This year’s theme, Re:Form, prioritises projects that demonstrate how architecture continues to evolve through reshaping ideas, reforming conventions, and creating lasting impact through the innovative and inspiring use of bricks, blocks, pavers and roof tiles.

Think Brick revealed its shortlist for 2026, which includes two Woods Bagot projects – St Clare and The Forest – for the Holbury Hunt Commercial Award.

The winners of this year’s Think Brick Awards will be announced on 4 September 2026 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

St Clare

Woods Bagot’s design for St Clare retirement precinct offers a modern interpretation of the heritage brick facades and intricate roof detailing of the local neighbourhood. Comprising 103 residences and resort-style amenities, the project offers a community-focused setting for those over 55, supporting a continuum-of-care residential model for ageing in place.

The precinct comprises four five-storey pavilions, defined by a shared commitment to material permanence and refined masonry craft Incorporating rhythmic brickwork and authentic materiality, the architecture establishes a tactile dialogue with the century-old brick-clad heritage residences of the area, punctuated by expressive soldier course banding at the floor plates that break down the verticality of the five-storey massing and cleverly conceal structural movement jointing.

At the thresholds, contemporary quoining relief introduces a play of light and shadow, elevating the building entries into moments of high-relief detail within an otherwise restrained façade.  Articulated mansard roofing reduces building mass while echoing the neighbourhood ‘mansionette’ stately homes Colour-matched terracotta tiling creates a seamless transition from the vertical plane to the sky.

The resolution of this roofscape navigating intricate pitch variations and interfaces of dormers and skylights results in a silhouette that is both geometrically complex and timeless. The building envelope is not only aesthetically beautiful, but high performing, integrating advanced moisture management, high thermal performance, structural integrity, and longevity.

 The project uses regional Victorian bricks and roofing from Dandenong, which minimised both transport costs and the project’s carbon footprint, while promoting Australian-made materials.

The Forest 

The Forest is the University of Tasmania’s flagship Hobart campus, established to strengthen the university’s CBD presence and improve access to higher education. Designed by Woods Bagot, the architectural brief was to create an inner-city hub for learning, research, collaboration and community with contemporary and accessible facilities to cater to needs of students and staff.

The original site was home to heritage-listed brick warehouses dating back to 1922. The project objectives were to revitalise, adapt and activate the site though a highly connected masterplan that honours heritage, celebrates natural landscape, and accommodates the diverse teaching needs of the university.

Crossin Bricklaying delivered a substantial masonry package, including installation of Tasmanian-made bricks in paving, internal wall lining, and traditionally-laid external masonry. Remediation and restoration works involved repurposing recovered bricks throughout to repair existing masonry walls.

The paving works required a high level of precision and craftsmanship, maintaining consistent alignment, bond patterns and finish quality across extensive surfaces. These create a consistent ground plane between inside and out, defining the interstitial spaces throughout the campus.

The consistency of the surface treatment helps bring the landscape into the building and establishes a palette for the public spaces, inviting the public into and through the space The project was delivered with a strong focus on workmanship and durability, with results demonstrating a high-quality outcome that respects the building’s heritage and reinforces the role of brick and block as a sustainable and timeless material.