2020 National Architecture Awards: National Award for Educational Architecture

Jury citation

Curtin University’s Midland Campus sits within a culturally rich area of pre- and post-colonial histories on traditional Whadjuk country and among heritage rail workshops. Both ancient and recent histories inform the design, which is conceived as a solid object selectively carved out to announce entry and reveal activity. Importantly, the solidity of the bold red brick facade dematerializes and opens to outdoor spaces that clearly relate to the surrounding Centennial Place, Blacksmith Lane and Helena River. The new Health Sciences building successfully strengthens the campus’s connection to place through the seamless confluence of public realm, architecture and art. The building steps slightly forward of the rail workshops in Blacksmith Lane and the inner “street” of public spaces is placed on this axis, enabling a strong dialogue between the new building and its urban context.

Passive solar design is intelligently applied to the internal planning arrangement and the facade to ensure comfortable occupation both inside and out – an important consideration for exemplary performance in the Australian environmental and cultural context.

The building design purposefully promotes health and wellbeing for the occupants, connection to landscape, strategies for arid native planting and cultural sustainability through a “meeting place” and heightened Indigenous representation – a perfect fit with the program for multidisciplinary health training. The project successfully weaves a bold new campus architecture into the fabric of a historical precinct, creating an authentic connection to place and Indigenous culture.

Project credits

Architect Lyons with Silver Thomas Hanley; Project team James Wilson, Francesco (Tony) Di Leo; Builder PS Structures; Landscape consultant Place Laboratory; Regulatory consultant John Massey Group; Project manager Johnstaff Projects; Services, ESD and ICT consultant Wood and Grieve Engineers; Civil, structural, facade and traffic engineer Steens Gray and Kelly; Quantity surveyor and cost consultant Ralph Beattie Bosworth; AV consultant CHW Consulting.

Curtin University Midland Campus is located in Midland, Western Australia, on the land of the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar nation.