The ILLUMANATE Living Building Challenge Design Competition asked participants to imagine what socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative adaptive reuse looks like.

Hosted by the Living Future Institute of Australia in partnership with Development Victoria, this ideas competition for a real building on a real site asked designers to conceive something never before seen: a repurposed heritage-listed building that can achieve the Living Building Challenge.

Entries are now on show, and voting is open for the People’s Choice Award. OCULUS Associate Director Claire Martin was on the official judging panel, with winners set to be announced in early December.

From innovative designs to community-conscious strategies, the diverse entries reveal the transformative power of living buildings and illuminate the path toward a future where buildings not only exist but thrive in harmony with nature.

Established in 2012, the Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) is an Affiliate of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), an environmental NGO committed to creating communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative.