The 2016 winners of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Newcastle Architecture Awards were revealed at a special ceremony at the Merewether Surfhouse on 17 March.

 

Sixteen projects from across the region received honours on the night with The Axis House by Jonathan Dawes in conjunction with EJE Architecture the overall winner, taking home the Award for Excellence.

 

The jury praised the ‘creative and inventive’ project which also won in the Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) category and received the COLORBOND Award for Steel Architecture – Commendation making it the most awarded project of the night.

 

‘Alterations can be a challenge when dealing with new and old, and so too collaborations between large and small architectural practices. The Axis House has executed these challenges perfectly; the result is a rewarding piece of architecture,’ the jury said.

A “meticulously crafted jewellery box”, Watt Space Gallery by Andrew Donaldson Architecture and Design, won both the Public Architecture and Small Project Architecture categories.

In awarding the gallery, the jury noted the project ‘is a successful example of clever planning and detailing within a constrained budget resulting in an intelligent, beautiful and light filled space that is not only a joy to be in but also harmoniously blends new and old’.

 

Other winning projects include The Gateway Commercial Development by CKDS Architecture for Commercial Architecture; Damascus Centre, St Paul’s High School by QOH Architecture for Educational Architecture; SDA Workplace by SDA Space Design Architecture for Interior Architecture; Urban Eclectic House by SDA Space Design Architecture for Residential Architecture – Houses (New); and Institute of Energy and Resources by EJE Architecture for Sustainable Architecture.

 

The jury awarded a total of eight Awards and thirteen commendations on the night. Projects that received an Award are now eligible for the NSW Architecture Awards which will be announced on Friday 1 July.