Four Victorian homes, including a futuristic cabin that resembles a spaceship, have been recognized among Australia's most exceptional residential designs of the year at the prestigious 2025 Houses Awards presented by Houses magazine. The awards celebrated outstanding architectural achievements across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
The standout winner in the New House Under 200 Square Meters category was the remarkable Sawmill Treehouse, designed by Mansfield-based architect Robbie Walker. This tiny 48-square-meter home, nestled among towering gum trees, has captured attention for its otherworldly appearance that draws inevitable comparisons to a spacecraft.
Located within the Alpine National Park, the ultra-minimalist retreat represents a masterful blend of innovative design and environmental consciousness. The cabin was conceived as a small, serene sanctuary where visitors can connect deeply with nature while enjoying modern comforts.
Walker explained that his client had spent considerable time camping on the property before commissioning the cabin design. "She fell in love with the tall trees and didn't want any removed during construction," Walker noted. The client requested a compact home to share with family and friends, with plans to also rent it out for short-term stays.
The cabin's design incorporates a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room, with all mechanical services cleverly concealed beneath the floor and behind stairs. Given its location in a high-risk bushfire area, the exterior features non-flammable steel materials, while the interior showcases warm timber finishes.
One of the most significant design challenges was the cabin's proximity to a gully that collects water from the surrounding landscape. Walker's innovative solution involved elevating the structure on stilts, allowing water to flow freely underneath. "The large tall trees that fill the area were the inspiration for the tall columns, which were based on the tree trunks," Walker explained. "They extend past the building just like the trees do."
A separate smaller building on the site houses a garage, laundry, and outdoor kitchen, completing the property's functional needs while maintaining the main cabin's minimalist aesthetic.
In the New House Over 200 Square Meters category, the top honor went to Ivanhoe's Hedge and Arbour House by architecture practice Studio Bright. This vine-wrapped residence exemplifies how modern homes can seamlessly blend with their natural surroundings, with architecture that appears to dissolve into the outdoor environment.
Carlton proved to be a hotbed of award-winning design, with two properties receiving recognition. Architecture Architecture's project earned the House in a Heritage Context award for their transformation of a circa-1870s terrace house. Named Mess Hall, the Victorian-era home was converted into a residence featuring a dedicated garden studio where the owners can pursue their artistic passions of writing and painting. The renovation successfully transformed the building's formerly narrow corridors and shadowy rooms into light-filled spaces suitable for modern family living.
Another Carlton property, a historic cottage renovation by Lovell Burton Architecture, won in the House Alteration and Addition category. This thoughtful renovation extended and updated the historic cottage to incorporate family-friendly features, including burnished concrete floors specifically designed for children to ride their bicycles on. The project, known as Carlton Cottage, features large pivot doors and a sliding fence panel that enhance both functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Windsor's Ellul Architecture received recognition as the Emerging Architecture Practice, highlighting the firm's promising contributions to the architectural landscape.
Alexa Kempton, editor of Houses magazine and chair of the awards jury, emphasized that many winning homes demonstrated remarkable inventiveness, with several championing sustainable design principles. The Sawmill Treehouse exemplified this commitment to environmental responsibility.
Walker praised his client as "the true hero of the project," noting that "choosing to build something small when you have the space to go bigger takes real courage." He explained the various pressures that typically push clients toward larger constructions: real estate agents had advised that a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house would command the best resale price, banks struggle to properly value one-bedroom homes in rural areas, and the planning and building permit processes for smaller projects require the same consultants, reports, and approvals as larger developments.
"So, after all that effort, resisting the urge to simply double the material use and add extra bedrooms is no small feat," Walker observed. "In a system that rewards excess, choosing to build less – not out of necessity but out of principle – is just as, if not more, important than the materials themselves. Seeing that decision through takes real courage."
The complete list of 2025 Houses Awards winners includes: Australian House of the Year went to Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular and Vokes and Peters in Queensland; New House Under 200 Square Meters to Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker in Victoria; New House Over 200 Square Meters to Hedge and Arbour House by Studio Bright in Victoria; House Alteration and Addition Under 200 Square Meters to Carlton Cottage by Lovell Burton Architecture in Victoria; House Alteration and Addition Over 200 Square Meters to Cloaked House by Trias in New South Wales; Apartment or Unit to Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular and Vokes and Peters in Queensland; Small Project to Window, Window, Window by Panov Scott in New South Wales; Sustainability to Cake House by Alexander Symes Architect in New South Wales; House in a Heritage Context to Mess Hall by Architecture Architecture in Victoria; and Emerging Architecture Practice to Ellul Architecture in Victoria.
These awards highlight the continuing evolution of Australian residential architecture, showcasing designs that prioritize sustainability, innovation, and thoughtful integration with natural environments while meeting the diverse needs of modern living.
