Think Brick Awards: Best Designs of 2017

Words: Timothy Miller, Mark Cavagnero, Jim Cook, Karen Hickey, Anonymous Anonymous, Jen Kloter, Mike Miluski, Maureen Upchurch, Nandini Sengupta, Joseph Becker, Sylvie Beaudoin

13 August 2017 — The 2017 Think Brick Award winners showcase the most innovative and creative uses of clay bricks, concrete masonry and roof tiles in Australian contemporary architecture for 2017.

KUD’s Barkers Road townhouses. Photo: Capital Image.

From hundreds of entrants, this year’s five category winners were awarded the top honors based on the imaginative, creative and innovative ways in which they used clay brick, concrete masonry and roof tiles in built projects.

Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO of Think Brick Australia, said, “This year we saw some impressive innovation in the use of brick, masonry and roof tiles that really pushed the boundaries of contemporary architecture. We saw design that was unexpectedly delightful and playful, design that displayed sophisticated reimagining of classical shapes, and also projects that redefined the concept of a simple brick building.”

The 2017 Think Brick Award category winners were:

Barkers Road Townhouses by Kavellaris Urban Design – Winner of the Horbury Hunt Commercial Award
This row of luxurious townhouses boasts unique external facades and elaborate feature brickwork patterns within the interior of each home, including extensive feature brick corbelling and stack-bond brickwork.

House Au Yeung by Tribe Studio Architects – Winner of the Horbury Hunt Residential Award
This post-war bungalow has been adapted for modern times with a crafted brick “sunburst” and manipulation of levels allowing for the rear of the home to contrast effectively with the decorative brickwork of the front facade.

Crescent House by Deicke Richards – Winner of the Bruce Mackenzie Landscape Award
The architecture in this home explores the use of brick to connect the dwelling to the ground and provide crafted living spaces through a series of folded vertical and horizontal planes which extend into the landscape.

Perimeter House by MAKE Architecture – Winner of the Kevin Borland Masonry Award
This home features bricks in every aspect of its structure from its fireplaces to its perforated screens. The swooping planes, chunky masses and thick buttressing are all welded together through the visual oneness of masonry and brickwork.

Kempsey Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club by Neeson Murcutt Architects – Winner of the Robin Dods Roof Tile Excellence Award
Durable brick and roof tiles were required for this building due to its proximity to the beach. The roof is comprised of membrane ply and glazed ceramic tiles which are colour matched with the bricks to create a unified building.

Across the five categories, 21 finalists were selected, with the above five winners each receiving a cash prize of $10,000 for demonstrating original and new designs in their particular category.

The winners were selected by a jury comprised of seven local and international architecture industry experts.

For more information about the award winners, visit: www.thinkbrick.com.au/think-brick-awards.

Think Brick Awards: Best Designs of 2017

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