John Wardle Architects is the winner of a national competition to redesign Northbourne, a major public housing complex in Canberra.
The winning proposal, Weave, increases the number of homes from 248 to 905, while retaining an open feel and connection to its surroundings. Some of the existing buildings are kept and retail outlets, a cafe and child care facilities are introduced. The gardens, in and around the proposed complex, include a community vegetable garden and a wetland that assists passive stormwater treatment. Other sustainable design strategies include photovoltaic panels on the rooftops, careful orientation of all the buildings for maximum natural light and thermal control, and careful material selection to reduce carbon emissions.
The competition jury also awarded three second prizes and two commendations. Second prizes went to DC8 Studio, Koichi Takada Architects and Antoniades Architects. John Henry Architects and dKO Architecture received commendations, while Koichi Takada Architects also took out the People’s Choice category, with more than seventy members of the public voting during an exhibition of the entries.
The winning designs, along with a selection of other entries, can be viewed at the ACT Government’s Community Services website.
