Congratulations to Buchan Student of Architecture Sam Shaw for his award-winning design submission in the 2022 Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Student Ideas Competition.

Sam’s award-winning submission considered ‘Ageing in Autism’ and the challenges facing our health and aged care systems as people with intellectual disabilities begin to outlive their parents and primary carers.

The jury highlighted the project as being:

A well-balanced design response which has an exemplary consideration for the realities of designing for people living with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and DS (Down Syndrome). An emphasis was placed on ageing in place and the design successfully implements a ‘whole of life’ approach through a complex planning solution.

This project incorporates sustainable design that is aligned with the current architectural industry expectations whilst also tackling the concept of social sustainability which celebrates social cohesion for a demographic that often suffers from social isolation.

The jury commends this project’s contribution to the broader conversation around inclusive design and designing for those with ASD. It proposes a dignified housing solution for its large site that extends to including on site homes for key workers. ‘Ageing in Autism’ is a beautifully crafted and well considered architectural response to a challenging brief.

Photography | Melissa Hobbs