Croc Lodge wins local design award

Crocodile Hunter Lodge by WD Architects is the recipient of the Regional Project of the Year at the 2023 Australian Institute of Architects’ Sunshine Coast Architecture Awards.

The Beerwah project is a luxury wildlife hotel and restaurant inspired by Steve Irwin’s legacy.

“Crocodile Hunter Lodge translates the well-known and loved Australia Zoo playfulness into a refined high-end dining and café experience with skilful restraint,” the jury said. “Rammed earth walls are a delightful feature throughout the internal spaces of this reimagined ‘agricultural shed.”

Crocodile Hunter Lodge also received a Regional Commendation in the Commercial Architecture category.

Other projects commended at the Sunshine Coast 2023 Australian Institute of Architects’ Regional Architecture Awards demonstrate the strength and diversity of the region’s architecture.