Evelyn Reynolds

The Australian Institute of Architects’s Victorian chapter has celebrated the recipients of the state’s suite of prizes, honours and fellowships in their 2025 Victorian Honours, held on 17 November at the State Library of Victoria. The annual event celebrates the important contributions of the Institute’s members across the built environment while advancing the policy and advocacy work of the Institute.
This year, the highest honour – the Victorian President’s Prize – was awarded to Sarah Buckeridge. Having served as co-managing director at Hayball for the past 19 years, Buckeridge has been at the practice for 28 years, where she has honed a focus on the feasibility and design of residential and mixed-use developments.
With her interests geared towards creating well-designed, sustainable communities, Buckeridge has engaged with several industry peak bodies and government agencies to promote design-led policy that aims to improve the built environment. The honour recognises Buckeridge’s contribution to the profession and provides a platform for her continued advocacy of architecture.
The winners are:
President’s Prize
Sarah Buckeridge
Robert Caulfield Graduate Research Scholarship
Winner
Blake Hillebrand and Nathan Brandrick
Commendations
Stephanie Pyalanda
Kate De Pina
Victorian Student Ideas Prize Winner
Winner
Mandisa Sarker
Graduate Prize
Winner
Jasmine Lam
Enabling Architecture Prize
Allen Kong
Gender Equity and Diversity Prize
Marika Neustupny
Regional Practice Prize
Brad Hooper
Social and Affordable Housing Prize
James Henry
Sustainability Leadership Prize
Breathe Architecture

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This year’s recognised fellows include:
2025 Fellowships
Toby Reed
Graham Morrison
Jocelyn Chiew
Jefa Greenaway
Linda Kwok
Kirby Roper
Aimee Goodwin
Judith Arndt
Sandy Law
Victoria Reeves
Rebecca Naughtin
2025 Life Fellowships
Nigel Bertram
Richard Leonard
Lucinda McLean
Amy Muir
Marika Neustupny More

Architectural studio Besley and Spresser was one of twenty international teams to exhibit in the Independent Projects program at the 2025 Lisbon Architecture Triennale.
The triennale, running until 8 December 2025, was curated by Ann-Sofi Rönnskog and John Palmesino, founders of Territorial Agency and is centred around the theme, “How Heavy is a City?” The theme prompts exhibitors to investigate the planetary impacts of urbanisation across environmental, social and political dimensions.
Besley and Spresser was chosen from a pool of 76 applicants to exhibit in the Independent Projects program.
Their installation, titled 09.ED.15 Redux, explores the environmental legacy of asbestos across urban and suburban areas, and the potential for it to be transformed into a safe, functional material instead of adding millions of tonnes to landfill worldwide. The exhibit showcases treated asbestos waste that has been converted into carbon-negative building materials, such as bricks and a glazed column.

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Working with material scientists Asbeter from Rotterdam and ceramicist Benedetta Pompilli in Amsterdam, the exhibition reimagines the building industry’s infamously hazardous substance as a source of renewal and repair. Architect Peter Besley said the project began with a simple question: “What if one of the building industry’s most hazardous materials could become one of its most promising?”
“Asbestos embodies the contradictions of a lot of industrial material culture: convenience vs damage. By transforming it, we’re trying to contribute to the rethinking of the material culture of city-making,” said Besley.
Architect Jessica Spresser echoed those sentiments, commenting, “We wanted to take something historically feared and reveal its potential for renewal through innovation, research and design.”
“The installation makes visible the idea that repair can be both a technical and a poetic act,” she said.

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The triennale installation builds on the practice’s previous investigations into asbestos transformation. An earlier proposal from the firm called Redux was shortlisted for the Australia Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. The proposed pavilion featured raked panels of former-asbestos mineral render, free-standing columns made of blue former-asbestos mineral glaze and detailed maps of asbestos dump sites and building stock. More

Thalamos collection by Christopher Boots
Renowned lighting designer Christopher Boots has launched his first object collection titled Thalamos. Consisting of five hand-cast brass pieces – a vase, a platter, a trinket box, an incense holder and an ashtray – the collection is inspired by the Greek word ‘thalamus,’ meaning “inner chamber” and is intended to nurture daily rituals and elevates one’s own sanctuary – something we’re all trying hard at these days. “Each piece is meticulously crafted to elevate moments of quiet contemplation,” Boots says. Visit website.
Gelato portable lamp by Carlo Nason
Originally a 1960s wired table lamp, Gelato is now a cordless, dimmable LED light reimagined by Carlo Nason and Established and Sons. Charged via magnetic USB-C, it combines coloured blown glass with haptic dimming and comes in four finishes: Spritz (pictured), Mint, Azure and Smoke. Visit website.

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Acerbis Lokum tables by Sabine Marcelis

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Crafted with smoky blown glass, the Lokum collection by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis evokes ethereal charm. Tables are available in square or rectangular forms and two tonal finishes, each piece reflecting the designer’s refined control of material transparency and minimalist design. Visit website.
Edge Lamp by By Gray
Meet the Edge Lamp – the debut statement piece from Brisbane-based homewares brand By Gray, founded by creative duo (and couple) Chelsea Keim and Aaron Gray. Sculptural yet functional, the lamp reflects their vision to blend bold design with timeless elegance. “The Edge Lamp is the kind of piece we always wished we could find for our own home,” say Chelsea and Aaron. “We wanted to create something timeless yet bold, a design that speaks to both artistry and functionality.” Minimalist in form but rich in presence, each lamp is carefully designed and crafted with attention to balance and detail. Visit website.

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Jelly Mirror by Ready to Hang
With a translucent resin frame that mimics retro jelly moulds, this mirror by Ready to Hang blends playful form with polished detail. Available in flavoursome hues of honey or cherry, the piece adds a nostalgic touch to the home. Visit website.

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Plans for a new building on Brisbane’s James Street, designed by Koichi Takada Architects, have been lodged by developer Graya. According to the architect’s design report, the project is envisaged as an “iconic retail and lifestyle destination” and as a “key bridge” connecting The Calile Hotel and the future retail hub at James Place further up the road, developed by Forme and Griffith Group and built by Graya, both designed by Richards and Spence.
At 30 metres high, the proposal at 54 James Street aligns itself with the massing of The Calile, replacing an existing single-storey commercial warehouse that’s currently on the site.
The seven-storey design includes three retail levels at its base, three commercial office levels above and a landscaped roof terrace with a small hospitality offering on the top storey. Two car basement car parking levels are located below the building.

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According to the architect’s report, the concept for the proposal is centred around creating planted canopies that layer vertically “in order to evoke the impression of a grove of trees rising from the James Street streetscape.” The report reads, “The building consists of stacked volumes, with extensive planted terraces protruding from each facade. Each volume is also wrapped in a series of concrete fins, providing articulation and visual interest and presenting a fine-grained response to the streetscape.”
On the west side of the scheme, a proposed covered laneway provides access to a lift core and to a multi-level stair that ascends to the commercial floors. Seating areas within this laneway are intended to be surrounded by lush landscaping.

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“The proposal integrates seamlessly into the precinct’s vibrant fabric, offering a dynamic blend of commercial, professional and dining experiences,” the report notes. “Together, these spaces embed 54 James Street within the very heart of Brisbane’s social, creative and economic life.”
The plans for the proposal can be accessed online. More

The winner of the City of Melbourne’s 2025 City Design Award, which recognises design excellence in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design, has been named as part of the council’s annual Melbourne Awards program.
This year’s winner is Melbourne Place by Kennedy Nolan – a new hotel in the city centre that involved a “complete design” of the built exterior and interior. The project emerged from collaboration with the broader project team and client on the hotel brand, which is based on the idea of the hotel as a place for tourists and locals alike. The project’s design is specific to the particular architectural and cultural identity of the east end of Melbourne’s CBD, employing a red-hued brick and concrete materiality that reinforces the site’s twentieth-century quality.
The jury, which comprised professor Martyn Hook (associate deputy vice-chancellor, Precincts, at RMIT University), Sarah Lynn Rees (associate principal and lead Indigenous advisor, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects), Tim Leslie (principal adviser, Design Review, at the Office of the Victorian Government Architect), Naomi Barun (president, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects) and Lucia Amies (associate editor, ArchitectureAu), described the project as a “catalyst to renewal” of the surrounding urban fabric.
They praised the design team’s “sophisticated and clever design approach”, which resulted in the project’s “playful, quirky” form, activation of the street and surrounding laneway, and locally inspired material palette. They also admired the evolving approach to landscape, led by Amanda Oliver, across the building’s facade.
Melbourne Place was selected as the winner from a shortlist of four finalists.
ArchitectureAu is the presenting partner of the Melbourne Awards 2025 – City Design Award. More

Architects, interior designers, specifiers and design students from Australia and New Zealand can now submit recent projects that demonstrate an exceptional use of colour into the 2026 Dulux Colour Awards.
The 2026 awards categories span Commercial Interior – Workplace and Retail; Commercial Interior – Public and Hospitality; Commercial and Multi-Residential Exterior; Residential Interior; Single Residential Exterior; Temporary or Installation Design; and Student.
The Australian Grand Prix-winner – the program’s top honour – will be chosen from the category winners. In 2025, the top prize went to Sarah and Sebastian Armadale by Richards Stanisich, a Melbourne jewellery store that pairs a bold green palette with striking reflective surfaces.
This year’s judging panel comprises Simone Haag of Simone Haag Interior Decoration; Ben Peake of Carter Williamson Architects; Buster Caldwell of Wonder Group; Sarah-Jane Pyke of Arent and Pyke; and Alix Smith of Hassell.
Entries are open until 20 February 2026, with finalists scheduled to be announced 9 April 2026. The winners will be unveiled on 27 May 2026.For projects to qualify, they must have been completed between 1 September 2024 to 31 December 2025 and must not have been entered in the program previously.
The full suite of winners from 2025 can be found here. For more information on the awards including how to enter, visit the Dulux website. More

The winning projects of this year’s Ammodo Architecture Award have been announced, with 26 recipients selected from 168 entries across more than 60 countries. Now in its second year, the award showcases exemplary contributions to socially and ecologically responsible architecture.
In the Social Engagement category, which recognises projects where designers have used their skills as the primary tool to support social and ecological responsibility, NMBW Architecture Studio was one of 12 practices to receive an award. Their winning project, Sanders Place, involved the adaptive reuse of a two-storey brick factory in Melbourne into a co-working hub for developer Tripple.
The award’s advisory committee noted that transforming the closed industrial building into an open, welcoming space reconnects people with nature and community.

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“The project skilfully reimagines an existing factory through acts of careful subtraction and reuse, introducing five courtyards – including a central garden where trees grow through the floor – that bring light, air and life into the building,” the committee said.
“With rooftop solar panels, heat recovery ventilation and extensive material reuse, Sanders Place exemplifies how sustainability and human wellbeing can be integrated with beauty and restraint. It demonstrates how architects can ‘liberate themselves from chains’ to create meaningful, ecological and socially engaging architecture, even in highly regulated urban contexts.”
The award includes a €50,000 grant to support the further development of the practice’s projects, which, according to a media release, NMBW intend to use to “fund a design-research initiative exploring how architecture in Melbourne and Sydney can be revitalised through decolonising design, adaptive reuse and multi-sensory engagement.”
“Focusing on disused colonial-era buildings often located on significant Indigenous sites, NMBW will investigate how to transform these structures into inclusive, living public spaces,” the release notes.
The Ammodo Architecture Award advisory committee was chaired by Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation, Amsterdam, and included Andrés Jaque, architect, dean and professor, Columbia University GSAPP, New York; Anupama Kundoo, architect and professor, TU Berlin; Floris Alkemade, architect and former Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands; Mariam Issoufou, architect and professor, ETH Zurich; and Loreta Castro Reguera, architect and professor, UNAM Mexico City. To ensure global representation, projects were sourced through an invitation system organised by regional ambassadors. More

The Low Carbon Challenge, founded in the ACT in 2020, has been newly launched as a national initiative, calling on Australian architects to lead the decarbonisation of our built environment.
Supported by the Australian Institute of Architects’ Architecture Industry Decarbonisation Plan 2025–2050, the inaugural Australian Zero Carbon Housing Challenge offers a platform for the industry to demonstrate their commitment to efficient and sustainable housing, and to showcase how design excellence can drive carbon reduction, improve wellbeing and build resilience from a project’s outset.
National president of the Institute Adam Haddow commented that the previous Canberra Low Carbon Housing Challenge had already demonstrated how strategies like passive solar orientation, low-carbon material selection, compact form and integrated renewable energy make significant contributions to reduced embodied and operational carbon emissions, with more than half of the competition’s entries achieving net-zero or near-net-zero carbon outcomes.
“The challenge has influenced ACT’s policy discourse: when each new home in Canberra contributes roughly 500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, architects noted that planting thousands of trees would be impractical – better to stop the emissions in the first place,” he said. “Now, the Australian Zero Carbon Housing Challenge … builds on that track record. It offers a platform for registered architects, graduates and practices to embed quality, consumer protection, and climate outcomes from the outset.”
Led by volunteer architects and researchers, in partnership with Cerclos, the challenge invites Australian registered architects and practices, and architectural graduates and students to submit designs for housing up to three-storeys high that delivers measurable reductions in operational energy and embodied carbon, as assessed using a whole-of-life carbon analysis with the Rapid LCA app.
“The competition rewards design excellence, practicality, and consumer value – not gimmicks,” Immediate past national president of the Institute Jane Cassidy said. “By focusing on front-end design intervention, the challenge helps ensure that new housing doesn’t lock Australia into carbon debt.”
Citing a report from the Green Building Council of Australia, which warned that a typical all-electric Australia emits more than seven times the carbon it will produce in operation, Cassidy commented, “It shows that the greatest leverage lies in design decisions made at the start: materials, structure, embodied services, even deconstruction potential.”
Haddow added that modelling by the CRC for Low Carbon Living and the ASBEC has shown that fast-tracking sustainable housing could inject over half a billion dollars into the Australian construction sector by 2030.
“With economic upside, climate urgency, and design integrity aligned, this challenge is more than symbolic: it’s foundational,” he said.
Registration details for the Australian Zero Carbon Housing Challenge can be accessed online. More