A pioneering cultural centre for First Nations’ Australians in Queensland has been given the inaugural visionary award as the best biophilic projects in Australia and New Zealand have been unveiled.

(image source: Cox Architecture)

And an architectural-designed family home that was immersed in nature along with an inventive residential renovation have also been recognis3ed.

Living Future Oceania has unveiled the winners of its 2026 Living Future Oceana Biophilic Design Awards.

Taking out the Inugural Visionary Award sponsored by Oculus was the Quandamooka Arts & Culture Centre (QUAMPI) by COX Architecture.

Opened in September last year, the centre enables the local Quandamooka People to practice and share their culture, heritage and art with visitors from around the world.

The centre features an exhibition, events and performing space as well as a café and gift shop.

It showcases Quandamooka artefacts alongside contemporary art from Quandamooka and other Australian First Nations artists as well as invited International First Nations artists.

It is located in the small town of Dunwich on the western side of North Stradbroke Island in Morten Bay around 30 kilometers southeast of Brisbane.

From a biophilic viewpoint, a key feature involves the walls of rammed earth.

These are layered with local sand, Quampi shells and artefacts in way which defines the arrival sequence.

The rammed earth surfaces provide rich interpretative opportunities for artwork and imagery.

The layers include:

• Shell middens, speaking to centuries of continuous presence at these shores.
• A coarse aggregate layer representing the island’s significant underground aquifer.

Variations in sand colour allude to the richness and diversity of the world’s second largest sand island, with the ochre sands of Deanbilla Bay distinctive in the mix.

Stone boulders are quarried on Quandamooka Country, while concrete is produced locally from island sands.

Other design features include:

• A siting strategy in which mature trees were preserved and frame a natural clearing for the building, concealing key public spaces from the street. Galleries and secondary spaces are angled to frame views of Deanbilla Bay, the Gumpi township and surrounding landscape. The two wings of the centre embrace a central dance lawn open to the water, while landscape flows around the building edges to embed gathering spaces within the site.
• Arrangement of the building for community access at all hours, independent of ticketed exhibitions and events. Informal gathering spaces at the shoreline are preserved, with entry to the site from the bay encouraged. External spaces support both programmed and informal celebrations and performances, with the dance lawn and fire pit providing opportunities for cooking and ceremony. Endemic plantings provide materials for making, reinforcing the connection between community, culture and Country.
• An Elders Space, which provides a teaching place for community gathering and knowledge sharing. Its drum-like form opens to the landscape, engaging the panoramic bay views while creating a space where all positions are equal and balanced. Clad in an open screen of Quandamooka Country timber species, the ‘woven’ design reflects the matriarchal weaving traditions of the Quandamooka people. The screen is visible from both inside and outside the space, capturing changes in light during the day and becoming a glowing lantern by night.

(supplied by Cox Architecture)

The building was also one of two to be awarded winners of the Building Scale award sponsored by human_nature.

The other winner of this award was the Canopy House by Brett Hulley Architecture.

Designed as the architect’s own home, Canopy House embodies the biophilic principle of prospect and refuge.

Features include natural materials – including branches and tree trunks – as well as a seamless connection to the outdoors.

According to the judges, the home invites exploration, strengthens children’s connection to nature, and demonstrates how living simply and lightly can enrich everyday life.

(image: Brett Hulley Architecture)

Finally, Tessa Kingsbury Architects took out the Interiors and Renovations award (sponsored by GH Commercial) for the Kingsbury Glasshouse Project in Dunedin, New Zealand on New Zealand’s south island.

Described by judges as ‘delightful,’ the project transformed existing elements into a home that celebrates warmth, material honesty, quality and the beauty of imperfection. Its inventive adaptation creates a distinctive and memorable experience of biophilic design, the judges said.

The awards showcase outstanding buildings, interiors, renovations and communities that demonstrate biophilic design.

Biophilic design is a design philosophy which aims to enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of building occupants.

It does this by integrating natural elements such as sunlight, plants and natural textures into the built environment.

(image: Lydia Cook)

Laura Hamilton-O’Hara, CEO of Living Future Oceania, congratulated the winning entrants.

“The calibre of projects entered this year was exceptional and reflects the growing maturity of biophilic design across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand,” O’Hara said.

“Our winners demonstrate that biophilic design is no longer a niche concept that projects add on – it is increasingly shaping the way we design homes, workplaces, public buildings and community spaces…

“… Congratulations to all winners, finalists and entrants for helping advance a built environment that reconnects people with nature and contributes to a future that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.”

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