On July 13 at its showroom in Alexandria, Sydney, Kaolin hosted a group of exemplary architecture practices whose projects have been shortlisted in The Building category. As supporter of the category at this year’s INDE.Awards, Kaolin is passionate about fine design and the venue provided the perfect space for such a meeting of minds.

The event focused on celebrating four of the shortlisted projects in The Building category and the speakers were encouraged to dig deep and expound upon the concepts, designs and realisation of each building. With speakers from Cox Architecture, Grimshaw, Cumulus Studio and Conrad Gargett, the scene was set and the speakers did not disappoint.

Each of the representatives of the architecture practices spoke for 15 minutes and, over an hour, there was in-depth analysis of each project from those architects who created each building. With four very different projects in the mix, the diversity of each showed site-specific design with sustainability initiatives and outstanding innovation that will ensure these building make their mark on the design landscape of Australia.

Andrew Tucker and Wesley Perrott from Cox Architecture were first on stage and spoke about the Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct project in Geelong, Victoria. They explored the site, explained the design of the hub, spoke of the sustainable elements and the cultural aspects that, combined, make this project such a standout.

Next was Grimshaw with Tiffany Allan and Wayne Henkel outlining the new architectural directions within the Poly Centre 210 George Street in Sydney. With a constrained site and the challenges this brought to the project, we were walked through the plans and discovered just how innovative the various aspects of the design are, what the building brings to the community and just what makes this project so special.

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Xinyi Wang from Cumulus Studio then came to the stage and talked about the Dove Lake Viewing Shelter in Tasmania. This is a project that rests lightly in its natural surrounds but certainly makes an architectural statement. Wang discussed the design inspiration and provided invaluable insight into the process of working in the natural landscape to achieve success.

And finally, Simon Boundy from Conrad Gargett explored the Thomas Dixon Centre in Brisbane. Boundy walked us through the building and spoke about the integration of heritage and contemporary architecture. He also revealed how the design showcases the inner workings of the ballet through the architectural transparency of this wonderful design.

With four very different projects in various parts of Australia, these buildings showcase forward-thinking design and creative concepts that culminate in thoughtfully devised architecture to enhance people’s lives and support the environment.

The Building category recognises projects that are progressive and mark new directions in architecture in our Indo-Pacific region; through this most enjoyable discussion we were privy to the architects’ thoughts and ideas.

We thank the architects for their time and for sharing their intimate knowledge of their work with us We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 INDE.Awards gala on August 10 in Sydney where the winner of The Building and all categories will be announced. You can read about all of the shortlisted projects for the awards here.

INDE.Awards
indeawards.com

Kaolin
kaolin.com.au

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