Architect, urbanist and educator Graeme Gunn was awarded Australia’s top annual architecture award, the 2011 Gold Medal for Architecture, at the Australian Achievement in Architecture Awards (AAAA) in Perth last night.

The jury, chaired by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA)’s National President Karl Fender, commended Gunn for providing “an inspirational example of the engaged architect” and for “[pursuing] his ambition to demonstrate innovative architecture, while at the same time devoting himself to improving the quality of how we live as well as projecting architecture to a broader group of people than would normally afford it.”

 

Gunn’s 50-year career has spanned transformative early work in housing, including the famous Baronda residence, and key projects across Melbourne (including the Plumbers & Gasfitters building, main image), rural and regional Victoria, coastal New South Wales, Sydney and Dilli in East Timor.

 

Baronda Residence

“Like many of his generation, Graeme is an advocate of architecture’s social mission – he brought a unique authority to this message through his architectural mastery,” said the jury.

 

Molesworth Street Townhouses

Gunn was also responsible for transforming architecture studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), changing the school’s approach from technically-based to more socially oriented and helping create what is now the acclaimed Faculty of Architecture and Building.

In his current position as Principal Architect and design advisor to VicUrban, Gunn continues his commitment to implementing high standards of urban design. As Director of Gunn Dyring Architects, he also continues to create quality residential design.

Also awarded prizes at the AAAA were:

Janet Holmes a Court – Institute President’s Prize

Paul Pholeros of Healthabitat – Leadership in Sustainability Prize

Dr Marcus White – Emerging Architects Prize

Sam Bresnehan of the University of Tasmania– BlueScope Steel Glenn Murcutt Student Prize

Assoc Professor Anna Rubbo of the University of Sydney – Neville Quarry Architectural Education Prize

Daniel Brookes of the University of Adelaide – Student Prize for the Advancement of Architecture

Carly Barrett, Christina Cho, Yuri Dillon, Jefa Greenaway and Brendan Murray – Dulux Study Tour prize.

 

Australian Institute of Architects
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