Ben Wollen is the worthy recipient of this year’s Prize for his submission entitled “Conflicts on the periphery – an investigation into the urban renewal of post‐bushfire affected areas”. This research seeks to offer insight into the current approach to the urban renewal of bushfire ‐affected areas and offer a starting point for possible alternatives which approach the issue from beyond a building level to a community one. An examination of the rebuilding of the Winmalee community will provide a real‐time case study for this research.
The jury unanimously agreed on Ben as this year’s recipient. His submission was considered highly relevant to the future of NSW communities in the bush and its focus – on using architectural solutions to improve community resilience to bushfire – in keeping with the objectives of the Prize. It is anticipated that the outcomes of the work will provide an opportunity for debate within the architectural profession and the broader community.