The NATSPEC Student Prize is open to students enrolled in Australian universities that provide an Accredited Architecture Masters course, and who meet all the eligibility requirements. Please see the eligibility requirements and other important information about the competition by clicking on the below link. The competition was developed with the assistance of the 2022 Steering Committee.
Up to three awards will be presented
The winner of the NATSPEC Student prize will receive $8,000.
Two commended entries will receive $1,500 each.
Registration Link
Please click on the below button to register for the upcoming 2024 NATSPEC Student Prize. Once registered, a competition identification number will be emailed to you.
2023 Winners
Winner
This year’s winner impressed the jurors for the depth of research presented, the breadth of material understanding and the appropriate design application explored with the Seaweed Panel system. While there were some areas where construction systems and materials could be further improved (secondary fixing systems also in recyclable materials etc.) the winning proposal was appropriately ambitious in the application of the material to work in wall and roof applications, and the testing at 1:1 scale gave confidence to the jurors in the range of applications explored within the project. The use of images the specification enhanced the technical descriptions and assisted understanding. The seaweed panels were technically well researched and interestingly culturally framed. In this sense, the proposed material system spoke well to the need to consider not only materials, and their production, but their use as part of a place-based understanding of behavioural and material ecologies as an intrinsic aspect of sustainability.
Commendation
This year’s commendation was awarded to a proposal for a recycled plastic stud wall system for partition (non-load bearing) walls. The clarity of the enunciation of the problem and the proposed system and the material research behind it impressed the jurors especially with the maturity to identify an important niche area in wall construction typologies (partition walls) which positively limited the scope of the research and allowed for the depth of the project to emerge. The jurors felt the proposals flexibility not only in length (module) but height (adjustable) was contextually and technically well understood, and applauded the idea of using VR visualisation technologies to explore efficiencies in the application of the wall system in on-site applications and communicate these clearly and simply.
To view the High Commendation and Commendation winners click here.
2023 Judging Panel
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Anthony Burke |
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Kathlyn Loseby |
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Rebecca Moore |
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Tony Kemeny |
Resources
GEN 002 NATSPEC's use of standards
Discusses use of Australian and other standards in specification writing.
GEN 005 Specifications
Discusses the roles, forms and importance of specifications.
GEN 007 Making sure your specifications are up-to-date
Offers updating strategies relating to NATSPEC information.
GEN 009 Hold points and witness points
Defines hold points and witness points and explains their contractual implications in the context of both NATSPEC and AUS-SPEC worksections.
GEN 013 Specifying quality
Communicating the requirements for quality is the main technical function of the specification. This TECHnote outlines how NATSPEC is used to achieve quality in construction projects.
GEN 029 Design and specification guidance text in NATSPEC
Discusses how NATSPEC worksection Templates include guidance in the form of ‘hidden’ Guidance text to help specifiers select the most appropriate worksections and edit Template content to create a project specification.
More Resources:
Architects Accreditation Council of Australia’s ‘National Standard of Competency for Architects 2021