At the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects
Awards night on Friday 1 July 2011, I was delighted to be awarded
the Marion Mahony Griffin 2011 Prize! This award recognises the
contribution by women architects to architecture in NSW.
On Saturday, my partner and I spent the afternoon with Adrienne
and John Kabos - the driving forces behind the Walter Burley
Griffin Society in Castlecrag - looking at a number of the
wonderful Griffin houses while wandering around Castlecrag. The
purpose of this prearranged visit was to establish which of the
houses I should include in the book I am writing on the history of
eco housing in Australia. A hard decision that will require more
pleasurable visits and discussions with the Kabos' and other
experts such as Anna Rubbo and James Weirick!
On Sunday I enjoyed a lovely afternoon reading the new book "Marion
Mahony Reconsidered" that Anna Rubbo had alerted me to. She was a
truly remarkable woman doing very interesting work and pursuing her
great interests with enthusiasm and talent. A great inspiration - I
fell even more honoured to have received her eponymous prize.