A range of landmark public buildings in the states of Queensland and Victoria have emerged as key winners in the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) National Architecture Awards for 2007.

The RAIA awards are Australia’s most prestigious annual architecture prizes. Totalling 27 awards and commendations across 11 categories, the 2007 awards were presented to the nation’s most inspiring recent architectural projects, and the architects who created them, at a ceremony in Alice Springs (northern Australia) at the end of October.

National RAIA Awards for Public Architecture were also presented to two projects which demonstrated new levels of “openness, engagement and connection” to their surrounding environments. They are the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane (designed by Architectus) and the John Curtin School of Medical Research in Canberra (designed by Lyons).

The RAIA Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture - Houses, the country’s top residential architecture award, was won by Paul Morgan Architects for the Cape Schanck House on Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne. The house’s most defining feature is a vertical steel bulb running from ceiling to floor in the centre of the lounge room, acting as a repository for rainwater and providing ambient cooling during the summer months.

A new category for multiple housing was introduced for the first time last year, recognising the importance of this area of work for architects attempting to create a smaller, more sustainable footprint for growing Australian cities. The inaugural Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing was presented to Cornwall Apartments in Brisbane by Donovan Hill.

The RAIA Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture was presented to Melbourne-based architects Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) for the largest law court complex to be built in the United Kingdom in 115 years — the dynamic Manchester Civil Justice Centre in north-west England. The 15-storey complex houses 47 courtrooms and 75 consultation rooms, as well as office and support space.

One of Melbourne’s new iconic buildings, Eureka Tower (by Fender Katsalidis), received the inaugural RAIA Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture. The jury said the building demonstrated that “It can contribute a broader value to the life and character of the city” and “has already embedded itself into the mental map of the city of Melbourne.”

One of Australia's ‘most outstanding examples of modern architecture’, the High Court of Australia in Canberra (designed by Edwards Madigan Torzillo Briggs), received the RAIA National 25-Year Award for Enduring Architecture.

Four projects received National RAIA Awards for Sustainable Architecture. They included the South Queensland Institute of Technology and the new Council House 2 (CH2) in Melbourne, which employs extensive shading, natural ventilation and on-site power generation. The jury, recognising the broader value of CH2, said, “This project extends the educational potential of sustainable building practices to an entire city, and for this strategic decision alone both the client and the architects (City of Melbourne and Designlnc) should be commended.”

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects is the apex body for the architectural profession, representing more than 9,000 members across Australia and overseas. The Institute works to improve the quality of the built environment by promoting responsible and sustainable design.