A historic Boot Factory, whose condemned 19th‑century shell was reborn as a community innovation hub using engineered Australian hardwoods, was crowned Australia’s best timber‑designed project last night.
Originally built in 1892 and considered unfit for use when work began, the Boot Factory in Bondi Junction, constructed by Schiavello Constructions, retains its brick perimeter while its interior was rebuilt with a new glue‑laminated hardwood frame. The project’s exposed Victorian Ash columns, inverted floor system of beams and planks, and a roof of radial timber rafters converging on a central skylight create a daylight‑filled interior that foregrounds timber’s warmth and structural capability.
Accepting the Grand Prix, Tomek Archer of Archer Office described the work as a labour of love and care. “We took the project on in 2018, and it was a relief to see it through last year,” he told a room of more than 150 architects, engineers and designers in Melbourne. “It was a really challenging process; timber is a material you have to grow into — perhaps like playing the piano. It’s very easy to stop, but very hard to become an expert.”
“Timber demands an appreciation of tolerances and the subtle perfections that make a building succeed. This project has extended the useful life of the Boot Factory — we hope for another 100 years. I’d like to thank Robert Nestik from TGA Engineers and our many early collaborators; getting clients, quantity surveyors, specialist engineers and contractors on board early was fundamental, and because of that the timber installation ran very smoothly.”
The awards were judged by a panel drawn from architecture, engineering and design including Anthony Burke, professor of architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and presenter of Restoration Australia and Grand Designs Australia; James Fitzpatrick, founding principal of Fitzpatrick + Partners and advocate for carbon‑conscious timber design; Meryl Hare, founding principal of Hare + Klein and a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia; Nick Hewson, chartered structural engineer and timber specialist; and Rebecca Gilling, Co‑CEO of Planet Ark and the night’s host.
Whilst the Boot Factory took the evening’s top prize, the awards recognised a broad cross‑section of timber work across architecture, fit‑outs, furniture and products. Hassell’s Tumbalong Green Sound Shell won the People’s Choice award. Nebraska by Lara Maeseele won the Responsible Wood–supported Australian Certified Timber Award, and Hassell’s First Building — Bradfield took the Sustainability prize.
Other category winners included Lower Line House by Incidental Architecture for alterations and additions; Echo House by PARABOLICA for residential fit‑out; the Consulate of Malaysia in Melbourne by Cheah Saw Architecture for commercial fit‑out; the Australian War Memorial Spiral Staircase by Details by Ned for furniture and joinery; Northern Memorial Park Depot by Searle x Waldron Architecture for commercial building; and Alexander Symes Architect’s Cake House, which won the Kennedy’s Timbers‑backed Recycled Timber award.
