Presented by Houses magazine, the Houses Awards took place on Friday 15 July 2011 at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne.
The Houses Awards is an annual program celebrating Australia’s best residential projects. Excellence is awarded in seven categories, with the best house receiving the premier award of Australian House of the Year. Entries were judged by a panel comprised of Camilla Block, director of Durbach Block Jaggers; Paul Owen, director of Owen and Vokes; Kerry Phelan, director of Kerry Phelan Design Office; Brian Zulaikha, director of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer; Cameron Bruhn, editorial director of Architecture Media; and acting as advisor on the Sustainability category was Scott Drake of the University of Melbourne.
This year’s Australian House of the Year was House in Country NSW by Virginia Kerridge Architect. The jury said the house “demonstrates a complete commitment from an architect and their client in the making of Australian residential architecture.” The judges also praised the project’s architectural expression in embracing its idyllic surrounds. House in Country NSW was also a joint winner of the House Alteration and Addition over 200 square metres category.
Another big winner of the night was House Shmukler by Tribe Studio. Taking out the awards for the New House under 200 square metres category and the Sustainability category, House Shmukler showed a unique and interesting approach to climate, as well as embracing “the qualities and constraints of the long, narrow site.”
Other winners included Z House by Donovan Hill, the Shed by Richard Peters Associates, Trial Bay House by James Jones/HBV Architects, Potts Point Apartment by Anthony Gill Architects and Garden of Ghosts by Terragram and Allen Jack + Cottier.
With more than 200 entries received, the Houses Awards provides a unique insight into contemporary residential design and the contribution Australia’s architects and designers make to enhancing the way we live.
The Houses Awards thanks its generous 2011 supporters: Cult, Hettich, Austral Bricks, Fisher & Paykel, Centor, The Laminex Group, WoodSolutions, Viridian, SC Land and The Hatton.
For a full list of winners, commendations and finalists, please visit www.housesawards.com.au.