Celebrating 61 years in 2024, we stepped into a new decade with resilience, tenacity, and a shared commitment to embracing change. This year showcased the extraordinary strength and dedication of our team, marked by outstanding projects, esteemed awards, innovative initiatives, and meaningful collaboration. It has truly been a fantastic year.
Chair of the Board of Directors, Richard Coulson
Wishing you all a safe, happy, and well-deserved break. Rest, recharge, and prepare for more great things to come in 2025.
COX Secures 31 Prestigious Awards and Commendations across Architecture, Interiors, and Planning
2024 was a great year for COX with projects from each state being celebrated across a range of design awards, including:
When you work in a space, you know its soul. And for those lucky enough to spend their days in the Adelaide COX studio, they’ll tell you it’s everything it aspires to be: beautiful, comfortable, sustainable and inspiring. It’s a place for focused work, for collaboration, for breaking bread. And now, it’s also a celebrated example of interior design in Australia, proudly taking home the 2024 National Architecture Award for Interior Architecture.
The jury commended the studio’s innovative design, describing it as a “flexible and hackable space” that supports both teamwork and moments of quiet, individual reflection. “This vision has been masterfully realised in their studio project and emerges as a model of sophisticated interior design,” the jury remarked.
Earlier this year, the project also won the Robert Dickson Award for Interior Architecture at the South Australian Architecture Awards. The jury commended how the studio “breaks every stereotype of the office typology,” adding, “The hierarchy between public and private space is dissolved at entry.”
The Oman Across Ages Museum (OAAM) has been pronounced one of the “World’s Most Beautiful” by the prestigious Prix Versailles, reaffirming its status as a masterpiece of architecture and cultural storytelling. This accolade comes from an initiative that celebrates exceptional design achievements worldwide, with a focus on creating beauty, innovation, and social impact.
Among the select few, OAAM competed for three coveted titles: the Prix Versailles, Interior, and Exterior. COX Directors Steve Woodland, Amanda Ainslie, and Greg Howlett proudly accepted the “Special Prize for Exterior” on behalf of the team—COX’s second Prix Versailles title following the 2019 award for Optus Stadium in Perth.
“The beauty of the museum is very much bred out of the extraordinary beauty of the Oman landscape,” said Steve. “Within the beautiful envelope of the OAAM lie the fascinating stories of Oman and its people. This is truly a place of contemporary storytelling by and for the Omani people, particularly its youth.”
Two COX projects were recognised on the global stage at the 2024 World Architecture Festival (WAF) and the Inside World Festival of Interiors, demonstrating our commitment to architectural and interior excellence.
CSL Global Headquarters, Melbourne
Awarded the Inside Award for Workplace (Large), CSL Global Headquarters stood out for its innovative design and contribution to biomedical science. Rising 16 levels and spanning 35,000 sqm, the building seamlessly integrated nine floors of laboratories and research suites with seven floors of agile workspace, designed to enhance connectivity, amenity, and wellbeing.
The facility also featured exhibition spaces for external stakeholders, as well as a variety of meeting, collaboration, and breakout areas. This accolade followed an earlier recognition when the project received a Commendation for Sustainability Advancement at the Australian Interior Design Awards 2024.
Footscray Hospital
Highly Commended in the WAF Future Projects – Health category, the design of the new Footscray Hospital redefined the concept of healthcare infrastructure. Created by COX in collaboration with Billard Leece Partnership, Plenary Health, and the Victorian Health Building Authority, the hospital was envisioned as a community-focused development comprising five buildings arranged around a central green space.
With its pedestrian-friendly design and public amenities, the project prioritised community interaction alongside patient care. Currently under construction, it is set to be completed in late 2025.
Several COX projects were recognised for excellence in design at both the Queensland Regional Architecture Awards and State Architecture Awards.
The Australian Retirement Trust Workplace received a Regional Commendation in Interior Architecture and went on to win the Award for Interior Architecture at the State Awards.
The Cairns Convention Centre Expansion was recognised with a Regional Commendation in Public Architecture and was also awarded the prestigious Eddie Oribin Award for Building of the Year. Designed by COX and CA Architects, the project was described by Sandy Cavill, co-chair of the awards jury, as “a clever response to the place and identity of tropical Far North Queensland.”
The Cunnamulla Hot Springs earned a Regional Commendation in Commercial Architecture and further received the Award for Commercial Architecture.
The Canberra Grammar School Centre of Music and Snow Concert Hall took home multiple honours at the ACT Architecture Awards this year, including the prestigious Enrico Taglietti Award for Educational Architecture. Celebrated for its innovative design, the project also received Commendations in Interiors and Heritage Architecture.
Reflecting on the project, the jury praised the design, stating, “The new Canberra Grammar Music Centre and Snow Concert Hall has created an experiential nexus that will infuse a generation of students with lifelong memories and a richer connection to the school ethos.”
Additionally, the Illume project received a Commendation in the Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing category. The jury noted, “Illume offers an elegant vision for medium density living by celebrating light and the tension between contemporary construction and the neighboring heritage context. The sinuously expressed slab edges of the main building give way to generous terraces, while a delicately detailed brick building lightly anchors the corner of the site. Apartments are planned to be open and light, reaching out to the expansive views beyond. Generous landscaping and shared amenities mediate between private terraces and shared outdoor commons, with a sense of seclusion enhanced by the existing mature tree grove.”
The Australian Institute of Architects NSW Chapter announced the winners of the 2024 NSW Architecture Awards, with Allianz Stadium winning the Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design and receiving a Public Commendation for Public Architecture.
Taking home the top gong for Urban Design, the Lloyd Rees Award, the stadium was celebrated by the jury for going beyond a ‘typical stadium,’ and expanding the public domain into a space for all – offering intimate spaces, dedicated play areas, and grand civic gestures that come alive on event days.
The jury said, ‘crucially, the design excels at accommodating large crowds while maintaining a human-scaled experience for non-event days through varied spatial arrangements and programmed activities.’
Proudly Elevating our People
This year, 24 of our talented people were elevated to new positions within our leadership teams.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of two new Directors in our Perth Studio: Chris Foy and Amanda Ainslie. With nearly forty years of combined experience at COX, Chris and Amanda’s dedication and expertise make them highly deserving of this elevation.
Joining the leadership team are three new Associate Directors, four new Senior Associates, and three new Associates. These leaders bring fresh vision, energy, and commitment to our clients, projects, and studio culture.
Congratulations to Barnaby Hartford-Davis, Samantha Ellinson, Chris Collignon, Milan Kalapis, Lydia Vegas, Anthony Kim, Chris Tran, Dominique Hill, Matt Trilsbeck and Karin Ke.
We were thrilled to announce seven exciting promotions within our Brisbane Studio.
Nuraishikin Salleh, Robert Callanan, and Karen Appleyard were promoted to Senior Associate, while James Ryan, Ashley Beckett, Cecile Viollet, and Mitchell Buckley were elevated to Associate.
These well-deserved promotions highlighted the remarkable contributions each of these individuals made to COX’s projects, clients, and studio culture. Thank you for joining us in celebrating their achievements and wishing them continued success in their new roles!
An Exciting Year Across Every Corner of Our Practice
2024 has been a year of growth, innovation, and collaboration across every aspect of our practice. Beyond delivering exceptional projects, we’ve focused on initiatives that strengthen our culture, champion sustainability, and build connections within and beyond the industry.