Morgan Glen Iris Urban Design Awards Winners 2023
Morgan Glen Iris has won Best Apartment/Mixed-Use Development in the Boroondara Urban Design Awards 2023!
Held every 2 years, the Boroondara Urban Design Awards recognise and celebrate high-quality architecture and excellent design that enhances and elevates our streetscapes and public environment, from heritage extensions to multi-dwelling developments, new schools or business centres.
The Urban Design Awards aim to:
- promote excellence in urban design and celebrate high-quality, exemplary architecture that enriches Boroondara’s character
- increase the community’s awareness of the benefits of good urban design and the positive contribution it makes to our public environment
- advocate for sustainability to be at the heart of any future development and at the forefront of design thinking in our city for the benefit of current and future generations.
The 2023 Boroondara Urban Design Awards received over 60 nominations across 6 categories.
The nominations were assessed against criteria such as:
- contribution to the public realm
- access and inclusion
- excellence in design
The judging panel consisted of City of Boroondara councillors Cr Lisa Hollingsworth, Cr Wes Gault, Cr Garry Thompson and Cr Nick Stavrou and urban design experts Rob McGauran, Director of MGS Architects, and Craig Czarny, Director of Hansen Partnership.
Commendations and Judges feedback:
Retirement living accommodation and support for our ageing community is a critical public concern in Boroondara as our population profile changes. The conceptual framing, design, and delivery of housing for later in life must be of a high standard.
The Morgan Glen Iris retirement village in Elizabeth Street, Glen Iris overlooking the Back Creek Reserve, is one such model that demonstrates how we can design a fitfor-purpose facility in a place-specific manner. The project is a carefully layered threestorey complex across an unusual triangular site with a gentle curvilinear profile supporting 62 dwellings addressing either the public streetscape or the lush landscape of the creek corridor. Accommodation and vast communal spaces enjoy aspect to nature and an architectural form that addresses each of its multiple sides. A strong horizontal language, generous private and communal spaces, wide landscape setbacks, and a warm ‘homely’ tone and character are convincing in awarding this project the highest honour in its category.
June 27, 2023
