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Nord take second place in Australian prime minister’s residence competition

May 24 2013

Nord take second place in Australian prime minister’s residence competition
A team from Nord Architecture led by Professor Alan Pert and environmental design consultants Atelier 10 have won second prize in a competition to design an official residence for the prime minister of Australia.

In an explanatory statement the team noted: “Much of the architecture we are seeing across the world today is the unfamiliar, synthetic product of late capitalism…

“As architecture shares society’s doubts about an uncertain future everything seems disposable, ‘flexible’, temporary and we find ourselves surrounded by drywall sheets rather than bricks; butt joints rather than bonds.”

In a reaction against this Nord proposed the use of natural materials such as sandstone, adapting local cultural traditions to the topography for a robust and tactile response on an outcrop above Lake Burley Griffin, near Canberra.

This sees a ‘house-within-a-house’ built to marry the competing needs of state and private occasions to retain domesticity in the huge home, centred on a courtyard gathering space.

Pert, who was recently appointed director of the Melbourne School of Design, will share in a A$20k prize for ‘The Lodge on the Lake’ along with Brian McGinlay, Helen-Anne Love, Mark Bell and Rod Kemsley.

First prize in the competition went to Jack Davies and team members Nicholas Roberts and Henry Stephens.
Deceptively massive walls conceal services, access and storage
Deceptively massive walls conceal services, access and storage
The lodge is needed to replace a classical 1920's residence which is no longer suited to its role
The lodge is needed to replace a classical 1920's residence which is no longer suited to its role

9 Comments

Jimbob Tanktop
#1 Posted by Jimbob Tanktop on 25 May 2013 at 01:20 AM
Nice design, but it looks like the Australian Prime Minister doesn't really do 'humble'. Next, she'll want to design her own uniforms.
jc
#2 Posted by jc on 26 May 2013 at 14:37 PM
the Albert Speer School of Architecture...
hmmm
SAndals
#3 Posted by SAndals on 27 May 2013 at 11:01 AM
I thought that was Graeme Massie's Collieston scheme...
Waltzing Matilda
#4 Posted by Waltzing Matilda on 28 May 2013 at 07:40 AM
These Australians characters look a bit sketchy.
Graeme
#5 Posted by Graeme on 29 May 2013 at 13:49 PM
"Much of the architecture we are seeing across the world today is the unfamiliar, synthetic product of late capitalism"...so Nord thought they'd do the same?
Nick J
#6 Posted by Nick J on 30 May 2013 at 22:31 PM
I'm a bit disappointed with some of the usual negative comments on UR. I think this is a great scheme on the other side of the world by a Scottish practice. Shouldn't we be congratulating Nord? Well done guys...!
Jake the peg
#7 Posted by Jake the peg on 31 May 2013 at 23:11 PM
In the land where women glow and men plunder, the NORD boys lay back and wonder....

Michal
#8 Posted by Michal on 31 May 2013 at 23:45 PM
very well done Nord! Great scheme!
Frank Lloyd Wrong
#9 Posted by Frank Lloyd Wrong on 1 Jun 2013 at 11:01 AM
#6 - ditto Nick
Unfortunately the safety of anonymity on UR (and other sites) means the daggers come out in an industry all to ready to criticise the success of others. It's embarrassing enough for us, but god knows what those outside our profession must think when they visit these pages.

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