The SA Architecture Awards, held over the weekend, honoured a renowned design leader and recognised an emerging talent. Two of the state’s leading design advocates have been recognised at the 2016 South Australian Architecture Awards.
Past Chapter President and Life Fellow of the Institute, Francesco Bonato has been awarded the prestigious Sir James Irwin President’s Medal for his commitment to advocating great design and promoting the relevance of what design professionals contribute to the wider community.
Bonato is a founding Director of Tectvs, a collaborative architecture and design studio that has received over seventeen Architecture Awards since its inception in 1989, with offices in both Adelaide and Melbourne.
“Beyond the projects, Fran epitomises the role of the public professional – having a public
opinion about architecture and design, teaching design to up and coming generations of
architects, and embracing our colleagues from allied design professions. Fran Bonato, understands that good design and great architecture comes from hard work and dedication – summed up by the three P’s of Practice, Profession and Perseverance,” SA Chapter President David Homburg said in awarding the medal.
This year’s Emerging Architect Prize was awarded to Anthony Balsamo of Walter Brooke & Associates for his substantial contribution to the practice of architecture in South Australia.
“Early in his career, Anthony saw a gap between university graduation and the practice of
architecture. In 2004 he co-founded the group New Architects Group, now known as NAG, which has had a huge impact on the whole industry, especially for young graduates, and is an initiative that has now been formalised across all Chapters of the Institute, under the national banner EmAGN,’ the jury noted.
As a recipient of the Jack Hobbs McConnell Travelling Fellowship in 2008, Anthony travelled overseas to research how festivals and architecture shape our cities. Upon returning, he worked closely with the Adelaide City Council to develop an annual and public design competition. Anthony was appointed by the Institute as a Creative Director for the inaugural Festival of Architecture and Design in 2014, and continued in the role in 2015 to huge success.
“Now an Associate Director at Walter Brooke, he has been involved with a number of projects, one of the most noteworthy being the award-winning Adelaide Oval Redevelopment. Anthony is an asset to the architecture community in South Australia, as he continues to push the boundaries and influence those around him to do that same,’
the jury said.
The Australian Institute of Architects is the peak body for the architectural profession, representing almost 12,000 members across Australia and overseas. The Institute actively works to improve the quality of our built environment by promoting quality, responsible and sustainable design.
For more information visit architecture.com.au
