Houses Awards 2016

    Now in its sixth year, the Houses Awards celebrate the best in Australian residential design. The 2016 winners provide a unique insight into the zeitgeist of contemporary architecture. The awards fall into ten categories, with the overall winner named Australian Home of the Year.

    Chosen by a panel of Australia’s leading architects and designers, The 2016 jury was comprised of Karen Alcock, MA Architects (Vic); Adrian Iredale, Iredale Pedersen Hook (WA); Virginia Kerridge, Virginia Kerridge Architect (NSW); Charles Wright, Charles Wright Architects (Qld) and Katelin Butler, Editor, Houses magazine.

    Wednesday, 27. July 2016

    House Alteration and Addition under 200 m2 Winner – Baffle House, Claire Cousins Architects

    This simple addition to the rear of an Edwardian cottage in Melbourne integrates delightfully with both the existing bungalow and the garden area.

    The north-facing addition makes use of a baffle device to protect the house from the sun and as a transition to the garden space surrounding it. As well as acting as a sun regulator, the baffle casts dramatic shadows throughout the day.

    The garden has been treated as an artwork that serves to bind the new addition and the older cottage. The scale of the addition sits happily with the existing building and the new spaces within are modest in size – yet the light-filled new living area acts as a joyous counterpoint to the rest of the house.

    The addition, with its light skeletal framework, is a distinct contrast to the brick-and-shingle cottage. The garden context skillfully shapes the perception of the house and the experience of the spaces within.

    Houses Awards 2016

    House Alteration and Addition under 200 square metres awarded to: Clare Cousins Architects for Baffle House.

    Photography by Lisbeth Grosmann