Infinity Centre by McBride Charles Ryan and Billard Leece Partnership’s student accommodation building at La Trobe University, Wodonga  have been named joint Overall Winners in the 2012 Think Brick Awards.

They were also joint winners in the Commercial Category.

The judges said: “Great education buildings, like the Infinity Centre have the potential to shape future generations by inspiring students to think about the built environment. Here a striking brick façade undulates in both plan and elevation with a hovering mass that defies gravity”.

 Infinity Centre

Commenting on the student accommodation building at La Trobe University, the awards jury described it as “simultaneously ethereal and weighty, hard and soft. The formal presence of the buildings is featured into the landscape through textures and tones of the brickwork”.

 La Trobe University 

The slimline bricks were selected to play upon the scale of the building and accentuate the linearity of the site and the landscape. The blend of grey, brown and white toned and textured bricks were selected to reflect the rural context and surrounding landscape.

Jackson Clement Burrows Architects won the residential category for Harold Street Residence in Middle Park, using red press bricks to create a sculpturally engaging family home that utilises brick to acknowledge its heritage context.

Judges commented that “the wrapping brick wall creates a permeable edge to the street which expresses the form and fine grain materiality.”

Highly Commended in residential was awarded to Chenchow Little for Stewart House.

BVN Architecture were successful in winning the landscape category using Bowral Blue Pressed clay pavers to flow throughout the Mabel Fidler building blurring the distinction between hard and soft surfaces.

Mabel Fidler building

The Reuse category was won by Alex Symes for “Austinmer” using recycled brick from ‘The Brick Pit’ and Austral bricks (pictured below). 

The 2012 Awards enjoyed an increase in entries of 40 per cent from last year.

CEO Elizabeth McIntyre said: “The 2012 Awards have confirmed that Face Brick is back, it is used beautifully in design and its thermal qualities mean it is a building product that make buildings comfortable.”

The judges for the Awards included Camilla Block, Cameron Bruhn, Neil Durblach, Rachel Neeson and Emma Williamson.

To see all the entries and winners go to www.thinkbrick.com.au