This year, the Interior Awards programme is introducing a new award to celebrate the collaboration and often pro bono work that designers and architects bring to the creation of spaces for communities and not-for-profit organisations.
The Community Impact Award will be judged by Helen Robinson, Manutaki Auckland City Missioner, along with the 2023 Interior Awards jury, and the winning entry will receive $5000 to be given to the community it benefits.
Robinson has a wealth of experience in social services and is committed to helping Aotearoa become a more equitable place to live: “one in which everyone has access to what they need”.
Each project will be evaluated on the social good and community impact it generates, rather than the assessment focusing purely on the quality of design, innovation and materiality on which other award categories are judged.
Entries might include projects such as a community hall, cultural centre, surf lifesaving club, sports clubroom, local museum, health centre, and so on, and projects submitted may be partially but not fully funded by the government, its ministries or funding departments.
“Most designers and architects truly believe that good design can help people live better, healthier and more fulfilling lives – that design can solve problems and bring people and communities together,” says Interior Awards organiser and publisher Nathan Inkpen. “When design is at its most impactful, it can also offer dignity to those whose lives are most in need of it. We wanted to celebrate these projects and reward the people and communities that often have to raise the funds to bring them to life.”
Entries are now open and close on Wednesday 26 April 2023.
interiorawards.co.nz
