Shortlist revealed: 2025 ArchitectureAu Award for Social Impact

The shortlist has been revealed for the 2025 ArchitectureAu Award for Social Affect. Now in its third iteration, the award is gaining momentum in its intention to create a list of exemplar initiatives that display “good design, doing good.”

This 12 months’s shortlist of 26 initiatives covers a variety of scales and areas throughout the nation and the globe, together with a sanitation block in rural Nepal and an historic factory-turned-community hub in Sydney.

Jury chair Katelin Butler commented that this 12 months’s shortlist continues to broaden the jury’s perspective on the definition of social impression, “demonstrating the range of ways in which social and public worth may be decided.”

Becoming a member of Butler on the jury are: Helen Barrie of the College of South Australia, Amelia Borg of Sibling Structure, architect and researcher Shaneen Fantin, and Philip Thalis of Hill Thalis Structure and City Tasks. Rory Hyde of the Melbourne College of Design is jury convenor.

Awarded and counseled initiatives will likely be revealed on 3 July.

The shortlisted initiatives are:

Bendigo Regulation Forecourt – Side Studios

Bhattedanda Village Stupa Sanitation and Caretaker Challenge – Paul Pholeros Basis in collaboration with Jasper Ludewig, Harry Catterns, David Donald and Shane Marshall

Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library – Buchan

Boot Manufacturing unit and Mill Hill Centre Precinct – Archer Workplace with Matt Devine and Co and Side Studios

Breathe – Mili Mili

First Steps Depend Youngster and Group Centre – Austin McFarland Architects

Footprints on Gadigal Nura – Mili Mili

George Road Transformation – Metropolis of Sydney

Glenthorne Nationwide Park – Ityamaiitpinna Yarta Nature Playground – TCL

Habilis – Collins and Turner

Karungkarni Arts Centre – Bower Studio

Minjerribah Ganaba – Reddog Architects

Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence – ARM Structure

Murran – First Nations Enterprise, Retail and Arts Hub – Daybreak Structure

Northern Memorial Park Depot – Searle Waldron Structure

Nungalinya – Incidental Structure

Parramatta Bike Hub – Scale Structure

Perth Airport Terminal 1 Sensory Room – Plus Structure

Ruah Centre for Girls and Kids – Architectus

SDA Altona – SDA by Challenge Friday

St Peters Road – Landskap with Metropolis of Norwood Payneham and St Peters

Truganina Group Centre – Jasmax (Canvas Tasks)

Wilcannia Well being and Wellbeing Centre – Troppo Architects

Windale Hub, bilyabayi – Adriano Pupilli Architects

Girls and Kids Hub for Elizabeth Morgan Home Aboriginal Girls’s Providers – Breathe Structure

Woodleigh Regenerative Futures Studio – McIldowie Companions and Joost Bakker

The ArchitectureAu Award for Social Affect is organised by Structure Media, and supported by presenting companion Melbourne College of Design and supporting companions Latitude Group and Pepto Lab.