Architecture and Urban Design Awards

The winners of Randwick City Council’s 2025 Architecture and Urban Design Awards were announced on Wednesday 13 August at a ceremony at the Prince Henry Centre, Little Bay.

The biennial awards, which celebrate the talents of the architects and designers who contribute to enhancing Randwick City’s built environment, marked its 10th anniversary on Wednesday.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker congratulated all the 2025 winners and finalists. He said the awards provided an opportunity for the community to hear firsthand how experts are transforming Randwick City’s architectural legacy.

“Randwick City Council is a leader in promoting and encouraging design excellence,” Mayor Parker said. “We want our buildings and spaces to not only be functional, but also attractive and sustainable.

“Congratulations to all the 2025 winners and finalists who have contributed to our urban landscape and who help make Randwick City a beautiful place to live, work and visit. It was pleasure to celebrate with you at this year’s awards night.

Mayor Parker said the growth in popularity of the Architecture and Urban Design Awards was exciting. “I look forward to the projects we'll see in the future.”

This year's judging panel brought together a diverse group of industry professionals who worked collaboratively to analyse and discuss the built environment. All panelists worked wonderfuly together and brought something different to the table. Their collective expertise and thoughtful reflections ensured that each project was evaluated with rigour, creativity, and integrity. The judge's commendations are found in the 2025 Winner's Gallery.

The judges were:

Andrew Nimmo: Director Lahznimmo Architects and Past NSW Chapter President Australian Institute of Architects

Mary Ellen Hudson: Mary Ellen Hudson Architects and Interior Design

Sue Barnsley: Sue Barnsley Design and Landscape Architect

The 2025 Architecture and Urban Design Awards winners are:

Best House

Joint Winner: Luigi Rosselli Architects for ‘Emerald Sound’

Joint Winner: Virginia Kerridge Architects for ‘Rainbow House’

Commendation: Architect George for ‘House in Randwick’

Best Apartment

Winner: KA Design Studio for 'Anzac Apartments'

Best Urban Project

Winner: KA Design Studio for 'Anzac Apartments'
Commendation: Melocco and Moore Architects for 'South Maroubra Amenities'
Commendation: Sam Crawford Architects for 'Matraville Youth and Cultural Hall'

Best Conservation Project

Winner: Architect George for 'House in Randwick'
Commendation: Virginia Kerridge Architects for 'Rainbow House'

Best Sustainable Design

Winner: Sam Crawford Architects for 'Matraville Youth and Cultural Hall'
Commendation: Virginia Kerridge Architects for 'Rainbow House'

People's Choice Award

Winner: CO.OP Studio for 'Heffron Centre'

Best UNSW Student Project

Joint Winner: Alexander Anggriawan for 'Learning from the Land'
Joint Winner: Andres Lamberti for 'Clovelly Bay Gallery'

Award Categories

There are 8 Award categories in the Randwick City Architecture and Urban Design Awards. These categories relate to:

Category	Description
Best House or Alteration	The category applies to new single detached houses, semi-detached dwellings or dual occupancies. This category also relates to alterations, and additions for new or existing residential buildings (houses or apartments as listed).
Best Apartment	Projects comprising new residential flat buildings, multi-dwelling housing/town houses, attached dwellings/terraces, boarding houses or student accommodation.
Best Conservation Project	This comprises projects relating to a heritage conservation area, and/or a heritage listed building or structure under the Randwick LEP or State Heritage Register.
Best Urban Project	This category applies to: Projects of a commercial, institutional or public nature including churches, schools, research centres, office buildings, shopping centres, mixed use buildings, and buildings predominantly for public use, or Projects comprising of private and communal open spaces in apartment and mixed use developments, landscaped scapes in commercial and public buildings, streetscape and public domain improvements, parks and public open spaces, master planning and site design.
Best Sustainable Design	Open to all projects (from any above category) with a particular focus on, or outstanding achievement in, environmentally sustainable design.
People’s Choice Award	This comprises all projects from all categories for members of the public to select their favourite project via an open vote.
UNSW Student Design Award	Open to current undergraduate and postgraduate students within UNSW. The Student Design Awards category is broad in nature that comprises of concept designs within the Randwick Local Government Area that relate to: Urban design and architecture Sustainable design, conservation and development Design of open space and places Landscape design Masterplans

2025 Winner's gallery with judges' citations

Previous year's awards

2023 Urban design awards

The 2023 Awards were open to entries for 4 weeks from the 30 January to 27 February 2023. The People’s Choice Award was open for the public to vote from 8 March to the 26 March 2023.

This years awards included 8 categories: Best House, Best Apartment, Best Alteration or Renovation, Best Conservation Project, Best Urban Project, Best Sustainable Design, People’s Choice Award, and the UNSW Student Design Award.

The UNSW Student Design Award was in new project category introduced in 2023. Open to current undergraduate and postgraduate students within UNSW and awarded to the strongest concept design relating to a site within, or the design principles of, Randwick City.

Three independent expert judges were engaged to assess the Award entries:

Mary Ellen Hudson, Mary Ellen Hudson Architects and Interior Design
Andrew Nimmo, Director Lahznimmo Architects, Past NSW Chapter President Australian Institute of Architects
Dr Elisa Palazzo, Architect/Urbanist and Landscape Architect. Coordinator Landscape Architecture Master program, Built Environment UNSW Sydney

Winners were announced at a presentation evening held on the 29^th of March, MC’ed by Australian TV and Radio presenter, Tim Ross.

2020 Urban Design Awards

The 2020 Awards were open to entries for 4 weeks from the 20 July to 20 August 2020. The People’s Choice Award was open for the public to vote from the 23 September to 20 of October 2020.

Four independent expert judges were engaged to assess the Award entries:

Associate Professor Paul Jones, Urban and Regional Planning Program at the Sydney University School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Dr. Yuan Wei, Academic Tutor and Research Assistant at the University of Sydney, who assisted Paul as a judge.
Tanya Vincent Acting Director of Strategic Urban Design & Place for Transport for NSW,
And Dr Sue Rosen, History & Heritage Specialist, Sue Rosen & Associates, Heritage Consultants

Winners were announced on the 29 October 2020 via a Zoom presentation night in lieu of the COVID-19 Pandemic preventing an in-person presentation.

2017 Urban Design Awards

The 2017 Awards were open for approximately six weeks between 18 July and 25 August 2017. This year’s awards included seven categories: Best House, Best Apartment, Best Alteration and Renovation, Best Conservation Project, Best Urban Project, People’s Choice Award and the Hi-Vis Prize which required Randwick City Council’s outdoor staff to vote for their favorite entry.

Three independent expert judges were engaged to assess the Award entries:

Andrew Nimmo, NSW Chapter President, Australian Institute of Architects and Director of Lahznimmo Architects,
Angelo Candalepas, Director of Candalepas Associates, and
Tanya Vincent, Principal Manager Urban Design Sydney Light Rail Delivery Office, Transport for NSW.

Winners were announced at a presentation evening held on 27 September 2017.

2015 Urban Design Awards

The 2015 awards were open for six weeks between 21 April and 5 June 2015. This years awards included six categories including: dwelling houses (new and alterations and additions), multi-unit housing, heritage conservation and adaptive reuse, landscape and urban projects and peoples choice.

Three independent expert judges were engaged to assess the Award entries:

Annabel Lahz, Director of Lahnimmo Architects
Mary Ellen Hudson of Mary Ellen Hudson Architects
Catherine Evans, Senior Lecturer and Director in Landscape Architecture and Design at the University of NSW.

Winners were announced at a presentation evening held on 30 July 2015, attended by the NSW Minister for Planning who delivered the key note address.

2013 Urban Design Awards

The 2013 awards were open for entries for six weeks between 26 February and 5 April 2013.

The awards incorporated categories representing the wide variety of development taking place in Randwick City:

Single Dwelling House Alterations Additions
New Single Dwelling Housing
Multi-unit Housing
Heritage/Adaptive Re-use
Commercial/Mixed Use Development
Sustainability
Public Buildings
People's Choice Award

The awards were independently assessed and shortlisted by a panel of expert judges including:

Brian Zulaikha, Director of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects and immediate past president of the Australian Institute of Architects National Council Peter
John Cantrill, Director of Tzannes Architects and part of the group reviewing Residential flat Building Design code
Annabel Lahz, Director of Lahznimmo Architecture

Short listed entries were placed on public display at Council's Administration Building for the People's Choice Award and online at Randwick Design Awards.

The People's Choice Award attracted almost 500 votes from the general public.

Deborah Cameron, Australian journalist and former host of the morning program on radio 702 ABC Sydney presided over the awards presentation evening held at the Prince Henry Centre on 9 May 2013.

2013 Urban Design Awards Winners PDF, 79.3 KB

2010 Urban Design Awards

The 2010 awards were open for entries for six weeks between 16 August 2010 and 24 September 2010.

The awards incorporated categories representing the wide variety of development taking place in Randwick City:

Single Dwelling House Alterations Additions
New Single Dwelling Housing
Multi-unit Housing
Heritage / Adaptive Re-use
Commercial / Mixed Use Development
Sustainability
Public Buildings
People's Choice Award

Attracting a record forty entries, the awards were assessed and shortlisted by a panel of expert judges including:

Chris Johnson, former NSW Government Architect
Caroline Pidcock, Director of Pidcock Architecture and Sustainability
Brian Zulaikha, AIA NSW Chapter President and Director of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Short listed entries were placed on public display at the Bowen Library and Council's Administration Building for the People's Choice Award.

Geoffrey Atherden, former architect and writer of ABC's Mother and Son and Grass Roots, presided over the awards presentation evening held at the Prince Henry Centre on 1 November 2010.

2008 Urban Design Awards

The 2008 Urban Design Awards were presented at the Scientia Building at the University of NSW on 12 November 2008 by the Mayor of Randwick, Cr Bruce Notley-Smith.

The Awards were judged by three experts:

Mr Brian Zulaikha Director of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer
Adjunct Professor Alexander Cuthbert, Faculty of the Built Environment, Master of Urban Design Program at UNSW
Ms Margaret Petrykowski, Senior Urban Design Specialist, Special Projects Department of Planning

Award winners

Residential - Single Dwelling House

South Coogee Residence by Melocco Moore Architects

Residential - Multi Unit Housing

Cardita Apartments, Little Bay by Eeles Trelease Architects
Marine Parade, Maroubra by Smart Design Studio

Heritage

Prince Henry Site, Little Bay by Landcom
Massey Patel House, Kensington by Randles Straatveit Architects

Public Buildings

Chemical Sciences Building, UNSW by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Centennial Parklands Public Amenities by Lahz Nimmo Architects

Commercial / Mixed Use Development

Pacific Square, Maroubra Junction by Crone Partners Architecture Studios

Sustainability

Cardita Apartments, Little Bay by Eeles Trelease Architects
Prince Henry Site, Little Bay by Landcom

Commendations

Residential - Single Dwelling House

Surfside House, Clovelly by Connor + Solomon Architects
Massey Patel House, Kensington by Randles Straatveit Architects

Heritage

Artisans Gallery, Little Bay by Tanner Architects

People's Choice Award

Pacific Square, Maroubra Junction by Crone Partners Architecture Studios

2006 Urban Design Awards

The 2006 Urban Design Awards were presented at the Scientia Building at the University of NSW on 6 November 2006 by former NSW Premier, the Hon Bob Carr and the Mayor of Randwick, Cr Paul Tracey.

The Awards were judged by three experts:
Mr Chris Johnson, former NSW Government Architect
Professor Alexander Cuthbert, Professor of Planning and Urban Development at UNSW
Dr Deborah Dearing, NSW Chapter President of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

2006 Winners PDF, 491.83 KB

2004 Urban Design Awards

The award winners of the 2004 Randwick City Urban Design Awards were announced on 21 May 2004, at the Scientia Building, University of NSW. The Hon. Diane Beamer MP, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, presented 14 awards for new and renovated houses and apartment buildings, commercial and public buildings as well as adaptive re-use of heritage buildings and Masterplans. The award winners of each category were: