Design projects announced as finalists of Premier

Three architecture and two landscape projects have been named finalists in Victoria's 2023 Premier's Sustainability Awards, with projects and organizations being honoured for their efforts in driving a greener future through low impact design.

Nightingale Village has been announced a finalist of the Sustainable Places Industry Leader category, while Ferrars and York, and Spring Creek Road Farm have been named finalists in the Sustainable Places Community Champion division.

Nightingale Village, designed by Architecture architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball, and Kennedy Nolan, has been applauded for setting a new standard in sustainable and community-centred social housing. Designed to support sustainable practices for the lifetime of the precinct, Nightingale Village does not have private carparks, individual laundries or second bathrooms, which increases living space and lowers construction and maintenance costs. Communal facilities encourage bulk-buying of sustainable products. The village is 100 percent electric has a certified average NatHERS rating between 7.8 to 9.0 stars. Repurposed and locally supplied materials are used wherever possible, along with energy-efficient fixtures and fittings for power and water, plus carbon-neutral tapware and bricks.

Hip V. Hype and Six Degrees Architects have earned high praise for Ferrars and York, a complex of 22 carbon neutral apartments in South Melbourne. The jury commended the Community Champion finalist for representing best practice in climate-resilient design and construction, with an average energy rating of 8.6 stars. Located on a narrow piece of land adjacent to the South Melbourne light rail, Ferrars and York has been designed to foster an active vertical community across its six levels, through open walkways and communal roof yard with barbeque, fireplace and landscaped arbour.

Fellow Community Champion finalist, Spring Creek Road Farm by Architect Brew Koch, has received acclaim from the jury for reflecting a sustainable approach to design and life. A deviation from housing developments, Spring Creek Road Farm is a rural residence on a Trust for Nature Property near Bannockburn, in western Victoria. The design team worked closely with local Landcare networks to develop an understanding of the Indigenous landscape of the property, with the goal of strengthening and expanding the existing native species.

Landscape projects, Tree Coach and Thriving Ecosystems Under Eumemmerring Creek Bridge, have also earned the title of finalist.

Tree Coach, the brainchild of Natural Growth Partners (NGP), is a Community Champion finalist in the Circular Economy Innovation category. Borne out of a frustration with traditional tree-planting methods that retain the need to cut down trees to stake trees, restrict tree trunk movement, therefore, resulting in under-developed trees, NGP created Tree Coach, an all-in-one tree planting, staking, watering and light protection solution for mature tree planting made of recycled plastic. Each unit consists of three stakes and one base frame that includes a watering bowl giving the tree supported lateral movement, improving trunk strength, the establishment of an ideal root plate system, and ease of maintenance over the establishment period. Since its launch in February 2021, the initiative has led to the repurposing of more than 83,000 recycling bins (over 400 tonnes of plastic) and has assisted 250,000 trees grow to their full potential.

Western Program Alliance is an Industry Leader finalist in the Sustainable Places category for Thriving Ecosystems Under Eumemmerring Creek Bridge, a project constructed as part of the Cranbourne Line Upgrade. Located in Dandenong South, Eumemmerring Creek is home to two endangered native freshwater fish species. The project goal was to create a thriving surrounding environment without jeopardizing the creek's ecosystem. To achieve this, the team designed an innovative 63-metre, 340-tonne steel "floating" bridge without any foundations or pillars being dug into the waterway by utilizing innovative digital engineering techniques to anticipate environmental disruptions and design challenges. Flora and fauna were left undisturbed as steel walkways and fibreglass grating were used for site access and the bridge was constructed outside of the creek's environment. The team reused steel structures fabricated for sheet pile walls and bridge assembly on another project, as well as established a Tree Protection Plan.

Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria's Interim CEO said he was inspired by the work being done to create innovative sustainable solutions.

"These organisations are showing tremendous leadership and are making significant contributions to a circular economy and a net zero-emission future for Victoria," said Genever.

"These organisations are leading the way in sustainability and I look forward to recognizing their achievements at the awards ceremony in November."

Award winners will be revealed at an award ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday, 23 November.