A stunning residential project has won the People’s Choice Award at the Australian Institute of Architect’s 2018 National Architecture Awards. The home also received a National Award in the highly competitive Residential Architecture – Houses (New) category at a ceremony in Melbourne tonight.

Cabbage Tree House by Peter Stutchbury Architecture, is set into a bushland setting in Sydney’s northern beaches, engages with its surrounds, anchored into a north-facing escarpment that takes in both the bush and bubbling creek below.

The judging panel said the new three-storey home was ‘skilfully broken down into smaller spaces of seclusion to allow various modes of occupation … that invites slowing down the pace of life’.

Constructed from a raw material palette of recycled brick, concrete, steel and timber, the home is ‘an exercise in simplicity and restraint, demonstrating a symbiotic relationship between architecture and nature – like part of the landscape.’

Jury chair and Immediate Past President Richard Kirk said the National Awards provided an opportunity to reflect on how Australia’s diverse landscapes, urban environments and economic conditions influence and inform our architecture, enriching our culture.

‘Projects at this level are all accomplished but it was those that could demonstrate their value broadly, beyond the limits of the brief and the confines of the site, which were nationally recognised,’ he said.

‘Most impressive were projects that established new design benchmarks and whose influence can be of value to the broader community, leading to positive change in our built environment.’

National President Clare Cousins congratulated all award recipients and finalists for their valuable contribution to Australian architectural practice.

‘In Australia, we have developed our own brand of architecture that defines who we are and where we come from,’ she said.

‘These awards are the most recognised and competitive in the industry. They are peer-judged and involve an exhaustive selection process, with site visits to shortlisted projects, allowing the jury to experience the quality of the work firsthand.

‘They showcase the continuing evolution and diversity of our craft and the changing needs of our society, illustrating the vital role architecture plays in the lives of all Australians.’