Jury quotation

The Gold Medal is the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour. It recognises distinguished service by architects who’ve designed or executed buildings of excessive advantage, produced work of nice distinction ensuing within the development of structure, or endowed the occupation of structure in a distinguished method.

The Gold Medal for 2027 has been awarded to Susan Dugdale, founding principal of Susan Dugdale Architects.

Initially from Brisbane, Dugdale accomplished 4 years of her architectural training at College of Queensland, finishing her closing yr of research at RMIT. She labored for ten years in Melbourne, together with for Gold Medallist Greg Burgess. Prepared for one thing new, she accepted a possibility to help with what was meant to be a short-term workload at Mparntwe (Alice Springs) within the Indigenous-owned agency Tangentyere Design, the place she labored for six years earlier than beginning her personal apply, Sue Dugdale and Associates (SDA), in 2000. She has been primarily based in Mparntwe on Arrernte Nation ever since.

Dugdale’s award-winning apply achieves excellence in design outcomes by means of deeply thought-about interactions between folks, distant locations and cultures. For greater than three a long time, her work has been devoted to crafting regional constructed type, woven throughout dry desert plains to moist tropics and excessive warmth. Dugdale’s work contains Aboriginal housing, group and cultural buildings, business developments, distant civic and public areas, and concrete infrastructure. A lot of Dugdale’s buildings are in distant areas, delivered with modest budgets and restricted entry to expert trades and specialist companies. In overcoming this adversity, there’s a clear demonstration of the care, creativeness and technical talent of an achieved architect who has honed their craft and talent over a long time. On this context, Dugdale’s achievement just isn’t merely sustaining a regional apply. She has proven how good structure can change expectations of what’s attainable the place assets are restricted. Dugdale is recognised for an “in opposition to the percentages” structure that’s reflective of individuals and celebrating of place – qualities which might be basic to tremendous structure in every single place.

Over the a long time, stand-out tasks have established her method to combining architectural high quality with financial system, practicality and cultural responsiveness. The Lolly Homes at Yuendumu (2000, Tangentyere Design) show Dugdale’s skill to search out architectural alternative in troublesome circumstances. The challenge remodeled barely liveable lodging for older Aboriginal residents. Initially constructed from surplus army sheds, the present houses have been remnants of an unlucky architectural legacy to socially engineer Warlpiri folks’s assimilation into Western tradition by means of staged housing. Somewhat than endeavor a fundamental refurbishment, Dugdale concerned residents in deciding on colors for every home. The end result was a group of energetic houses that mirrored residents’ preferences and improved on a regular basis residing.

Dugdale understands native development functionality, and methods to introduce new approaches with out imposing pointless prices. SDA-designed buildings just like the Desert Information Enterprise Innovation Centre (2007) and MPH HQ (2017) are strong, fastidiously detailed, and infrequently depending on costly finishes or difficult development. This method extends to bigger commissions. The Greenwell Constructing (2013) combines business workplace house with environmental efficiency, including enhancements to the general public streetscape. The Alice Springs CBD Revitalisation (2013) incorporates Arrernte cultural references and native art work into the city centre. The Backyard Cemetery Chapel (2018) accommodates completely different ceremonies and cultural relationships by means of beneficiant verandas, versatile gathering areas and punctiliously designed screening. These tasks show command of type, supplies and element, alongside an understanding that buildings have duties and impacts past their quick transient.

Dugdale describes this philosophy as “worth including.” The Akeyulerre Therapeutic Centre (2023) is a big current instance. Developed over eight years with Arrernte Conventional Custodians, the challenge started with professional bono help to safe funding. The finished centre helps bush medication manufacturing, cultural therapeutic, language recording, group gatherings and cultural enterprise. Its private and non-private areas reply to the organisation’s cultural practices and priorities. The challenge obtained the 2025 Northern Territory Indigenous Neighborhood Award and was shortlisted for a Nationwide Structure Award the identical yr.

Dugdale’s service to the occupation extends past buildings. She has mentored generations of architects, included Aboriginal participation in development, and contributed extensively to the Australian Institute of Architects. The awarding of the Gold Medal recognises the standard and sustained achievement of her architectural apply. Her profession demonstrates that architectural excellence just isn’t at all times decided by the fee’s measurement, location and finances; it lies equally within the talent with which an architect responds to folks, place and the pragmatics of constructing.

Dugdale has produced structure of distinction, whereas on the identical time highlighting the chances of what structure can supply communities throughout the Northern Territory. Her affect is obvious in her buildings, the individuals who use them, the architects she has mentored and the development business she has helped form.

That is an excellent contribution to Australian structure, the architectural occupation and the folks of Australia – one deserving of its highest honour.