ANU Birch Building Refurbishment by Hassell
Built on the land of the Ngunnawal people Acton, Australian Capital Territory
Jury citation The ANU Birch Building Refurbishment sensitively integrates a complex and service-demanding new teaching curriculum into an existing building, the merit of which is significantly enhanced by the thoughtful alterations and additions. This is a rare project, where restraint and clarity prevail; the hand of the architect is evident but not dominant. New decisions and moments are always guided by the existing architecture, respectfully integrated without the appearance of constraint.
The atmospheric outcome is a sequence of shared spaces embodying a sense of inventive nostalgia. This is not a yearning for the past; instead, spaces optimistically capture qualities that we have mostly experienced in film and printed material, and transform them into quiet and dignified experiences.
The mastery in this transformation must be celebrated; it speaks of an elegance and dignity appropriate to a national capital.
What makes the outcome even more remarkable is that it was accomplished without the benefit of established user groups or a fully defined curriculum. Hassell responded to the brief strategically, with diverse and flexible teaching spaces and experiences that will allow for future change and ensure the longevity of a building that was once undervalued.
Architect Hassell; Project team Mark Roehrs, Emma Ludwig, Ben Wilson, Madeleine Reyes, Chris Chen, Pete Hastings, Troy King, Sophie Kebbell, Mike Thomas, Sammy Barry, Tarek Barclay, Michael Copeland; Builder Hindmarsh Construction; Access consultant, building surveyor CBS; Acoustic, AV, communications, electrical, ESD, fire (dry) services, lighting, lift, mechanical and security consultant WSP; Hazardous goods and zones CETEC; Facade and structural engineer, civil consultant TTW; Fire safety engineer Warrington Fire; Heritage consultant Lovell Chen; Hydraulic consultant and fire (wet) Rimmington and Associates; Planning Purdon Planning; Quantity surveyor RLB; Landscape consultant Hassell; Photographer Mark Syke
Jury citation Ultimo Public School strategically transforms a challenging sloping site into a sequence of complex and diverse experiences. Learning spaces, recreation and landscape are merged into one by the skilfully developed terraces that cascade down the slope, providing an abundance of light, ventilation and landscape opportunities. Teaching can extend into exterior areas, allowing landscape to inform learning.
Terracing in section and extended arms in plan encourage interconnectedness between year groups while providing for more legible wayfinding. A safe and nurturing environment is created through spaces that allow for individual contemplation as well as collective excitement and engagement. Precise openings in the street elevations create opportunities for controlled community engagement, reinforcing a sense of community in a safe environment. Material robustness and experimentation extend the students’ educational opportunities and spatial awareness.
Architect Design Inc Sydney, Lacoste and Stevenson and BMC2 (architects in association); Project team Thierry Lacoste, Belinda Dawes, Tristan Balogh, David Stevenson, Angela Rowson, Lila Oliver, Yna Ying, Sandeep Amin, Jacqueline Urford, Jacqueline Ong, Helen Chan, Ngoc Tran, Fatemeh Azizian, Rebecca Kwok, Mark Stolz, Tim Garry, Anita Hobbs, Miriam Enoch, Adam Parsons, Jaycy Lee, Ingrid Cheng, Maria Rigoli, Nidhi Sharma; Builder Hindmarsh; Landscape consultant Design Inc Sydney; Environmental consultant Environmental Investigation Services; Geotechnical consultant JK Geotechnics; Sustainability, lighting and services consultant JHA Consulting Engineers; Sustainability consultant Action Sustainability Asia Pacific; Site auditor Senversa; Project manager, public consultation HKA; Heritage consultant Urbis; Aboriginal archaeology AMAC Group; Town planner Roberts Day; Wind consultant Windtech Consultants; Fire engineer Defire; BCA BCA Logic; Section J BCA Energy; Traffic engineer Arup; Building surveyor Cardno; Quantity surveyor Mitchell Brandtman; Arborist Raintree Consulting; Waste consultant Foresight Environmental; Photographer Brett Boardman
Jury citation From the moment visitors arrive at the BVN Brisbane Studio, they become participants in a different way of working and being. Leaving the lift, one is embraced by the library, filled with knowledge and images that inspire the people within. Through the open shelves, the heart of the office is visible – a gathering space for the staff adjacent to the semi-enclosed verandah beneath the giant fig trees in the street. Visually and viscerally connected to place, the design caresses our senses and encourages a more nature-centred approach to life.
The office is fitted out to enable transparent, flexible and collaborative ways of working. Appropriate technology, along with both open-plan and more intimate spaces, provide multiple ways of working. Materials and furniture are selected to both nurture and inspire people, so that they can create equally beautiful spaces for their clients.
This experimental approach to the inside of a standard office building, stemming from the practice’s vision for the future of architecture, clearly demonstrates the benefits of different ways of being in the world, especially in an inner-city urban work environment.
Architect BVN; Project team Brian Donovan, Kevin O’Brien, Glen Millar, Michelle Rehn, Danika Nixon; Builder FDC Construction and Fitout; Project manager Acuity Project Management; Mechanical, electrical and hydraulic engineer LCI Consultants; Acoustic consultant Stantec; Certifier Knisco; Landscape consultant Steven Clegg Design; Photographer Christopher Frederick Jones