Houses

Welcome to our special issue of Houses, which celebrates the extraordinary winners of the 2024 Houses Awards. It is often said that adversity gives rise to opportunity, and this year’s jury was impressed with entrants’ design ingenuity in the face of escalating labour and material costs and the uncertainties of the construction industry. Across scales, typologies and locations, the winners affirm the skill of architects and designers in delivering homes that have livability, longevity and sustainability front of mind. Our dedicated awards coverage begins on page 39. The top accolade, Australian House of the Year, is awarded to Red Hill House and Studio by Zuzana and Nicholas (cover). This Brisbane home explores new solutions to the familiar challenge of transforming a Queenslander house, resisting the temptation to expand and enlarge.…

When clients come to an architect with a well-loved house and garden, the architect’s role is to work a little bit like a tailor: splicing their work into what is already there, carefully unpicking and amending without losing the original qualities. Alena and Dave are art collectors and avid gardeners, they love to cook and, importantly, they love their brick stucco house, located just north of Hobart. When they engaged Bence Mulcahy, they specified the usual set of requirements – new kitchen, dining, lounge, main bedroom – but without some of the standard requests for “large,” “open plan” or “lots of windows.” The backyard extension that Bence Mulcahy has designed is skilfully crafted around the personalities, passions and needs of this family, and the constraints of their tight suburban site.…

Caloundra’s rich history as a cherished family holiday destination provides the backdrop for this memorable project. Amid a changing residential landscape in which character beach houses are giving way to modern developments, Family Tree House stands as a testament to cultural preservation and forward-thinking design. At the heart of this architectural endeavour lie the intertwined stories of Ron and his family. The house was acquired in the late 1970s by Ron’s grandmother, prompted by her own childhood memories and lifelong affinity for Caloundra. Through the years, the house bore witness to generations of family gatherings, from festive Christmas lunches to idle weekends by the beach. Generations came and went, leaving behind a tapestry of memories interwoven with the very fabric of the house. When Ron’s parents passed away, the house became a…

Adam Gibson Photographer Adam Gibson is a photographer whose body of work is characterised by a refined sense of balance, contemplation and authenticity expressed throughout unique global locations. Adam’s eye for dramatic tension and technical proficiency is honed by a career’s worth of experience in design and creative direction. Simon Reeves Writer Simon Reeves is an architectural historian and heritage consultant. His firm, Built Heritage, was the first heritage consultancy established in Australia with a specific focus on heritage of the recent past, covering places from the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and beyond. Anna O'Gorman Writer Anna O'Gorman established AOG Architects in 2016. Her forward-thinking practice has been shaped by a variety of rich professional experiences, including architecture tours, design collaborations and invitations to teach at the University of Queensland. Her…

When clients come to an architect with a well-loved house and garden, the architect’s role is to work a little bit like a tailor: splicing their work into what is already there, carefully unpicking and amending without losing the original qualities. Alena and Dave are art collectors and avid gardeners, they love to cook and, importantly, they love their brick stucco house, located just north of Hobart. When they engaged Bence Mulcahy, they specified the usual set of requirements – new kitchen, dining, lounge, main bedroom – but without some of the standard requests for “large,” “open plan” or “lots of windows.” The backyard extension that Bence Mulcahy has designed is skilfully crafted around the personalities, passions and needs of this family, and the constraints of their tight suburban site.…

Caloundra’s rich history as a cherished family holiday destination provides the backdrop for this memorable project. Amid a changing residential landscape in which character beach houses are giving way to modern developments, Family Tree House stands as a testament to cultural preservation and forward-thinking design. At the heart of this architectural endeavour lie the intertwined stories of Ron and his family. The house was acquired in the late 1970s by Ron’s grandmother, prompted by her own childhood memories and lifelong affinity for Caloundra. Through the years, the house bore witness to generations of family gatherings, from festive Christmas lunches to idle weekends by the beach. Generations came and went, leaving behind a tapestry of memories interwoven with the very fabric of the house. When Ron’s parents passed away, the house…