A stunning Eagle Bay home is among entries in the Australian Institute of Architects' annual WA Architecture Award, which are now underway.
The Eagle Bay Holiday Home in Dunsborough was designed by Gantier Architecture and Design to take its inspiration from the native bushland of spikey grass trees and charred black trunks which surround it.
According to the award brief, it is angled to worship the winter sun, its steep-pitched roof mirrors the natural slope of the ground below.
"The owner's initial brief to integrate shipping containers within an overall sculptured appeal, was met wherein the four bedroom pods appear to fan away from each other and the central living pavilion," the entry stated.
"The form of the pods suggest they are individual and private, with their repetition evoking a sense of community. Ocean glimpses expand to a vast native vista as you walk onto the deck.
"The communal outdoor living (amphitheatre) creates these unrestricted views and a direct physical connection to the landscape below. Its layout redefines the concept of a holiday home for the area, intended to be fun and exciting and connected to its landscape from all sides."
With 66 entries across 10 categories, this year's awards program heroes a breadth of projects across key sectors, from lifestyle destinations and reimagined public spaces to environment-responsive dwellings and state-of-the-art education precincts.
A key thread across this year's entries has been the focus on embracing the connectivity and local context of a site and thinking beyond the obvious use of a project.
Establishing connections within communities informed design decisions for projects of all scales.
Newly minted Australian Institute of Architects WA chapter president Sandy Anghie said the 2022 awards program delivered an outstanding selection of notable projects and carefully considered spaces.
"As always, this year's WA Architecture Awards showcase the incredible contribution that West Australian architects make in shaping our city and state with a diverse range of innovative projects," Ms Anghie said.
"This year's entrants include the new Art Gallery rooftop by TAG and fjmt studio and the Perth Kids Bridge (Koolangka Bridge) by Fratelle and BEaM, projects which literally change the way we see our city, elevating us beyond the ordinary."
"The past two years have been unprecedented with the global pandemic changing how we live and work - possibly forever.
"While homes have become places of work for many, some offices are starting to look more like homes, as organisations work."
Daniela Cooper
Daniela has returned to her first love after a decade of working in local, state and federal governments, non-profits and the corporate world. She has a passion for injustice; to be a voice for those who don't have one; to hold power to account; and to bring readers the news without fear. She loves to explore new places and unfamiliar topics (both in her professional and private life) but her go-to loves are travel, health, social justice, foreign affairs and the outdoors. Email daniela.cooper@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Daniela has returned to her first love after a decade of working in local, state and federal governments, non-profits and the corporate world. She has a passion for injustice; to be a voice for those who don't have one; to hold power to account; and to bring readers the news without fear. She loves to explore new places and unfamiliar topics (both in her professional and private life) but her go-to loves are travel, health, social justice, foreign affairs and the outdoors. Email daniela.cooper@austcommunitymedia.com.au
