The Australian Institute of Architects coordinates and promotes annual awards, prizes and honours at both a national level and at a State and Territory level. Awards generally recognise buildings and projects, whilst prizes recognise individual and group achievement in advocacy, innovation, social, community, education and environmental fields. [1] Honours recognise individual achievements in all areas of architecture.
The National Architecture Awards are held in late October or early November each year and have been presented annually since 1981. [2] Shortlisted entrants are drawn from relevant State and Territory awards programs held earlier in the year (usually in June or July).
National Awards (as of 2023)
Discontinued National Awards
National Prizes have been awarded annually since 2010, usually in early May and often as part of the Australian Architecture Conference. Each prize has a separate jury who assess a shortlist in each category. The inaugural 'Australian Achievement in Architecture Awards' were held on 18 March 2010 at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, presented separately to the National Awards. [7] In 2017 the program was renamed as 'National Prizes'. National Prizes recognise achievement across a range of categories that support and promote advocacy, innovation and education, and do not relate to particular buildings which are judged at the National Awards later in the same year. [8]
The AIA Gold Medal is the highest individual honour awarded by the Australian Institute of Architects and has been presented annually since 1960. The honour recognises "distinguished service by architects who have designed or executed buildings of high merit, producing work of great distinction that has advanced architecture or endowed the profession in a distinguished manner". Since 1970 the recipient of the Gold Medal has delivered the AS Hook Memorial Address. The address provides the winner a forum to discuss their work, insights and principles and to reflect on the state of the profession at the time. [9]
The most recent winner is Philip Thalis, Sydney based architect and urbanist, awarded the Gold Medal in 2024. [10]
This award honours architect, academic and gender equity advocate Paula Whitman (1960–2006). The Leadership in Gender Equity Prize recognises leadership and outstanding contributions of an AIA member towards the advancement of gender equity in practice, education and governance. [11] [12]
The National Emerging Architect Prize "recognises an individual emerging architect or emerging architectural collaboration’s contribution to practice, education, design and community". [17] Emerging architects are considered up to 15 years after graduation or up to 10 years after registration. Since 2016 the National Emerging Architect Prize has been presented at the end of year National Awards.
The National President's Prize recognises unique individual and group contribution to the advancement of architecture in Australia other than through the design of architecture, practice or architectural education. Contributions may be made over a lifetime or could be a response to a single activity or event. The AIA prizes guideline describe that such contributions could include: "support of the architectural profession; effective advocacy; architectural debate and discourse; community engagement, or any other contribution deemed notable". [31]
THe Neville Quarry Architectural Education Prize recognises achievement in architectural education in architectural teaching, academic scholarship and research, leadership and community engagement in the higher education sector and other forums. The Prize recognises architect, educator and academic Neville Quarry AM (1933–2004), a long time Professor of Architecture and Faculty Dean at University of Technology, Sydney. Winners receive a prize of $2000, certificate and a medallion. [44]
This prize first presented in 2011 recognises individuals, organisations or groups that demonstrate leadership contributing to advances in the environmental sustainability of architecture and the environment. [55]
A prize for outstanding contribution by an individual architecture student (SONA member) towards the advancement of architecture in areas of leadership, publication, community or education. This prize has a cash amount of $2,000. [64]
Each of the State and Territory chapters also present annual awards and prizes, as listed:
The ACT Architecture Awards are run annually by the ACT Chapter of the AIA.
† No longer awarded
The NSW Architecture Awards are run annually by the NSW Chapter of the AIA.
The Northern Territory Architecture Awards are run annually by the Northern Territory Chapter of the AIA.
Due to the small number of entrants each year, not all categories are awarded in any given year. [88] [89]
The Queensland Architecture Awards are run annually by the Queensland Chapter of the AIA. [90]
The South Australian Architecture Awards are run annually by the South Australia Chapter of the AIA.
The Tasmania Architecture Awards are run annually by the Tasmania Chapter of the AIA.
The Victorian Architecture Awards are run annually by the Victoria Chapter of the AIA.
The West Australian Architecture Awards are run annually by the West Australia Chapter of the AIA.
† No longer awarded
Separately judged awards occur in regional New South Wales and Queensland.
The Newcastle Architecture Awards [97] cover the NSW Central Coast, Hunter Valley and Newcastle areas and occur each November. They are administered by the AIA NSW Chapter Regional Committee. [98]
The NSW Country Division Awards occur each November and are administered by the AIA NSW Chapter Regional Committee. [99]
Greater Brisbane Regional Architecture Awards are awarded in May of each year.
Commendations also awarded in Commercial Architecture, Heritage Architecture, Sustainable Architecture, Small Architecture and Urban Design. [100]
Central Queensland Regional Architecture Awards are awarded in May of each year. [101]
Separate International Chapter awards commenced in 2012 with three categories. The Jørn Utzon Award for International Architecture is awarded at the National Architecture Awards.
The William J. Mitchell Prize recognises significant contribution by an Australian to architecture internationally. [106]
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach programs, and collaborates with other stakeholders in the design and construction industries.
The Australian Institute of Architects, officially the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, is Australia's professional body for architects. Its members use the post-nominals FRAIA (Fellow), ARAIA and RAIA. The Institute supports 14,000 members across Australia, including 550 Australian members who are based in architectural roles across 40 countries outside Australia. SONA is the national student-membership body of the Australian Institute of Architects. EmAGN represents architectural professionals within 15 years of graduation, as part of the Australian Institute of Architects.
The Sir John Sulman Medal for Public Architecture is an architectural award presented by the New South Wales chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects since 1932. The medal is sometimes referred to as the Sulman Award and now recognises excellence in public buildings in either New South Wales or in the Australian Capital Territory. Before the advent of the Wilkinson Award in 1961, it was on occasion presented to residential housing projects.
The Robin Boyd Award for New Residential Architecture is an Australian national architecture prize presented annually by the Australian Institute of Architects since 1981.
Richard Denis Leplastrier is an Australian architect and AIA Gold Medal recipient. He was a Professor of Practice (Architecture) at the University of Newcastle, Australia.
The Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, also known as The University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, formerly the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, is a constituent body of the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The school was established in 1920.
The Victorian Architecture Awards are granted annually by the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. They began with the Street Architecture Medal, awarded between 1929 and 1942. Apart from a single award in 1954, annual awards did not resume until 1964, backdated by one year.
Wood Marsh Architecture, styled Wood | Marsh Architecture, is a Melbourne-based Australian architectural practice founded by Roger Wood and Randal Marsh in 1983.
Koning Eizenberg Architecture (KEA) is an architecture firm located in Santa Monica, California established in 1981. The firm is recognized for a range of project types including: adaptive reuse of historic buildings, educational facilities, community places, and housing. Principals Hank Koning, Julie Eizenberg, Brian Lane, and Nathan Bishop work collaboratively with developers, cities and not-for-profit clients. Their work has been published extensively both in the US and abroad, and has earned over 200 awards for design, sustainability and historic preservation.
Searle X Waldron is an Australian architecture firm based in St Kilda, Melbourne. It is an emerging firm co-founded by Nick Searle and Suzannah Waldron in 2007. The firm focuses on projects ranging from small scale residential to larger scale urban master-planning. Some of their notable projects and design competitions include the MoCAPE and Art Gallery of Ballarat Annexe which have managed to attain various awards from the Australian Institute of Architects, including the 2012 Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture and 2012 Architecture Award for Public Architecture Alteration & Additions. Their designs have been exhibited across Australia and throughout Asia and Europe.
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Helen Marian Lochhead is an Australian architect and urbanist who combines academic and expert advisory roles with practice. Her career has focused on the inception, planning, design, and delivery of complex urban projects ranging from city improvements programs to major urban regeneration projects. She has held numerous influential roles in government, industry and universities including Dean, Faculty of Built Environment and Pro Vice-Chancellor Precincts at UNSW Sydney, National President of the Australian Institute of Architects and Deputy Government Architect in NSW. She has served on various Panels and Boards including the NSW Independent Planning Commission, The Australian Heritage Council and the National Capital Authority.
M3architecture is an Australian architecture firm based in Brisbane. The practice was founded in 1997 and is run by Directors Michael Banney, Ben Vielle, Michael Christensen and Michael Lavery.
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The Victorian Architecture Medal is the highest honour awarded annually by the Victoria Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and has been awarded 38 consecutive times since 1987. The Medal was originally known as the ‘Street Architecture Medal’ introduced by the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects (RVIA) in 1929 as an award for the design of a building of exceptional merit. Buildings were judged on their "urban propriety and architectural etiquette; the building had to front a street, road, square or court" and with a requirement of being publicly accessible, thereby excluding residential and private commissions.
Clare Cousins is an Australian architect, interior designer, and director of Melbourne-based Clare Cousins Architects, established in 2005. Cousins served as the national president of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA). She was awarded the Chapter Presidential Medal by the Institute for her advocacy to protect Anzac Hall. She has also received the Presidential Medal of the American Institute of Architects.
The National Award for Enduring Architecture is an Australian architecture prize presented annually by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) since 2003. The award recognises long lasting, innovative and culturally significant Australian architecture with usually more than 25 years passed since the completion of construction.
The New South Wales Enduring Architecture Award is an architecture award presented annually by the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) since 2003. The average age of awarded projects is around 45.4 years.
The Northern Territory Enduring Architecture Award is an architecture prize presented annually by the Northern Territory Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) since the inaugural award in 2013. The award recognises significant, long lasting and innovative architecture with usually more than 25 years passed since the completion of construction.
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This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 18, (Melbourne University Press), 2012.