State of Design finalists

Victorian excellence is design has been highlighted with the announcement of the 10 Premier’s Design Awards finalists.

The Premier’s Design Awards highlight exemplary Victorian initiatives where design has been used effectively, sustainably and strategically to innovate, increase productivity and/or boost competitiveness and exports.

Minister for Innovation Gavin Jennings congratulated the finalists and said the awards seek to celebrate innovative and successful design practice.

“Victoria’s thriving design sector employs more than 76,000 talented people and contributes $7 billion annually to the Victorian economy.

The Premier’s Design Awards recognises the key innovators in a sector that is a building block of innovation, critical to competitive industries and vital to making Victoria the best place to live, work and raise a family,” Jennings said.

The Premier’s Design Awards is structured to reward both the commissioning organisation and the primary designer(s) who developed and delivered the initiative.

In 2010 there is a single awards category – the Premier’s Design Award. The winning recipients of this accolade are considered to be at the pinnacle of the use and application of design in Victoria.

A maximum of five Premier’s Design Awards will be given with each winning initiative being awarded a Premier’s Design Mark and Premier’s Design Trophy.

The Premier’s Design Awards will be announced at a ceremony held at the Grocon’s Pixel Building, located at the Carlton Brewery site, on July 21 during the State of Design Festival. The 2010 State of Design Festival will be held between July 14 to July 25.

stateofdesign.com.au

The 10 Premier’s Design Awards finalists are:

• EASTLINK
Organisation: ConnectEast
Designer: Wood Marsh Pty Ltd Architecture
Support Designer: John Holland

• FITZROY HIGH SCHOOL
Organisation: Fitzroy High School
Designer: McBride Charles Ryan

• GOLDEN AGE OF COUTURE
Organisation: Bendigo Art Gallery
Designer: Studio Round

• KEEP CUP
Organisation: KeepCup
Designer: Cobalt Niche
Support Designer: Southsouthwest

• LYON HOUSEMUSEUM
Organisation: The Lyon Housemuseum, (Lyon Family)
Designer: Lyons

• MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE AND THE
MTC THEATRE
Organisation: Major Projects Victoria
Designer: ARM (Ashton Raggatt McDougall P/L)

• PYTHON UNDERGROUND PROCESSING PLANT
Organisation: Gekko Systems SA Pty Ltd
Designer: Gekko Systems Pty Ltd (Ballarat)

• STEPHANIE ALEXANDER KITCHEN GARDEN PROGRAM
Organisation: Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
Designer: Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

• THE BENDIGO CENTRE
Organisation: Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited
Designer: Gray Puksand + BVN Architecture

• WHIZKID GAMES
Organisation: The National eTherapy Centre
Designer: Swinburne University of Technology Faculty of Design