As categories go in the INDE.Awards, The Building is the shining light and the pinnacle destination within the realm of architecture and design. Entries to The Building mark a new direction in the future of architecture but also respond to place, culture and people, and the diversity of projects and the design expertise it takes to produce them is always astounding.

Think of the built icons in the place in which you live. They add gravitas to a city, town, province or country and define the aspirations of a population. These are the projects that are entered in The Building category and set themselves apart from everyday design.

Samsen STREET Hotel, by CHAT Architects. Image by W Workspace

Each year in the INDE.Awards there is a disparate group of entries that push the boundaries of expectation for The Building. Creativity and originality are a given, however, sustainability, innovation, materials and technology are also a part of the broader design. That said, a project in The Building does not need to be large or dominating, it can be also be small and perfectly formed, but the continuum between each project is that each simply needs to be outstanding.

“We are proud to be sponsoring the building category as it celebrates outstanding design and creative approaches to sustainability,” says Kate Deakin-Bell, Marketing Manager APAC of category partner Neolith. “We love seeing the innovative architectural solutions that come out of different places, contexts and material choices.”

Te Whare Nui o Tuteata : SCION Timber Innovation Hub, by RTA Studio & Irving Smith Architects. Image by Patrick Reynolds

Over the past years, winning projects of The Building category have been a disparate group. In 2021 an extraordinary design by RTA Studio and Irving Smith Architects in New Zealand achieved the accolade with Te Whare Nui o Tuteata: SCION Timber Innovation Hub. The design fully embraces sustainability on every level and was beautifully resolved using timber. SCION is a template for building the future and fully encapsulates the ideas of culture, people and place in its function and form.

Dr Jeremy Smith, Design Director, Irving Smith Architects elaborated on the concept of SCION and the particular attributes that make this an exemplar building explaining, “Tackling climate change requires working together and this building provides an invitation to “come walk in our forest” and see how we can all better participate with the environment. The building fosters an approach where timber sizes are significantly reduced to allow more timber to be used in more buildings, an answer, that like SCION’s research occurring inside, contributes outwards to help all communities, be they big or small, hot or cold, near or far.”

Indigo Slam, by Smart Design Studio. Image by Sharin Rees and Smart Design Studio

Other winning projects of The Building include Samsen STREET Hotel by CHAT Architects, Thailand who re-interpreted an old design vernacular updating it with exceptional prowess and CHROFI with McGregor Coxall’s Maitland Riverlink in Australia, a public project that has helped revitalise the central business precinct of Maitland in regional New South Wales. While krakani-lumi by Taylor + Hinds Architects, Australia, created accommodation and communal facilities in Tasmania’s North East National Park and Indigo Slam by Smart Design Studio presented an incomparable residence in Sydney that re-defines urban living at its best.

As winner of The Building category last year Smith reflected on the design and how SCION resonated with the jury members saying, “It is this thinking outwards that is incredibly important. This means finding ways to help as designers and in what you make. That might be through working with communities, innovating in how timber is used, and in being embodied carbon zero setting a marker for New Zealand’s journey to be carbon neutral by 2050, as TeWhare Nui O Tuteata achieves at SCION. But it may simply be improving to be carbon better, to thinking beyond your site and how your building might respond to changes over time. We are improving how we improve.”

Te Whare Nui o Tuteata : SCION Timber Innovation Hub, by RTA Studio & Irving Smith Architects. Image by Patrick Reynolds

Standing out from the crowd and delivering excellent product comparable to the stature of The Building category is partner Neolith. As suppliers of stone that are functional, scratch, stain and heat-resistant, each product is made to the highest standard and has a variety of styles and textures for every application. Great projects require great products and Neolith delivers on every front.

“We are hoping to see another year of architects pushing the boundaries of design. Moreover, I am personally excited to see the resilience and resourcefulness of this artistic community. I can’t wait to see what creative ideas have been born as the outcome of another tumultuous year,” says Deakin-Bell.

krakani-lumi, by Taylor and Hinds Architects. Image by Adam Gibson

The 2022 INDE.Awards is all about excellence and The Building category exemplifies this but so much more. The winner of The Building sets the standard and creates an example of best practice that leads the way in architecture and design. So now is the time to submit YOUR stand-alone project that will raise the benchmark for all other buildings this year.

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Entries to the 2022 INDE.Awards close on 10/03/2022 at 23:59 AEDT. Entries can be started, modified and submitted here and should be entered according to the Awards’ category criteria.

The Building category is proudly partnered by Neolith.