Following many months of expectation, the nominations for the 12th annual Architecture & Design Sustainability Awards are set to open this Friday, May 4.

With the gala night being on October 11, this year, there has been a change of venue, mainly due to the fact that the interest and size of the awards has reached such levels that a larger and more functional venue was required, hence the choice of Star City.

While this particular venue is a marked change from our previous locations, the fact remains that Star City is one the most sustainably-designed and operated buildings in Sydney, and as such, a perfect location for the 2018 Sustainability Awards.

Together with that, 2018 will see a total of 15 awards presented on the gala night, all recognising the work of those at the forefront of ecologically sustainable building and design in Australia.

This year there will some new awards reflecting both industry and outcome-based categories, in line with both industry trends as well as the feedback received from both the eminent judging panel and many of the entrants.

For the 2018 Sustainability Awards, the full list of categories are:

1. Commercial

2. Education & Research

3. Healthcare

4. Interior Architecture

5. Single Dwelling - New

6. Single Dwelling - Alteration or Addition

7. Multiple Dwelling

8. Public & Urban Design

9. Emerging Architect of the Year

10. Landscape & Biophilia

11. Innovation / Application

12. Achievement of Merit (People's Choice)

13. Best of the Best

14. Green Building

15. Smart Building

As for the judging panel, at the time of writing, a total of seven judges have been confirmed for the awards:

1. Dick Clarke - Envirotecture

2. Kate Harris - GECA

3. Kerryn Wilmott - UTS

4. Suzanne Tomboutou - ASBEC

5. Steffen Welsch - Steffen Welsch Architects

6. Jeremy Spencer - Positive Footprints

7. Robin Mellon - SCSS

While more judges will be announced in the coming weeks, these initial seven show the high calibre and depth of experience of the 2018 Sustainability Awards jury and are an affirmation that these awards remain the architecture industry’s strongest independent awards program.

According to Architecture & Design editor Branko Miletic, “These awards recognise a range of companies for their ongoing commitment to sustainability – and suitably rewards those who are helping the industry, and society as a whole move to a more sustainable future.”

“This year,” says Miletic, “we will be far more rigorous in our examination and testing of actual sustainable parameters such as water, electricity and waste savings. The fact is, what we want is that the sustainable features and levels to be proven to have been achieved rather than just shown to be specified.”

“Also this year for the first time, we will include an Emerging Architect of the Year award that will recognise and reward those who have just started out making their mark in the vibrant industry.”

“This will add an extra dimension to what is already very much an in-depth, all-encompassing and comprehensive awards program,” he says.

A new and slicker award entry site interface has been designed to make the entry process far easier and as with the 2017 awards, there will also be a day panel-CPD event, about which more information will be released later on this month.

For the entrants, the cut-off date for entries is June 30 2018, with a small fee required to be paid for each entry: $140 for the first entry and $90 for each one thereafter.

As mentioned, the winners will be announced at the gala dinner on October 11 at Star City, Sydney.

For more information about the 12th Annual Architecture & Design Sustainability Awards, go to www.sustainablebuildingawards.com.au or call Kobe Johns, Indesign events director on 02 9018 2013, or Branko Miletic, editor of Architecture & Design on 02 9018 2039.

Branko Miletic

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