KIRK Studio

10/02/2026

James Cook University Engineering & Innovation Place is nominated for the 2026 Arch Daily Building of the Year Award.

Designed by KIRK in collaboration with i4architecture & Charles Wright Architect, the project is eligible for both the Education Architecture and Best Applied Product Categories.

To support the project, please register your vote below:
https://boty.archdaily.com/us/2026/candidates/179962

10/11/2025

06/11/2025

James Cook University, Engineering & Innovation Place (JCU EIP), designed by KIRK Studio in collaboration with i4architecture & Charles Wright Architects Pty, has been shortlisted for tonight's 2025 AIA National Architecture Awards in both the Educational & Interior Architecture categories.

KIRK would like to thank the Institute & Jury for this acknowledgement and we look forward to the AIA National Awards tonight.

📸 Photo Credits: Peter Bennetts

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01/08/2025

James Cook University, Engineering & Innovation Place (JCU EIP), designed by KIRK in collaboration with i4Architecture & Charles Wright Architects , has received another accolade for Educational Architecture.

JCU EIP has been selected as a finalist in the Higher Education & Research Category at the World Architecture Festival 2025. WAF is the world’s largest, live architecture awards program, taking place this November in Miami.

JCU EIP is one of only 13 projects globally to be shortlisted for the Higher Education & Research Category, including KIRK's UQ Soundshell.

Congratulations again to the project & client teams!

📸 Photo Credit: Peter Bennetts & Andrew Rankin

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29/07/2025

The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching – Expansion Project (BCCK) has been selected as a finalist in the Culture Category at the World Architecture Festival 2025. WAF is the world’s largest, live architecture awards program, taking place this November in Miami.

BCCK is one of only 16 projects globally to be shortlisted for the Future Projects - Culture category.

Read more about BCCK on WAF website below:
https://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/entries/borneo-convention-centre-kuching-expansion-project/

16/07/2025

KIRK Studio is pleased to announce that two of our projects, UQ Soundshell & James Cook University Engineering & Innovation Place (in collaboration with i4Architecture & Charles Wright Architects) are two of only 13 projects globally to be shortlisted for the Completed Higher Education & Research category at the World Architecture Festival 2025. WAF is the world’s largest, live architecture awards program, taking place this November in Miami.

Read more about each finalist on the WAF Websites below:
UQ Soundshell: https://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/entries/university-of-queensland-soundshell/
JCU EIP: https://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/entries/james-cook-university-engineering-innovation-place/

📸 : Christopher Frederick Jones & Peter Bennetts

30/06/2025

KIRK Studio is delighted to share that James Cook University, Engineering and Innovation Place, designed by KIRK with i4architecture & Charles Wright Architects has been recognised with three named awards at the 2025 Queensland State Architecture Awards:

▪️The Jennifer Taylor Award for Educational Architecture
▪️The GHM Addison Award for Interior Architecture
▪️The Harry Marks Award for Sustainable Architecture

We would like to thank the Institute and Jury for this acknowledgment and share with you the 2025 QLD Jury Citation below:

“James Cook University Engineering and Innovation Place offers a generous, climate-responsive interior environment that enhances learning, teaching, and gathering in the tropics. As a keystone of the university’s evolving masterplan, the project consolidates previously dispersed engineering facilities into a single, highly adaptable hub that fosters collaboration between students, educators, and industry.

The building’s sculptural form and dynamic interiors bring vitality and identity to the campus. At its heart is a triple-height atrium, anchored by a grand, tiered bleacher with integrated stairs that serves as a social and pedagogical centrepiece that supports informal seating, gathering, and exchange. Transparent workshop spaces support hands-on experimentation and active learning.
Interiors are light-modulated, permeable, and connected to the landscape, encouraging movement, visibility, and comfort. A bespoke cyclone-resilient glazing system, paired with retractable external blinds, enables openness while responding to the tropical climate. More than a high-performance learning environment, the project provides a welcoming civic anchor that supports community, sustainability, and the university’s long-term educational vision.”

Congratulations once again to our project and client teams for this outstanding result:

Local Architects: i4architecture & Charles Wright Architects
Builder: BESIX Watpac
Structural, Civil & Traffic Engineer: Robert Bird Group
Mechanical, Hydraulic & Vertical Transport Consultant: WSP
Electrical, Lighting & AV Consultant: Introba
Facade Engineer: Building Envelope Group
ESD Consultant: D Squared
Acoustic & Vibration Consultant: Marshall Day Acoustics
Buildering Certifier & Access Consultant: McKenzie Group Consulting
Fire Engineer: Holmes Aus & NZ
Hazardous Good Consultant: CETEC
Landscape Architecture: RPS
Signage & Wayfinding: Dot Dash
Public Artwork: UAP (Urban Art Projects) Brisbane

Photos Credits: Peter Bennetts.
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30/06/2025

KIRK Studio is delighted to share that UQ Soundshell received a Commendation in the Public Architecture Category on Friday night at the 2025 Queensland State Architecture Awards. We would like to thank the Institute and Jury for this recognition.


“The UQ Soundshell emerges as a landmark on the campus, harmonising architecture, acoustics, and public space to create an immersive cultural experience. Designed as both a sculptural statement and a functional performance venue, this innovative structure redefines the relationship between built form and community engagement. At its core, the Soundshell aims to foster inclusivity, transforming a public space into a dynamic hub for musical expression, collaboration, and dialogue. It not only enriches the campus fabric but also sets a precedent for public architecture that is aesthetically compelling. The UQ Soundshell stands as a bold vision of the possibilities that arise when design, performance, and urban life intertwine.”

- 2025 Queensland Jury Citation.

For more information on the UQ Soundshell project visit the KIRK website at: https://kirk.studio/projects/uqsoundshell


Congratulations to our project and client teams for this outstanding result:


Design/Documentation/Construction Architect: KIRK Studio
Client: The University of Queensland
Landscape: WILD Studio
Structural/Electrical/Hydraulic/Facade Engineering: Aurecon
Acoustic Engineer: Marshall Day Acoustics
Theatre Consultant: Entertech
Quantity Surveyor: Gleeds
Building Certifier: Building Certifiers Australia
Contractor: Built.

📍 Photo Credit: Christopher Frederick Jones

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27/06/2025

KIRK has 3 projects shortlisted for tonight's Australian Institute of Architecture Queensland State Awards.

Congratulations to our project and client teams for:
▪️ James Cook University Engineering & Innovation Place (with i4architecture & Charles Wright Architects)
▪️ UQ Soundshell
▪️ UniSC Moreton Bay Campus Expansion

25/06/2025

KIRK is honoured to announce that James Cook University’s Engineering & Innovation Place has been internationally recognised by the esteemed as one of the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Campuses’ for 2025.

This highly prestigious global accolade places our project among a selection of only six campuses worldwide to be celebrated by Prix Versailles for exemplifying architectural excellence, cultural resonance and intelligent sustainability.

Announced each year at UNESCO, the Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that shine a light on the finest contemporary projects worldwide. The Official List – which pays tribute to innovation, creativity, reflections of local heritage, ecological efficiency and the values of social interaction and participation, which the United Nations holds in high regard – is in line with the principles of intelligent sustainability, taking the projects’ ecological, social and cultural impacts into consideration.

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Architect: KIRK in collaboration with i4architecture and Charles Wright Architects
Builder: BESIX Watpac
Structural, Civil & Traffic Engineer: Robert Bird Group
Mechanical, Hydraulic & Vertical Transport Consultant: WSP
Electrical, Lighting & AV Consultant: Introba
Facade Engineer: Building Envelope Group
ESD Consultant: D Squared
Acoustic & Vibration Consultant: Marshall Day Acoustics
Buildering Certifier & Access Consultant: McKenzie Group Consulting
Fire Engineer: Holmes Fire & Safety Solutions
Hazardous Good Consultant: CETEC
Landscape Architecture: RPS
Signage & Wayfinding: Dot Dash
Public Artwork: UAP (Urban Art Projects) Brisbane

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29/05/2025

Are you looking to develop your skills and deepen your experience within a collaborative, supportive team? KIRK, an industry-leading architectural studio, is seeking dynamic individuals with solid communication skills, strong proficiency in REVIT, excellent documentation abilities, and a true passion for design. Join us in shaping both local and global environments through high-quality design that leaves a lasting impression.

We’re looking for:
• Architects with post-registration experience
• Architectural graduates with 2-6 years post-graduation experience

If you’re an Australian resident, and ready to get involved in the creation of responsible, enduring, and memorable building solutions, we’d love to hear from you.

Send your PDF portfolio and CV to [email protected] today.

Discover the type of projects you could be working on at kirk.studio. For more details on available roles, visit our Careers page on our website. Link in bio.