2015 Gallery
Winner: Emerging Architecture Practice
Archier for Sawmill House
The Sawmill House uses large reclaimed one tonne blocks of reclaimed concrete which anchor it into the landscape and a dynamic active building envelope to regulate the internal environment. The dwelling is a hand crafted upgrade from an existing rather rustic, bohemian abode, befitting a regionally based sculptor.
Jury Citation
Archier Studio's idea of leveraging latent assets to drive a project and the architects' willingness to get hands-on, whether on site or in the manufacturing of smaller-scale objects, gives the studio’s work a truly authentic vigour. The splicing together of ideas of different scales, from the harnessing of massive concrete blocks to designing delicate metal fabrications to fit the hand, show the ability of a practice to create compelling spatial outcomes. With the Sawmill House, the studio has shown how practice unconstrained by typical architectural precepts can produce outcomes that delight. The architects’ willingness to immerse themselves in an idea without fear of failure, in the knowledge that the outcome may well end up a better one than expected, taps into one of the great advantages of the emerging architectural position - the ability to take risks. Archier Studio’s ability to make the most of this position makes the practice a worthy winner of the inaugural Emerging Architecture Practice award.
