The LSAA 2020 Conference and Design Awards were to be held in Melbourne at Swinburne from September 17-18 2020.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO COVID-19 THIS EVENT - in its traditional format - IS CANCELLED (as of March 31 2021)

It is planned that the postponed LSAA 2020 Design Awards will proceed with some changes to format.

Note: The Design Awards will enable completed innovative and lightweight structures completed since October 2018 to be entered in a number of Categories. The Awards are open to LSAA Members, Non-members as well as from International projects.

Revised details including entry requirements, will be finalized in April 2021. The anticipated closing date for entries would be mid August 2021.

General Requirements and Categories

The LSAA 2020 Design Awards are for completed projects since October 2018.

Projects, or significant portions of a structure, may be located around the globe but the Awards are primarily intended for projects that have a substantial local contribution - such as design, fabrication or construction.

LSAA Members and non-members may enter (different fees apply for members, per entry for non-financial members TBC).

The Awards are also open to companies or individuals who may not have acted as the main designer, fabricator or installer. However only one entry per project will be considered.

The Awards will considered in the following categories:

At the very successful 2019 IASS Conference on Form and Force held at Barcelona in October 2019, several structural forms were Re-Viewed, Re-Imagined and Re-Created by some talented students.

The IASS has been in existence for 60 years starting off being concerned with shell and spatial structures. Initially the emphasis was on concrete shells and spaceframes but over time has embraced the same range of structures that our own LSAA encourages. So membranes, cablenets, gridshells, inflatables are now included made possible by advances in new materials and design tools and computer software. 

But, as the late Frei Otto knew, there is nothing that provokes inspiration more that a realistic physical structure.

The following images certainly support the LSAA 2020 Conference Theme of Re-View, Re-Imagine and Re-Create.

Theme Re-VIEW, Re-IMAGINE, Re-CREATE

Unfortunately the LSAA 2020 Conference was Cancelled owing to Covid 19

Our history is littered with examples of humanity ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ – building from the past to reach greater heights in the future. And where we have informed today with yesterday, be it in architecture, engineering, science, literature or beyond – we have built a brighter tomorrow.

There is an innate paradox in basing concepts of the future on a study of the past. We often expect history to be a record in stone – kept away in dusty tomes. But far from inanimate facts, these present the answers to the secrets of prophecy – today’s legacy is found in yesterday’s record. An inherent characteristic of design is its innate concern with the future.  A designer working on projects today creates the tangible daily reality of tomorrow.

It is now confirmed that the LSAA 2020 Conference and Design Awards will be held in Melbourne at Swinburne (Hawthorn, Melbourne) from September 17-18 2020.

However, owing to Covid 19 the Conference was cancelled

Theme: Re-NEW, Re-IMAGINE, Re-CREATE

It is anticipated that further details about the Conference Dates, Venue details, Theme, Sponsorship Packages, Bookings and Keynote Speakers will become available December 2019.

We are also holding a pre-conference Workshop (September 16 2019) dealing with Membrane Structures. The Venue location will in in the same area as the Conference (TBC). We are conducting the workshop in conjunction with the Specialised Textiles Association (STA - see https://specialisedtextiles.com.au/ )

For the Industry respected Design Awards, structures completed since October 2018 will be considered.

You can download a draft of the RULES and ENTRY FORMS for the 2020 Design Awards

The Conference will be held in the excellent facilities at Swinburne University (Hawthorn Campus)

Note: Conference Cancelled owing to Covid 19

Reaching the venue is easy by suburban Metro train lines (nearest station is Glenferrie about 250 metres) or the fantastic world famous trams going along Burwood Road.

The following are some images of the Swinburne Campus and the area where Sponsors will set up displays and the most important coffee / tea outlets will be located.

Note: Conference Cancelled owing to Covid 19

Pre-Conference Workshop (September 16 2020)

Details are being finalized for a combined workshop dealing with the design, fabrication and erection of fabric structures.

We will be working with the STA

Day 1 Conference (September 17 2020)

Session 1 - Welcome and Keynote Address

Session 2 - Fire Issues and their Impact on the Industry

Session 3 - Projects in Australia and Overseas

Session 4 - New digital Technologies and Research

Session 5 - Public Lecture

Conference Dinner and LSAA Design Awards

Day 2 Conference (September 18 2020)

Session 6 - Keynote Address

Session 7 - Student Design Project Reports

Session 8 - Hands on Workshop

Closure

For the Industry respected Design Awards, structures completed since October 2018 will be considered.

You can download a draft of the RULES and ENTRY FORMS for the 2020 Awards.

Judging is done based on digitally supplied descriptions and images.

For example, the following projects were entered into the 2018 Awards.

The LSAA often has conducted a technical workshop on the day before the main Conference.

Unfortunately the LSAA 2020 Conference was cancelled owing to Covid 19

There are normally some structured presentations as well as team building of models to satisfy a client brief.

Past workshops have dealt with the design through erection of tension membrane structures. Another workshop concentrated on the design, fabrication and erection of knitted shadecloth structures.

For the 2020 Conference, a pre-conference workshop dealing with membrane structures is being planned in conjunction with the Specialised Textiles Association (STA - see https://specialisedtextiles.com.au/).