Lower Hunter Urban Design Awards
Category winners at the 2015 Lower Hunter Urban Design Awards
The 2015 Lower Hunter Urban Design Awards (LHUDA) attracted hundreds of business and community leaders to the Newcastle Town Hall on 11 September to celebrate the 40th anniversary of these prestigious awards. The gala event this year had a Gatsby theme with many of the attendees dressing accordingly in period costume.
The Newcastle Civic Design Awards were introduced through Newcastle City Council in 1975 as an initiative of Newcastle’s first City Planner, Bob James. Through this initiative, the Council aimed to raise the bar for urban design in the city. In the mid- 1990s, the four other Lower Hunter Councils of Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock, and Port Stephens joined Newcastle in promoting quality urban design. It was then renamed the Lower Hunter Urban Design Awards, fondly known as, LHUDA.
As well as the five supporting local councils LHUDA is also supported by the Australian Institute of Architects, the Institute of Landscape Designers & Managers, Newcastle Master Builders Association, the Planning Association and the Property Council.
Due to the special nature of this year’s awards, it was decided to honour the last 40 years of winners by taking the top enduring urban designs and selecting a finalist list based on a new set of criteria that takes the longevity of a building in to consideration.
The judges had the difficult of selecting the following category winners from the impressive list of designs from across the Lower Hunter.
Enduring Urban Design Award
Winner: Newcastle Civic Theatre
Student Concept Prize
Winner: Team TAFE – Zietsch, Taplin, Vermue, & Hampton.
People’s Choice Award
Sponsored by Master Builders Group Training & Personnel
Winner: Richards Residence.
Heritage Award
Sponsored by Graph Building
Joint Winners: Newcastle Civic Theatre and Maitland Regional Art Gallery.
Merit: Cessnock Performing Arts Centre
Landscape & Public Art Award
Winner: The Vintage Residential Development
Large Scale Commercial Award
Sponsored by GHD
Winner: Tempus Two
Merit: The Sandvik Australia Operations Centre at Heatherbrae
Small Scale Commercial Award
Sponsored by GHD
Winner: East Maitland Library
Merit: Kingston Headquarters
Residential – Multiple Housing Award
Sponsored by de Witt Consulting
Winner: Dudley Time Travellers
Merit: Lee Wharf Stage
Residential – Single Award
Sponsored by de Witt Consulting
Winner: 35 Carrington
Universal Access
Sponsored by Scooters & Mobility & AILA
Winner: Lake Macquarie Variety Playground
Sustainability Award
Joint winners: Umwelt Offices and 35 Carrington
Award for Excellence
Winner: Honeysuckle Precinct.
Honourable Mention: Merewether Surfhouse
Outstanding Contribution by an Architect
Sponsored by UrbanGrowth NSW
Winner: EJE Architecture
Outstanding Contribution by a Builder
Sponsored by UrbanGrowth NSW
Winner: Stronach
Award for Individual Contribution to Urban Design
Winner: Edward Clode, current Principal – dwp|Suters
Other Articles from this issue
Skill shortages remain in local building
Newcastle MBA Group Training & Personnel has been offering employment and training opportunities for youth of the Centra...
APP Corporation delivering Tamworth Health Service redevelopment
On the 29 May 2015 the Tamworth Health Service Redevelopment project achieved a major milestone with the handover of the...
Home automation makes life easier for wheelchair bound woman
GB Electrical has recently completed its latest project in home automation to improve the independence and quality of li...
Exercising on a busy schedule
For those people who lead extremely busy lives, one of their greatest tools is the power to organise.