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Innovation & Excellence Awards
A celebration of the industry's best projects, developments, people and companies.
The Innovation & Excellence Awards is one of the most prestigious property awards programs in Australia, promoting excellence in design and innovation in the built environment since 1982.
The Awards showcase superior examples of iconic projects in property development and investment across a broad range of sectors and design disciplines, recognising outstanding projects, developments and refurbishments.
The program promotes and celebrates innovation and leadership practice across the investment and development sectors, recognising excellence in 19 award categories.
Each year the Property Council’s national judging panel awards an Australian Development of the Year winner, and throughout the years this has been awarded to some of Australia’s most iconic developments.
The 2024 Innovation & Excellence Awards Gala Dinner will be held on Wednesday 11 September at ICC Sydney.
History of the Awards
In 1982, as the property industry gathered to present its first annual awards for excellence and innovation, many of the buildings that now shape our skylines, bring life to our cities and energy to local economies were still distant dreams or sketches on the drawing board.
Since then, the Property Council of Australia (originally the Builders Owners and Managers Association) has been recognising and rewarding excellence.
Rider Levett Bucknall has been the proud sponsor and supporter of the awards program for the past 41 years.Â
The Rider Levett Bucknall Australian Development of the Year has been presented to some of the nation’s most iconic buildings:
- 1991 Advance Bank Centre, ACT
- 1992 1 O’Connell Street, Sydney
- 1993 Carindale Shopping Centre, Brisbane and 120 Collins Street, Melbourne
- 1994 Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Gold Coast
- 1995 Governor Phillip Tower, Sydney
- 1996 Whitford City Shopping Centre, Perth
- 1997 St Patrick’s Estate, Manly
- 1998 Network 10 Headquarters, Sydney
- 1999 Admiralty Quays, Brisbane
- 2000 Riverside Corporate Park, North Ryde
- 2001 Martin Place, Sydney
- 2002 Aurora Place, Sydney
- 2003 120 Edward Street, Brisbane
- 2004 University Square, Melbourne University
- 2005 30 The Bond, Sydney
- 2006 Lyell McEwin Hospital Redevelopment, Adelaide
- 2007 Deutsche Bank Place, Sydney
- 2008 Riparian Plaza, Brisbane
- 2009 Rouse Hill Town Centre, NSW
- 2010 One Shelley Street, Sydney
- 2011 ANZ Centre, Melbourne
- 2012 Fairfax Media House, Melbourne
- 2013 Darling Quarter and Commonwealth Bank Place, Sydney
- 2014 Brookfield Place, Perth
- 2015 8 Chifley, Sydney
- 2016 50 Martin Place, Sydney
- 2017 5 Martin Place, Sydney
- 2018 Barangaroo South, Barangaroo
- 2019 International House Sydney, Barangaroo
- 2020 Investa’s Barrack Place, Sydney
- 2021 Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre, Victoria
- 2022 Wentworth Point Town Centre, Wentworth Point
- 2023 Brookfield Place Sydney
Over the past 41 years, the categories and number of entrants have grown, and the quality and sophistication of the entries have increased, the underlying aim of the awards remains the same; to support and showcase the developments creating brilliant places for all Australians.
The bronze sculpture ‘Aspiration’ was selected from 12 designs entered into a competition conducted by the Property Council of Australia, RLB, and the Art Gallery of NSW in Australia to recognise achievement in commercial property excellence.
Timeline
1991
In 1991, the Property Council’s state-based award programs were amalgamated into a national program to recognise excellence across the country.
From 1991, the Rider Levett Bucknall Australian Development of the Year has been presented to some of the nation’s most iconic buildings.
2006
In 2006 our awards program evolved once more, rebranded as the Innovation and Excellence Awards to celebrate leading-edge practice and inspire innovation within our industry.
Excellence was recognised across 12 categories:
Office Developments
Shopping Centre Developments
Emerging Assets
Tourism & Leisure Development
Business or Industrial Parks
Residential Development
Government Leadership
Heritage and adaptive Reuse
Master Planned Communities
Mixed Use Development
Public Buildings
Sustainable Developments
As Australian cities continue to expand, our industry responds to myraid challengers – from delivering affordable housing to supporting Australians as they age, and from improving the environmental sustainability or buildings or creating a rich and diverse workforce.
As a result, a number of new categories have been introduced.
2007
In 2007, we began to recognise our next generation of talent through Future Leader of the Year Award.
2010
In 2010, the Retirement Living and office Workplace categories were introduced, and the following year the Sustainable Development category was expanded to recognise the different approaches taken on new and existing building.
2012
In 2012, the Award for Innovation first gained its moment in the spotlight and has since transformed into two awards: one for Project Innovation and another for Development Innovation.
2015
The Award for Best affordable Housing Development was presented in 2015.
2016
The Award for Diversity, introduced in 2016, has been split into two categories in 2017 in response to the number of entries.
While the categories and number of entrants have grown, and the quality and sophistication of the entries have increased, the underlying aim of the awards remains the same: to support and showcase the developments creating brilliant places for all Australians.
2022
In 2022, with the celebration of 40 years, a new award category was introduced – Award for Best Public Art Project. Along with this new award, two small updates were made to two of the award categories. Sustainable Development – Existing Buildings and Sustainable Development – New Buildings has now been combined to the one category; Award for Best Sustainable Development and Diversity >250 Employees and Diversity <250 Employees has now been combined to the one category; Award for Diversity.Â
Principal Sponsor
Awards sponsors
Get in touch
If you have a questions about the Awards or are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact our National Innovation & Excellence Awards Concierge.
Juliana Newton
02 9033 1948