2024 Minister's Award for Urban Design
Winner
Project: Heritage Lanes
Location: 80 Ann Street, Brisbane
Team: Woods Bagot & ASPECT with Mirvac
Heritage Lanes is to be congratulated for creating a distinctly Queensland urban experience at the 80 Ann Street address. The project team has created a landmark development that is truly subtropical in nature and a living demonstration of what it means to be connected to place through a highly porous ground plane.
The valuable cross-block links between Turbot and Ann streets allow more ways to access and enjoy the city, and are enhanced by an engaging series of cooling spaces that can be discovered over time.
This is urban design at its most generous and inviting. It draws people into its pockets of respite with playful elements and native plantings that delight the senses, while creating a highly legible and memorable interface with the city streets.
Image credit: Trevor Mein
Image credit: Trevor Mein
Winner
Project: Nicholas Street Precinct
Location: Ipswich
Team: Ipswich City Council, Buchan Group, Vee Design, Bornhorst + Ward, WSP, Strategic Spaces, Savills, Ranbury, RLB & Hutchinson Group with Ipswich City Council
As the largest transformation of Ipswich’s city heart in three decades, the Nicholas Street Precinct is a testament to the transformative impact of thoughtful, collaborative planning, creating a vibrant and inclusive hub for the community.
As an example of best practices in urban design, it addresses climate responsiveness, local culture and community needs, while remaining resilient and welcoming for future generations.
The project integrates climate-responsive features like passive cooling, solar energy and recycled water, ensuring its adaptability to climate change. Drawing inspiration from Ipswich's heritage, Tulmur Place and other public spaces reflect local character and culture, while the project enhances natural systems with extensive green spaces and native plantings, promoting biodiversity and mitigating urban heat.
Well-defined, connected streets and spaces foster pedestrian-friendly environments, while diverse development forms support social interaction and economic vitality of the mixed-use precinct.
The jury congratulates Ipswich City Council for its vision and leadership in taking on the role as property developer in creating a world-class transformation of Ipswich CBD.
Image credit: JB Content Studio
Image credit: Sabio
Commendation
Project: Rockhampton Museum of Art
Location: Rockhampton
Team: Conrad Gargett, Clare Design (Lead Design Architects) & Brian Hooper Architect with Rockhampton Regional Council
The Museum of Art is a transformative insertion between a magnificent Heritage building, a riverside and urban public space.
In producing an outstanding piece of architecture, the public spaces and cross-block links have been activated to allow inclusion, climate relief and connection that also delightfully invite participation in the building program.
This project was achieved through a multi-level collaboration with Council and highly skilled professionals working locally, regionally and in Brisbane. The Rockhampton Museum of Arts has deftly incorporated place-based responses with innovative gallery design in a constrained space to achieve a building that is a joyful celebration and a legacy design worthy of a remarkable artistic collection.
The jury commends Rockhampton Regional Council. Conrad Gargett, Clare Design and Brian Hooper Architect for a magnificent project born through multi-level collaboration.
Image credit: John Gollings
Image credit: John Gollings
Commendation
Project: Mount Isa Masterplan and Centennial Place
Location: Mount Isa
Team: Tract Consultants, Bligh Tanner, SJM Hydraulics, Multitech Solutions, C-Change & Peddle Thorp with Mount Isa City Council
The judges commend the exemplary master planning process and resulting master plan for Mount Isa CBD, which demonstrates an integrated, community-led approach with innovative yet pragmatic urban design solutions.
This master plan addresses Mount Isa's unique design challenges head-on, uniting the interests of the business community, council and residents with clear design priorities established.
Key strengths of the CBD are emphasised, with proposed urban design improvements aimed at increasing time spent in the CBD, thus enhancing employment, liveability and safety.
The first project of the master plan, being Centennial Place, promises to make its mark on the CBD and catalyse its urban design transformation into a cool and shady place.
Image credit: Cristina Patuwai Mathieson
Image credit: Cristina Patuwai Mathieson
Commendation
Project: Brisbane Green Factor
Team: Brisbane City Council
As Brisbane markets itself on its green and clean credentials approaching the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will be a growing need to demonstrate how our city/region is meeting its goal of being a well-designed, subtropical city.
Brisbane City Council is to be congratulated for developing the Brisbane Green Factor tool used to optimise landscape designs and maximise the ecosystem services they provide to the city. The key measurable ecosystem services of sense of place, stormwater management, habitat provision, food production, urban temperature regulation, health and wellbeing are designed to be baked into the development process.
The demonstration of a high green factor score against a benchmarked score considered best practice creates a consistent and transparent methodology, which creates certainty for urban development participants.
The jury sees the benefit of this exceptional tool for Brisbane and thinks a state-wide application could even be warranted to assist the development community to measure success when providing green infrastructure to support biodiversity, increase community amenity and resilience, and create a strong sense of identity for the citizens of Queensland.
Commendation
Project: Urban Change Readiness Index
Team: Studio THI
The jury congratulates Studio THI for their outstanding contribution to readying the community for urban change. With meticulous research, piloting and refining, Studio THI has developed a groundbreaking tool poised to catalyse effective urban design.
The significance of Studio THI's achievement lies in its practicality, repeatability and change management approach. Their evidence-based approach offers a comprehensive understanding of community sentiment, from awareness levels to confidence in managing change. This tool holds promise for widespread application, potentially influencing urban design practices across Queensland and Australia.
Studio THI's work exemplifies a steadfast commitment to sustainable growth and community empowerment. By providing a structured framework for navigating complex urban challenges, they have developed a tool for meaningful change with the community.
The jury looks forward to witnessing the impact of Studio THI's tool as it is embraced by government entities and developers, ultimately reshaping urban landscapes for the better.
The jury encourages entrants to consider resubmitting unbuilt projects in forward years when they are substantially complete.