NT architect wins top honour, joining ranks of Sydney Opera House designer

A long-time Alice Springs local has been recognised for her "outstanding contribution to Australian architecture", winning the industry's highest honour after decades of service.Susan Dugdale has received the Australian Institute of Architects gold medal for 2027 — joining a long list of influential designers including Jørn Utzon, the architect behind the iconic Sydney Opera House.Speaking with ABC Radio Alice Springs earlier this week, the founder of Susan Dugdale Architects (SDA) said the win felt "unbelievable"."I must say, I was pretty gobsmacked and surprised to win this award," Ms Dugdale said."I think I might be the first recipient not to come from a capital city, and from a very regional area."Susan Dugdale's gold medal came on the back of several NT awards earlier in the year. (Supplied: Julianne Osborne)Having opened her own practice in 2000, Ms Dugdale's dedication to "deeply considered interactions between people, remote places and cultures" was among the feats recognised by this year's judging panel."Her work has been dedicated to crafting regional built form, woven across dry desert plains to wet tropics and extreme heat," the Australian Institute of Architects' jury said.Sustainable design wins bigEarlier this year, SDA took out five wins at the Northern Territory level for its work on the Congress Mparntwe Health Hub in Alice Springs.Congress Mparntwe Health Hub brings a number of staff, who had been working in various locations around town, together in one central location. (Supplied: Tom Roe)Ms Dugdale said the hub's energy consumption, "passive design" that works with the local climate, recycling and employment initiatives were among the team's many considerations.Katherine Ashe, who was part of this year's NT jury, said faceted murals on the front of the building layered local culture and First Nations storytelling into the design.Two large artworks are featured on louvre screens. (Supplied: Tom Roe)Ms Ashe said it was "quite unusual" to see bricks used for infrastructure in Alice Springs, but the material — featuring stripes of green brick alongside the natural colour — helped tie the design together with a "calming" palette of earthy tones.But Ms Dugdale told ABC Radio Alice Springs the "most satisfying thing" about the project goes beyond aesthetics.Building materials such as brick were used in the build, which the jury chair says is quite unusual for Alice Springs. (Supplied: Tom Roe)The building is the first and only in the NT to be granted a 6-star green rating — making it a "world leader" in sustainability, according to the Green Building Council of Australia.Ms Dugdale said it was possible to be "certified for design only", but this project had gone further to bring the hub to life and secure that sixth star.Visitors are guided through a shaded courtyard as they approach the building's entrance. (Supplied: Tom Roe)"To achieve the certification for once it's constructed is a whole next level, so it means everyone was on-board … and we had to really work hard to achieve that," she said.Ms Ashe said the team were able to lower water consumption and elevate the indoor air quality, with "excellent operable mechanical systems and passive thermal principles" in place.She described the building as "super complex", explaining its "remarkable" social benefits made the project a stand-out.Environmental, social outcomesAlice Springs is no stranger to extreme weather and the Congress hub is based along the Todd River, so the building has been elevated above the 100-year flood level.Ms Wallace said, when the typically bone-dry river broke its banks earlier this year, "neighbouring buildings flooded but the health hub remained unaffected".The design incorporates patterned brick and glass windows to make the transition from outdoors more seamless. (Supplied: Tom Roe)One of the region's oldest river red gum trees — a tree sacred to Arrernte men, safeguarded by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority — is located on the property, so SDA said local custodians helped ensure "careful site planning" would preserve and celebrate the tree."Previous development and tree lopping had compromised its health and structure, but the new project facilitated its regeneration and long-term protection," SDA architect Miriam Wallace said."High levels of insulation, very efficient mechanical systems, [electric vehicle] charging and a 100k-solar system will help to offset the impact of climate change on the building running costs."Asbuild NT spent more than 81,000 hours constructing the health hub, with more than 30 per cent of the company's direct labour completed by its Aboriginal workers.SDA said an Aboriginal-owned contractor, specialising in waste separation and demolition, "was brought to Alice Springs for the first time for the project and has subsequently been employed by Congress for other projects".Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations Robyn Cahill celebrating alongside the team from Susan Dugdale & Associates. (Supplied: Julianne Osborne)"The size of the project and the desire to recycle the demolished concrete enabled a new concrete-crushing business to start up in Alice, and the creation of an Aboriginal-run framing business by Asbuild," Ms Wallace said.Central Australian Aboriginal Congress chief executive, Ebony Abbott-McCormack, said the meaningful social outcomes were proof of what happens "when an Aboriginal organisation backs its own community and place"."Being remote doesn't mean lowering the bar — you can build a world-leading sustainable building right here in Central Australia," she said.