Deicke Richards graduate wins international competition

9 Jun 2011

Josh Spillane and colleagues have secured a winning place in an international architectural design competition – Parramatta City Council’s Ideas on Edge.

Josh, one of Deicke Richards’ newest team members, fellow UQ Master of Architecture graduate Rick Hill and 3D graphic artist Leon McBride (both now at Cox Rayner) developed their entry last year.

The Brisbane bid was one of three winning design proposals for the competition, which encouraged new ideas for redeveloping a site on the Parramatta River foreshore in New South Wales.

Their concept was selected from more than 150 design entries from Australia, the UAE, China, Belgium, Netherlands, UK and America.

The team’s design, ‘Vertical Farming & Laneway Jetties’, features ground-level retail and commercial spaces, shop-top laneway houses, and a flexible market square including a vertical farm.

It showcases alternatives to urban sprawl with innovative ideas for connecting the community to local food sources.

The smart design reduces the need for food transportation, lowering the community’s carbon footprint while providing a new hub to encourage environmental, economic and community sustainability.

Director of UQ’s Master of Architecture program, Associate Professor Peter Skinner, commended the concept’s creativity and clarity.

‘Parramatta Islands’, by Peter Bednar and Zack Cooley (Arkansas, USA), and ‘Innovation Ecosystem’ by Daniel Griffin and Mark Tyrell (Sydney) were the other two winning entries.

For more information on the concept click here. For more on the competition visit the Parramatta City Council website or read ArchDaily for more on the UQ entry.