2017 Gallery
Winner: Sustainability
BLOXAS for Garden Pavilion
‘Garden Pavilion’ manifests from an attempt to resolve the conflicting attributes of a complex brief: a desire to entertain and a need to retreat, for openness and enclosure, light and dark. How can a piece of architecture address an individual’s personal neurotic condition juxtaposed with a highly activated, social environment?
Jury Citation
The idea of “sustainability” reaches beyond environmental responsiveness into the realm of social sustainability. This relates to a project’s ability to acutely meet the needs of its clients, but also to the way that a design might provide the framework for new models of housing that could benefit a broader group of potential clients in similar circumstances.
In the case of the Garden Pavilion by BLOXAS, an individual’s sleep condition is addressed without compromising the clients’ desire for a highly activated, social environment. Collaborating closely with the client and other consultants, BLOXAS has initiated extensive research and investigation to understand how the design of a home might improve quality of life for someone who suffers chronically. Requirements regarding acoustics, isolation and other specific needs are catered for within a delightful garden pavilion that belies its complexity.
Although this house is designed to suit a specific client, it belongs within a broader conversation and investigation relating to the way architects can improve living conditions for people with disabilities, chronic illness or other challenges that affect day-to-day life. Considered as a “live project,” Garden Pavilion will be monitored by the client and architect on an ongoing basis.
