Kerstin Thompson Architects win with House at Hanging Rock

Kerstin Thompson's House at Hanging Rock has won the top honour at the 2014 National Architecture Awards.

A favourite for the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture, House at Hanging Rock also took out the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian award for best new house, the Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture – New, earlier this year.

The win seems fitting, as rumour has it artist Titania Henderson and her husband commissioned Kerstin Thompson Architects to design the home (pictured above) after they missed out on buying South Yarra's Walsh Street House. The former Boyd family home is now the headquarters of the Robin Boyd Foundation.

Titania and Ian Hendersen remain supporters of Boyd's architecture, and are donors to the foundation.

Overlooking Hanging Rock, the winning home is made of three parallel bands running east to west on a sloping block.

The central and largest section, which overlaps at the ends with the upper and lower bands, holds the kitchen, living and dining areas. The main bedroom suite and a study area are situated in the upper band, and a versatile studio and guest space are in the lower band.

Thompson's design allows the home to take in all aspects of the surrounding environment.

The use of brutalist materials is a defining feature of the house. In June, Titania Hendersen told Radio National's By Design: "This is an environment that has extreme weather conditions, so concrete was important to me. Of course concrete is very difficult to build, and that wasn't easy, but I'm very pleased that I chose this material."

The materials also give the house a high Bushfire Attack Level rating.

This year was the first time the National Architecture Awards divided the Residential – Houses category into new builds and alteration and additions.

West Australian practice Philip Stejskal Architecture won the inaugural award for alterations and additions for a Bellevue Terrace home, pictured below.

Source: AIA. Photograph by Bo Wong.

University of Queensland's Advanced Engineering Building by Richard Kirk Architect and HASSELL was the most awarded project of the night, taking home the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, the Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture and a Sustainable Architecture Award (pictured below).

Source: AIA. Photograph by Peter Bennetts.

The jury was headed by the Architecture Institute of Australia's immediate past present Paul Berkemeier.

"It is encouraging that so many projects embodied best practice with informed clients, effective procurement methods, appropriate funding models and intelligent architecture. This provides us with great optimism for the future of our public spaces – an area that has so often delivered dispiriting outcomes," said Berkemeier.

Oxlade Drive House in Brisbane by James Russell Architect won the first ever People's Choice Award (pictured below) ahead of last night's ceremony, where it also picked up the National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New).

Source: AIA. Photograph by Toby Scott.

The full list of winners are on the next page. Please click below.

 The National Architecture Awards 2014 winners:

Commercial Architecture

• The Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture: White Bay Cruise Terminal – Johnson Pilton Walker (NSW)

National Awards for Commercial Architecture

• 8 Chifley Square – Lippmann Partnership/Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners (NSW)
• Bread in Common – spaceagency (WA)

National Commendation for Commercial Architecture

• Prahran Hotel – Techne Architects (Vic)

Enduring Architecture

The National Enduring Architecture Award

• CB Alexander College, Tocal – Ian McKay and Philip Cox, Architects in Association (NSW)

Heritage

The Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage

•  Eternity Playhouse – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects (NSW)

National Commendation for Heritage

• Former Police Station, 127-129 George Street, The Rocks – Welsh + Major Architects with Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (NSW)

Interior Architecture

The Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture

• UQ Advanced Engineering Building – Richard Kirk Architect HASSELL Joint Venture (Qld)

National Awards for Interior Architecture

• Bread in Common – spaceagency (WA)
• Garangula Gallery – Fender Katsalidis Mirams Architects (NSW)
• Hotel Hotel – March Studio (ACT)
• Sustainable Industries Education Centre – MPH Architects + Architectus in association (SA)

International Architecture

The Jørn Utzon Award for International Architecture

• Stonehenge Exhibition + Visitor Centre – Denton Corker Marshall (United Kingdom)

Award for International Architecture

• Shelter@Rainforest – Marra + Yeh Architects (East Malaysia)

Public Architecture

The Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture

• UQ Advanced Engineering Building – Richard Kirk Architect HASSELL Joint Venture (Qld)

National Awards for Public Architecture

• Australian PlantBank – BVN Donovan Hill (NSW)
• Dallas Brooks Community Primary School – McBride Charles Ryan (Vic)
• Dandenong Mental Health Facility – Bates Smart Whitefield McQueen Irwin Alsop Joint Venture (Vic)
• Prince Alfred Park + Pool Upgrade – Neeson Murcutt Architects in association with City of Sydney (NSW)
• UTAS Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies – John Wardle Architects + Terroir, in Association (Tas)

National Commendations for Public Architecture

• North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club – Durbach Block Jaggers in association with Peter Colquhoun (NSW)
• South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute – Woods Bagot (SA)

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

The Australian Institute of Architects Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

• Bellevue Terrace Alterations + Additions – Philip Stejskal Architecture (WA)

National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

• West End Tower – Owen and Vokes and Peters (Qld)

National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

• Strohmayr House – Troppo Architects (NT)

Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

• House at Hanging Rock – Kerstin Thompson Architects (Vic)

National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

• Oxlade Drive House – James Russell Architect (Qld)

National Commendations for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

• Hover House – Bower Architecture (Vic)
• Southern Outlet House – Philip M Dingemanse (Tas)

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

• The Commons – Breathe Architecture (Vic)

National Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

• UNSW Kensington Colleges – Bates Smart (NSW)

National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

• Gantry – Bates Smart (NSW)

Small Project Architecture

The Nicholas Murcutt Award for Small Project Architecture

• Bicheno Surf Life Saving Club + Boathouse – Birrelli art + design + architecture (Tas)

National Awards for Small Project Architecture

• Balmain Apartment – Durbach Block Jaggers (NSW)
• Kew Studio – Sean Godsell Architects (Vic)

National Commendation for Small Project Architecture

• Studio 217 – Amalie Wright & Richard Buchanan (Qld)

Sustainable Architecture

The David Oppenheim Award for Sustainable Architecture

• The Commons – Breathe Architecture (Vic)

National Awards for Sustainable Architecture

• Australian PlantBank – BVN Donovan Hill (NSW)
• The Wayside Chapel – Environa Studio (NSW)
• UQ Advanced Engineering Building – Richard Kirk Architect HASSELL Joint Venture (Qld)

Urban Design

The Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design

• Prince Alfred Park + Pool Upgrade – Neeson Murcutt Architects in association with City of Sydney (NSW)

National Award for Urban Design

• GASP! Stage 02 – Room 11 (Tas)

COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture

The National COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture

• White Bay Cruise Terminal – Johnson Pilton Walker (NSW)

2014 Jury

Paul Berkemeier – Immediate Past President, Australian Institute of Architects and Principal, Paul Berkemeier Architects (Jury Chair)
Clare Cousins – Director, Clare Cousins Architects
Justin Hill – Director, Kerry Hill Architects
Virginia Kerridge – Principal, Virginia Kerridge Architect
Lindy Johnson – Director, Lindy Johnson (Lay Juror)

Main picture from AIA. Photograph by Trevor Mein.