in WA for many years to come.” The award is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Works and will be biennial.