It seems October was a busy month for building designers in Australia, with a host of award programs coming to fruition—including our very own Sustainability Awards—and a lot of new projects popping up all over the country.

In this compilation of the top 10 stories covered this month you’ll see awards stories, quality projects and some interesting comments from the evergreen Frank Gehry about the state of today’s architecture.

Click on the title or images to be taken to the original story, and let us know which your favourites were - or what else we should have covered.

#1. Secrets of skinny skyscrapers: 5 slender towers and how they do it

From this list to another, our compilation of five slender skyscrapers from around the world included skinny designs from the likes of SHoP Architects (New York), DLN Architects & Engineers (Hong Kong) and Triptyque (Brazil), as well as our very own BKK architects and Fender Katsalidis.

Check them out and comment about your favourite or, alternatively, answer our question: ‘How skinny can we go?’

#2. Frank Gehry says today’s architecture is “pure shit”

 Pardon our French, but ‘pure shit’ are the two words acclaimed architect Frank Gehry has chosen to describe the state of architecture in our world today.

And it seems that Architecture & Design readers agree with him; from our comments feed only one commentator thinks he is off the mark. Have your say by clicking through.

#3. Western Sydney Airport concept designs open for public viewing, HASSELL and Cox Richardson lend a hand

A competition run by Consult Australia aims to provoke  broader discussion about what the public wants from the new Western Sydney Airport. Four concepts for the future design are available for viewing and readers are asked to vote for their most favoured design. HASSELL and Cox Richardson worked on two of the projects.

#4. Six Australian train stations that are also architectural landmarks

Taking cues from an Emporis list of the world’s most spectactular train stations which includes London’s King’s Cross Railway station by Lewis and William Cubitt (John McAslan + Partners), and New York’s Grand Central Terminal by Warren & Wetmore, we examine six railway stations in Australia – five built and one unbuilt – that could be called an ‘architectural landmark’.

#5. Sustainability Awards winners 2014: Breathe Architecture’s apartments named Australia’s best green building

The 2014 Sustainability Awards were the biggest yet and with projects coming in all shapes and sizes, and from firms big and small, the future of sustainable building is looking very promising.

This year a multi-density residential project from Breathe Architecture took the top gong and was named Best of the Best ahead of a field of 70 projects and products.

#6. Acclaimed international architects compete with Australian firms for ‘Sydney Modern’ art gallery project design

With plans to double the size of the Art Gallery of NSW gaining momentum we were happy to hear that a design competition for its design had been announced.

Twelve Australian and international architectural practices were announced as potential designers for the project and the list included the likes of Renzo Piano’s Genoa workshop, London’s David Chipperfield Architects, Mumbai’s RMA Architects and Tokyo’s Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa.

Click-through to full list.

#7. FJMT and Ian Moore Architects triumphant at World Architecture Festival (WAF)

 Who doesn’t love Australian success on the world stage? How good was it to see Australia’s Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT), Ian Moore Architects and Taylor Cullity Lethlean take category prizes at the 2014 World Architecture Festival in Singapore, the largest global celebration of architecture?

Click through to see Legion House by FJMT and Ian Moore Architect’s ‘The Olive Grove’ project.

#8. NABD name Sunshine Coast mansion Australia’s best building design

The Inaugural National Building Design Awards were a massive success for the National Association of Building Designers who awarded the program’s top prize to a luxury Queensland riverside mansion.

River House in Minyama, Queensland by Gerard Smith Design took three prizes including the program’s top gong: the ‘National Building Design of the Year’.

#10. Andrew Burges Architects balance old, new and private with Pittwater House

The façade of this Palm Beach residence is controlled by a simple rope and pulley system on stainless steel outriggers that are driven by linear actuators. It can be opened and closed to provide infinite combinations of shade, exposure and privacy in relation to the western orientation and views over Sydney’s Pittwater.

Watch Pittwater House unfold…and then refold.