The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing is an annual national award presented by the Australian Institute of Architects. It recognises outstanding achievements in multi-residential design with an emphasis on design, innovation, sustainability, and community impact. Winners have included private apartment buildings, townhouses, resorts, student and social housing. The award was first presented in 2007 reflecting a change in focus of residential building typology in architecture and better definition of award categories, occurring as cities and towns became more dense and housing preferences evolved. The change also redefined the Robin Boyd Award as being only for new houses.
As per the Australian Institute of Architects Policy No.13 on awards, prizes and honours, Category 5: Residential Housing Multiple Housing Projects category submission must be residential in nature, and comprise or include two or more self-contained dwellings (whether or not the structure includes uses for other purposes). The Named Award is the Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture â Multiple Housing. Secondary awards and recognition are awarded with an Architecture Award: National Award for Residential Architecture â Multiple Housing and commendations receive a National Commendation for Residential Architecture â Multiple Housing.
The award is named after architect Frederick Romberg, born 21 June 1913 in Qingdao and died 12 November 1992 in Melbourne, Australia. A Swiss trained architectâÂÂwho migrated to Australia in 1938âÂÂis best known for the architectural partnership Grounds, Romberg and Boyd (1953âÂÂ1962), and for midâÂÂcentury apartment buildings constructed in Melbourne.
Prior to establishing the award in 2007, multiple housing projects were infrequently awarded across a range of different awards and categories including the Robin Boyd Award, Urban Design Award or occasionally as a special jury award.
The earliest state based award for multiple dwelling architecture was to Grounds, Romberg and Boyd for 'House and Four Apartments' now known as the (Roy Grounds House) which won a Victorian Architecture Medal in 1954.
All state chapters of the Australian Institute of Architects now present annual awards in the multiple housing category.
These stateâÂÂbased awards usually serve as a pathway to the national Frederick Romberg Award presented at the annual awards in October or November of each year.