The Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) has announced the winners of its ‘Illumanate’ Living Building Challenge Design Competition, with many of the awarded recipients emphasizing circular economy and nature-based design at the heart of their submissions.
The 2023 competition challenged designers in the built environment industry to reimagine a heritage-listed 1970s building in Melbourne’s Sunshine North, making it more environmentally friendly with an ability to self sustain and generate its own energy. The site is part of Development Victoria’s sustainable mixed-use plan.
The LFIA reported a 94 percent increase in the number of entries for 2023, when compared with the first competition, held in 2016. LFIA CEO Laura Hamilton-O’Hara commented said they were delighted by both the number and quality of this year’s entries. “It certainly made the judging a challenge. Thank you to all the teams for the amount of time and care put into your entry. To see the building come to life in many unique, regenerative and imaginative ways was inspiring,” she said.
This year’s jury comprised Bohemia Hookham of Lendlease, Claire Martin of Oculus, Kai Chen of Lovell Chen, Kelvin Walsh of Brimbank City Council, Penny Forrest of Development Victoria, Roger Nelson of Roger Nelson, Stefan Preuss of the Office of the Victorian Government Architect, Tim Miller of Development Victoria and Yuyuen Leow of Hayball.
The jury assessed 33 entries across three categories Professional, Student and People’s Choice, resulting in three schemes recognized in each category.
Professional category:
The winner of the professional category was a scheme by Includesign and Mine the Sky, with a team comprising Dr. Angelica Rojas, Marco Cubillos, Dr Dominique Hes, Elena Pereyra, Aimee Mehan, and Alexander Arboleda.
The winning scheme by Includesign and Mine the Sky.
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Includesign and Mine the Sky
“This project created a narrative that moves between the two creeks on site, drawing from the traditional practices of the Kurung-jang-balluk people who would have rested here, feasted here, hunted here, and told their stories here. The design highlights the potential for residents and visitors to rediscover the relationship of caring for place and each other,” the jury commented.
Category runners up include Ordinary Extra Ordinary by Andrew O’Donnell of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and It Takes a Village by Arup with team members Richard Stokes, Amil Alhasan, Nick Birmingham, Elly Russell, and Joan Ko.
Student Category:
Chon Kei Lam won the Student category for their project Breathe on the Land.
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Chon Kei Lam
Chon Kei Lam from the University of Melbourne was named the winner of the student category for their project “Breathe on the Land.”
In awarding Lam, the jury said “This project aimed to reintroduce the word ‘nature’ to the site, through using the surrounding remnant grassland as an opportunity to reimagine the future life of living on grassland. Lam states that “in the contemporary world, there exists a clear boundary between human and nature. ‘Nature’ is often referred to as plants or animals from which we exclude ourselves.”
Category runners up include Luma Cooking Hub by Chukang Liang, University of Melbourne, and a scheme by Alina Walizade, University of Melbourne.
People’s Choice:
Resonance by Arkee Studio.
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Arkee Studio
Arkee Studio was awarded the People’s Choice Award for their project Resonance. The team comprised Rean Zhuo, Dino Delotavo, Zilin Zhou, Yu Tian, and Hao Chen.
“This project combined heritage preservation and sustainability to create a thriving community hub called The Sunshine Hub [S-Hive]. This innovative project embodies the vision of evolving into a cherished community hub that resonates with significance for individuals today and for generations to come,” the jury remarked.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
