2021 NSW Architecture Awards | Featuring FABREFAB's Minima and Courtyard House awards

A project that revealed a “new way to experience Australia’s first museum” has been awarded the highest honour at the 2021 NSW Architecture Awards.

The jury lauded the Australian Museum Project Discover by Neeson Murcutt and Neille in collaboration with Cox Architecture for its “highly strategic design.”

“It prioritizes changes that will sustain the Museum into the long-term,” the jury noted. “It reveals and celebrates the Museum’s rich historic layering; creates legibility of movement – vertical and horizontal; enables universal public access throughout; and enhances the Museum’s engagement with William Street. The result is a new civic space for Sydney where visitors enjoy the architecture alongside the exhibitions.”

The project also took home the John Verge Award for Interior Architecture and the Greenway Award for Heritage. Across the awards 299 entries were received in 13 categories. “Architects in NSW continue to address the challenges of climate change through sustainable and innovative design,” said chair of juries Peter Mould.

“Many of the awarded projects are existing buildings that have been adapted for new uses or had existing uses reinvigorated. This sustainably captures all the embodied energy and craft from the past as well as retaining their important contribution to local urban character.

“We’ve also seen many projects having multiple authors with architects working in collaboration to deliver large and complex projects.

“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance public spaces and venues and it is good to see so many public projects awarded this year.”

 

NSW Architecture Medallion

Australian Museum Project Discover – Neeson Murcutt and Neille, Cox Architecture

 

Public Architecture

 

The Sulman Medal

Sydney Theatre Company – Hassell

Awards

Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre – Andrew Burges Architects and Grimshaw with TCL in collaboration with the City of Sydney
Maitland Regional Athletics Complex – Maitland City Council with Studio Dot

 

Commendation

Rocky Hill Memorial Museum – Crone with Urbis

 

Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

 

The Wilkinson Award

Pearl Beach House – Polly Harbison Design

 

Commendations

Cobargo Santa Project – Breathe
Contemplation House – Virginia Kerridge Architect
House Ngaio Palm Beach – Durbach Block Jaggers Architects
Mystery Bay House – Jack Hawkins Architect with Rob Hawkins
Off Grid FZ House – Anderson Architecture

 

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

 

The Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award

The Hat Factory – Welsh and Major Architects

 

Awards

Birchgrove House – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects
Lena – Smart Design Studio
Riley’s Terrace – Adele McNab Architects
SRG House – Fox Johnston

 

Commendations

House Fit – Panov Scott Architects
Smash Repair House – Matt Elkan Architect
Villa Villekulla – Virginia Kerridge Architect

 

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

 

The Aaron Bolot Award

Newmarket Eastern Precinct – Bates Smart and Smart Design Studio

 

Awards

Arkadia – DKO Architecture with Breathe Architecture and Oculus
Harbord Diggers Club Redevelopment – Architectus, Chrofi and JMD Design

 

Commendations

249 Darlinghurst Road – SJB
Foamcrest Apartments – Richard Cole Architecture
Llandaff St Apartments – Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects with McGregor Westlake Architects
Teracota – Bennett Murada Architects

 

Educational Architecture

 

The William E Kemp Award

Barker College Rosewood Centre – Neeson Murcutt and Neille

 

Award

Ainsworth Building, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University – Architectus

 

Commendations

The Athenaeum Wenona – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects
The Women’s College Sybil Centre – M3 Architecture.

 

Commercial Architecture

 

The Sir Arthur G Stephenson Award

Smart Design Studio – Smart Design Studio

 

Awards

Little National Hotel – Bates Smart
Workshop, 21 Harris Street – Bates Smart

 

Commendations

BMW and Mini – SJB
Stone and Wood Brewery – Harley Graham Architects

 

Interior Architecture

 

The John Verge Award

Australian Museum Project Discover – Neeson Murcutt and Neille, Cox Architecture, and Orwell and Peter Phillips

 

Awards

Carpe Diem Companionway – Collins and Turner with Geyer
Smart Design Studio – Smart Design Studio

 

Commendations

Arbutus – Smart Design Studio
Barker College Rosewood Centre – Neeson Murcutt and Neille
Contemplation House – Virginia Kerridge Architect
Porous House – Possible Studio
Yallamundi Rooms at the Sydney Opera House – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

 

Sustainable Architecture

 

The Milo Dunphy Award

Smart Design Studio – Smart Design Studio

 

Awards

Cobargo Santa Project – Breathe
Night Sky – Peter Stutchbury Architecture

 

Commendations

Courtyard House – Chrofi
FERN Passivhaus Apartments – Steele Associates Architects
Minima – Trias
Plastic Palace – Raffaello Rosselli Architects
Porous House – Possible Studio

Heritage

The Greenway Award

Australian Museum Project Discover – Neeson Murcutt and Neille, Cox Architecture

 

Awards

58 Carr Street – McGregor Westlake Architecture
Reid House – Hector Abrahams Architects
Sub Base Platypus – Lahznimmo Architects

 

Commendations

Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas – Tzannes
SRG House – Fox Johnston
The Lowy Institute – Hector Abrahams Architects

 

Small Project Architecture

 

The Robert Woodward Award

Plastic Palace – Raffaello Rosselli Architects

 

Award

Broken Camp – Atelier Luke

 

Commendations

Nicholson Galleries, Chau Chak Wing Museum – Studioplusthree
Wattamolla Visitor Amenities – Conybeare Morrison International with NSW NPWS

 

Urban Design

 

The Lloyd Rees Award

Sub Base Platypus – Lahznimmo Architects and Aspect Studios

 

Award

Harbord Diggers Club Redevelopment – Architectus, Chrofi and JMD Design

 

Commendations

Putney Hill Master Plan and Residential Development – Cox Architecture
Taronga Zoo African Savannah – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

 

Enduring Architecture Award

MLC Building, North Sydney – Bates Smart and McCutcheon

 

Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture

Maitland Regional Athletics Complex – Maitland City Council with Studio Dot

 

Chapter Prizes

Lord Mayor’s Prize – Joint winners

Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre – Andrew Burges Architects and Grimshaw with TCL in collaboration with the City of Sydney
Waterfall – SJB

 

Blacket Prize

Rocky Hill Memorial Museum – Crone with Urbis

 

Emerging Architect Prize

Alexander Symes, Alexander Symes Architect