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The Advertiser
02-08-2025
- The Advertiser
Prefab house ferried to island by night wins top award
A prefabricated house ferried to its island location by barge in the middle of the night has won a national architecture award. The Australian House of the Year in the 2025 Houses Awards has gone to a project that's actually three homes in one, a design named Blok Three Sisters, on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane. The development had to accommodate three sisters in their 60s, as well as their children and grandchildren after their much-loved 1970s holiday house was infested with mycelium and became uninhabitable. The designers had to avoid the possibility of sibling rivalry over which residence was closest to the beach and settled on a terrace with a central courtyard area, so the three houses are able to function as one big holiday home at Christmas and Easter. Building on the island is expensive due to a lack of local tradies and the cost of transporting materials from the mainland, so the project was constructed in a Brisbane factory over six months and delivered to the island in six modules via ferry. The builders hired an island car barge over two nights from midnight till 4am and had to be finished in time for the barge to resume its usual daily duties at 6am. The hours weren't great but it was enough time for two semi-trailers carrying giant sections of the building (the biggest measuring 15 metres long) to make three trips across each night. The sections were then put in place on the site near Home Beach over two days, with prefabrication offsite making the building process about 50 per cent faster than a traditional build. The architecture is an example of "stealth density" according to Blok Modular director Daniel Burnett: seen from the front, the three homes are the same height and width as the old house, while each part of the building opens out to its surroundings. "You've got this sense that you're just sitting in a little bathing shack on the dunes," he said. "You're completely immersed in this environment." The project was an emotional one for the three sisters, whose parents built the original house and have since passed away. The siblings are more than pleased with the finished product, while prefabricating the house on the mainland also meant the construction process was easier on the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby wetlands. "Building traditionally on a site like this, all of the pollution and toxicity and noise and rubbish, all of those impacts of construction were taken away from the site and put into a purpose built factory in Brisbane that was designed to handle those things," said Burnett. A cabin built on stilts amongst gum trees, Sawmill Treehouse in Victoria by designer Robbie Walker, was named best New House Under 200 Square Metres. A vine-wrapped suburban Melbourne home, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright, won New House Over 200 Square Metres. A prefabricated house ferried to its island location by barge in the middle of the night has won a national architecture award. The Australian House of the Year in the 2025 Houses Awards has gone to a project that's actually three homes in one, a design named Blok Three Sisters, on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane. The development had to accommodate three sisters in their 60s, as well as their children and grandchildren after their much-loved 1970s holiday house was infested with mycelium and became uninhabitable. The designers had to avoid the possibility of sibling rivalry over which residence was closest to the beach and settled on a terrace with a central courtyard area, so the three houses are able to function as one big holiday home at Christmas and Easter. Building on the island is expensive due to a lack of local tradies and the cost of transporting materials from the mainland, so the project was constructed in a Brisbane factory over six months and delivered to the island in six modules via ferry. The builders hired an island car barge over two nights from midnight till 4am and had to be finished in time for the barge to resume its usual daily duties at 6am. The hours weren't great but it was enough time for two semi-trailers carrying giant sections of the building (the biggest measuring 15 metres long) to make three trips across each night. The sections were then put in place on the site near Home Beach over two days, with prefabrication offsite making the building process about 50 per cent faster than a traditional build. The architecture is an example of "stealth density" according to Blok Modular director Daniel Burnett: seen from the front, the three homes are the same height and width as the old house, while each part of the building opens out to its surroundings. "You've got this sense that you're just sitting in a little bathing shack on the dunes," he said. "You're completely immersed in this environment." The project was an emotional one for the three sisters, whose parents built the original house and have since passed away. The siblings are more than pleased with the finished product, while prefabricating the house on the mainland also meant the construction process was easier on the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby wetlands. "Building traditionally on a site like this, all of the pollution and toxicity and noise and rubbish, all of those impacts of construction were taken away from the site and put into a purpose built factory in Brisbane that was designed to handle those things," said Burnett. A cabin built on stilts amongst gum trees, Sawmill Treehouse in Victoria by designer Robbie Walker, was named best New House Under 200 Square Metres. A vine-wrapped suburban Melbourne home, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright, won New House Over 200 Square Metres. A prefabricated house ferried to its island location by barge in the middle of the night has won a national architecture award. The Australian House of the Year in the 2025 Houses Awards has gone to a project that's actually three homes in one, a design named Blok Three Sisters, on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane. The development had to accommodate three sisters in their 60s, as well as their children and grandchildren after their much-loved 1970s holiday house was infested with mycelium and became uninhabitable. The designers had to avoid the possibility of sibling rivalry over which residence was closest to the beach and settled on a terrace with a central courtyard area, so the three houses are able to function as one big holiday home at Christmas and Easter. Building on the island is expensive due to a lack of local tradies and the cost of transporting materials from the mainland, so the project was constructed in a Brisbane factory over six months and delivered to the island in six modules via ferry. The builders hired an island car barge over two nights from midnight till 4am and had to be finished in time for the barge to resume its usual daily duties at 6am. The hours weren't great but it was enough time for two semi-trailers carrying giant sections of the building (the biggest measuring 15 metres long) to make three trips across each night. The sections were then put in place on the site near Home Beach over two days, with prefabrication offsite making the building process about 50 per cent faster than a traditional build. The architecture is an example of "stealth density" according to Blok Modular director Daniel Burnett: seen from the front, the three homes are the same height and width as the old house, while each part of the building opens out to its surroundings. "You've got this sense that you're just sitting in a little bathing shack on the dunes," he said. "You're completely immersed in this environment." The project was an emotional one for the three sisters, whose parents built the original house and have since passed away. The siblings are more than pleased with the finished product, while prefabricating the house on the mainland also meant the construction process was easier on the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby wetlands. "Building traditionally on a site like this, all of the pollution and toxicity and noise and rubbish, all of those impacts of construction were taken away from the site and put into a purpose built factory in Brisbane that was designed to handle those things," said Burnett. A cabin built on stilts amongst gum trees, Sawmill Treehouse in Victoria by designer Robbie Walker, was named best New House Under 200 Square Metres. A vine-wrapped suburban Melbourne home, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright, won New House Over 200 Square Metres. A prefabricated house ferried to its island location by barge in the middle of the night has won a national architecture award. The Australian House of the Year in the 2025 Houses Awards has gone to a project that's actually three homes in one, a design named Blok Three Sisters, on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane. The development had to accommodate three sisters in their 60s, as well as their children and grandchildren after their much-loved 1970s holiday house was infested with mycelium and became uninhabitable. The designers had to avoid the possibility of sibling rivalry over which residence was closest to the beach and settled on a terrace with a central courtyard area, so the three houses are able to function as one big holiday home at Christmas and Easter. Building on the island is expensive due to a lack of local tradies and the cost of transporting materials from the mainland, so the project was constructed in a Brisbane factory over six months and delivered to the island in six modules via ferry. The builders hired an island car barge over two nights from midnight till 4am and had to be finished in time for the barge to resume its usual daily duties at 6am. The hours weren't great but it was enough time for two semi-trailers carrying giant sections of the building (the biggest measuring 15 metres long) to make three trips across each night. The sections were then put in place on the site near Home Beach over two days, with prefabrication offsite making the building process about 50 per cent faster than a traditional build. The architecture is an example of "stealth density" according to Blok Modular director Daniel Burnett: seen from the front, the three homes are the same height and width as the old house, while each part of the building opens out to its surroundings. "You've got this sense that you're just sitting in a little bathing shack on the dunes," he said. "You're completely immersed in this environment." The project was an emotional one for the three sisters, whose parents built the original house and have since passed away. The siblings are more than pleased with the finished product, while prefabricating the house on the mainland also meant the construction process was easier on the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby wetlands. "Building traditionally on a site like this, all of the pollution and toxicity and noise and rubbish, all of those impacts of construction were taken away from the site and put into a purpose built factory in Brisbane that was designed to handle those things," said Burnett. A cabin built on stilts amongst gum trees, Sawmill Treehouse in Victoria by designer Robbie Walker, was named best New House Under 200 Square Metres. A vine-wrapped suburban Melbourne home, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright, won New House Over 200 Square Metres.
Perth Now
01-08-2025
- Perth Now
Prefab house ferried to island by night wins top award
A prefabricated house ferried to its island location by barge in the middle of the night has won a national architecture award. The Australian House of the Year in the 2025 Houses Awards has gone to a project that's actually three homes in one, a design named Blok Three Sisters, on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane. The development had to accommodate three sisters in their 60s, as well as their children and grandchildren after their much-loved 1970s holiday house was infested with mycelium and became uninhabitable. The designers had to avoid the possibility of sibling rivalry over which residence was closest to the beach and settled on a terrace with a central courtyard area, so the three houses are able to function as one big holiday home at Christmas and Easter. Building on the island is expensive due to a lack of local tradies and the cost of transporting materials from the mainland, so the project was constructed in a Brisbane factory over six months and delivered to the island in six modules via ferry. The builders hired an island car barge over two nights from midnight till 4am and had to be finished in time for the barge to resume its usual daily duties at 6am. The hours weren't great but it was enough time for two semi-trailers carrying giant sections of the building (the biggest measuring 15 metres long) to make three trips across each night. The sections were then put in place on the site near Home Beach over two days, with prefabrication offsite making the building process about 50 per cent faster than a traditional build. The architecture is an example of "stealth density" according to Blok Modular director Daniel Burnett: seen from the front, the three homes are the same height and width as the old house, while each part of the building opens out to its surroundings. "You've got this sense that you're just sitting in a little bathing shack on the dunes," he said. "You're completely immersed in this environment." The project was an emotional one for the three sisters, whose parents built the original house and have since passed away. The siblings are more than pleased with the finished product, while prefabricating the house on the mainland also meant the construction process was easier on the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby wetlands. "Building traditionally on a site like this, all of the pollution and toxicity and noise and rubbish, all of those impacts of construction were taken away from the site and put into a purpose built factory in Brisbane that was designed to handle those things," said Burnett. A cabin built on stilts amongst gum trees, Sawmill Treehouse in Victoria by designer Robbie Walker, was named best New House Under 200 Square Metres. A vine-wrapped suburban Melbourne home, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright, won New House Over 200 Square Metres.
West Australian
01-08-2025
- West Australian
Prefab house ferried to island by night wins top award
A prefabricated house ferried to its island location by barge in the middle of the night has won a national architecture award. The Australian House of the Year in the 2025 Houses Awards has gone to a project that's actually three homes in one, a design named Blok Three Sisters, on North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Brisbane. The development had to accommodate three sisters in their 60s, as well as their children and grandchildren after their much-loved 1970s holiday house was infested with mycelium and became uninhabitable. The designers had to avoid the possibility of sibling rivalry over which residence was closest to the beach and settled on a terrace with a central courtyard area, so the three houses are able to function as one big holiday home at Christmas and Easter. Building on the island is expensive due to a lack of local tradies and the cost of transporting materials from the mainland, so the project was constructed in a Brisbane factory over six months and delivered to the island in six modules via ferry. The builders hired an island car barge over two nights from midnight till 4am and had to be finished in time for the barge to resume its usual daily duties at 6am. The hours weren't great but it was enough time for two semi-trailers carrying giant sections of the building (the biggest measuring 15 metres long) to make three trips across each night. The sections were then put in place on the site near Home Beach over two days, with prefabrication offsite making the building process about 50 per cent faster than a traditional build. The architecture is an example of "stealth density" according to Blok Modular director Daniel Burnett: seen from the front, the three homes are the same height and width as the old house, while each part of the building opens out to its surroundings. "You've got this sense that you're just sitting in a little bathing shack on the dunes," he said. "You're completely immersed in this environment." The project was an emotional one for the three sisters, whose parents built the original house and have since passed away. The siblings are more than pleased with the finished product, while prefabricating the house on the mainland also meant the construction process was easier on the coastal ecosystem, including the nearby wetlands. "Building traditionally on a site like this, all of the pollution and toxicity and noise and rubbish, all of those impacts of construction were taken away from the site and put into a purpose built factory in Brisbane that was designed to handle those things," said Burnett. A cabin built on stilts amongst gum trees, Sawmill Treehouse in Victoria by designer Robbie Walker, was named best New House Under 200 Square Metres. A vine-wrapped suburban Melbourne home, Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright, won New House Over 200 Square Metres.
The Guardian
28-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Victoria's best new residential architecture
Winner of the Harold Desbrowe Annear Award. 'Living spaces and the landscape spaces are as fluid as possible,' says Lyon about this family home in Melbourne. 'Even the walls themselves are quite monumental.' Photograph: Rory Gardiner/Studio Bright The house is shaped like a Tetris T-block, with the bedrooms running along the main length of the property, and the living room and kitchen in the smallest wing. This layout 'challenges the conventional idea of a house,' says Lyon. 'The relationship between the garden and house has become blurred.' He says it's a great model for suburban living that counteracts the stereotypical McMansion that has yards at the front and back of the house. Photograph: Rory Gardiner/Studio Bright Commendation. This family home is a graceful place, Lyon says. 'It's a well-crafted, delicate house and the clients here were looking for something the family could live in comfortably. Everything is well-thought through.' Photograph: Pier Carthew/markowitzdesign + Stavrias Architecture Inside feels like a continuation of the materials used outside, adds Lyon. Bedrooms for the parents and kids sit at opposite ends of the property, with the main living zones in the middle. Photograph: Pier Carthew/markowitzdesign + Stavrias Architecture Commendation. Traditional rural materials, such as galvanised steel, have been elevated in a sculptural way here, says Lyon about the South Gippsland holiday home. 'It's a farm house, but it has that cutting-edge quality.' Its cladding exterior is a bushfire-resistant solution too. Photograph: Tom Blachford/Neil Architecture 'The exteriors are an ode to the working rural farm shed, but inside it's warm timber, inviting you inside,' says Lyon. Photograph: Tom Blachford/Neil Architecture Architecture award winner. 'This one has a nostalgic quality, of what we remember a childhood visit to a beach house to be like,' Lyon says. 'It's informal, quirky, indoor-outdoor – you're in the trees, with the gravel outside.' Photograph: multiplicity The property also won the architecture award in the interior design category: 'You're allowed to walk around with your thongs on and wet bathers,' says Lyon of the practical and joyful design. 'That's a deliberate decision, to be able to use the house without fear.' Photograph: multiplicity Commendation. Both a working sheep farm and a home, this property is an example of architecture that works with the environment. 'You get a sense of which parts are the house and which are for working, but it is unified and that is primarily because of the consistency of the colour of the Colorbond, which goes well with the green of the land,' Lyon says. Photograph: Dave Kulesza/MRTN Inside is a place for the owners to retreat from their work, says Lyon, without losing that connection to the land. Photograph: Dave Kulesza/MRTN Architecture award winner. 'The concrete is an aesthetic choice but also a choice of requirement,' says Lyon about this bunker-style holiday home. 'It's a representation of the high-flame zone requirements [for the area].' The jury noted it was 'a call to rethink how and where we build in a fire-prone future', as the project was initially deemed unbuildable. '[It] addresses risk with resolve,' they said. Photograph: Sharyn Cairns/KTA 'You have this amazing, infinite view of the horizon from the inside,' says Lyon. Photograph: Sharyn Cairns/KTA
