The winners of the 2022 INDE.Awards were announced in Melbourne on 4 August to a capacity crowd of national and international guests. Hosted at the Sofitel Hotel, the event was alive with all things architecture and design and while category winners were justifiably applauded, the recipient of the most anticipated award, that of The Best of the Best, was a highlight of the evening.

Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre received The Best of the Best accolade and congratulations go to iredale pedersen hook architects with Advanced Timber Concepts Studio, Australia for a project that is truly singular in its design.

As supporter of The Best of the Best category since the inception of the INDE.Awards, Zenith knows what it takes to actually be the best and sponsors this ultimate category that perfectly mirrors its own business. Designing and manufacturing outstanding products for the architecture and design community is what Zenith does, and it leads the market with its exemplar offerings.

Commenting on The Best of the Best winner, Matt Vescovo, brand director at Zenith, says, “[This year’s] Best of the Best winner is architecture at its best, bringing a stand-out design to a small community. It’s a humble reminder that good design doesn’t just belong in big cities.”

How true! For so long our cities have enjoyed the pick of amenities and facilities but with Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre there is the opportunity for architecture to make an enormous impact on a small, regional community with design that is appropriate to place, culturally responsive and people-centric.

The project is located in Pingelly, a small town in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, and provides a place for the community of approximately 1200 to meet and interact.

The design of the centre comprises four pavilions linked by a long verandah or activity zone that faces east. There is shelter from the winds and sun and this area becomes a viewing platform to watch field sports on the oval or lawn bowls to the north. The external verandah spaces are flexible, can be utilised year-long and are fully accessible for wheelchair and assisted users.

Timber has been used extensively and so the building sits well in the landscape but also looks to the future where authentic and sustainable materials are integral to best practice and Vescovo agrees. “Material choice is now more important than ever and through the use of timber in this project it is obvious just how impactful it can be, both now and into the future,” he says.

As timber creates the literal framework, the spatial plan has been designed for ease of use and interaction. The verandah space is articulated to form a large ‘breezeway’ welcome area between the two larger pavilions and there are covered outdoor activity areas for socialising and barbecues and a children’s playground as well.

This special project has now received the ultimate recognition as winner of The Best of the Best at the 2022 INDE.Awards and deservedly so. Thank you to Zenith for recognising the importance of great design and congratulations iredale pedersen hook architects with Advanced Timber Concepts Studio.

iredale pedersen hook architects
iredalepedersenhook.com

Advanced Timber Concepts Studio
advancedtimberconcepts.com

Photography
Peter Bennetts

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