The results of the 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards

On Friday night, the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the winners of the 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards.

Victorian Chapter President Amy Muir said that the awards are a time for architects to celebrate and reflect on the value of collaboration, resulting in holistic and comprehensive outcomes for Victoria’s built landscape.

“The awards program provides us with the opportunity to celebrate the exceptional work of our members, recognising those who have demonstrated tenacity and care to deliver meaningful contributions to our evolving state,” she said in a press release from AIA.

“Regardless of the scale and scope of the project, it is always quality and longevity which determine the extent of the transformative impact architecture can have on people’s lives. Engendering positive social outcomes through architecture is increasingly important for the well-being of our communities.”

Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design won the prestigious Melbourne Price and Victorian Architecture Medal for its project, Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe. Let’s take a look at some of the other projects which took home prizes and commendations.

The Enduring Architecture Award

Winner: Fender Katsalidis

Project: Melbourne Terrace Apartments

Image source: Property Observer

The award-winning architecture practice, appointed to projects like Anchor & Cecil in Prahran and mixed-use precinct Flinders Bank, is the first ever to receive the new award. The firm’s terrace apartments, built in the early 1990s, have stood the test of time and were a sure-fire win for the award which recognises structures over 25 years old which remain important in a contemporary.

The Joseph Reed Award For Urban Design

Commendation: Cox Architecture with ASPECT Studios

Project: Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal

Image source: Cox Architecture

Cox Architecture (the architect studio behind Melbourne Square) and expert landscape architect firm ASPECT Studios (responsible for the on-site plantings at Ryde Garden in Sydney) teamed up to replace nine dangerous rail level crossings with five elevated railway stations along one of Melbourne’s busiest transport corridors. Each station was visualised as a unique community hub, with ground level urban plazas and pod-like structures for information and bike storage.

Small Project Architecture — The Kevin Borland Award

Winner: Kerstin Thompson Architect (KTA)

Project: Jock Comini Reserve Amenities

Image source: Kerstin Thompson

KTA has a reputation for developing stunning residences with exceptional on-site amenities. At Balfe Park Lane, the team not only designed a bike maintenance station, courtyards and rooftops with edible gardens, composts, and worm farms but they also gave the residents the power to determine the purpose of the ground floor hub.

At Jock Comini Reserve, the team has designed a light-filled and airy rest stop experience. Glazed and stainless-steel walls reflect and transmit the colours of the surrounding bush and the curved layout and low-lying roof form a distinctive intervention in the Ravenswood landscape.

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