Australian Interior Design Awards Shortlist Announced

Hospitality and Workplace Design lead the way
at this year's Australian Interior Design Awards
-Shortlist announced-

The sleek eateries, boutique hotels and cutting-edge office designs shortlisted in this year's Australian Interior Design Awards show that Australia's designers and architects are at the forefront of innovative workplace and hospitality design.

This year's program has enjoyed record entries in the Workplace and Hospitality Design categories, alongside an impressive range of residential projects, the best of public design and dynamic retail spaces, presented by leading design practices from around Australia.

In announcing the shortlisted awards in this year's program, the jury noted an impressive number of smaller design practices competing alongside Australia's more established design teams. The jury observed the latest trends in each category - from block colours and a graphic approach in residential design to pared-back retail fitouts and rich, transparent public projects.

"Interiors are about people. Often design, in a public sense, is perceived as a piece of architecture; but people play such an important role in public interiors and how they interact and how the interiors respond to their requirements is a really important part of society and how we live," says jury member Geraldine Maher, Principal at Victoria's Jackson Architecture.

Now in its eleventh year, the Australian Interior Design Awards are co-presented by the Design Institute of Australia, designEX and Artichoke. For the last decade, the awards have recognised the outstanding work of Australia's design professionals. In 2014, over 400 projects were entered, an 11% increase on the 2013 program. In total, the jury shortlisted 148 projects across seven primary awards categories.

Each year, the Australian Interior Design Awards draws together leading thinkers in the field to form a highly qualified jury. Convened by Joanne Cys, Associate Professor in Interior Architecture at the University of South Australia, this year's jury comprises Susanna Billardo, Director, Enoki (SA); Matthew Blain, Principal, Hassell (NSW); Hamish Guthrie, Director, Hecker Guthrie (Vic); Victoria Judge, Associate, Smart Design Studio (NSW); Paul Kelly, Director, Paul Kelly Design (NSW); Geraldine Maher, Principal, Jackson Architecture (Vic); Ryan Russell, Director, Russell & George (Vic); and Christina Waterson, Principal, Christina Waterson Studio (Qld). The jury is supported by John Gertsakis, Infoactiv Group (Vic), as Sustainability Advisor.

The award categories are:

• Premier Award, Interior Design Excellence and Innovation
• Sustainability Advancement Award
• Residential Design
• Residential Decoration
• Retail Design
• Hospitality Design
• Workplace Design
• Public Design
• Installation Design
• Best of State Awards for Commercial Design
• Best of State Awards for Residential Design
• Best International Design Award

The awards will be announced at a special gala event at the Hilton Sydney on Friday 16 May 2014, attended by leading thinkers from across Australia's design community.

To see the shortlisted projects in this year's Australian Interior Design Awards, visit australianinteriordesignawards.com.

Ecoville - Hachem. Photography: Shania Shegedyn