This year’s Australian Interior Design Awards (AIDA) saw a hair salon reimagined with a ‘futuristic laboratory aesthetic’ being honoured with the top award. Sydney-based designer George Livissianis’ design for hair salon Usfin won the 2019 Premier Award for Australian Interior Design.
Entries to the prestigious awards program in its 16th anniversary year not only maintained the high standards that AIDA is known for, but also exhibited a fearless design approach that pushed boundaries to reinvent typologies, experiment with spatial planning, and innovate to improve user experience.
Livissianis’ Usfin led the stellar line-up of the country’s very best interior design projects that were recognised and honoured at a recent gala celebration in Melbourne, with 550 of Australia’s most esteemed interior design and architecture practitioners and professionals in attendance. Usfin also won the Award for Retail Design.
For Usfin’s design, Livissianis reinvented the standard hair salon typology, giving considerable thought to customer experience and employee satisfaction. Usfin’s selection as the Premier Award winner was a unanimous decision by the jury.
“It stands out because it is so complete as a concept and interior, and has a real joyfulness to it, despite its futuristic laboratory aesthetic,” said the 2019 jury.
Leading architecture design firm BVN was awarded the prestigious Award for Interior Design Impact for Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School. The jury unanimously agreed that the education project represented the spirit of this award through its physical transformation from a dark, sombre 1970s Telstra training centre to an open, light and energetic primary school.
The 2019 Award for Residential Design went to joint winners, Oak House by Kennedy Nolan and Edsall Street by RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN. The jury noted that both residences exceeded the brief, taking design to the next level by making it appear unabashedly personal, as though they’ve been designed specifically for the people who live in them.
Victorian design practice Pierce Widera received the 2019 award for Emerging Interior Design Practice. The jurors praised the definite diversity of their portfolio and confident detailing and thoughtful use of materials across all their hospitality projects.
The Australian Interior Design Awards is delivered through a partnership between the Design Institute of Australia and Architecture Media’s Artichoke magazine.
2019 Awards and Commendations:
Premier Award for Australian Interior Design
George Livissianis for USFIN, NSW
Award for Interior Design Impact
BVN for Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School, NSW
Award for Sustainability Advancement
HASSELL partnered with Arup for Arup Melbourne, VIC
Emerging Interior Design Practice
-Award
Pierce Widera, VIC
-Commendation
Adele McNab Architect, NSW
Studio Esteta, VIC
Residential Design
-Award
Kennedy Nolan for Oak House, VIC (Joint Winner)
RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN for Edsall Street, VIC (Joint Winner)
-Commendation
Hogg&Lamb for B&B Residence, QLD
Renato D’Ettorre Architects for Italianate House, NSW
Retallack Thompson for Challis Avenue Apartment, NSW
Robert Simeoni Architects for Powell Street House, VIC
Residential Decoration
-Award
Arent&Pyke for Under the Tree, NSW
-Commendation
Alwill Interiors for Tribute House, NSW
Chelsea Hing for Yarra Valley House, VIC
GOLDEN for Wattle House, VIC
Hospitality Design
-Award
Carr for United Places Botanic Gardens South Yarra, VIC
-Commendation
Amber Road for Edition Roasters, NSW
Jackson Clements Burrows Architects for Sable Drop, VIC
Pierce Widera for Shinbashi, VIC
Retail Design
-Award
George Livissianis for USFIN, NSW
-Commendation
Carr for Gaggenau Melbourne, VIC
HASSELL for StylecraftHOME Melbourne, VIC
Herbert & Mason for Paramount Recreation Club, NSW
Mim Design for e&s Showroom, VIC
SJB for The UNSW Bookshop, NSW
Public Design
-Award
Cox Architecture for Waltzing Matilda Centre, QLD
-Commendation
Bates Smart for 161 Collins Street, VIC
JCY Architects and Urban Designers, Cox Architecture and Billard Leece Partnership with HKS Inc. for Perth Children’s Hospital, WA
Spowers for RMIT University School of Fashion and Textiles City Campus, VIC
Workplace Design
-Award
BVN for BVN Sydney Studio, NSW
-Commendation
Branch Studio Architects, Piazza Dell’Ufficio, VIC
Cox Architecture for Cox Architecture Brisbane Studio, QLD
HASSELL for Origin Workplace Brisbane, QLD
HASSELL partnered with Arup for Arup Melbourne, VIC
Installation Design
-Award
National Gallery of Victoria and nendo for Escher X nendo: Between Two Worlds, VIC
-Commendation
Anna Tregloan for ACMI for Wonderland, VIC
Liminal Spaces for Dust, QLD
Best of State Awards for Residential Design
New South Wales – Renato D’Ettorre Architects for Italianate House
Queensland – Hogg&Lamb for B&B Residence
South Australia – Williams Burton Leopardi for Malvern Residence
Victoria – Kennedy Nolan for Oak House and RITZ&GHOUGASSIAN for Edsall Street
Western Australia – Lahaus Studio for The Villa
Best of State Awards for Commercial Design
New South Wales – George Livissianis for USFIN
Queensland – Cox Architecture for Waltzing Matilda Centre
South Australia – Exhibition Studios for Birds and Bees Exhibition
Tasmania – Liminal Architecture for Freycinet Lodge Coastal Pavilions
Victoria – National Gallery of Victoria and nendo for Escher X nendo: Between Two Worlds
Western Australia – JCY Architects and Urban Designers, Cox Architecture and Billard Leece Partnership with HKS Inc. for Perth Children’s Hospital
Best International Design Award
Templewell Studio in collaboration with Rezen & Lahaus Studio via Design Stables Platform for Wanderlust, SG
These images are provided by Papermill Media on behalf of the Australian Interior Design Awards.
