A medium density residential project on the Gold Coast providing affordable housing has been awarded top honours in the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2011 Gold Coast/Northern Rivers Queensland Regional Architecture Awards.

The Sphere Residential Community at Southport by architectural practice BDA Architecture was awarded this year’s Building of the Year Award. The project provides affordable housing for families, couples, students and seniors.

The Cabarita Beach House at Bogangar by Owen and Vokes was awarded the 2011 House of the Year Award.

All up, 26 new architectural projects vied for top honours at the awards, ranging from BER multi-purpose halls and university facilities, to spectacular private houses and modestly budgeted homes from Suffolk Park in northern NSW to Mt.Tamborine and South Stradbroke Island.

2011 Queensland Awards Jury Director Malcolm Middleton said: “Sphere demonstrates the attributes of higher density, low to medium rise master-planned development with considered community form and landscape amenity.

“The progressive build-out of the project experiments with more sustainable project initiatives, with the last stage introducing a fully trafficable green roof producing measurable energy reductions.

“The community is responding positively to the calibre of the streets and laneways established in the overall master plan, and which will connect to the large employment nodes of the university and hospital nearby.

“The body corporate structure is embracing a mix of student and permanent residents in a positive manner.”

Cabarita Beach House: Owen and Vokes, photo by Jon Linkins

The judges said this house is a special creation on an ordinary site where the architects have taken the clients brief and provided an exciting low cost practical solution of refined simplicity and elegance.

The architects have maximised the use of a standard suburban canal front site and provided the clients with a solution outside the square. The attention to detail, the desire to consider the use of individual spaces and not compromise on the design intent throughout construction has resulted in a very special design. The simple palate and materials choice have provided an uncluttered sophistication to the design solution.