Australian architects had an excellent run at the recently announced 2017 Architizer A+ Awards, with three category wins, four finalists and a special mention.
One of the largest awards programs for architecture in the world, the Architizer A+ Awards aims to nurture the appreciation of meaningful architecture with some of the best design works showcased to a global audience of 400 million-plus design enthusiasts.
The jury is composed of more than 400 distinguished luminaries and thought leaders from fields as diverse as fashion, publishing, product design, real estate development and tech. This year’s jury included Australians Rory Hyde and Shelley Penn, international architects such as Richard Meier and Patrik Schumacher, and celebrities such as model Elle Macpherson.
Awards are given in 102 categories across Commercial, Cultural, Hospitality, Institutional, Landscape & Planning, Residential, Sport & Recreation and Transportation. Five finalists are selected from each of the 102 categories, with a public vote additionally deciding a popular choice winner in each category. The winners of the Popular Choice Awards are honoured alongside the jury-selected winners.
This year’s program received more than 5,000 entries from over 100 countries. Three Australian projects were among the category winners of the 2017 Architizer A+ Awards.
Australia’s jury-selected winners were Devil’s Corner by Cumulus Studio in the Commercial – Mixed Use category, and Upper House by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects in the Residential – Multi Unit Housing – High Rise (16+ Floors) category.
The proposed Ian Potter National Conservatory by CHROFI was the popular choice winner in the Institutional – Unbuilt category.
Devil’s Corner by Cumulus Studio
Located in Apslawn, Australia along Tasmania’s scenic East Coast, Devil’s Corner is one of the largest vineyards in the state. This project seeks to amplify the experience of the iconic view to create a new tourism experience. The cellar door and lookout were designed as a loose collection of timber-clad buildings representing a modern interpretation of the traditional farm settlement. Carefully placed timber-clad shipping containers invite visitors to visually explore the landscape within and around the vineyard through curated, framed views.
Upper House by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
A 17-storey building consisting of 110 apartments and two street-level commercial tenancies, Upper House employs community spaces and amenit- orientated design principles to acknowledge social and environmental sustainability. The unique building composition consists of a central mass fragmented by a ‘ravine’ that articulates two separate forms, creating a naturally ventilated breezeway where occupants access their homes. The project completely avoids the ‘sealed corridor solution’ and its associated problems of stale air and artificial light.
Ian Potter National Conservatory by CHROFI
Rather than relying on glass to create a unique spatial enclosure, this conservatory proposal curates and amplifies contrasting experiences to create unexpectedly complex and sublime spaces despite its relatively small footprint. A highlight of the design is a void to the sky providing the necessary light levels to the tropical plant species, while also limiting the amount of glazing in the building. A layered skin surrounds this void, acting as a high-performing insulative structure. Its outermost layer uses solar energy to pre-warm the air and store excess heat in the wall’s thermal mass, allowing the building to maintain its high internal temperature during winter and stabilising this in summer. The outermost layer changes from transparent to translucent according to its orientation, creating a unique visual expression.
Australian finalists in 2017 Architizer A+ Awards
Four Australian projects were also named finalists: Pumphouse Point by Cumulus Studio in Hospitality – Hotels and Resorts; Fitzroy Loft by Architects EAT and Unfurled House by Christopher Polly Architect in Residential – Residential Interiors; and Green Square Gunyama Park and Aquatic Centre by CHROFI in Sport and Recreation – Unbuilt Sports & Recreation.
Additionally, Sydney Park Water Re-Use Project by Turf Design Studio and Environmental Partnership received a special mention.
