By Philip Hopkins
MELBOURNE designers took out the main gongs at this year's Australian Interior Design Awards, ranging from the Royal Children's Hospital and Vue de Monde restaurant to a workplace fitout.
The awards, which were presented in Sydney on Friday night, were co-presented by the Design Institute of Australia, designEX and Artichoke.
Three of the best: The workplace layout at Paper Stone Scissors.Credit: Dianna Snape
The Premier Award for Interior Design Excellence and Innovation went to the Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.
The therapeutic benefits of nature in the healing process underpin the overall design of the new hospital, which involved more than 100 architects and interior designers. in its creation.
The Royal Children's Hospital.Credit: John Gollings
According to the jury, the building's interior design "will extend the experience of the power of interiors into the public realm further than any other project this year".
Russell & George took out the Workplace Award for their design of the office of graphic designers Paper Stone Scissors in Windsor. The building, previously an old knitting mill, features beautiful use of timber, plenty of space, and lots of light to create an atmosphere conducive to creative thought.
Elenberg Fraser won the Sustainability Advancement Award for Vue de Monde in the Rialto Tower. The restaurant incorporates a range of sustainable features to deal with energy, water, materiality and products.
The jury said it was particularly impressed by the strategies used to deal with food waste and the use of locally produced furniture. "The project redefines sustainable interior design" was the overall comment. The jury went on to acknowledge that Vue de Monde's general excellence would set a "new standard for Australian design identity".
Vue de Monde.Credit: Dianna Snape
Designers of several Victorian houses also took out prizes. Commendations in the Residential Design category included Noxon Giffen for Manning Road House, Clare Cousins for Brick House, Robert Mills Architects for a Sorrento home, and Carr Design Group for a South Yarra residence.
Judging was supervised by the Design Institute of Australia and jurors were eminent design practitioners. The jury, led by HASSELL managing director Robert Backhouse, included interstate representatives from Jackson Teece, Woods Bagot, DBI Design, SJB and Tobias Partners. Other Victorians on the jury were Ryan Russell, director of Russell & George, and Daniel Stellini, director of Carr Design Group.
This was the ninth year of the awards, which are given in 15 categories. There were 653 entries, an increase of 31 per cent on last year. Entries were submitted covering categories as diverse as hospitality and workplace designs, colour in commercial interiors, best international design, plus sustainability advancement.
Event manager Jacinta Reedy said the large number of entries indicated that the local design scene was truly flourishing.
"The work this year had the judging panel continually commenting on how - across the board - Australian designers are now influencing trends and standards globally," Reedy said.