AIA awards 2024: Melbourne pyramid-style house crowned Australia’s best home

A Box Hill South house with a brick pyramid roof and central courtyard that turns the home into a sundial has been crowned Australia’s best architectural residence home for 2024.

The unusual residence received the top prize for a residential house at the Australian Institute of Architects’ National Awards as Victorian buildings scooped up 13 awards in total, one in every three awards on offer.

AIA awards national jury chair Stuart Tanner said it was an “extraordinary” result for the state.

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The Edition Office design, dubbed Naples Street House, was named the nation’s best new home in the awards, and was built with a masonry roof in an unusual pyramid shape. It was also designed around a central courtyard that Mr Tanner turned into a sundial throughout the day.

An Anglesea home built out of torn clay bricks as a beach home for Wardle Studio boss Rob Wardle also won a gong in the new residential housing category, as Victorian entries squeezed out contenders from every other state or territory.

Naples Street House by Edition Office took out the award for residential house of the year. Picture: Tasha Tylee

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Mr Tanner also lauded the success of South Melbourne’s Ferrars and York building, which turned a disused patch of dirt between a main road and the suburb’s light rail into the kind of urban housing the city now needed to embrace.

The Naples Street House becomes a sundial throughout the day. Picture: Tasha Tylee.

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Inside Naples Street House. Picture Tasha Tylee

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“Higher density is a contentious issue in Melbourne at the moment, but I do feel that being receptive to projects like this that are designed right is the absolute go,” Mr Tanner said.

“Otherwise it would have been an empty site on the edge of a railway that people would just drive past.”

Ferrars & York by Six Degrees Architects. Picture: Dan Preston

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The six-storey project earned Six Degrees Architects the nation’s highest accolade for a multi-residential building — and despite it’s busy location — had used clever architectural design and materials to make the residences silent within.

Clifton Hill Primary School by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. Picture: Peter Clarke M

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Geelong’s Arts Centre by ARM Architecture won a national award for interior architecture, an urban office complex dubbed T3 Collingwood earned Jackson Clement Burrows the nation’s top prize for commercial architecture and Clifton Hill Primary School won an award in the education category.

Mr Tanner said while Victoria’s population ensured it regularly vied with NSW for the state with the most award winners, this year’s results had been “extraordinary”.

Geelong Arts Centre Stage 3 won an award for interior architecture. Picture: John Gollings

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“It points to the fact that there is a very, very strong school of design in Melbourne,” Mr Tanner said.

“It is one of the most liveable cities and it’s worth taking note of any city or region that is investing in or supporting good design.”

Victorian Award Winners

Commercial Architecture

– The Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture

T3 Collingwood | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

– National Award for Commercial Architecture

Sanders Place | NMBW, Openwork & Finding Infinity | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

T3 Collingwood by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects won an award for commercial architecture. Picture: Tom Blachford

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Educational Architecture

– National Award for Educational Architecture

Clifton Hill Primary School | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

Interior Architecture

– The Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture

Burnt Earth Beach House | Wardle | VIC | Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung Country

– National Award for Interior Architecture

Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) | ARM Architecture | VIC | Wadawurrung Country

Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle. Picture: Trevor Mein

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Public Architecture

– National Award for Public Architecture

Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects | VIC | Bunurong Country

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations & Additions)

– National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

Mansard House | Studio Bright | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

Six Ways House by Kennedy Nolan. Picture: Derek Swalwell

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Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

– The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Naples Street House | Edition Office | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

– National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Burnt Earth Beach House | Wardle | VIC | Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung Country

– National Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

– Six Ways House | Kennedy Nolan | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

– The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

Ferrars & York | Six Degrees Architects | VIC | Wurundjeri Country

Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab. Picture: Tom Ross

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Sustainable Architecture

– National Award for Sustainable Architecture

Powerhouse Place | Public Realm Lab | VIC | Millewa-Mallee Country

Urban Design

– National Award for Urban Design

Powerhouse Place | Public Realm Lab | VIC | Millewa-Mallee Country

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