Two architecture students have been awarded the Australian 2008 COLORBOND® steel Biennale Prize in recognition of the quality of their architecture designs. Daniel Griffin (RMIT University) and Jade Myers (University of Queensland) shared the $8,000 prize.

Australian Institute of Architects National President Howard Tanner and BlueScope Steel’s National Market Development Manager Manu Siitonen presented the prize at the Launch of the Student Biennale Travelling Exhibition at the Shine Dome in Canberra.

In total, 159 students from 16 Australian architecture schools were vying for the prize, which recognises quality in design by architecture students. The Student Biennale Prize jury, chaired by Victorian academic/architect Des Smith, narrowed the field to 10 finalists, whose designs will now form a travelling exhibition to be displayed at architecture schools across Australia over the next 18 months.

The jury said both winning designs examine the potential of future conditions by interpreting the nature and history of existing conditions. Though neither design advocates progress at the expense of the past, the winning architectural responses are vastly different. The projects examine two cities, Jenin and Brisbane - the former torn apart by outside forces, the latter undermined by internal lack of understanding and inappropriate infrastructure.

The COLORBOND® steel Biennale Prize acknowledges outstanding design work and communicates this quality to students and the profession through the travelling exhibition. The competition was open to students who were enrolled in Institute-recognised architecture courses in 2007 or completed their study in 2006.

Exhibition winners/finalists’ designs featured in the travelling exhibition are: Hideto Chijiwa, Deakin University; Kate Ferguson, Curtin University of Technology; Mathew George, Deakin University; Daniel Griffin, RMIT University; Khang Yong Loh, Curtin University of Technology; Jade Myers, University of Queensland; Sam Perversi-Brooks, RMIT University; Augustine Savage, RMIT University; Clancy White, University of Western Australia and Dylan Wood, University of Newcastle.