Australia's best home design was celebrated over the weekend with the announcement of the winners of the Houses 2022 awards. For the first time a single project, Autumn House, won in four categories.
Winner of Alteration and addition of houses over 200m2
Studio Bright's Autumn House.Photography: Rory Gardiner
The renovated Victorian terrace in Melbourne's Carlton North, Autumn House by Studio Bright, has received nominations for alteration and addition of houses over 200m2 and for garden and landscaping; was a joint winner in House in a Heritage Context; and was named Australia's House of the Year. Judge Alexa Kempton praised the Autumn House as "an exceptional example of making the most of an existing home". Kempton noted that this year's entries faced "increasingly complex cost and climate challenges", but the jury said they were particularly impressed by the number of homes that met these challenges, along with "inventive responses to restricted urban locations". Kempton stated that the Autumn House 'is a testament to what can be achieved in the inventive townhouse redesign', noting that 'the townhouses make up a significant proportion of our existing housing stock. It maximizes usable space on a suburban block, but is also generous with the street.' The judges praised the way the Autumn House update has preserved a mature elm tree and successfully united the house and garden, as well as improving the home's appearance for passersby.“The retained elm is visible from the street, surrounded by the new house, its leaves registering seasonal changes,” they declared.
Studio Bright's Autumn House.Photography: Rory Gardiner
Winner: Alteration and addition of the house below 200 square meters.
Cascade House by John Ellway, Paddington, Queensland. Photography: Toby Scott
An upgrade to a wooden house in Queenslander, the judges described the Cascade House as 'a remarkable alteration and an addition delivered on a modest budget'. Noting that Queenslander houses are often elevated to accommodate additions and alterations, the panel was impressed by the way the Cascade House was built laterally, creating a 'visually recessive addition'.
Cascade House by John Ellway, Paddington, Queensland.Photography: Toby Scott
"Walls and lush vegetation ensure occupants an experience of isolation and comfort," the panel noted.
Joint Winner: House in a Heritage Context
Joint Winner: House in a Heritage Context.
A new living pavilion has been added to a heritage listed sandstone house in Battery Point, Hobart, an area the jury described as "a highly scrutinized site". The addition was placed towards the rear boundary of the property and preserved a tree.
The jury described the upgrade as “an artistically balanced heritage result that rewards occupants and successfully continues the dialogue between the original home and its community of admirers.”
Winner: New House Less Than 200 Square Meters
A two-bedroom, two-bath home located next to a busy street, the Corner House was lauded by the judges as 'a study of how we can live with spirited connection in (sometimes drab) suburban contexts. This was achieved by building the house around the perimeter of the lot, blocking out noise and prying eyes, while centering the house around a large inner courtyard.
Winner: Sustainability
The Hütt 01 Passivhaus by Melbourne Design Studios. Coburg, Vic.Photography: Maitreya ChandorkarThis house generates a significant amount of its own energy on the premises, something that the judges praised as 'especially commendable given the vertical scale' of the house. Constructed with cross-laminated wood and other new sustainable materials, the house also features an accessible garden on the green roof. With an indoor area of just 78m square, the jury said the 'house exemplifies the sustainable ideal of doing more with less'.
Winner: Apartment or Unit
Inala Apartment by Brad Swartz Architects. Cremorne, NSW. Photography: Katherine Lu
Located within a 1960s redbrick apartment block, Inala Apartment has been cleverly reworked to include more storage and better light in the living spaces, with strategic use of sliding and built-in doors to maximize space. “The Inala Apartment reimagines what is possible in our mid-ring, dense, mid-rise suburbs,” the judges wrote.
Winner: New house above 200m
With living roofs, patios and a design that sinks into the landscape, Always is designed to slowly fade over time as your gardens grow. The jury praised the quality of the house's details and the celebration of the surrounding landscape.