The winners of the 2017 Think Brick Awards were announced last Thursday.
Celebrating the use of clay bricks, concrete masonry and roof tiles in Australian architecture, the awards acknowledged five winning projects alongside a number of finalists.
Awards were granted across five categories: Honbury Hunt Commercial Award, Horbury Hunt Residential Award, Bruce Mackenzie Landscape Award, Kevin Borland Masonry Award, and Robin Dods Roof Tile Excellence Award.
Among the winners was Perimeter House by MAKE Architecture, which received the Kevin Borland Masonry Award. The brick extension to a Victorian cottage in Melbourne wraps around the existing dwelling from front to back, and extends over the two storeys of the building. The rear of the house is where brick’s true potential is revealed. On ground level, for instance, the brickwork makes a departure from the façade to form integral aspects of the courtyard itself. White-coated brick extends from the house to form a fence, which in turn widens to form an in-built pool.
“[This year we] saw design that was unexpectedly delightful and playful, design that displayed sophisticated reimagining of classical shapes, and projects that redefined the concept of a simple brick building,” says Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO of Think Brick Australia.
“One of the main trends we noted in the entries was an increase in the use of brick in interiors, particularly as a way to unify indoor and outdoor spaces. Among the entries there was also a real sense of using brick to create a sense of grounded-ness and permanence.
“We also saw more entries for multi-residential housing, reflecting the increase of apartment dwelling in our inner-city areas, plus more use of concrete masonry in residential and commercial interiors.”
Each category winner received a cash prize of $10,000 for demonstrating original and new designs in their particular category.
View all the winners below:
HORBURY HUNT COMMERCIAL AWARD
WINNER
Barkers Road Townhouses by Kavellaris Urban Design
Image: Think Brick Australia
FINALISTS
- Eve by DKO Architecture
- Northlakes Vet Hospital by Vokes and Peters
- Block Branding HQ by Bosske Architecture
- Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre by Liquid Blu
HORBURY HUNT RESIDENTIAL AWARD
WINNER
House Au Yeung by Tribe Studio Architects
Photography by Katherine Lu
FINALISTS
- Byron Bay House & Studio by Vokes and Peters
- Elsternwick House by Clare Cousins Architects
- Fish Creek House by Edition Office
- Ivanhoe House by Kavellaris Urban Design
- Brickface by Austin Maynard Architects
BRUCE MACKENZIE LANDSCAPE AWARD
WINNER
Crescent House by Deicke Richards
Photography by Rese Rose Gates
FINALISTS
- Macarthur Place by ASPECT Studios
- Turruwul Park Fitness Hub by Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture
- Sydney Park Water Re-use Project by Turf Design Studio & Environmental Partnership
- The Bends Pool by Room 11 Architects
KEVIN BORLAND MASONRY AWARD
WINNER
Perimeter House by MAKE Architecture
Photography by Peter Bennetts
FINALISTS
- Rail House by Clare Cousins Architects
- Mary’s Chapel, St Joseph’s College Geelong by Baldasso Cortese
- Inverdon House by Chloe Naughton
- Anna Meares Velodrome by Cox Architecture
ROBIN DODS ROOF TILE EXCELLENCE AWARD
WINNER
Kempsey Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club by Neeson Murcutt Architects
Photography by Brett Boardman
FINALISTS
- Deepdene House by Kennedy Nolan
- Blackburn by Solar Solutions Design
- Mountain Hideaway by Frank Kosztelnik and Associates
- Lana’s Forever Home by Three Birds Renovations
