Shortlist revealed: 2022 Houses Awards

Flexibility, sustainability and adapting homes for an increasingly extreme climate are just some of the hallmarks of the extraordinarily innovative and resourceful projects shortlisted in the 2022 Houses Awards.

Jury chair and editor of Houses magazine Alexa Kempton said the jury found long-term adaptibility and flexible living a real consideration about the entries.

“The jury attributes this desire for long-term flexibility in residential design to a shared ambition among designers and homeowners to think more sustainably about how we use resources and to ensure homes offer longevity, meeting the changing needs of their homeowners now and into the future,” Kempton said.

“Among the alteration and addition categories, the jury was pleased to see designs that used small and strategic adjustments to achieve big impact. These adaptations demonstrate how architects and designers can resolve the problems in older homes thoughtfully, efficiently and beautifully.

“A number of this year’s homes are designed to respond to Australia’s increasingly extreme climate, be it the rapid inundation of flood water or the threat of bushfire. The jury was also delighted to see strong examples of homes that explored new ways of introducing greenery and biodiversity to the individual homes, as well as to the neighbourhood, particularly in suburban settings.”

The 2022 jury also comprises Clare Cousins (Clare Cousins Architects), Matthew Eagle (ME), Isabelle Toland (Aileen Sage Architects), and Kieran Wong (The Fulcrum Agency), with Clare Parry from Development Victoria as sustainability advisor, and Helen Lardner, director of HLCD, as heritage advisor.

Winners will be announced at a gala presentation at the State Library of Victoria on Friday 29 July 2022. Each category attracts a cash prize of $1,000. The awards will culminate in the announcement of Australian House of the Year, the winner of which will receive $5,000.