The 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards program has seen education and public architecture projects dominate across multiple categories.

Across all the14 categories, a total of 66 awards were announced at a dinner hosted in Melbourne by the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects on Friday 29 June.

The evening’s biggest winner was New Academic Street, RMIT University by Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects, taking home the prestigious Victorian Architecture Medal along with the Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design, The Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture, architecture awards for Interior Architecture and Sustainable Architecture and a joint winner of the Melbourne Prize.

 “The collaboration of architects involved in this project has been a highly effective way to bring diversity and richness, and to avoid the single author approach that often marks similar projects,” says jury chair James Legge.

“Existing buildings from various eras have been excavated and incised to create arcade like connections and internal streets. The effect has been to stitch RMIT into the surrounding city fabric, allowing the public in and creating dynamic and engaging environments for the students and staff. The project provides a critical piece of urban design for this area of the city,” he says.

Other big winners include Nightingale 1 by Breathe Architecture, Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables by Kerstin Thompson Architects and Koondrook Wharf by TERROIR, all obtaining recognition across three categories.

Victorian chapter president Amy Muir says, “We are celebrating the significant contribution that architecture brings to the everyday lives of people and to the evolution of our cities and townships throughout Victoria. The awards also acknowledges the strong collaboration between clients and architects required to deliver carefully considered and robust buildings and public realm interventions.”

“The projects included in the awards program define a broad and rich example of architecture within our state. It is wonderful to see these projects recognised and I extend my congratulations to all of our very deserving winners,” she says.

The Enduring Architecture Award, recognising structures over 25 years old that remain important in a contemporary context, was given to the Yarra Footbridge at Southbank, which ties into this year’s theme of the public realm.

Projects that received an architecture award or a named award will now progress to compete in the National Architecture Awards program.

The shortlist will be announced by the Australian Institute of Architects in the coming months.

The full list of winners can be found here.