Inside Out Home of the Year Awards 2024

An annual celebration of design excellence, the Inside Out x Brickworks Home of the Year Awards reflect the upper echelon of Australian architecture. From contemporary coastal to sleek and sustainable, each of these projects highlight the multitude of possibilities for robust materiality to reinvent residential living.

Best Residential Interior & Overall Winner:

Not a Motel by Pleysier Perkins (VIC)

Steeped in the iconic principles of mid-century modern design, this playful retreat in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula exudes the fun of California coastal living. Appropriately titled ‘Not a Hotel’, the project is inspired by the colour and conviviality of Palm Springs motels, acting as a getaway for a family of three and their friends. “With a delightful sense of whimsy and an exceptional use of brick, this four-bedroom holiday home blends the charm of an Aussie beach shack with the retro allure of a Palm Springs motel,” exclaims Brett Ward, General Manager of International Marketing for Brickworks Building Products. “Its nod to mid-century modern design enhances the home’s overall appeal.” Defining the home’s relaxed, coastal aura, Bowral Bricks Chillingham White creates circular motifs throughout the home, curving around an expansive outdoor shower and sunken lounge, two highlights of the shared spaces. Multicoloured doorways and shuttered windows comprise the hallway for the bedrooms, enhancing the motel-feel while referencing the bright and bold palettes of the home’s retro art collection and stained glass windows. 

Best Compact Build Under 200m² – Joint Winner

Draped House by Trias (NSW)

Unafraid of minimalism, this peaceful home in Sydney’s north creates an architectural spectacle in its subtlety. Opting for a robust palette of timber, concrete and sandstone, architects Trias engaged in a reductive design approach to allow the leafy surroundings of Draped House to shine. Sprawling towards the sky from the centre of the façade, a scribbly gum anchors the home in place, the curvature of the roofing simulating its natural arch while expanding the feeling of spaciousness within the compact site. “The home is a testament to beautiful design and craftsmanship, showcasing how a suburban build can harmonise with its surroundings, revealing small spaces can, indeed, be highly impactful,” Brett affirms. 

“Harriet’s House has been expertly expanded from its original Georgian cottage form, using bricks to strike a harmonious balance between subtlety and boldness, resulting in a contemporary transformation that enhances the space beautifully.”

Best Compact Build Under 200m² – Joint Winner

Harriet’s House by So. Architecture (TAS)

“Harriet’s House has been expertly expanded from its original Georgian cottage form, using brick to strike a harmonious balance between subtlety and boldness,” reflects Brett. So Architecture worked across six years with homeowner and Australian design veteran Harriet Edquist to create a space that embraced the original heritage-listed cottage and its small site. Preserving the existing foundations of Harriet’s House reduced building waste significantly, with additional materials chosen to extend upon the Georgian design language with contemporary undertones. Austral Bricks Access in Ash and Yarra in Richmond are used across the new extension’s internal and external walls and flooring, establishing a neutral palette that gently backs beautiful art works and trinkets collected by Harriet over the years. “The result is a contemporary transformation that enhances the space beautifully.”

Best Alteration or Renovation

Niwa House by John Ellway (QLD)

Hailing from the Japanese word for ‘garden’ or ‘courtyard’, Niwa House intertwines tranquil greenery with the home. Despite its inner-city location, the home is thoughtfully connected to an internal garden that can be enjoyed at all times of the year. “A brilliant and agile transformation of the modest Queensland worker’s cottage draws inspiration from the verandah, allowing its residents to seamlessly blend their living space with the garden,” explains Brett. Having no connection to the natural elements previously, architect John Ellway used the renovation to open up the home through a series of platforms that move from living room to greenery, kitchen to garden, blurring the lines between indoors and out.

Best Use of Material Brick

Mygunyah by The Circus by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design (VIC)

Made for multi-generational living, Mygunyah by The Circus demonstrates a masterful use of brickwork, creating deliberate contrast between a modern renovation and the Victorian cues of the existing home. “Divided into three distinct pavilions that gently interlink, the residence embraces a rich interplay of natural light and textures, enhancing the internal spaces,” says Brett. Referencing the traditional elements of the first pavilion, the second utilises Nubrik Traditional Acland Cream bricks in a contemporary form to merge old and new. Moving through to the third of the pavilions, Austral Bricks La Paloma in Romero comprises a double-layered cavity brick system within the generous family room for storage and focus within the space. “The thoughtful application of brick seamlessly bridges the old and the new, creating a balance throughout the project.”

Best Garden Design

Mediterranean Modern by Adam Robinson Design (NSW)

The appeal of Adam Robinson Design’s Mediterranean Modern is undoubtedly evident in the textural whirlwind of its courtyard. A previously dated Victorian terrace was given a contemporary upheaval, embracing minimal design to highlight the impact of a raw palette. “The Mediterranean-inspired courtyard skillfully blends space and nature with its varied stone and brickwork, adding texture and warmth,” Brett describes. “It enhances outdoor entertaining, creating a serene and timeless atmosphere.” Powdery concrete and patchworked stone, in tandem with a combination of old and new brick, paint the courtyard in an assortment of textural shades, refraining from resorting to a plain outdoor space while allowing greenery to flourish.

Best Sustainable Project

Heather’s Off-Grid House by Gardiner Architects (VIC)

“Gardiner Architects redefine ‘off-grid’ with a farmhouse that exemplifies environmental stewardship, blending intergenerational living, adaptability, and sustainability into a truly forward-thinking, eco-friendly design,” says Brett. Situated in Victoria’s Barwon Valley, this sustainable farmhouse works with the natural environment and native vegetation to create a flexible family home. Solar panels, water tanks, a wood-fired boiler and a transpiration septic system work together to allow the home to function off-the-grid, with water from the system aiding in restoring the surrounding greenery. The layout offers both indoor and outdoor living spaces, providing the essential services areas without being excessive in its use of space and construction materials. 

Reflecting Australia’s best of the best in design, the winners of the Inside Out x Brickworks Home of the Year Awards tell an engaging narrative of innovative architecture, harnessing humble material palettes to emphasise their power in creating impactful residences.