Vokes & Peters, Subiaco House

This new build by Vokes & Peters is designed around a set of contained but interconnected rooms, that are situated around a generous courtyard garden. The property sits on the edge of the corner block, and offers a private open space, that is both linked to the street as well as the secluded sections of the home. The planning controls that encourage single storey builds were accommodated through the use of tile cladding, so the home appears context appropriate with its local neighbours.

Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, Crescent Head House

A one-bedroom weatherboard home is transformed by Madeleine Blachfield Architects into a generous home for a couple in NSW. The open and flowing main-home has a ‘downplayed’ delineation between zones, and performs as a unified space for the owners. A sky-lit entrance welcomes visitors into the house, and vaulted timber ceilings fold out the the horizon and frame the ocean and mountain views. From the street, this home resembles a conventional weatherboard, but from inside, it is a serene retreat.

Edition Office, Point Lonsdale House

The Point Lonsdale House by Edition Office takes design cues from the coastal town where it is situated. The architects have orchestrated a series of outdoor living spaces and indoor resting spaces in this generous design. Enter through an undercroft to the first pavilion, into the private courtyards and bedrooms that look out to their own private gardens. The home is designed to ‘expand and contract’ to facilitate different modes of living. The long narrow site has been cleverly converted into a generous home of outdoor connection as well as indoor nooks.

Partners Hill with Hogg and Lamb, Mermaid Multihouse. 

Two generations are catered for in this home of arcades by Partners Hill with Hogg and Lamb, that shows that multi-use dwellings can be beautiful, practical and sustainable. This residence in Mermaid Beach, Queensland demonstrates how a single structure can accommodate multiple living styles. This project is both a highly resolved home, and a research project into the possibilities for new modes of living that reflect contemporary lives.

Splinter Society Architecture, Cornerstone House

The black exterior of this Splinter Society home makes an arresting silhouette on the streetscape, while retaining an appropriate form for the suburban context. The high-tech clients wished to combine all of the mod-cons without compromising a homely and comfortable feeling – and the architects responded with a design of glamour and cosiness. Without artworks and collections of possessions to display, this home is designed to speak for itself. The rugged stonework sits against refined black steel cladding and timber slats, in a gentle balance between dark/light, rugged/refined, art/architecture.

 Tribe Studio, House in Darlinghurst

A small electrical substation in Sydney’s Darlinghusrt is transformed by Tribe Studio into a three-bedroom home with a rooftop terrace and swimming pool. The 50sqm site has required innovative design to facilitate the multi-level home, including a sliver staircase that runs through the residence. The architects have celebrated the ‘bricky-ness’ of the building, and extended this form with Venetian glass bricks to create a light counterpoint that glows at night, celebrating the electrical heritage of the substation.

Edition Office, Hawthorn House

The Hawthorn House by Edition Office makes a bold statement with the arresting concrete and glass exterior, that captures a sense of both stability and lightness. The home was designed to be both private and open, with the capacity to serve family needs as they shift over a lifetime. The concrete shell creates a feeling of sanctuary and protection, while the glass windows create a connection with the large terrace space, an ‘outdoor theatre for living’. The materiality of the striking concrete shrouds are reflected in the interiors, with restrained palette of brass, timber and concrete all designed to patina with age. See more of this home in our recent feature here!

Archer Office, Camperdown Warehouse

A concrete factory building is converted by Archer Office into a generous apartment for two, with room to accommodate guests and a home office. The 1926 building previously housed a car production line, and the architects have continued this narrative by composing an apartment ‘like a series of stacked streets.’ Archer Office designed a flexible space that can shift to accommodate changing requirements of the clients, and encourages a high-density residential typology. The raw materials of the building are echoed in a refined form in the resolved apartment, where steel and concrete shine.

MRTN Architects, Dark Light House. 

This refined late 60s home is updated by MRTN Architects with a new pavilion for eating, living and cooking. The renovation on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula continues the Small Homes Service design spirit of the original residence, and retains the idea of the ceiling being the main feature of the space. A baffle ceiling structure of hardwood gum-lam rafters informs the plan, and honours the Japanese inspired light spaciousness of the original home.

Hogg & Lamb, B&B Residence

A dilapidated Queenslander cottage gets a fresh and revitalising makeover from Hogg&Lamb. Following the ‘dedicated minimalist’ aesthetic of the owners, the architects have created a peaceful home of white arches and crisp lines. The family home is minimal but functional, as services have been cleverly concealed. The sundrenched white exteriors shine against the sub-tropical blue sky, backyard pool, and green of the lawn. We featured this home in detail last year – revisit it here!

Austin Maynard Architects, Empire House

Sitting on a ring-road as part of Walter Burley Griffin’s Canberra masterplan, the Empire House by Austin Maynard Architects is a renovation that protects the historic past while reflecting the contemporary needs of the clients. An inter-war style bungalow is updated with the addition of two small pavilions that sit gently alongside the existing home. White metal shingles create a clear demarcation between old and new, while red brick creates a material link between the structures. In addition to the striking external forms, the architects reconsidered the spatial flow of the property to allow spaces for both play and pause.

Sibling Architecture, Hello Houses

Inspired by the veranda culture of Port Fairy, these Sibling Architecture homes celebrate big open spaces, natural light, and connectivity. Located at the centre of town, the design intentionally connects with the community. The pair of houses opens out to the street, with Victoria lattice work inspired screens and archways. The light and dark townhouses put a new spin on a locally relevant architectural typology.

Olaver Architects,  House 1602

Attentive readers will recognise this home from when we featured the converted terrace house by Olaver Architects, that floods the previously dark and narrow property with natural light. The renovation brief was to provide space for entertaining, and conjure a sense of space – which the architect achieved through playing with verticality and connection the outdoor space. A central void opens up the home, and allows for a double height kitchen and sunken living room. By the architects’ own admission, this design ‘isn’t out of the ordinary’ but demonstrates how a humble workers cottage can be transformed into a refined and resolved home. Have a closer look at the full house here.

Bligh Graham Architects, Harriet House

One of Brisbane’s iconic ‘timber and tin’ cottages undergoes a considered renovation from Blight Graham Architects that plays with asymmetry, form, material, soft edges and layered vertical gardens. A family home was expanded to accommodate the changing needs of two teenage sons, with new bedrooms, bathrooms and a living space for spending time with mates. The transformation retains the tropical feel of the property, and reflects a strong sense of place and climactic regional particularities.

WOWOWA, II Duomo

The highly faceted vaulted ceiling of a renovated workers cottage provided the nickname ‘Il Duomo’ – and an Italian flavoured inspiration from Mebourne’s Wowowa architects. Taking inspiration from the Medici era, the courtyard was renovated to reference the octagon geometry of an Italian cathedral. These ambitious goals have been achieved on a tiny 4m wide block, where whimsy and functionality meet. This home playfully works with light and space, delivering maximum amenity on a tiny footprint!

All shortlisted projects are now listed over on the TDF Awards website! And, stay tuned for in-depth coverage of each category shortlist over the coming weeks, ahead of the awards presentation in September!

The TDF Design Awards Residential Architecture award is presented by Brickworks.

Brickworks Building Products is one of Australia’s largest building products companies, with a stable of brands dedicated to manufacturing high-quality products for Australia and the world for over 100 years.