The University of Queensland Cricket Club Maintenance Shed, described by the jury as “a small project playing a larger game” led the list of winners at the 2023 Australian Institute of Architects’ Queensland Architecture Awards announced yesterday.

The project by Lineburg Wang with Steve Hunt Architect won the Queensland Architecture Medallion – the highest bestowed honour as well as The Hayes & Scott Award for Small Project Architecture at the 2023 State Architecture Awards.

More than 47 projects across 11 categories including residential, commercial, sustainable architecture and urban design were honoured at the special presentation at Brisbane’s City Hall.

Queensland Chair of Juries Paul Jones described the quality of submitted designs as impressive and diverse, saying that, “this year’s awards demonstrate the leadership architects and architecture bring to critical and important issues in our society.”

About the University of Queensland Cricket Club Maintenance Shed, the jury noted: “This project exceeds expectations, showcasing the profession’s unique and exceptional capacity to produce the most triumphant of outcomes under the most constrained of circumstances.”

The architects described the abstract, monolithic service building as “a celebration of its cost efficiencies in an exploration of the common grey block – an outcome driven by the construction pricing and material supply constraints of 2020-21”.

Thomas Dixon Centre by Conrad Gargett took home four awards including The Harry Marks Award for Sustainable Architecture, the COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture (QLD) and state awards in Heritage Architecture and Public Architecture.

“The Centre has been sensitively transformed into a dynamic space that seamlessly combines the preservation of its architectural heritage with the demands of modern functionality,” the jury said. “Beyond its role as a heritage site, the Thomas Dixon Centre now serves as a catalyst for wellness, art, and performance in the State of Queensland.”

Rockhampton Museum of Art by Conrad Gargett, Clare Design (Lead Design Architects) and Brian Hooper Architect won The FDG Stanley Award for Public Architecture.

“Thoughtfully conceived and highly refined, [Rockhampton Museum of Art] delivers an exceptional outcome for both the city and the State,” the jury said.

The Jennifer Taylor Award for Educational Architecture was awarded to Cannon Hill Anglican College D-Block by Reddog Architects in association with Blueline Architecture.

The jury described the vibrant new dining and learning precinct as a “sophisticated and poetic response to its bush setting”, and “an investment in quality, sustainable design that will nurture generations of students”.

Warwick East State School – National School Building, by Conrad Gargett, won The Don Roderick Award for Heritage Architecture. “The restoration of the Warwick East State School has revived this state-listed heritage building, breathing new life into one of Queensland's oldest surviving school buildings while significantly increasing its flood-resilience,” the jury said.

River Hearth House, a riverfront house in Chelmer made up of a cluster of buildings centred around a pre-existing open fireplace, won Arcke the Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New).

“River Hearth House stands as a testament to the vision and craftsmanship of its architects, who skilfully integrated the surrounding landscape and historical elements to create a dwelling that is both functional and inspiring,” the jury said.

Habitat on Juers, a 16-unit social housing project in the suburb of Kingston by REFRESH* Studio for Architecture, was awarded The EmAGN Project Award (QLD) and The Job & Froud Award for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing. These accolades follows the project’s success at the Greater Brisbane Regional Architecture Awards in May, where it received the House of the Year Award.

“Habitat on Juers is an affordable social housing project that sets a precedent for socially responsible design for the ‘missing middle’ typology - higher density housing that appears lower in density,” the jury said.

Justin Humphrey Architects’ The Cottage received The Elina Mottram Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions). The architect added new living spaces, landscaping and a ‘playful’ roofline to the existing house with a terracotta orange colour scheme paying homage to 1970s architecture.

The jury noted that this “modest” renovation of a one-storey suburban family home on the Gold Coast “stands out in a city that has long favoured more muscular forms of development and the erasure of older houses”.

Other named award winners

Vokes and Peters were acknowledged for their “masterful approach in optimising character and identity within a constrained budget” for QVS Stafford Vet Hospital, which was awarded The Beatrice Hutton Award for Commercial Architecture.

Herston Quarter Redevelopment Stage 1 and 2 by Hassell received The Karl Langer Award for Urban Design. The architects also received The GHM Addison Award for Interior Architecture for Suncorp HQ – a flexible and collaborative workplace the jury commended for fostering “a sense of togetherness and resilience while prioritising employee wellbeing and the future of work”.

The Robin Gibson Award for Enduring Architecture (QLD) went to Sir Kingsford Smith Memorial by Noel Robinson Architects. Located at Brisbane Airport and completed in 1988, the building houses the aircraft flown in 1928 by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew across the Pacific from San Francisco to Brisbane’s Eagle Farm – an epic 83-hour flight. The jury declared the project “an exemplary piece of public architecture that protects an important part of Australian history”.

The Emerging Architect Prize was awarded to Carly McMahon, an architect at Cox Architecture’s Brisbane studio, for her “admirable, consistent and selfless dedication” to the profession. With a strong portfolio of prize-winning projects, McMahon has also been a staunch advocate for architectural education and bridging the gap between university and practice for graduates.

Branko Miletic

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