The Walls Around Us Competition – Winner Announced

‘House in a Grassy Plain’. The competition sought designs that reimagined Robin Boyd’s iconic Walsh Street House into a series of multi-residential homes for modern living while also tackling contemporary societal and environmental concerns.

Asking entrants enrolled in architecture courses across Australia to reimagine the 1957 Walsh Street House, the competition encouraged students to deliver a minimum of two contemporary multi-residential designs. Needing to demonstrate an understanding of Boyd’s ideas and interests, entrants were also tasked with utilising the environmentally-friendly merits of blockwork and brickwork. The jury was composed Professor Philip Goad, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Chair of Architecture, University of Melbourne and Director, Robin Boyd Foundation along with Eve Castle, National Business Development Manager at Brickworks Building Products, and Simon Pendal PhD FRAIA, Principal at Simon Pendal Architect and Senior Lecturer, Architecture, School of Arts and Sciences, Fremantle. The University of Notre Dame Australia also awarded three high commendations.

Delivering an innovative and elegant design that includes bricks, both new and old, James’s entry captures the message of Robin Boyd’s original design for a new generation.

A Master of Architecture student at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, James’s design ‘House in a Grassy Plain’ was described as “a highly sensitive scheme […] outstanding for its understanding of the Walsh Street sit – its limits and opportunities,” by Jury Chair Professor Phillip Goad. “The retention of Walsh Street’s ground plane and its materials have been retained and integrated with an entirely new 10-room linear duplex featuring a planting and water collection system.” Delivering an innovative and elegant design that includes bricks, both new and old, James’s entry captures the message of Robin Boyd’s original design for a new generation.

Courtesy of competition sponsor Brickworks, James is awarded the grand prize of attending Vernissage week at the upcoming Venice Biennale of Architecture. With entries received from undergraduate and Masters students from across 11 Australian universities, the inaugural competition celebrates young architects and the future of sustainable designs. ‘Ordinary Inside and In-between’ by Fynn Turley, ‘Walsh Street Terrace’ by Jonas Nutter and Rebecca Andre’s ‘Weelam-ik’ were highly commended.