The citation by the jury recognised Thalis as a vocal and public figure. “Using architectural knowledge as an instrument of change and a force for good in our cities and suburbs,Thalis is a role model for the architect as a public intellectual,” it said.
Thalis,who cofounded Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects with his partner Sarah Hill 32 years ago,was also recognised for the way he had combined policy and advocacy for the built environment. He was an elected independent councillor with the City of Sydney between 2016 and 2021.
It was this capacity to span both private and public arenas that placed Thalis in a pivotal position within the practice of architecture,the citation said.
His projects range from the small to the large. They include award-winning projects Studios 54,a multi-residential block in Surry Hills;Verve Apartments in Newcastle;Wedge Studios,a boarding house;Pirrama Park in Pyrmont;and the Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk.
A public transport and public housing advocate,Thalis is also the co-author ofPublic Sydney,a book and later a jigsaw puzzle.
The architect is a dedicated walker,racking up 15,000 steps most days. He says every walk provides insights into how our city is made,how we work,travel and live,showing how design can influence how hot the street gets,the shade,and the way people interact.
There is also a joy that comes from density that we don’t celebrate often enough,he says.
Thalis said a major challenge of the 21st century was how to do density well in a climate that was getting hotter and more extreme. “We have to do it by talking to people,showing them good buildings,and contrasting those with the bad.”
As he flew into Melbourne,he saw blocks with black glass and almost no open windows,presumably relying on air conditioning.
“If the power goes down,they are literally uninhabitable. There’s no excuse for building poorly when it will affect hundreds if not thousands of people’s lives for centuries to come. ”
Jess Scully,who served with Thalis on the Sydney City Council,told Architecture Australia,Thalis’ daily walks were one of the reasons he had such an ingrained,intimate sense of the city,block by block,building by building.
Other architects recognised by the Australian Institute of Architects include Naomi Milgrom,receiving the National President’s Prize;Monica Edwards,the Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize;and Simon Anderson,the Neville Quarry Architectural Education Prize.
NSW’s state architect Abbie Galvin and Paulo Macchia (NSW) won the Leadership in Sustainability Prize.