Double Honour for Ruah Centre for Women and Children at WA Architecture Awards
We’re proud to celebrate two significant wins for the Ruah Centre for Women and Children (Angela Wright Bennett Centre) at the 2025 AIA WA Architecture Awards. The project was honoured with both the Jeffrey Howlett Award for Public Architecture and the Brian Kidd Enabling Architecture Prize, recognising its architectural excellence and profound social impact.
Western Australia’s first consolidated, purpose-built facility of its kind, the Centre offers critical support to women and children affected by family and domestic violence. Spanning seven storeys, the centre provides integrated access to medical, counselling, legal services and short-term accommodation—all under one roof.
Architectus Principal Mark Black reflected on the project’s collaborative journey:
“It was a privilege and an honour to work with the Ruah team on this incredible journey. Working in partnership with Sirona Urban and Property Solve, the process required a deeply collaborative approach to develop an innovative response when providing for such a diverse range of intricately connected services and functions.”
The AIA jury commended the project for its deep engagement with stakeholders, including women with lived experience of domestic and family violence. The result, they noted, is an “elegant, well-planned and beautifully detailed” building that dignifies its purpose and community.
“Working directly with ADCO Constructions and the broader team, we were able to realise this goal for Ruah and delicately co-locate their services within an understated and dignified piece of architecture.”
These awards are a testament to the power of design to create meaningful change. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our design team, clients, collaborators—and the wider architectural community—for continuing to raise the standard for public and enabling architecture.
Congratulations also to all the winners, finalists and entrants whose contributions are shaping a more inclusive, resilient and thoughtful built environment.
