Sue Harper Architects was awarded top honours in Viridian’s Sustainability category at the 2013 Houses Awards held recently in Melbourne.

The Houses Awards celebrates the pinnacle of Australian residential design, recognising some of the most innovative residential designs from the past year, and profiling projects across eight different award categories.

Continuing its support of the Houses Awards, Viridian was once again sponsor of the Sustainability category, which recognises excellence in the design of innovative and environmentally sustainable individual dwellings.

Securing first place in the Sustainability category, Sue Harper Architects was awarded top honours for its work on Mihaus Studio.

The judges described the work as ‘a residence that is aesthetically pleasing, easily assembled and flexible enough to accommodate a variety of circumstances’. Mihaus Studio was further praised as a design that ‘consolidates and redefines cost-efficient modular construction at a level that is accessible to the public’. 

Congratulating Sue Harper Architects on its success in the competition, Viridian’s marketing communications manager Cameron Hook commented that the projects profiled in this year’s competition reflected the quality and creativity of Australia’s architectural and design industry. 

Project finalists in the Sustainability category included ‘Austinmer Beach House’ by Alexander Symes Architect in association with g+v architecture, ‘House in a Warehouse’ by Splinter Society Architecture P/L, ‘Waverly House’ by Anderson Architecture and ‘Stead Street Residence’ by K20 Architecture - Architect Bluseven – Builder. 

The 2013 Houses Award winners were announced before an audience of architecture, interior design and landscape architecture professionals. Excellence was rewarded in eight categories, with the best house receiving the premier award of Australian House of the Year. The total prize pool of $13,000 was shared by the nine award winners. 

The 2013 jury panel was made up of six members: Jon Clements, Director of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, Alice Hampson, Director of Alice Hampson Architect, Debbie Ryan, Director of McBride Charles Ryan, Peter Stutchbury, Director of Peter Stutchbury Architecture, Katelin Butler, Editor of Houses Magazine and Peter Williams of Williams Boag Architects who was Adviser in the Heritage Category. 

Elaborating on Viridian’s commitment to supporting sustainable design and development in Australia, Cameron stated that the company was focussed on reducing the impact of its manufacturing processes as well as developing products that lowered energy consumption. 

Viridian has embraced a ‘Target of Zero Waste’ with initiatives already in place that have virtually eliminated packaging and inter-packing materials in the delivery of Viridian glass. 

Viridian New World Glass is a member of the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and was the first manufacturer to sign a sustainability agreement with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).