The 2023 Australian Interior Design Awards

The Australian Interior Design Awards recognise the very best in Australian design – we look at this year’s winner and commendations in the Sustainability Advancement Award.

Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Tom Ross & Cieran Murphy

'This project is about building a new spatial typology, one that is fit for a climate crisis and one that is fit for a housing crisis. It’s about building less to give more, about a sharing economy and a sharing community,’ says Madeline Sewall, from Breathe. Photo: Tom Ross

Breathe's Skye House for Nightingale received a commendation for the Sustainability Achievement Award and the Residential Design Award. Photo: Tom Ross

‘While sustainability is embedded in everything we do at Breathe, it's critical that we prove that we can solve housing affordability and sustainability simultaneously and that these two urgent issues aren’t mutually exclusive,’ says Madeline Sewall. Photo: Tom Ross

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the prestigious Australian Interior Design Awards is Australia's leading industry-based awards initiative, a celebration and acknowledgement of local leading and emerging designers.

This year’s Sustainability Advancement Award, which looks at residential and workspaces with environmental sustainability at their forefront, went to Campbell House in New South Wales by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, with commendations going to Breathe for Nightingale Skye House and Kennedy Nolan for Nightingale Leftfield, both in Victoria.

‘Nightingale Skye House is about building a new spatial typology, one that’s fit for a climate crisis and also for a housing crisis. It’s about building less to give more, about a sharing economy and a sharing community. This is a small footprint, small price tag housing solution – it has a tiny carbon shadow but delivers big on community and connection,’ says Madeline Sewall, director of Houses at Breathe.

Notable sustainable design features in the apartments include 40,000L rainwater collected for common area use, shared rooftop with veggie patches and communal laundry, average 8.1 stars NatHERS rating and energy efficient heat pump hot water system.

‘A home is not just a place to rest your head and cook your meals, it's a place to retreat, to recharge and to connect with loved ones. It’s a place with deep meaning, it's a place I want to be proud of. A sustainable home is a cornerstone of how each of us can take personal responsibility for our shared global future. It’s the first step in the legacy we want to leave behind,’ says Madeline.

Nightingale Housing has been revolutionising the Australian housing landscape since 2016 – their primary goal: to transform our perception of property by prioritising the development of beautifully designed, sustainable, and community-oriented apartments. Designed by Kennedy Nolan, Nightingale Leftfield is one of six individually-designed neighbouring buildings located in The Village in Brunswick, Melbourne.

‘One of the things we wanted to achieve with Nightingale was to imbue our building with a personality, to give it a presence in the urban realm, which felt individual and welcoming,’ says Kennedy Nolan project architect, Elizabeth Campbell.

Delivering sustainable design whilst also encouraging community connection was at the forefront of the design – communal facilities on the roof, including a laundry, vegetable gardens and a common area for residents, are design features which encourage residents to come together.

‘While we as architects cannot design community, Leftfield embodies elements of design which are common to all Nightingale projects such as external vertical circulation, this helps encourage physical movement and informal interactions, which help build and sustain the community,’ says Kennedy Nolan principle, Rachel Nolan.

‘Nightingale Leftfield is a building designed with community involvement in mind – a community that is diverse, cohesive and connected,’ says Patrick Kennedy, Kennedy Nolan principle. Photo: Tom Ross

‘For us, providing homes which have the comfort, delight and function for which our practice is known was important,’ says Rachel Nolan. Photo: Tom Ross

Nightingale Leftfield, designed by Kennedy Nolan. Photo: Tom Ross

Nightingale Leftfield, designed by Kennedy Nolan. Photo: Tom Ross

“A sustainable home is a cornerstone of how each of us can take personal responsibility for our shared global future. It’s the first step in the legacy we want to leave behind.”

— Madeline Sewall

‘Just as photosynthesising tree leaves shade the space under the tree, the energy producing photovoltaic array shades the building space below – the building seeks to replicate nature,’ says Tim Greer from Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Photo: Cieran Murphy

‘We all have a commitment to reduce the world's rampant energy consumption, particularly in the building industry,’ says Tim Greer. Photo: Cieran Murphy

The winner of the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House. Photo: Cieran Murphy

Campbell House by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer was bestowed a trio of accolades, taking out the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design, and also the Workplace Design Award and the Sustainability Advancement Award. The jury praised the innovative and contemporary space as an exemplar of workplace design that has sustainability embedded into every aspect.

‘We all have a commitment to reduce the world's rampant energy consumption, particularly in the building industry,’ says Tim Greer from Tonkin Zulaikha Greer.

Tonkin Zulaikha Greer are interested in the wholistic integration of a suite of sustainable initiatives including natural light, passive ventilation, material selection and electricity generation.

At Campbell House, the threshold between inside and outside is blurred by the extending the landscape and natural light into the building; a glazed roof spans between the two existing roof ridges on the north of the site, solar blades absorb the northern sun via the use of photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, whilst sun shading keeps the interior under the glass roof cool.

‘Anything we can do to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions makes it a bit easier to sleep at night!’ says Tim.

Below is a list of all the high calibre winners and commendations from this year’s 2023 Australian Interior Design Awards:

Premier Award fro Australian Interior Design
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, New South Wales

Sustainability Advancement Award
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, New South Wales

Commendations
Breathe for Nightingale Skye House, Victoria
Kennedy Nolan for Nightingale Leftfield, Victoria

Emerging Interior Design Practice Award
J.AR Office, Queensland

Commendations
Nuud Studio, Victoria
Prevalent, New South Wales

Residential Design Award
Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi, New South Wales

Commendations
Breathe for Nightingale Skye House, Victoria
Fiona Lynch Office for Melbourne Penthouse, Victoria
J.AR Office for Oxlade, Queensland
Kennedy Nolan for Somers House, Victoria
Nuud Studio for Monty Sibbel, Victoria
Sabi for Sabi, Tasmania
SJB for 19 Waterloo Street, New South Wales

Residential Decoration Award
JC HQ for Piccolo Palazzo, Victoria

Commendations
Fiona Lynch Office for Melbourne Penthouse, Victoria
Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi, New South Wales
Simone Haag for The Whiskey Room, Victoria
YSG Studio for La Palma, New South Wales

Hospitality Design Award
Dion Hall for Her Bar, Victoria

Commendations
Bergman and Co for Sakura, Victoria
Dion Hall for Music Room, Victoria
Ewert Leaf for Moonhouse, Victoria
Fiona Lynch Office for Kiln, Ace Hotel Sydney, New South Wales

Retail Design Award
Akin Atelier for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern Building, Gallery Shop, New South Wales
Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini for Postal Hall, Western Australia

Commendations
Clare Cousins Architects for Aesop Collins Street, Victoria
Genesin Studio for Super Egg, South Australia
Studio Doherty for Mimco Flagship, Victoria

Workplace Design Award
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, New South Wales

Commendations
Cox Architecture for 70 George Street, Cox Sydney Studio, New South Wales
Jackson Clements Burrows for JCB Studio, Victoria
Smart Design Studio for Bridge 17, New South Wales
Studio Prineas for Sheeth Headquarters, New South Wales

Installation Design Award
National Gallery of Victoria for Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse, Victoria

Commendation
Gloss Creative for NGV Gala 2022, Victoria

Public Design Award
SANAA (Design Architect) and Architectus (Executive Architect) for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern Building, New South Wales

Commendations
Fieldwork and Brand Architects for Centre for Higher Education Studies, Victoria
Kosloff Architecture for Warrnambool Library and Learning Centre, Victoria
Smart Design Studio for Science Gallery Melbourne, Victoria

International Design
Schin Architects with Atelier W for Lu Style (Beijing CBD), China

Best of State Awards for Residential Design
New South Wales – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects for Nine-Square Bondi
Queensland – J.AR Office for Oxlade
South Australia – Williams Burton Leopardi for Mount Mac
Tasmania – Sabi for Sabi
Victoria – Breathe for Nightingale Skye House
Western Australia – Neil Cownie Architect for 123 House

Best of State Awards for Commercial Design
Australian Capital Territory – Craig Tan Architects for Canteen
New South Wales – SANAA (Design Architect) and Architectus (Executive Architect) for Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Modern Building
Queensland – J.AR Office for The Disco
South Australia – Genesin Studio for Super Egg
Victoria – Fieldwork and Brand Architects for Centre for Higher Education Studies
Western Australia – Trower Falvo Architects with Alessio Fini for Postal Hall