Australia’s Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) and Ian Moore Architects have taken out category prizes at the 2014 World Architecture Festival in Singapore, the largest global celebration of architecture.

FJMT’s Liberty Place project in Sydney took the ‘Completed Building – Office’ award from a strong shortlist of 17 finalists, which also included projects from Australia’s Woods Bagot and Lyons architects.

The jury commended the project, saying “they have sensitively achieved the creation of a public space in a very urban context through placing and manipulating multiple building interventions.”

“Collectively, it is an articulate assemblage of elements (ground plane, street walls, tower elements and landscape).

“The architectural forms create a dynamic public space and reinvigorate a previously run down mid-city area.”

Liberty Place comprises three buildings, ANZ Tower (below left) with 55,750sqm over 42 storeys, Legion House with 1,200sqm over five storeys and 167 Castlereagh St. with 360sqm over two storeys floors. Receiving little sun or wind, Legion House at Liberty Place receives its energy from a process called biomass gasification. The technology coverts plant sourced materials into a combustible gas that used to generate electricity. This is effectively a carbon zero energy source as the greenhouse gases released in the energy production equal that absorbed in creating the biomass. (Images: John Gollings)

Ian Moore Architect’s ‘The Olive Grove’ house in the Hunter Valley was the recipient of the ‘Future Projects – House’ award and was commended for its dramatic response to its surrounding environment.

Ian Moore Architects was awarded the prize ahead of the eight category finalists — which included Australia’s Allen Jack+Cottier Architects and Fox Johnston-NettletonTribe — for their creative and respectful response to the site’s topography, and the house’s simple form.

“We commend the way the house is sent against the sloping site, and we applaud the house’s dramatic presence in its environment. We also liked the simplicity in its form and its sustainable features,” the jury commended.

The house has been designed with a prefabricated steel structure, allowing easy transport and erection on the remote site. The house will be clad in standing seam black aluminium sheet with vertical and horizontal sun shading louvres, while the interior is a simple white plasterboard shell. A freestanding black joinery unit at the centre of the house contains a small kitchen and laundry, with book shelving facing the living area. All spaces have asymmetrically pitched ceilings that follow the roof line. Images: Ian Moore Architects.

Now in its seventh year, the World Architecture Festival awards will culminate with the announcement of the coveted World Building of the Year award on Friday 3 October, which will be selected by the festival’s super-jury.

As category winners, FJMT and Ian Moore Architects will now wait in anticipation for the announcement of the World Building of the Year Award. FJMT’s Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki project was last year’s winner.

Full list of 2014 winners (so far):

Completed Buildings:

House: House for Trees by Vo Trong Nghia Architects
Housing: The Carve by A-Lab
Office: Liberty Place by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Higher Education and Research: Dalarna Media Library by Adept
Display: Te Kaitaka 'The Cloak' by Fearon Hay Architects
Schools: Chobham Academy by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Shopping: Yalikavak Marina Complex by Emre Arolat Architects
Religion: La Ascension del Señor Church by AGi architects

Future Projects:

Culture: Freedom of the Press Monument by Gustavo Penna Arquiteto & Associados
Commercial mixed-use: Isfahan Dreamland Commercial Centerby Farshad Mehdizadeh Architects
Health: The Extension of The People's Hospital of Futian by Leigh & Orange
Leisure-led development: Antakya Museum Hotel by Emre Amrolat Architects
House: The Olive Grove by Ian Moore Architects
Office: Agashiyan by Sanjay Puri Architects
Infrastructure: Linköping Central Station by Metro Arkitekter (Sweco group)
Masterplanning: North West Cambridge Masterplan byAECOM Design & Planning

More category winners are yet to be announced and include the following Australian finalists

COMPLETED BUILDINGS

Civic and community

AGL Lakeside Pavilion, Australia, by Kennedy Associates Architects

Culture

Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre, Australia, by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Garangula Gallery, Australia, by Fender Katsalidis Mirams Architects – Culture category

Health

Chris O'Brien, Lifehouse, Australia, by HDR Rice Daubney
Whyalla Regional Cancer Centre Redevelopment, Australia, by Hames Sharley
Dandenong Mental Health Facility, Australia, by Bates Smart Architects (in association with The Irwin Alsop Group)

Hotel/leisure

Crown Mahogany Room, Australia, by Bates Smart Architects

New and Old

Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery, Australia, by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Sustainable Industries Education Centre, Tonsley Tafe, Australia, by MPH Architects

Production/energy/recycling

Sir Samuel Griffith Centre, Australia, by Cox Rayner Architects
Lune de Sang Sheds, Australia, by Chrofi

Sport

No Australian projects

Transport

No Australian projects

Villa

No Australian projects

LANDSCAPE PROJECTS

Completed designs – rural and urban

FUTURE PROJECTS

Competition entries

No Australian projects

Education

No Australian projects

Experimental

No Australian projects

Residential

Wentworth Park Competition, Australia, by Fox Johnston-NettletonTribe
The Olive Grove, Australia, by Ian Moore Architects

Nathan Johnson

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