The 2015 Houses Awards kicked off with the announcement of the program’s shortlist of 135 residential projects from architects and building designers across the country. 

Now in its fifth year, the 2015 Houses Awards saw 329 project submissions - an increase of 26 per cent from the previous year.

A total of 135 projects have been shortlisted including 12 projects in the program’s new category, the ‘Emerging Architecture Practice’.

‘New Houses over 200sqm’ is once again the most popular category with 32 projects shortlisted, although the a little smaller than 2014 efforts which saw 34 projects shortlisted by the organisers. 

‘House Alteration & Addition over 200sqm’ is the second largest category with 30 projects shortlisted, up five projects from 2014’s total of 25 projects.

As was the case in 2014, sustainable architecture is the least represented at the Houses Awards with only six projects shortlisted. However the category is still strong with projects from Breathe Architecture, ArchiBlox and Mihaly Slocombe among those in contention for the category prize.

The projects will now face the scrutiny of a five-strong jury before the 2015 House of the Year award is announced on Friday 31 July at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

Category winners will receive a $1,000 prize each while the Australian House of the Year winner will receive $5,000 in prize money.

On the jury:

  • Stephanie Little (Chenchow Little Architects, NSW)
  • Adrian Spence (Richards and Spence, Qld)
  • Kerstin Thompson (Kerstin Thompson Architects, Vic)
  • David Welsh (Welsh and Major, NSW)
  • Katelin Butler (editor, Houses Magazine)

The full list of projects is below. Click on the drop-down tab for specific category finalists:

New House under 200sqm - (nine projects)

New House over 200sqm - (thirty-two projects)

Alterations & Additions under 200sqm - (twenty projects)

House Alteration & Addition over 200sqm - (thirty projects)

Apartment or Unit - (ten projects)

House in a Heritage Context - (eighteen projects)

Outdoor - (ten projects)

Sustainability - (six projects)

Emerging Architecture Practice - (twelve projects)