The boom in apartment buildings has led to 10 of the 12 Urban Taskforce’s ‘Development Excellence Awards’ going to apartments, says the Urban Taskforce.
“The jury assessed many projects in this years awards but it was clear that many quality apartment buildings are being completed around Australia,” says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. “The winning apartments demonstrate the urban lifestyle that many Australians will be living in the years ahead. The award winners are dynamic and creative with innovative architecture, an urban mixture of uses and quality public environments.”
The awards were presented by NSW Planning Minister, The Hon. Rob Stokes MP who congratulated all the winners and also addressed the large audience on the importance of growth for the future prosperity of NSW.
The 2015 ‘Development of the Year’ went to East Village, Victoria Park developed by Payce Consolidated Limited and designed by Turner. The jury were impressed by the mixture of uses with a large supermarket with a distinctive timber ceiling as part of a 32,000 sqm market place and commercial centre. On top of this podium is an incredible 6,500 sqm ‘sky garden’ surrounded by 206 apartments.”
Jury Chair, NSW Government Architect Peter Poulet said, “East Village ticks all the boxes, it is well designed, innovative, financially suc cessful and a great asset for the local community. The amazing shift to put the park on top of the commercial podium creates a new ground plane 6 storeys above the real ground. This project is a model that can be replicated in many urban centres.”
Chris Johnson said, “ all of the winners in the Urban Taskforce Development Excellence Awards succeed in a range of criteria including financial success, innovation, design, social impact, environmental performance. Importantly these awards are to the developer who takes the risk on the project and manages a large team of experts.”
“One of the most striking winners was the Viking by Crown Group which won the ‘Innovative Development Award’. The building erupts in a dramatic display of colour influenced by kinetic art and this demonstrates that apartments can be visually interesting contributions to our neighbourhoods,” said Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson.
Other apartment winners include:
• Epping Park by Meriton
Master Planned Development Award
• The Quay, Haymarket by Ausbao
Mixed Uses Development Award
• Locarno, Harold Park by Mirvac
Medium Density Development Award
• Dominion Residences by Cbus Property
Adaptive Re-use Medium Density Development Award
• Swanston Square Apartments in Melbourne by Grocon
High Density Development Award
• Solis by Coronation Property
Metro Apartments Development Award
• Shepherds Bay by Holdmark Property Group
Urban Renewal Development Award
• Park Lane and the Mark at Central Park by Frasers Property and Sekisui House
High Density Development Commendation
The two non-apartment winners are:
• Wollongong Central Expansion by The GPT Group
Retail Development Award
• 100 Skyring in Brisbane by Charter Hall
Commercial Office Development Award
The Jury for the 2015 Urban Taskforce Development Excellence Awards are:
• Peter Poulet, NSW Government Architect, Chair- Development Excellence Awards 2015
• Carolyn Cummins, Commercial Property Editor, Sydney Morning Herald
• John Ferrarin, Director, WT Partnership
• John Wynne, Managing Director, Urbis
• David Tanevski, Managing Director, KWC Capital Partners
See Illustration below of the 2015 Urban Taskforce Development of the Year – East Village by Payce Consolidated Limited: