The Award for Social Impact announces its 2023 shortlist

The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact, which recognises architecture’s positive impact on public space, has announced its 2023 shortlist. Architecture Media, with presenting partner Melbourne School of Design, are at the helm of the programme designed to reward practices prioritising social benefits over aesthetics.

‘In recent years, there has been a shift in architectural approach – with emphasis placed on the relationship of a building to its community or users, rather than simply on the built form itself,’ says Katelin Butler, Jury chair and Architecture Media editorial director. ‘This increasing focus on social values is something we’d like to celebrate, promote and encourage – prompting us to the launch of the ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact. The inaugural shortlist demonstrates the multitude of ways that our built environment can have an impact – from taking research into practice and deep community engagement to providing economy opportunities and fostering social cohesion.’

Dr Rory Hyde, professor in architecture, curatorial design and practice at the University of Melbourne, led a jury which included Troy Casey, co-founder and director of Blacklash Creative; Dr Esther Charlesworth, founder of Architects Without Frontiers; Dr Ben Gauntlett, disability discrimination commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission; Jeremy McLeod, founding director of Breathe; and Katelin Butler, editorial director at Architecture Media. Their shortlist of over 30 projects emphasise both social benefit as well as a creative design ethos.

The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact 2023 shortlist

• Anna O’Gorman Architect for Anne Street Garden Villas, Queensland
• Arup for Terrigal Boardwalk and Rockpool, New South Wales
• Austin McFarland Architects for First Steps Count Child and Community Centre, New South Wales
• Bent Architecture for WAYSS Youth Transition Hub, Victoria
• Cooper Scaife Architects for Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, New South Wales
• Cumulus for Goulburn Street Housing, Tasmania
• DKO for Foyer Central, New South Wales
• DKO for Gibbons Street, New South Wales
• EIW Architects in collaboration with Metio and Four Landscape Studio for Rawa Community School, Western Australia Fender Katsalidis for MCM Frontyard, Victoria Fieldwork for Collingwood Yards, Victoria
• Guymer Bailey Architects for Niddrie Autistic School, New South Wales
• Incidental Architecture for Nungalinya, Northern Territory
• Judd Studio for Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, New South Wales
• Kaunitz Yeung Architecture for Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub, Western Australia
• Law Architects for Carlton Learning Precinct, Victoria
• Marra and Yeh Architects for Dempsey Warehouse, New South Wales
• Marra and Yeh Architects for Shelter at Rainforest Village, Malaysia
• MGS Architects for Ozanam House, Victoria
• Monash Informal Cities Lab for Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments – Project Demonstration Sites, Philippines Muir and Openwork for Victorian Family Violence Memorial, Victoria Newscape Design for Evans Lookout Access Upgrade, New South Wales
• NH Architecture for Village 21, Victoria
• NMBW Architecture Studio in association with Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA) for St Albans Housing, Victoria Office for Retain, Repair, Reinvest, Victoria Penhale and Winter with Sandra Harben for Gathering Place, New South Wales
• POD (People Oriented Design) with Coburn Architecture for Gurriny Yealamucka Health and Wellbeing Centre, Queensland Refresh Studio for Architecture for Habitat on Juers, Queensland Sibling Architecture for Arts Project Australia, Victoria
• Studio Bright for Women’s Property Initiatives Older Women’s Housing Project, Victoria
• Studio Tate for The Living Room, Victoria
• The Anganwadi Project for Bholu 17, India
• The Fulcrum Agency for Groote Archipelago Housing Programme, Northern Territory
• These Are The Projects We Do Together for Testing Grounds, Victoria
• Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Odyssey House Family Recovery Centre, New South Wales
• Totalspace Design for Adelaide Women’s Prison Accommodation and the UTurn Program, South Australia
• UDLA for Curtin University Yarning Circle, Western Australia
• Urbanframeworks for The DADAA Hub Project, Western Australia
• Yalinguth for Yalinguth, Victoria
• Presenting Partner Media Partners Organizery 

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