November was a big month for Australian architects. For one, the coveted National Architecture Awards were announced and with it firms across the country looked on with great interest. Which project would be Australia’s best new residence? Who designed the best new public building? Which firms would back up from last year’s successes and win again?
It was no surprise then that the 2014 Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards was Architecture & Design’s top story for the month of November, but there were a few other stories that surfaced that most wouldn’t have predicted.
Below is a list of the top 10 articles for the month of November. Click on the images to be taken to the original story, and let us know which your favourites were - or what else we should have covered.
1. 2014 AIA National Architecture Awards winners announced
Community-oriented projects dominated the Australian Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2014 National Architecture Awards this year. Johnson Pilton Walker, Breathe Architecture and Richard Kirk Architect HASSELL joint venture were the standouts, picking up two of the 13 named awards each.
2.Look past its facade: new UTS business school designed by Gehry from inside-out
The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) celebrated the ‘tools down’ stage of its new business school and hi-tech learning hub this month, with the university asking the industry and public to look past the facade, and into the spaces and types of environments the building offers.
3.Why multi-storey apartments should be designed by competent building designers not just architects
The conversation feed was flowing fast and at times furious after Building Designers Australia’s Ian Bassett voiced the concerns of NSW building designers on the topic of SEPP65’s multi-storey apartment restrictions. He said he wasn’t happy that competent building designers aren’t allowed to design SEPP65 buildings but there were great arguments from both sides of the debate.
4.Architects respond to building designers’ bid for multi-storey apartment work: AIA president David Karotkin comments
Following the heated discussion stemming from Ian Bassetts article (click on no. 3 above) National President of the Australian Institute of Architects, David Karotkin delivered a written response Architecture & Design which was published in full.
5.Australia’s favourite new home: Oxlade Drive House by James Russell Architect
The Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) launched the inaugural People’s Choice Award to run in conjunction with the 2014 National Architecture Awards. Oxlade Drive House by James Russell Architect was chosen by the public from a shortlist of 13 houses.
6.Australasia’s first certified Passivhaus and two on the way in Melbourne
The German-born building performance standard PassivHaus strives to achieve a very comfortable ultra-low energy building that requires little or no energy for space heating or cooling. Following our article which documented its compatibility and developments in Australasia, a South Australian residence has since received accreditation and is Australia’s first certified PassivHaus.
7.Andrew Burges Architects wins Green Square Aquatic Centre competition with design inspired by Sydney beaches
Andrew Burges Architects, in conjunction with Grimshaw and TCL, were chosen to design Sydney’s largest aquatic centre since the 2000 Olympics, beating 143 other entries to be named the winner of the Green Square Gunyama Park and Aquatic Centre design competition by judges this month. For all the project details click on the image above.
8.Sydney tower named world’s ‘Best Tall Building’ by CTBUH
It seems a month doesn’t go by without a story about Sydney’s now famous One Central Park. In November the project was awarded the title of the ‘Best Tall Building in the World' by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
9.Why architecture graduates aren’t registering as architects
A study published in the September journal of Creative Education has revealed that many Australian architecture graduates do not go on to become registered architects because of gender-based issues and the lack of suitable employment opportunities. A very interesting report.
10. House at Hanging Rock by Kerstin Thompson Architects wins 2014 AIA Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture (New)
House at Hanging Rock by Kerstin Thompson Architects was crowned winner of the prestigious Robin Boyd prize for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) at the 2014 Australian Institute of Architects’ National Architecture Awards. For more details about Australia’s best new residential project click on the image above.
