A prefab modular unit in Queensland has won Australian House of the Year
Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular and Vokes and Peters is a set of three coastal terrace homes designed for three sisters who grew up spending their childhood holidays on the same site.
In their submission, the designers said the brief was to create a dwelling that would allow the sisters to continue to holiday alongside each other with their own families.
"This meant each must be the same and have equal access to the beach. We needed to bring light and air and amenity into the centre of a skinny floor plan especially for this middle unit."
Prefabricated in the Blok Modular factory in Brisbane, the parts were then assembled on the island to increase efficiency and ease building costs.
An example of "stealth density", three houses have now been placed on the one site in what was considered sustainable and responsible residential design.
"This project sets a benchmark for lightweight, medium-density housing on the island, providing an adaptable and resilient solution to environmental changes/challenges," said the designers.
Launched in 2010, the Awards celebrate projects across 10 categories, including New House (under and over 200 square metres), House Alteration and Addition (under and over 200 square metres), Apartment or Unit, Sustainability, House in a Heritage Context, Emerging Architecture Practice, Australian House of the Year, and the newly created Small Project.
The Small Project award was introduced to recognise innovation and impact in small builds and the inaugural winner was Window, Window, Window by Panov Scott.
The project is a granny flat that is seamlessly inserted in the underneath space of an existing house, creating a functional second dwelling.
In a statement the jury said this project was "an exemplary secondary dwelling that employs clever siting and efficient planning without sacrifice to a rich interior setting."
Winner of the New House Over 200 Square Metres went to Studio Bright for its Hedge and Arbour House - a vine-covered Melbourne home where architecture dissolves into the site.
Sawmill Treehouse, a tiny cabin suspended among the gum trees, took out the win for New House Under 200 Square Metres.
With sustainability a very real concern for design studios, the winner of the Sustainability award - Cake House by Alexander Symes Architect - was considered to be a fantastic blueprint for a sustainable beach house that could be used elsewhere in Australia.
The renovated beach shack accommodates 17 guests and features passive house principles combined with high-performance, climate-resilient design.
This year's esteemed panel of jurors included John Ellway from John Ellway Architect, Polly Harbison, principal of Polly Harbison Design, Dimmity Walker, director of Spaceagency Architects and John Wardle, founder of Wardle.
They were joined by jury chair Alexa Kempton, editor of Houses magazine and Architecture Media, as well as Louise Honman as the heritage advisor and Pippa Soccio as the sustainability advisor.
In a statement, Kempton said the winners responded to their briefs and site with "skill and inventiveness" to achieve "elegantly resolved designs for welcoming, livable homes."
"Across multiple category winners, designs resolved this need for adaptable domestic space with a commitment to quality over quantity," she said. "These are homes without excess, with designs that optimise living environments to the last millimetre."
"The jury was encouraged by the replicable strategies demonstrated in the winning homes, and would be delighted to see such ideas proliferate in our neighbourhoods."
The complete list of winners
Australian House of the Year - Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular with Vokes and Peters (QLD)
New House Under 200 Square Metres - Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker (VIC)
New House Over 200 Square Metres - Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright (VIC)
House Alteration and Addition Under 200 Square Metre s - Carlton Cottage by Lovell Burton Architecture (VIC)
House Alteration and Addition Over 200 Square Metres - Cloaked House by Trias (NSW)
Apartment or Unit - Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular with Vokes and Peters (QLD)
Small Project (new category) - Window, Window, Window by Panov Scott (NSW)
Sustainability - Cake House by Alexander Symes Architect (NSW)
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7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
A prefab modular unit in Queensland has won Australian House of the Year
A prefabricated modular unit on North Stradbroke Island has taken out the prestigious Australian House of the Year award for 2025. Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular and Vokes and Peters is a set of three coastal terrace homes designed for three sisters who grew up spending their childhood holidays on the same site. In their submission, the designers said the brief was to create a dwelling that would allow the sisters to continue to holiday alongside each other with their own families. "This meant each must be the same and have equal access to the beach. We needed to bring light and air and amenity into the centre of a skinny floor plan especially for this middle unit." Prefabricated in the Blok Modular factory in Brisbane, the parts were then assembled on the island to increase efficiency and ease building costs. An example of "stealth density", three houses have now been placed on the one site in what was considered sustainable and responsible residential design. "This project sets a benchmark for lightweight, medium-density housing on the island, providing an adaptable and resilient solution to environmental changes/challenges," said the designers. Launched in 2010, the Awards celebrate projects across 10 categories, including New House (under and over 200 square metres), House Alteration and Addition (under and over 200 square metres), Apartment or Unit, Sustainability, House in a Heritage Context, Emerging Architecture Practice, Australian House of the Year, and the newly created Small Project. The Small Project award was introduced to recognise innovation and impact in small builds and the inaugural winner was Window, Window, Window by Panov Scott. The project is a granny flat that is seamlessly inserted in the underneath space of an existing house, creating a functional second dwelling. In a statement the jury said this project was "an exemplary secondary dwelling that employs clever siting and efficient planning without sacrifice to a rich interior setting." Winner of the New House Over 200 Square Metres went to Studio Bright for its Hedge and Arbour House - a vine-covered Melbourne home where architecture dissolves into the site. Sawmill Treehouse, a tiny cabin suspended among the gum trees, took out the win for New House Under 200 Square Metres. With sustainability a very real concern for design studios, the winner of the Sustainability award - Cake House by Alexander Symes Architect - was considered to be a fantastic blueprint for a sustainable beach house that could be used elsewhere in Australia. The renovated beach shack accommodates 17 guests and features passive house principles combined with high-performance, climate-resilient design. This year's esteemed panel of jurors included John Ellway from John Ellway Architect, Polly Harbison, principal of Polly Harbison Design, Dimmity Walker, director of Spaceagency Architects and John Wardle, founder of Wardle. They were joined by jury chair Alexa Kempton, editor of Houses magazine and Architecture Media, as well as Louise Honman as the heritage advisor and Pippa Soccio as the sustainability advisor. In a statement, Kempton said the winners responded to their briefs and site with "skill and inventiveness" to achieve "elegantly resolved designs for welcoming, livable homes." "Across multiple category winners, designs resolved this need for adaptable domestic space with a commitment to quality over quantity," she said. "These are homes without excess, with designs that optimise living environments to the last millimetre." "The jury was encouraged by the replicable strategies demonstrated in the winning homes, and would be delighted to see such ideas proliferate in our neighbourhoods." The complete list of winners Australian House of the Year - Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular with Vokes and Peters (QLD) New House Under 200 Square Metres - Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker (VIC) New House Over 200 Square Metres - Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright (VIC) House Alteration and Addition Under 200 Square Metre s - Carlton Cottage by Lovell Burton Architecture (VIC) House Alteration and Addition Over 200 Square Metres - Cloaked House by Trias (NSW) Apartment or Unit - Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular with Vokes and Peters (QLD) Small Project (new category) - Window, Window, Window by Panov Scott (NSW) Sustainability - Cake House by Alexander Symes Architect (NSW)
News.com.au
07-08-2025
- News.com.au
Shock as crumbling beach shack named 2025 House of the Year
In a plot twist no one saw coming, a crumbling childhood holiday shack has been named the 2025 Australian House of the Year after a stunning transformation. Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular with Vokes and Peters has taken out the top prize in the 2025 Houses Awards for its innovative approach to a unique problem – creating three jawdropping homes for a trio of sisters where they spent their childhood summers. The vision behind the design and its implementation saw it heralded as the future of Australian housing – representing the type of 'stealth density' required in a time of housing shortage, turning one crumbling house into multiple designer homes. At first glance it does still look like one house, but it is three full homes side-by-side on North Stradbroke – each with their own courtyards, breezeways and laid-back vibe The homes weren't even built on-site, having been prefabricated in Brisbane and shipped to the fragile island environment to save time, money and environmental impact. The Houses Awards jury was blown away, with their citation positively gushing over the property. 'A single beach house in a state of disrepair has been replaced with three new residences, permitting the next generations of the same family to make their own memories here,' the citation said. 'Blok Three Sisters is an inventive design that finds a compelling balance between pragmatism and ambition. 'The design looks to the past to recall what makes a great holiday house, while broadening the possibilities of prefabrication as an alternative construction method that is better equipped for our future.' Shock as lenders slash rates to lowest level in 2 years It said the units were arranged side-by-side, with a simple flip in the plan of one unit achieving subtle variation in the facade, 'gently disguising its modularity'. 'Australia needs more exemplars of stealth density that demonstrate how our freestanding residences might gradually evolve to accommodate more dwellings, without sacrifice to individual or neighbourhood amenity,' the jury citation said. 'The jury felt this terrace-like, modular design was not only a successful response to this laid-back coastal setting, but also a worthy and replicable model for co-living that could be readily adapted to sites in urban and suburban settings.'
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- News.com.au
2025 Victorian Architecture Awards hail best in the business
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