2015 Winners
Winner: Moonlight Cabin
Architect: Jackson Clements Burrows
Location: VIC
This tiny four-bed holiday home atop rugged Victorian cliffs was celebrated for its simple exterior, which will grow into the landscape beautifully. Moonlight Cabin uses timber innovatively to create a snug 60sqm shelter that acts as a retreat from the elements, and uses simple furnishings. Constructed as a corrugated iron skillion, the cabin is clad externally in a spotted-gum rain screen that is designed to act like a ‘gore-tex jacket’, protecting the occupants from the elements while allowing the timber to move naturally in the changing climatic conditions. Operable timber shutters allow cross ventilation, filtered light, protection and adaptability to be open or closed. The primary focus on the use of timber as the major building material has resulted in a highly adaptable and durable building that is warm and refreshingly authentic.
Commendation: Lagoon House
Architect: Taylor and Hinds Architects
Location: TAS
Using the trees as ‘anchors’ for the plan, this new house was sited across a central zone of the site. The materiality of the house is informed by the ‘gradation’ in the bark of the nearby gums but also references the dark openings of the local rural timber vernacular. The northern walls are clad in Tasmanian hardwood, which are ‘carved’ to create deep window reveals providing shade, seating and storage. A skin of blockwork affords protection from the prevailing inclement weather to the south. The roofline lifts to bring additional daylight into the plan. This results in an undulating profile that poetically references the lagoon and rolling landscape beyond. The use of timber internally and externally is intrinsic to the design.
Commendation: Local House
Architect: MAKE Architecture
Location: VIC
Local House by MAKE Architecture received commendation for its flawless execution and detail.