A sleek new cemetery depot in Melbourne has claimed the highest prize for commercial architecture at Australia's most prestigious national architecture awards. Searle x Waldron Architecture won the Harry Seidler Award for their innovative design at the Northern Memorial Park in Glenroy, which successfully creates a supportive working environment for staff in emotionally demanding roles while providing functional space for vehicles and equipment.
The award citation praised the depot for being "embedded within an evolving ecological system of woody meadows, wetlands and future public space – reframing the cemetery not only as a place of grief, but also of life and regeneration." This groundbreaking approach represents a new way of thinking about cemetery infrastructure and its relationship with the surrounding environment.
Victorian projects dominated the Australian Institute of Architects awards ceremony held on Thursday night, with eight other projects from the state receiving national recognition. Studio Bright's Hedge and Arbour House in Melbourne's inner northeast won the coveted Robin Boyd Award for residential architecture, the top honor for new house design. The jury particularly praised the project's innovation in combining natural environments with modern living spaces.
The winning house features a distinctive design wrapped in a galvanized steel-mesh arbour, which the jury described as "a simplifying element that also allows the landscape to subsume the house almost entirely." The citation continued: "Once inside, the spaces provide a calming refuge in constant connection to the views of the bush landscape beyond."
In the category of multi-dwelling residential architecture, a community housing project on Shiel Street in North Melbourne earned national recognition. Clare Cousins Architects designed the eight-level building containing 78 apartments of varying sizes – one-, two- and three-bedroom units – for Housing Choices Australia. The jury praised this development as "exceptional community housing that sets a clear precedent for honest, well-designed affordable homes that provide transformational support for those who need them the most."
Two Victorian projects shared honors in the public architecture category. The Truganina Community Centre in Melbourne's west and the Eva and Marc Besen Centre in Healesville both received national awards for their outstanding contributions to public space design. Kerstin Thompson Architects designed the latter project, which serves as an addition to the Tarrawarra Museum of Art in the Yarra Valley. The jury called it "a quite extraordinary way to showcase more than 300 stored artworks that would otherwise be hidden."
The Truganina Community Centre, designed by Jasmax (Canvas Projects), provides essential services including kindergarten facilities, healthcare, library services, and council offices to the surrounding greenfield estates. The jury noted that the building, situated "opposite what remains a barren field," successfully "engendered belonging within one of the most economically challenging, socially complex and culturally diverse emerging Melbourne communities." They particularly highlighted how "generous daylight, open sightlines and tactile, natural materials enhance a sense of safety and warmth."
The national award for small project architecture was presented to the Geelong Laneways: Malop Arcade project. NMBW Architecture Studio and ASPECT Studios collaborated to transform a two-storey shop into an innovative green pedestrian passage connecting Malop Street and Dennys Place in Geelong's central business district, demonstrating how small-scale interventions can significantly impact urban connectivity.
Kennedy Nolan achieved double recognition at the awards ceremony, winning both the national award for residential architecture for their Gunn Ridge House renovation of a historic home, and the national award for interior architecture for Melbourne Place, a new 14-storey hotel on Russell Street. The hotel's interior design drew particular praise from the jury, who noted that "the interiors draw inspiration from the city's best features: dimly lit laneways, hidden bars and a fearless use of colour."
Fieldwork's nine-storey Everlane Cremorne building rounded out the major winners by claiming a national award for commercial architecture. Additionally, several projects received commendations, including the Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre in Parkville, the renovated Carlton Cottage in Carlton, Pascoe Vale Primary School, and Kennedy Nolan's Melbourne Place also earned a commendation for commercial architecture.
Jury chair Jane Cassidy emphasized the broader significance of the 43 honored projects, stating that they "offered innovative solutions to housing, climate and cost-of-living challenges." She concluded by noting the potential impact of these designs: "These models can and should inspire better communities across our country." The recognition of these diverse projects highlights Australia's architectural innovation and the profession's commitment to addressing contemporary social and environmental challenges through thoughtful design.
