I was honoured to lead this year’s National Awards jury. It is the third time I have had the privilege to serve the RAIA on the National Jury and the process this year, with such a great jury, was a fitting and greatly enjoyable end to my three terms. My colleagues on the National Awards Jury this year were Wendy Lewin, John Denton, Joe Rollo and Peter Dungey.
We assembled in Canberra in early August to review the state premiated entries and to generate a short-list from them. The work considered this year was of the usual high standard and a short-list quickly emerged. One thing, however, did hamper our deliberations – the varying quality of the entries themselves. Often the text did not correlate with the photographs and vice versa. We will make recommendations on this matter to the RAIA Public Affairs Committee in the hope that a more uniform and exacting entries will result in the future.
Travelling is always a great experience and jury chairs often speak of the joys of being on the road. The trip this year was most enjoyable and as a jury we travelled well together, and during the numerous stops, airport lounges and car journeys we vigorously debated the merits of the entries.
We had a difficult task this year with the Sir Zelman Cowen Award, a most prestigious RAIA national award category. The competition this year was intense, with a number of very strong contenders. We were unanimous in our choices and I am sure that the outcome of our deliberations will provoke comment. We look forward to ongoing debate about the nature of public architecture in this country.
Heritage was another strongly contested category. The field included a wide range of projects, all of which fell within the definition of heritage or preservation work. As a “lay” jury, we were limited in our understanding of some of the more specialised aspects of conservation. We felt, however, that it was important to view these works within a broader architectural framework. To this end, projects were considered, not only in terms of the technical, but also in terms of how the works were enhanced by an architectural sensibility. We looked for signs that the architect had connected to the appreciation and understanding of the building today.
The category of urban design is also capable of much interpretation.
Indeed, one might argue that any well-designed building is also good urban design. Last year the National Jury decided to award the Line of Lode building for its contribution to the urban design of Broken Hill. This year we visited several projects that straddled award categories and had the potential of being premiated in a number of categories. The project that we eventually selected is a strong work that gives much to the city and the community it serves.
Our sense this year was that we are in the midst of shift in the expression of our design of housing and it was fascinating to see the wide spectrum of styles that came through the state jury system. Our Robin Boyd Award goes to a building that provides a fine example to the community of housing possibilities beyond the boutique single-family dwelling.
Once again, this year we saw many architects involving themselves in all the processes of building, and leading their teams by example and inspiration. As I noted in my remarks last year, it is through this involvement that great architecture is produced. It is also the best demonstration that we, as a profession, have much to contribute to the health and welfare of the communities we serve. Great architecture brings great benefits to these communities, and we were mindful, when considering a building, of the role the architect had played in bringing the work to fruition.
In the awards this year we were pleased to see the emergence of some new names. The diversity of the work produced in the country is always a pleasure to appreciate. Serving on the National Jury is one of the most fulfilling tasks that I have performed for the RAIA and I would like to give my thanks to the RAIA for the opportunity.
Ed Haysom, RAIA National Awards Jury Chair
