2021 Victorian Architecture Awards

A common theme that was prevalent across the shortlisted projects at the 2021 Victorian Architecture Awards was the importance of designing future ready places that can foster health and wellbeing outcomes and enable our communities to thrive.

The positive outcomes that have been enabled by the winning projects demonstrate the strong commitment by the Architectural Institute of Architects to support architecture that delivers an even greater benefit to the individuals and communities interacting with the built environment each day.

We’re proud to have helped our architectural clients create better places to work, live, study and play, on the following award-winning projects:

 

Forming part of the Victorian Government’s Level Crossing Removal Project, the removal of the level crossing at Carrum has resulted in the rebuild of Carrum Station and a new road bridge being built across the Patterson River and connecting to Station Street. The project also involved the revitalisation of the foreshore precinct with four new community open spaces and more than 80,000 mostly native and Indigenous trees and shrubs planted.

As the Design Lead on the project, our multidisciplinary team worked closely with Cox Architecture to deliver the foreshore buildings, canopies and arbour structure. Click here to learn more about our involvement across the broader initial works package of the Southern Program Alliance.

 

Proudly developed by Cbus Property and ISPT, Collins Arch has become a landmark in the Melbourne skyline and features two 39-level towers that are elegantly connected via an eight-level sky bridge, spanning 14 metres. The mixed-use development brings together luxury hotel accommodation, high-end residential apartments and PCA Premium grade commercial space.

Our multidisciplinary team helped the design team with delivering a project that demonstrates true leadership in its environmental and occupant wellbeing outcomes. Collins Arch has been designed to achieve Green Star – Design & As Built certification for the entire building and has a 6 Star Green Star rating and WELL Platinum certification for the commercial office component, average 7-star NatHERS rating across the residential apartments; 5.5 star NABERS Energy rating; and a 4.5 star NABERS energy rating for the W Melbourne hotel.

 

 

This defining project for the City of Melbourne was also the first project for Irwinconsult, now part of WSP. In 1953, Bill Irwin teamed with the architects and won the design competition for the swimming pool stadium, which was being built for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

Following the initial engagement of Structural and Civil engineering on the original construction, we went on to provide all engineering services for the 1980’s conversion to the “Glasshouse” entertainment centre and 2004 restoration and conversion to the new home for the Collingwood Football Cub and the Victorian institute of Sport.

The theme of the design to minimise material content in a post-war constrained economy and supply chain, resonates with our moves to minimise waste and embodied carbon in construction today.

 

The open-air carpark located alongside the bustling Chapel Street in Prahran has been transformed into a 10,000m² immersive and multifaceted public space with over 500 car spaces below, providing accessible urban space and amenity for the enjoyment of the local community.

To help Lyons with designing a comfortable parking experience for visitors, our structural engineers adopted a long span structural solution on a 16.2m by 7.8m grid, eliminating the columns at the leading edge of the parking bays.

 

Bringing together 30 community groups, clubs, and services under the one roof, the Nunawading Community Hub has created a place for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy and feel welcome. The hub features 14 different-sized, multipurpose spaces that accommodate a diverse range of activities and interests.

WSP worked closely with FJMT to transform the Nunawading Community Hub into a vibrant new facility, that delivers on the Whitehorse City Council’s aspirations for reducing carbon emissions and future energy costs, while fostering health and wellness for users.

 

 

The redevelopment of St Leonard’s College has delivered contemporary environments for learning, performing and working. The project involved a new purpose-built, 600-seat performing arts facility called the Leonardian.

The redevelopment project known as the Merton Building, which contains a Year 12 centre, a new façade for an existing building and a courtyard and gathering space called The Agora.

Working closely with ARM’s design team, we helped deliver the Merton Building’s complex façade design, which includes a curved shell, along with free-standing high-volume glass walls and doors, and high-level finished steel columns. We also helped deliver the Leonardian façade and added a curved façade to an existing adjacent building to surround the space and create the heart of the campus.

 

The project involved the refurbishment of the lobby and façade, to modernise the commercial building. One of the key design features was recladding the existing concrete structure, with the lower façade and existing columns being reclad in polished granite tiles.

 

Located in the inner-city leafy suburb, Clifton Hill, the 122 Roseneath Street development began with a strong desire to focus on sustainability and community and has since set the standard for many community-focused housing developments in Melbourne.

Comprising of 49 apartments, inclusive of one, two and three-bedrooms, 18 townhouses and a retail tenancy, the design of the property is based around shared and flexible spaces, featuring an array of communal amenities to support social connectivity.

Our structural engineers helped the design team with delivering partial retainment of the original two-storey factory warehouse located on site.

 

For more information about our capability in Victoria, please contact, Phil Gardiner WSP’s Property and Buildings Melbourne Lead.

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