University of Queensland’s Claire Bazeley Receives the 2018 Conrad Gargett Public Architecture Prize
University of Queensland’s Masters of Architecture student Claire Bazeley is about to embark on a trip of a lifetime, turning her ambitions into a reality, after receiving the 2018 Conrad Gargett Public Architecture Prize.
With a passion in heritage preservation, Claire will travel across the world to look at the way Modernist architecture is being conserved in South East Asia and attend the modern ASEAN Architecture Project conference.
Her trip will focus on the work of the international organisation DoCoMoMo, which acts as a watchdog for significant buildings of the modern movement. In the last decade, DoCoMoMo has turned its focus to South East Asia and established working parties in Hong Kong and Thailand. The modern ASEAN Architecture Project is a six year project funded and run by DoCoMoMo Japan with the remit of identifying and better understanding the influence of modernism in these countries.
“Heritage preservation work is something I’ve always been interested in because it’s an active process of making a decision about what is important in our built environment that we want to keep when moving forward into the future,” she said. “We are essentially choosing the history that future generations will engage with by what we choose to save.” “I think it’s interesting that now we are looking at different types of heritage; not just traditional stone or brick buildings but buildings that are perhaps made of glass or perhaps people don’t like so much. They are no longer just churches or government buildings, but instead they might be corporate headquarters or private buildings.”
Claire said she felt honoured to have the opportunity to travel the world with her research. “I am hoping that my research and travel in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok will contribute to a more inclusive understanding of modernism, and through this the challenges, threats and issues that come with preserving it into the future by studying the example of more densely developed cities.”
Claire’s bursary has been funded by architecture practice Conrad Gargett, who regularly consult and work on significant heritage and conservation projects within Australia and Ethiopia.
“Through exploring and researching overseas, we hope Claire will gain a greater appreciation of the role public architecture plays in the formation of our cities and communities,” said Conrad Gargett Director Rebecca Moore.
The Conrad Gargett Public Architecture Prize was established in 2007 and is maintained as an annual gift. Awarded to a final year Masters of Architecture student, the prize is intended to grow a student’s architectural research knowledge through international travel.
Claire has also been awarded the Philip Y Bisset Scholarship 2018 by the Australian Institute of Architects Queensland Chapter which is awarded for final year students to undertake study and research abroad. This has culminated in a fantastic opportunity for Claire to undertake in 2019 and we congratulate her warmly.
Image and story credit: University of Queensland