Eddie Oribin

Edwin Henry (Eddie) Oribin (1927 – 2016) was an Australian architect who practised in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. A number of his works are now heritage-listed.

Early life Edwin Henry (Eddie) Oribin was born in Cairns in 1927. As a teenager during World War II, he spent time in Brisbane where he obtained work with the Allison Aircraft Division of General Motors rebuilding aircraft engines.

Architectural career Returning to Cairns in 1944, Oribin commenced architectural training with Sidney George Barnes, Chief Architect of the Allied Works Council for North Queensland, whose training gave Oribin a solid grounding in structural design and construction. In 1950 Oribin moved to Brisbane to work and study, and on 10 February 1953 he obtained his registration as an architect in Queensland, returning to Cairns the following month to begin a partnership with Barnes. This partnership lasted until Barnes' death in 1959, after which Oribin continued practicing on his own.

Oribin undertook a wide range of work in North Queensland between 1953 and 1973. Throughout his career, he was devoted to experimenting with different structural and aesthetic ideas, drawing inspiration from a wide variety of Australian and international publications. Characteristics of Oribin's work included meticulous detailing, structural creativity and concern for the modulation of light. He was also known for his model-making skills and superb craftsmanship, often creating objects himself.

In 1986–1987 Oribin built his third family home in Stanthorpe, Queensland, as a series of three connected Japanese-style pavilions. He used laminated plywood to create a series of concave roof and convex ceilings. As with his consideration of climate in his North Queensland buildings, Oribin used innovative approaches to insulation and heating to his first cooler climate home.

Legacy Oribin's significant contribution to Queensland architecture was recognised by the Queensland Chapter of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 2000, when the new 'Building of the Year' award for the Far North Region was named in his honour. In 2013 the Oribin House and Studio received the Robin Gibson Enduring Architecture Award at the Australian Institute of Architects' Queensland Architecture Awards.