Our concept for The Gathering Place, a new multipurpose public building in Parramatta, is one plus one equals one. The contemporary interpretation of the adjacent Leigh Memorial Church references the structural brick buttresses, Gothic arched openings and important historic alignments. The design accommodates event, education & sacred spaces, a cafe, an edible native rooftop garden and a new public laneway. A sandstone plinth at ground level and dramatically scalloped brick walls embeds The Gathering Place in its context while fine steel-framed glazed double hung windows and doors recall the stained glass of the lancet-shaped windows of the Church. For more click here

Fig Tree Pocket is made up of four buildings ranged around a grand fig tree in a leafy corner of the award-winning Newmarket precinct in Randwick. The new structures join the restored and repurposed horse stables and listed two-storey Victorian manor, the former home of the Ingles family. While varied in scale, the classic yet contemporary architecture is linked by bold angled precast concrete blades that manage sun and privacy for 165 apartments. For more click here

We have had a dream run so far in this year’s awards. We are particularly proud of winning the Design Studio category in the Inde.awards, with over 687 entries from 14 countries in the Indo-Pacific. This is thanks to the people past and present who have made Smart Design Studio what it is today. The studio is much more than the buildings we produce, it is about the team and collaboration. We would like to thank our  architects and designers and our wonderful clients and consultants who have made this wonderful accolade possible.