Frederick Romberg Award
The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing is an annual national award presented by the Australian Institute of Architects. It recognises outstanding achievements in multi-residential design with an emphasis on design, innovation, sustainability, and community impact. Winners have included private apartment buildings, townhouses, resorts, student and social housing. The award was first presented in 2007 reflecting a change in focus of residential building typology in architecture and better definition of award categories, occurring as cities and towns became more dense and housing preferences evolved. The change also redefined the Robin Boyd Award as being only for new houses.
Background
Definition of the award
As per the Australian Institute of Architects Policy No.13 on awards, prizes and honours, Category 5: Residential Housing Multiple Housing Projects category submission must be residential in nature, and comprise or include two or more self-contained dwellings. The Named Award is the Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing. Secondary awards and recognition are awarded with an Architecture Award: National Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing and commendations receive a National Commendation for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing.Naming of the award
The award is named after architect Frederick Romberg, born 21 June 1913 in Qingdao and died 12 November 1992 in Melbourne, Australia. A Swiss trained architect—who migrated to Australia in 1938—is best known for the architectural partnership Grounds, Romberg and Boyd, and for mid–century apartment buildings constructed in Melbourne.Multiple housing awards before 2007
Prior to establishing the award in 2007, multiple housing projects were infrequently awarded across a range of different awards and categories including the Robin Boyd Award, Urban Design Award or occasionally as a special jury award.The earliest state based award for multiple dwelling architecture was to Grounds, Romberg and Boyd for 'House and Four Apartments' now known as the which won an Victorian Architecture Medal in 1954.
State awards
All state chapters of the Australian Institute of Architects now present annual awards in the multiple housing category.- New South Wales: Aaron Bolot Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- Queensland: Job & Froud Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- Victoria: Best Overend Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- Australian Capital Territory: Sydney Ancher Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- South Australia: Newell Platten Award for Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- Western Australia: Harold Krantz Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- Tasmania: Ray Heffernan Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
- Northern Territory: Ken Frey Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing