2025 Houses Awards: Australian House of the Year

Jury remark

Blok Three Sisters is an ingenious design that finds a compelling stability between pragmatism and ambition. Resourceful in supplies and environment friendly in plan, the design seems to the previous to recall what makes an incredible vacation home, whereas broadening the chances of pre-fabrication as a substitute development methodology that’s higher geared up for our future.

The undertaking is the center dwelling in a trio of models designed for sisters who’ve holidayed on the location since childhood. A single seaside home in a state of disrepair has been changed with three new residences, allowing the subsequent generations of the identical household to make their very own reminiscences right here.

Prefabrication was chosen as probably the most acceptable development methodology for a location the place entry to supplies and labour is proscribed, and as a technique to minimise disruption and streamline on-site development on a fragile coastal website. The models are organized facet by facet, affording each comparable amenity, with a scale that’s congruous with the neighbourhood of predominantly single residences. A easy flip within the plan of 1 unit achieves refined variation within the facade, gently disguising its modularity. Battened screens, fibre cement sheeting and a two-tone palette of white and pale blue additional assimilate the undertaking into its setting.

Inside, every unit gives each particular person privateness and alternatives for shared dwelling, discovering methods for an prolonged household to reside harmoniously collectively. A central courtyard, open to the sky, is efficient within the provision of sunshine, air and personal out of doors area. Breezeways and shaded out of doors decks evoke the informality of coastal dwelling, whereas a scarcity of enclosure is an invite to occupants to step exterior.

Australia wants extra exemplars of stealth density that show how our freestanding residences would possibly regularly evolve to accommodate extra dwellings, with out sacrifice to particular person or neighbourhood amenity. The jury felt this terrace-like, modular design was not solely a profitable response to this laid-back coastal setting, but in addition a worthy and replicable mannequin for co-living that might be readily tailored to websites in city and suburban settings.

Learn Lisa Kuiri’s assessment of Blok Three Sisters right here.

See full picture galleries of all of the profitable and shortlisted initiatives right here.