A sleek modern addition to the home of a former prime minister, a residential ‘campus’ of 3 concrete pavilions set lightly in its landscape, and a curvy retirement village overlooking Back Creek are among the winners of this year’s Boroondara Urban Design Awards.
Together the 6 category winners, announced on 26 June, represent the best of architectural design and builds across Boroondara.
Since the Urban Design Awards launched in 2011, we have celebrated innovative, ambitious and sustainable building designs that enhance the public environment. Our awards program continues to grow in popularity among architects, designers and the community, with more than 60 nominations received this year – almost tripling the number put forward for the last awards.
Nominations were judged by a panel of 6: urban design experts Rob McGauran, Director at MGS Architects, and Craig Czarny, Director at Hansen Partnership, alongside City of Boroondara Crs Lisa Hollingsworth, Wes Gault, Garry Thompson and Nick Stavrou. The panel assessed nominations on criteria including contribution to the public realm, access and inclusion, excellence in design, and sustainability.
'The awards demonstrate the diversity of Boroondara,' says judge Craig Czarny, 'with a wonderful display of homes, workplaces, institutions and spaces with insight into the amazing past and exciting future of the city’s many neighbourhoods.'
Returning after a 5-year break due to the pandemic, the calibre of nominations this year raised the benchmark for design leadership in Boroondara. Some nominated projects received national media coverage and featured on popular TV shows.
The inaugural winner of our ‘Best sustainable development’ award appeared in ABC TV’s Dream Gardens – and impressed our judges with its ‘seamlessly incorporated’ sustainable attributes. Most building designs in this year’s awards demonstrated a strong focus on sustainability, with many rethinking the way we approach and reuse our existing structures, whether heritage listed or not.
Is there a design standout in your neighbourhood?
In the right hands even the smallest building can be sculpted into a sophisticated piece of architecture that enriches the lives of users and passers-by. Keep an eye out while walking local streets, or go to our website to find more about all our 6 award winners and another 10 properties that received commendations, including full judges’ citations.
Visit our Boroondara Urban Design Awards page.
2023 winners
Best heritage extension, addition or alteration
Winner: 74 Charles Street, Kew
Entrant: Kathryn Robson of Robson Rak Architecture & Interior Designers
Once occupied by former prime minister Sir Robert Menzies, this Victorian-era home has been revitalised with a contemporary single-storey wing that preserves the original street profile and tree canopy.
Best small-scale residential development
Winner: 46A Kinkora Road, Hawthorn
Entrant: Clinton Murray Architects
The judges were impressed with the way this property’s sculptural design integrated with the historic streetscape and parkland, its innovative roof design connecting seamlessly with the existing landscape and surrounding streets.
Best medium-scale, multi-dwelling residential development
Winner: 15-19 Fenwick Street, Kew
Entrants: Lachie Gibson of ANGLE and Edition Office
This property, made up of 3 pavilions containing 10 homes, subtly blends high-quality architecture with its natural surroundings, blurring boundaries between buildings and landscape, and sharing parkland views.
Best non-residential development
Winner: 254-262 Burwood Road, Hawthorn
Entrant: Idle Architecture Studio
This 5-storey commercial development of retail and office space features a glazed street wall that complements its surrounding streetscape, with generous communal outdoor areas for workers on the upper levels.
Best apartment or mixed-use development
Winner: 14 Elizabeth Street, Glen Iris
Entrants: BASScare and Smith + Tracey Architects
This 3-storey retirement living complex with 62 dwellings demonstrates how we can design a fit-for-purpose facility in a place-specific manner, as it sits perfectly on the unusual triangular site overlooking Back Creek.
Best sustainable development
Winner: 2 Amy Street, Camberwell
Entrants: Home owners Maria and Carl, Neil Architecture and Phillip Johnson Landscapes
Sustainable technologies can often be obvious additions to a build. Not in this case – this development impressed the judges in the way it seamlessly incorporates its sustainable attributes, fitting in with its neighbours and urban surroundings.