Best Brick in Constructed Projects Showcased at Think Brick Awards

Last night’s Think Brick Awards at Doltone House showcased the best of brick in built project with the Horbury Hunt Awards.

McBride Charles Ryan’s Infinity Centre together with Billard Leece Partnership’s La Trobe University, Wodonga were joint winners of both the Commercial Category and the Overall Category and have won $5,000 each in prize money.

Judges commented “Great education buildings, like the Infinity Centre have the potential to shape future generations by inspiring students to think about the built environment. Here a striking brick facade undulates in both plan and elevation with a hovering mess that defies gravity.”

This is the third consecutive win for McBride Charles Ryan; their previous wins include Fitzroy High School and Penligh and Essendon Junior Boys School.

Billard Leece designed the new student accommodation for the La Trobe University in Wodonga, the judges observed that ‘the building is simultaneously ethereal and weighty, hard and soft. The formal presence of the buildings is featured into the landscape through textures and tones of the brickwork.’

High Commendations we awarded to:

• Richards and Spence, for 19 James St
• McCabe Architects and Bird de la Couer Architects for Atherton Gardens Estate.

Jackson Clement Burrows Architects won the Residential category using red press bricks to provide a sculpturally engaging family home that utilises brick to acknowledge its heritage context in an exciting way.

Judges commented that “the wrapping brick wall creates a permeable edge to the street which expresses the form and fine grain materiality.”

Highly Commended was awarded to Chenchow Little for Stewart House.

BVN Architecture were successful in winning the landscape category using Bowral Blue Pressed clay pavers to flow throughout the Mabel Fidler building blurring the distinction between hard and soft surfaces.

The Reuse category was won by Alex Symes for “Austinmer” using recycled brick from ‘The Brick Pit’ and Austral bricks.

The 2012 Awards enjoyed an increase in entries of 40% from last year.

CEO Elizabeth McIntyre enthuses “The 2012 Awards have confirmed that Face Brick is back, it is used beautifully in design and its thermal qualities mean it is a building product that make buildings comfortable.”

The judges for the Awards included Camilla Block, Cameron Bruhn, Neil Durblach, Rachel Neeson and Emma Williamson.

The gala dinner was emceed Kerry O’Keeffe who entertained everyone brilliantly and a key note speaker address from Dr Anupama Kundoo about her reconstruction of her clay brick wall House for the Venice 2012 Biennale.

Dr Kundoo comments “Brick has survived every social change in society, the quality of brick is there, you just need to use ‘old’ materials in a new way.”