The Australian Institute of Architects Christopher Proctor Prize for Urban Design and City Making has been awarded to Nicole Larkin. The Christopher Procter Prize gives an emerging architect who has demonstrated a commitment and passion for the design of cities the opportunity for research-based travel or study to enrich their professional development. This award will fund further research into the development of best practice guidelines for ocean pool design and management. Ensuring our ocean pools remain in use now and well into the future.

‘Having comprehensively mapped, catalogued and analysed siting and design she is now seeking to consolidate a holistic approach to best practice for the management, conservation and future design of ocean pools. In a forward-looking piece she seeks to identify how to both protect and enhance the NSW coastline to realise economic, environmental and social value whilst acknowledging the pragmatic context of planning controls, conservation management plans and assets to be managed by local government. Possibilities abound when we contemplate Nicole’s work to date and the proposal’s potential against Moneo’s essay, “On Typology” or Rob and Leon Krier’s typological study as a design method. Her evident rigour, insights gleaned from reflection and the overlay of design creativity promises to unlock new ways of thinking about the co-existence of people, sea, sand and rock. The proposal bodes well for the next generation of public space type within one of our most contested realms – the NSW coastline.’ - AIA NSW

This prize is named after the architect and urban designer Christopher Procter who died suddenly of DVT while arriving back to Sydney in November 2018 from the USA. Upon graduation in Adelaide in 1986 Christopher won the University of Adelaide (then South Australian Institute of Technology) Medal, the Rod Roach Design Grant and the South Australian Gas Company Prize in Architecture. These enabled him to undertake research and travel that furthered his passion for design.