Houses Awards 2025

The Houses Awards recognise excellence in residential architecture and design across Australia, focusing on projects that demonstrate innovation, sustainability, and quality within various housing typologies. Established as a national program, the awards celebrate achievements in categories such as New House, House Alteration and Addition, Apartment or Unit, House in a Heritage Context, and Outdoor and Landscape, among others. Special honours include House of the Year and Emerging Architecture Practice.

Assessment is conducted by a jury comprising established architects and designers from across the country. The 2025 jury includes Clare Cousins (Clare Cousins Architects), Abbie Galvin (NSW Government Architect), Phillip Nielsen (Regional Design Service), Madeleine Swain (editor of Houses magazine), and Adrian Yap (Dreamer), ensuring representation from diverse spatial, editorial, and practice perspectives. The program is convened by Houses magazine, a leading publication within the Australian design sector, and supported by multiple sponsors relevant to the architecture and building industries.

The awards are open to Australian architects and designers, with a strong emphasis on original, well-resolved residential projects completed within the defined eligibility period. Entrants are typically drawn from architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and related fields involved in residential work. The judging criteria prioritise innovation, response to context, sustainability, and the way projects contribute to contemporary Australian living.

The Houses Awards are considered a significant benchmark within the Australian residential design landscape, offering peer recognition to practitioners and public visibility for exemplary housing solutions. This program plays an important role in highlighting ongoing advancements and best practices in residential architecture and design across Australia.