FSC Building Wins Across Three Categories at the 2026 NSW Regional Architecture Awards
On Friday, 13 February 2026 the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) announced the winners of its 2026 NSW Regional Architecture Awards, and the First Steps Count Child and Community Centre, designed by Austin McFarland Pty Ltd, has been honoured with three prestigious accolades: Best Sustainable Architecture, Best Public Architecture and Best Regional Award.
Photographer: Matthew Carbone
The awards were unveiled at Yarrila Place in Coffs Harbour, a gala night that brought together architects, clients and collaborators from across the state. The judges praised the centre for its innovative, context‑driven design that marries biophilic principles with grass-roots solutions in our community, creating a warm, inclusive hub for families in Taree.
The First Steps Count building is more than a structure; it is a beacon of sustainability and community. Conceived in 2008 as a centralised hub for child and family services, the centre was deliberately designed to be socially intuitive, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Drawing inspiration from the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge, the design team pursued a “positive and regenerative” outcome.
Large windows and skylights flood the interior with natural light, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Solar panels and high‑performance insulation enable the building to operate energy‑neutral, keeping it within the resource limits of its site. Throughout design and construction, the team consulted extensively with local Biripi elders, ensuring the centre respects and honours Biripi traditions and knowledge. Situated in the heart of Biripi Country, the location was chosen for its accessibility, making services readily available to those who need them most.
“The regions deserve great architecture and well-thought-out designs and considered spaces. Promoting that within our area and in the NSW region all over is really, really important.”
Beyond its architectural merits, the hub works with local service providers, offering service navigation, playgroups, parenting programs and a safe, welcoming environment for children aged 0‑12. The awards underscore how thoughtful design can amplify social outcomes, supporting families to thrive while strengthening the broader regional community.
Jury Citations
-
This is outstanding architecture. A product of process and collaboration, it is well embedded in its regional community. From inception, through construction, to occupation it has been contemplated as a vessel for community. The exceptional outcome is a testament to the ingenuity, passion and the generosity of spirit of everyone involved.
With few childcare facilities in the region, it was conceived to provide a range of services and programs, and meet the needs of local families. The objective delivered is a calm space with an ethos of Children First in Everything We Do. Site planning preserves culturally significant trees identified by Biripi elders and an ecologist, with other trees integrated as structural columns and landscape elements. Private spaces create a colourful road edge – a skillion roof shelters north facing, multi-purpose pod spaces and landscaped play areas – all the direct output of community consultation. The circulation space displays work by local artists and children alike offering a tangible expression of diversity, fun and inspiration.
Community is generously welcomed making all feel valued, respected and worthy. It has had a profound impact on the area, facilitating healing which will continue to shape the community for years to come.
-
The James Barnett Award goes to First Steps Count Child and Community Centre, a carefully considered public building which cleverly meets the needs of a diverse community. It is an ambitious project driven by a dedicated group of community members, architects, builder and broader design team that have pushed boundaries and delivered a building that achieves so much. Adopting the principles of the Living Building Challenge, all parties continually challenged themselves by asking the question – What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place?
A rigorous, holistic approach to integrate sustainability, ‘healthier’ buildings, community cohesion, landscape, local manufacturing and more has resulted in a community centre rich with layers of meaning, stories and a deeply embedded sense of community. The architecture both nurtures and holds the community. It balances human scale and tactility with the flexibility to accommodate large groups through its relationship to the grand veranda and landscape beyond. Full of moments of delight and a deep respect for the community and Country, the building playfully interweaves folly, colour, natural materials, landscape and art installations to create a whole that is very much of its place.
-
First Steps Count Child and Community centre is a project embedded within its region and has equally shaped and been shaped by the community it comes from. Its design rigour is evident across all scales of the building – from the broad architectural gesture, through site planning, down to the careful consideration of the human experience. It is an architecture of respect and reciprocity. Not only does the centre meet the pragmatic needs of a previously underserved community, it provides for dignity, layered meaning, multicultural stories and community creativity.
From inception, it was driven by a small, dedicated group. The design process, led by the architects, prioritised community consultation before pen was even put to paper. The built outcome and sense of community it has created is inextricably linked to the design and construction process, with early contractor engagement and the close working relationship with the architects, builder, and design team and various local groups.
The Community centre is a wonderful case study in the importance and responsibility of public architecture. It is a building that is ambitious, pushes the boundaries and seeks to lift the community and continuously asks: how we can do better?
-
First Steps Count Child and Community Centre is an exceptional example of sustainability embedded within a building, across all stages of the process and through various touch points. From project inception, the principles of the Living Building Challenge framed design and construction decisions for the centre, to create a building that has been transformational for the local community and its relationship to its environment.
The enthusiastic adoption, employment and pursuit of sustainability values across the entire client, design and delivery team led to the project’s success, resulting in a fundamental shift in the thinking of all involved. Early contractor engagement, a collaborative approach and rigorous problem solving has resulted in a centre that takes a holistic approach to sustainability whilst meeting practical demands. The building balances the complexities and nuances of sustainability to integrate passive solar design, innovative and reused building materials, integrated systems, waste reduction and much more.
Media Enquiries:
Clare Brennan, Centre Director
clare.brennan@firststepscount.org
Links:
Award Winners First Steps Count - awards in detail with jury citations
Article from the Australian Institute of Architects: 2026 NSW Regional Architecture Awards– Winners unveiled
Learn more about Our Building
