The shortlist for the inaugural ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact has been revealed. The award recognizes projects that promote the common good.
It has been conceived to reward practice that preferences empathy over aesthetics, extending the spatial possibilities of architecture to advance the discipline and to empower its users. Projects may relate to social cohesion, racial justice, inclusive housing, accessibility, equity, social sustainability or other areas where design can make a difference to society. This accolade is the only national recognition of this type of work within Australia.
“In recent years, there has been a shift in architectural approach – with emphasis placed on the relationship of a building to its community or users, rather than simply on the built form itself. This increasing focus on social values is something we’d like to celebrate, promote and encourage – prompting us to the launch of the ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact,” said jury chair and editorial director of Architecture Media, Katelin Butler.
“The inaugural shortlist demonstrates the multitude of ways that our built environment can have an impact – from taking research into practice and deep community engagement to providing economy opportunities and fostering social cohesion.”
From 139 entries, 39 have been shortlisted by the jury, which also comprised Troy Casey (director, Blaklash Creative), Esther Charlesworth (professor of Architecture, RMIT, and founder of Architects Without Frontiers), Ben Gauntlett (disability discrimination commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission), Jeremy McLeod (founder, Breathe). The jury was convened by Rory Hyde (Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne).
The winner of the prize will be announced on 27 June, 2023 on ArchitectureAU.com and in the July/August issue of Architecture Australia magazine.
The shortlisted projects are:
Adelaide Womens Prison Accommodation and the UTurn Program – Totalspace Design
Anne Street Garden Villas – Anna O’Gorman Architect
Arts Project Australia – Sibling Architecture
Bholu 17 – The Anganwadi Project
Budj Bim Cultural Landscape – Cooper Scaife Architects
Carlton Learning Precinct – Law Architects
Collingwood Yards – Fieldwork
Curtin University Yarning Circle – UDLA
Dempsey Warehouse – Marra and Yeh Architects
Evans Lookout Access Upgrade – Newscape Design
First Steps Count Child and Community Centre – Austin McFarland.Architects
Foyer Central – DKO
Gathering Place – Penhale and Winter with Sandra Harben
Gibbons Street – DKO
Goulburn Street Housing – Cumulus
Groote Archipelago Housing Programme – The Fulcrum Agency
Gurriny Yealamucka Health and Wellbeing Centre – POD (People Oriented Design) with Coburn Architecture
Habitat on Juers – Refresh Studio for Architecture
MCM Frontyard – Fender Katsalidis
Niddrie Autistic School – Guymer Bailey Architects
Nungalinya – Incidental Architecture
Odyssey House Family Recovery Centre – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer
Ozanam House – MGS Architects
Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub – Kaunitz Yeung Architecture
Rawa Community School – EIW Architects in collaboration with Metio and Four Landscape Studio
Retain, Repair, Reinvest – Office
Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments - Project Demonstration Sites – Monash Informal Cities Lab
Shelter at Rainforest Village – Marra and Yeh Architects
St Albans Housing – NMBW Architecture Studio in association with Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA)
Terrigal Boardwalk and Rockpool – Arup
Testing Grounds – These Are The Projects We Do Together
The DADAA Hub Project – Urbanframeworks
The Living Room – Studio Tate
Victorian Family Violence Memorial – Muir and Openwork
Village 21 – NH Architecture
WAYSS Youth Transition Hub – Bent Architecture
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services – Judd Studio
Women’s Property Initiatives Older Women’s Housing Project – Studio Bright
Yalinguth – Yalinguth
The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact is organized by Architecture Media, publisher of ArchitectureAU.com, and supported by presenting partner Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne.
