Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Projects in this category must be residential in nature, generally falling within BCA Class 1a, and must be new builds. Projects with up to two self-contained dwellings may be entered in this category.

Jury chair report

Congratulations to the 2023 Residential Architecture – Houses (New) entries for an impressive array of houses that ranged in size and budget, found in urban, suburban, rural, and coastal contexts.

The jury was excited at the return of 27 in-person presentations. Projects ranged from compact, 145 square metres to large farmhouses of 1070 square metres, all with their individual narratives of the impacts of COVID-19 and lockdowns. We were presented with primary and secondary homes for living, working and respite with more than half of the entries from outside the Melbourne metropolitan area.

We visited 12 exemplary projects over three days that demonstrated new models and possibilities in their conceptual approach to client briefs. Challenges ranged from providing universal access on steep sites and negotiating privacy and daylight within tight inner-city sites, to providing shelter and robust off-grid homes within harsh rural environments.

The value and significance of fostering a partnership and

Category sponsor collaboration of trust and respect in active dialogue with clients, consultants, builders and trades was a common thread through all submissions in driving the success of a project.

The overall submission quality was high, provoking robust discussion among the jury of project merits and in their demonstration of skill and excellence, there were two standout projects. In our decision of the 2023 category winner, the jury arrived at a resounding conclusion that spring creek road farm house by architect brew koch makes a significant contribution beyond our profession. The house exemplifies a clear conceptual foundation borne of its context, arrived at through restrained execution.

A sustainable approach to dwelling tuned to climate and ecology, the project is sensitive to purpose in the reciprocity of occupation. For the jury, this home is uplifting and hopeful, inciting provocations of homes and dwelling that challenge our profession to consider architecture that is more than sustainable, looking to outcomes for a regenerative future.

Colours available in Australia through

The inspired colours in this swatch were sourced from the Natural Colour System (NCS). Access to this colour range is available in Australia through Taubmans.

Taubmans does not claim that the colours or paints used in this award-winning project were produced by Taubmans.

Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) spring creek road farm house by architect brew koch

Wadawurrung Country

In referencing Martin Heidegger’s 1954 lecture Building Dwelling Thinking, “the essence of building is letting dwell”, architect brew koch posit that architecture and dwelling exists in a broader context of purpose, time and place. spring creek road farm house is a house that does not command its site, but instead nourishes it. The house speaks to its purpose as a temporal place of dwelling, where human existence and occupation are intrinsically tied in relationship with land, water and fire.

On approach, the house presents as a protective shed with its back to the south-westerly winds. It unfolds to reveal its domestic side; north-facing entry verandah floating above the grasslands. Inside, the volume folds walls and program, enabling flexibility for occupants to move seasonally throughout the home. Glimpses of grassland views offer moments of joy and serve as a reminder to the purpose of dwelling.

Precisely designed and crafted as a kit of legible, dismountable parts, the architecture is a series of separate elements, of near misses, that speak to the vulnerability of the almost extinct grassy volcanic plains of western Victoria. Through lessons of listening, watching, learning and improving, this project demonstrates an assured rigour in conceptual approach and execution. It is a house that delights in the incidental and ephemeral idea of occupation, inviting us to reimagine perceptions of dwelling on and with the land.

Practice team: Dr Peter Brew (Design Architect), Simone Koch (Design Architect)

Consultant / Construction team: Nick Karatatis - Akritidis Group Building Consultants (Building Surveyor), Sohrab Behshad, T D & C Pty Ltd (Structural Engineer)

Builder: GD Property & Construction Pty Ltd

Photographer: Thurston Empson

Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Merricks Farmhouse by Michael Lumby with Nielsen Jenkins Bunurong Country

Merricks Farmhouse is an exemplary interrogation of the Australian farmhouse vernacular as a place of refuge, shelter and comfort of home.

Nestled into the hillside of a panoramic property overlooking the vineyards of the Mornington Peninsula, a courtyard plan provides protection from the elements. Spilling out from beneath a singular gabled-roof form, spatial volumes are shaped with the rise and fall of the natural ground floor plane to achieve distinction between private and public zones. Sculpted, skylit roof forms provide a subtle light quality to the otherwise diffusely lit interiors with expansive views to the coastline beyond.

The omnipresent central courtyard contains a lush, landscaped garden that breathes light, air and connection into the internal spaces, and provides refuge from the often-harsh coastal environment. The relationship to landscape is maintained throughout with secluded garden views afforded to every room.

There is a richness and rigour to the palette of materials: muted concrete block in the heft of the walls, and generous glazed views framed by charcoal ceilings and light shafts. The care in detailing and quality of the build speaks volumes to the collaborative partnerships and trust garnered between client, architect, builder and landscape designer.

Practice team: Lachlan Neilsen (Designer), Michael Lumby (Designer), Morgan Jenkins (Design Architect) Consultant / Construction team: Westera Partners (Structural Engineer), Perrett Simpson (Structural Engineer)

Builder: ATMA Builders

Photographer: Tom Ross

Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

AB House by Office MI—JI

Country: Wadawurrung

Office MI—JI have successfully executed a beach house design rich in playfulness and delight, while eschewing convention.

Situated on a coastal site, the project overcomes challenges posed by surrounding development and stormwater flooding. A framework of steel columns shields and elevate the house. Within this grid, the plan is expertly zoned to encourage interaction between distinct programmatic elements.

Utilitarian materials are used resourcefully throughout, and detailing is rigorous, allowing the building to open and close as needed throughout the year.

Builder: David Webb Building Solutions

Photographer: Ben Hosking

Bass Coast Farmhouse by Wardle

Country: Bunurong

Bass Coast Farmhouse is a skilful abstraction of form – a striking farmhouse silhouette comprising a gabled-steel roof, weathered timber walls and shutters to form a protective enclosure against harsh coastal surrounds.

Perched over the rising edge of a sanddune, the house unfolds from within to reveal a shielded central courtyard connecting to outdoor undercroft below. Internally, sustainably sourced timber is used extensively, crafting spaces of warmth and respite. Completely off-grid, the house demonstrates assiduous artisanship and a profound understanding of home and family retreat.

Builder: Overend Construction

Photographer: Trevor Mein

Award and Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Mori House by MAArchitects + Aires Mateus

Country: Bunurong

Mori House adeptly reinterprets the beach shack paradigm through a cross-cultural lens. A singular crucifix gesture divides the corner site into four distinct landscapes varied in function and privacy, with an added pair of satellite bungalows accommodating fluctuations of guests. Fundamental passive principles are exploited to maximise daylight, crossflow breezes, and self-harvesting resources from a roof-terrace to view ocean and sky. Robust in its tectonic exactitude and material restraint, the muted concrete carapace serves as backdrop to the rich looseness in beachside occupation and multi-generational living.

Builder: Neometro Projects

Photographer: Derek Swalwell

Other entries for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)