July 9, 2025, – Guulabaa – Place of Koala has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025 Awards, recognised in the Completed Buildings: Civic and Community category.
Featured alongside some of the world's most significant architectural works, this honour places the project among the most outstanding examples of built design that serve community and the environment.
Held annually, the WAF is one of the world's most respected design events, celebrating the best in built and future architecture across a broad range of categories.
This year's shortlist includes over 460 projects selected from more than 780 entries worldwide, with Guulabaa among a select group of Australian projects to make the list.
Designed by Gensler in partnership with the Forestry Corporation of NSW, Guulabaa in Cowarra State Forest is the world's first purpose-built wild koala breeding and rehabilitation centre.
Realised through strong cross-sector collaboration, including support from the NSW timber industry, which supplied a diverse range of responsibly sourced, durable Australian hardwoods that anchor the design in performance and sustainability.
Its WAF shortlisting follows a recent win at the ULI Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence, where it was recognised for design quality, environmental leadership, and community impact.
"Being recognised by both the ULI Awards for Excellence and now the World Architecture Festival is deeply meaningful," said Kathy Lyons, Senior Manager at Forestry Corporation of NSW.
"It affirms that design rooted in collaboration with community and conservation at its core, can resonate globally and offer a blueprint for how architecture can restore and regenerate."
The WAF shortlisting further strengthens Guulabaa's growing international profile and underscores its role as a model for sustainable tourism and conservation-led design. Its integration of storytelling, ecology, and architecture demonstrates how the built environment can support both environmental restoration and community empowerment.
"Guulabaa demonstrates what's possible when design is guided by purpose and grounded in Country," said Ken McBryde, Design Director at Gensler Australia.
"To have it recognised on the world stage is a powerful acknowledgement of the role nature-based design can play in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future."
The World Architecture Festival 2025 will take place in Miami Beach this November, where shortlisted teams will present their projects live to an international jury of leading architects, designers and urban thinkers.
