Graduate’s sustainable Lady Elliot Island design wins national architecture award

Griffith University graduate Sobi Slingsby has received more acclaim for her work in the area of architecture and climate change.

Sobi, who studied a Master of Architecture, recently won the Bluescope Glenn Murcutt Student Prize for Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects for her project on Lady Elliot Island, off Bundaberg.

The prize is awarded annually for the best graduating student design in the past 12 months.

Sobi’s architectural design focused on climate change and what it means for the future of architecture.

“Through research on the island’s formation and the way it is shaped by climatic conditions and its species of inhabitants, a conversation is started, considering future architectural inhabitation,” Sobi said.

“The proposal explored small dwellings adaptive to wind, sun, tides and natural disasters all whilst promoting coral cay growth symbiotically.”

Sobi said it was surreal to be named as the winner of the award.

“I feel very humbled to have architects I admire congratulate me,” Sobi said.

“I am very appreciative of so many people who assisted in the project and I am over the moon.”

It is not the first time Sobi has been recognised for her work, winning the Blight Rayner Master of Architecture Prize at the Griffith University Academic Awards last year and the Griffith University French Embassy Award in 2016, which saw her travel to France as part of a sponsorship by the French Embassy.

The graduate said it was essential current and future climatic conditions were considered when creating future designs.

“A changing climate and sea level rise mean we really need to consider the future of how we inhabit the land and more accelerated susceptible locations such as the Great Barrier Reef,” she said.

“The idea behind the project isn’t to provide a solution but to bring awareness to this topic and start conversations.”