Some of the best buildings and brightest talents in Australia’s property industry will be honoured at the 35th Property Council of Australia/Rider Levett Bucknall (RBL) Innovation and Excellence Awards.
141 finalists were named ahead of the awards ceremony to held on May 5 at the International Convention Centre Sydney.
Property Council’s Chief Executive, Ken Morrison said the awards, which is in partnership with RLB aims to celebrate the best of what the property industry has to offer.
“Our industry thinks deeply about how to design and deliver buildings that enrich people’s lives. This year, a record 20 categories will recognise creative design, innovation and commitment to building brilliant places for people,” Morrison said.
“The property industry is the engine room of Australia’s economy, employing 1.1 million people and contributing one-ninth of GDP. Our industry shapes Australia’s cities and towns like no other, and these awards remind us why the property industry is vital to the prosperity of the country and the strength of our communities.”
Among the finalists, this year are Melbourne’s Sealife Aquarium, Flinders University’s $63 million Plaza and Student Hub in Adelaide, and the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, which integrates the traditional with the high-tech.
Brisbane’s office tower at 480 Queen Street, featuring a public park on the fourth floor and trees on the 32nd, is also battling it out, as is Stockland’s Shellharbour Shopping Centre, which boasts the largest array of solar panels in the country.
The conversion of Perth’s state buildings into a 48-room luxury hotel is vying for recognition, while the platform apartments in Sydney’s Eveleigh is looking to take out an award for affordable housing.
All development finalists are also in the running for the industry’s most coveted national prize – the Rider Levett Bucknall Australian Development of the Year award.
After being inundated with nominations for innovative projects and practices, this year the Award for Innovation will be split into two subcategories: the Kone Award for Development Innovation and the Frasers Property Australia Award for Project Innovation.
Diversity is also recognised in two categories through the Moulis Legal Award for Diversity for larger companies, and the PwC Award for Diversity for businesses with less than 250 employees.
“Over that time, the number of categories and entrants has grown, and the quality of the entries – demonstrating technological innovation, design excellence, efficiency and sustainability – has evolved enormously,” New South Wales Managing Director of Rider Levett Bucknall Matt Harris said.
