Attention to environmental impact was a theme across several of the winners of this year’s Architecture Awards.
An education centre south of Perth has been awarded the top prize at this year’s architecture awards.
Boola Katitjin, Murdoch University’s new teaching and learning building, was the state’s first mass-engineered timber building.
Inspired by a barn and designed by Melbourne architecture firm Lyons Architecture with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods Architects and The Fulcrum Agency, the 180-metre-long structure was among 88 projects submitted to this year’s WA Architecture Awards, announced on Friday night.
The building was recognised in the sustainability and education categories and received the awards’ ultimate prize: the George Temple Poole Award.
Lyons director Neil Appleton told Business News the building represented a shift in the way the university was delivering education.
“Murdoch had a deficit of contemporary teaching space,” Mr Appleton said.
“All of it was … rigid blockwork buildings and not fit for purpose, so this was an attempt to overhaul their teaching stock.”
He said the building connected the front entrance to the university with internal park bush court and created spaces for informal and formal learning to co-exist.
“Having those two things next to each other and having it indoors and outdoors was one of the key functional drivers,” Mr Appleton said.
“The university wanted a catalytic change agent for the campus, because rather than lumping it into a big cube we thought we’d stretch it out to connect to bush court and create a front door to the campus.”
He said use of timber as the primary material meant the building had low embodied carbon, meaning less energy was required during construction than for a concrete structure.
Boola Katitjin. Photo: Lyons
The development also utilises underfloor air-conditioning, which saves on energy costs and allows the building to have high ceilings.
Mr Appleton said Boola Katitjin was designed with a gable roof in a nod to the university’s original architect, Gus Ferguson, and to reflect the high-rainfall location.
He said designing with timber required a meticulous approach.
“With timber, the greatest challenge is you have to document it really well and accurately because they do all of the cutting and manufacturing of the engineered timber to very small tolerances,” Mr Appleton said.
“When it comes together on site it comes together very rapidly.”
One of the architects behind Edith Cowan University’s Perth city campus, Lyons has designed projects at Melbourne universities with other architects.
WA Architecture Awards chair of juries Chris Maher said the collaboration of the architects on Boola Katitjin resulted an innovative outcome.
“The architects describe this building as having a ‘warehouse for learning’ quality,” he said.
“Perhaps that’s true, especially if that warehouse has the DNA of a crafted and majestic medieval tithe barn.”
Mr Maher added that the team of architects behind Boola Katitjin showed a commitment to sustainability through the use of materials, building orientation and natural ventilation.
This year’s WA Architecture Awards, run by the Australian Institute of Architects, attracted a sizeable increase in entries on last year, with a total project value of more than $1.4 billion.
Australian Institute of Architects WA chapter president Sandy Anghie said that, given the impact of the property sector on the environment, sustainability played a key part across all 10 award categories.
“Globally, the built environment accounts for 39 per cent of all carbon emissions, which makes this sector a prime target for getting on track to a zero-carbon economy,” she said.
“This year, sustainability was fundamental to the judging across all awards categories, with every entry being assessed against criteria addressing sustainability.”
Other standout projects included Griffiths Architects’ restoration of Perth’s His Majesty’s Theatre balcony, which won an architecture award in the heritage category.
His Majesty's Theatre. Photo: Gary Williams/Griffiths Architects
Curtin University’s School of Design and the Built Environment, designed by Wardle, won awards for educational and interior architecture, and Baldivis’ Saint Teresa Church, by Parry and Rosenthal Architects, won an award for public architecture.
Wollaston College Chapel received the enduring architecture prize, while Geraldton’s Main Roads and Department of Transport office won best commercial project.
In the housing categories, sustainable home Celilo Springs by Western Architecture won the best new house, while suburban home Tanoa by vittinoAshe won the alternations and additions field, and Clifton and Central by MJA Studio with CAPA Studio won the best multi-residential project.
Curtin School of Design. Photo: Wardle
Department of Transport and Main Roads Office, Geraldton. Photo: Rob Firth/Acorn
WA Architecture Awards winners
GEORGE TEMPLE POOLE
Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods Architects, The Fulcrum Agency
COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE
The Ross Chisholm and Gil Nicol Award for Commercial Architecture - Main Roads and Department of Transport Geraldton Office by TAG Architects
Architecture Award - Brook Lane by TRCB Architects
EDUCATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
The Hillson Beasley Award for Educational Architecture - School of Design & the Built Environment, Curtin University by Wardle
Architecture Awards - Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios; Emmanuel Christian Community School by Hartree + Associates Architects
ENDURING ARCHITECTURE
The Richard Roach Jewell Award for Enduring Architecture - Wollaston College Chapel by Julius Elischer
HERITAGE
Architecture Award - His Majesty's Theatre - Balcony Reconstruction by Griffiths Architects
Architecture Award - Old Courthouse, Fremantle by Slavin Architects
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
Award for Interior Architecture - School of Design & the Built Environment, Curtin University by Wardle
Architecture Awards - Weeties Warehouse by spaceagency; Bassendean Hotel by Woods Bagot
PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Awards - Saint Teresa Church by Parry and Rosenthal Architects; Airport Central Station (Perth) by GHDWoodhead with Weston Williamson + Partners
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE – HOUSES (Alterations and Additions)
The Peter Overman Award for Residential Architecture – Tanoa by vittinoAshe
Architecture Awards - North Perth House by Simon Pendal Architect; Weeties Warehouse by spaceagency
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE – Houses (New)
The Marshall Clifton Award for Residential Architecture - Celilo Springs by Western Architecture Studio
Architecture Award - Davidson Residence by Klopper & Davis Architects
Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
The Harold Krantz Award for Residential Architecture - Clifton & Central by MJA Studio with CAPA Studio
Architecture Award - ONE Subiaco by Hames Sharley
Architecture Award - Forrest Hall by KHA (Kerry Hill Architects)
SMALL PROJECT ARCHITECTURE
The Iwan Iwanoff Award - Postal Hall by Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini
Architecture Award - AGWA Foyer and Design Store by Nic Brunsdon
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
The Wallace Greenham Award - Boola Katitjin by Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley, Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency and Aspect Studios
Architecture Award - School of Design & the Built Environment, Curtin University by Wardle
URBAN DESIGN
The John Septimus Roe Award - Curtin Exchange Precinct Stage 01 by Christou Design Group with Wardle, Nettleton Tribe and Six Degrees
BRIAN KIDD ENABLING ARCHITECTURE PRIZE
Emmanuel Christian Community School by Hartree + Associates Architects
COLORBOND AWARD FOR STEEL ARCHITECTURE COLORBOND
Award for Steel Architecture - Celilo Springs by Western Architecture Studio
EmAGN PROJECT AWARD - The Claremont Hotel by Rothelowman
EMERGING ARCHITECT PRIZE
Lee Yang Yang – Mode Design
MONDOLUCE LIGHTING AWARD
Mondoluce Lighting Award - Republic of Fremantle by spaceagency architects
Weeties Warehouse. Photo: spaceagency architects
Bassendean Hotel. Photo: Woods Bagot
Celilo Springs. Photo: Western Architecture Studio
