2006 Interior Design Awards

Interior design company Hassell was announced the winner of the Environmentally Sustainable Design Award at the 2006 Interior Design Awards gala ceremony for the company's work on the government office of VicUrban in Melbourne.

As a partnership event of the Design Institute of Australia, designEX and Artichoke, the Interior Design Awards, now in its third year, received more than 500 registrations for this year's awards program making it a record breaking year.

The jurors for this year's 2006 Interior Design Awards, included as chairperson Che Wall, sustainable design expert and director of engineering company Lincolne Scott.

During the judging process, Wall commented on the VicUrban office fitout, identifying that Hassell achieved a complete embracing of Environmentally Sustainable Design principles throughout the entire workspace.

"Environmentally Sustainable Design is skilfully integrated into broader social planning of the [VicUrban] work environment, which also displays a sense of playfulness that is often lost in the earnest pursuit of environmental outcomes," said Wall.

"The [VicUrban] fitout provides for no enclosed offices and only 40% of the floor plate is provided as individual "˜owned' space, the remaining 60% being alternative work settings or interactive zones. The attention to Environmentally Sustainable Design has not been confined to areas front of house and appears integral to every design choice including task chairs, work setting and even the upgrading of the base buildings tapware to achieve AAAA rating."

"Most compelling is that the completeness of the response to Environmentally Sustainable Design, as a fundamental tenet of contemporary workplace design, has been delivered by a Government agency. Clearly VicUrban does not think or behave like a conventional governmental department and the industry is the beneficiary," Wall said.

Other companies commended for their environmentally sustainable design projects include:

• Lisa Saville & Steven Issacs with "˜Treehouse';
• CARR Design Group with "˜Equiset'.

For further information, please visit Interior Design Awards