The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture, Houses (New) is an Australian national architecture prize presented annually by the Australian Institute of Architects since 1981.
Background The award is for achievement in residential architecture, and specifically new houses. Alongside the named award, secondary awards are given including a 'National Award' and 'National Commendation' to highly regarded entries. Projects in this category must be residential in nature, generally falling within BCA Class 1a and must be new buildings. Projects with up to two self-contained dwellings may be entered in this category.
Naming of the award The award is presented in memory of the Australian architect Robin Boyd (1919—1971), and is awarded to residential architecture that sets benchmarks for meeting client's needs, responding to the site and providing shelter that is at the leading edge of house design.
Multiple winners Sydney based architect Peter Stutchbury has been awarded the Robin Boyd Award on four occasions; 2003, 2005, 2020 and 2021.
The office of Durbach Block Jaggers based in Kings Cross, Sydney has won the award three times; in 1998 and 2004 (as Durbach Block) and 2017.
Two time winners include Glenn Murcutt, Lindsay Clare, John Wardle, Timothy Hill, Sean Godsell, Alexander Tzannes, Kerstin Thompson, Troppo Architects and Denton Corker Marshall.
List of recipients Robin Boyd Awards by yearYear Winner Project Location StateOther RAIA/AIA Awards 1981 Glenn Murcutt Two Houses (Nicholas and Carruthers Houses) Mount Irvine NSWWilkinson Award, 1982 Blacket Prize, 1983 (NSW)1982 No Award 1983 McIntyre Partnership Sea House Caraar Creek Lane, Beleura Hill, MorningtonVictoria 1984 Louise St John Kennedy Downes–Stoney Residence East PerthWA 1985 Glenn Murcutt Magney House Bingie Bingie Point, New South Wales NSW National Award for Enduring Architecture, 2011 New South Wales Enduring Architecture Award, 2011 Wilkinson Award, 1985 1986 Geoffrey Pie Architects/Planners Pie Residence Peregian BeachQueensland Robin Gibson Award for Enduring Architecture, 2012 (QLD) 1987 Ken Woolley (Ancher Mortlock Woolley) Palm Beach House 21 Florida Road, Palm BeachNSWWilkinson Award, 1987 1988 Alexander Tzannes Henwood House 159 Windsor Street, PaddingtonNSWWilkinson Award, 1988 1989 Don Watson Campbell House/Graceville House 35 Molonga Terrace, GracevilleQueensland 1990 Alex Popov Architects Griffin House 8a Rockley Street, CastlecragNSWWilkinson Award, 19901991 Gabriel Poole (Joint Winner) Tent House Eumundi Queensland Dale Jones–Evans (Joint Winner) Gallery House 23 Morang Road, HawthornVictoria 1992 Lindsay Clare Architects Clare House BuderimQueensland1993 Gordon & Valich (Joint Winner) Palm Beach House 7 Northview Road, Palm Beach NSWWilkinson Award, 1993 Hamish Lyon and Astrid Jenkin with Charles Salter (Joint Winner) Lyon/Jenkin House CarltonVictoria Troppo Architects (Joint Winner) Commonwealth Defence Housing Authority, Larrakeyah Housing Precinct 2 Larrakeyah, DarwinNorthern TerritoryTracy Memorial Award, 1993 (NT) 1994 Bud Brannigan Brannigan Residence St LuciaQueensland1995 Clare Design (Joint Winner) Hammond Residence CooranQueensland Craig A Rossetti (Joint Winner) 106–112 Cremorne Street (Six Terraces) RichmondVictoria1996 Ken Latona (Joint Winner) Alterations to a cottage (Additions to a front verandah) 29 Spicer Street, WoollahraNSW John Mainwaring & Associates (Joint Winner) Chapman House Noosa HeadsQueensland 1997 Alexander Tzannes Associates Snelling House Perpetua 9 Coorabin Road, Northbridge NSWWilkinson Award, 1997 1998 Durbach Block Architects Droga Apartment Foster Street, Surry Hills NSWWilkinson Award, 19981999 Denton Corker Marshall (Joint Winner) Sheep Farm House KynetonVictoria Graham Jahn Associates (Joint Winner) Grant House 1 Esther Street, Surry HillsNSW 2000 Denton Corker Marshall Emery Residence Cape Schanck Victoria 2001 Donovan Hill D House Harcourt Street, New FarmQueensland House of the Year Award, 2001 2002 Bligh Voller Nield & Troppo Architects Lavarack Barracks Redevelopment Stage 2 TownsvilleQueensland2003 Stutchbury and Pape (Joint Winner) Bay House Watsons BayNSWNSW Chapter Award for Architecture – Single Housing, 2003 Kerry Hill Architects (Joint Winner) Ogilvie House 68 Seaview Terrace, Sunshine Beach Queensland 2004 Durbach Block Architects House SpryRichard Jinman: Born-again cathedral clinches top design prize in Sydney Morning Herald, 29 October 2004 Point PiperNSWNSW Chapter Award for Architecture – Single Housing, 2004 2005 Stutchbury and Pape Springwater SeaforthNSWNSW Chapter Award for Architecture – Single Housing, 2005 2006 Sean Godsell Architects St Andrews Beach House St Andrews BeachVictoria Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2006 2007 Paul Morgan Architects Cape Schanck House Bass Vista Boulevard, Cape SchanckVictoria Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2007 2008 McBride Charles Ryan Klein Bottle House 166 Avon Road, RyeVictoria Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture, 2008 2009 Chenchow Little Architects Freshwater HouseThe Age: Architecture award winners, 30 October 2009 Freshwater NSW NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2009 2010 HBV Architects (James Jones) House at Trial Bay 3101 Channel Highway, Kettering Tasmania Tasmania Chapter, Esmond Dorney Award (Residential Architecture), 2010 2011 Neeson Murcutt Architects Castlecrag House 325 Edinburgh Road, CastlecragNSW Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2011 (NSW) 2012 John Wardle Architects Shearer's Quarters North Bruny IslandTasmania Tasmania Chapter, Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, 2012 Tasmania Chapter, Esmond Dorney Award (Residential Architecture), 2012 2013 John Wardle Architects Fairhaven Beach House Fairhaven Beach, FairhavenVictoria Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2013 (1 of 3 awarded) 2014 Kerstin Thompson Architects House at Hanging Rock Hanging RockVictoria Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture, 2014 2015 Jesse Bennett Architect Planchonella HouseCairnsQueenslamd Queensland Chapter, Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture, 2015 2015 Houses Awards: Australian House of the Year 2016 Smart Design Studio Indigo Slam 63 O'Connor Street, Chippendale NSW Wilkinson Award, 2016 Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture (National), 2017 NSW Architecture Award for Interior Architecture, 2017 World Architecture Festival (INSIDE) Awards, Residential (International), 2016 2017 Durbach Block Jaggers Tamarama House 23 Kenneth Street, TamaramaNSW Wilkinson Award, 2017 2018 Sean Godsell Architects House on the Coast Mornington PeninsulaVictoria Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2018 (1 of 3 awarded) 2019 Partners Hill (Timothy Hill) Daylesford Longhouse 178 Mannings Road, Elevated Plains, Daylesford Victoria Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2019 (1 of 5 awarded) 2020 Peter Stutchbury Architecture (Joint Winner) Basin Beach House Basin Beach, Mona ValeNSW NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2020 (1 of 5 awarded) Kerstin Thompson Architects (Joint Winner) East Street 350 East Street, East Albury NSW NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2021 (1 of 5 awarded) 2021 Peter Stutchbury Architecture Night Sky BlackheathNSW NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2021 (1 of 5 awarded) 2022No Award 2023 SJB (Adam Haddow) 19 Waterloo Street 19 Waterloo Street, Surry HillsNSWWilkinson Award, 2023 (NSW) Commendation, New House (under 200m2), Houses Awards Commendation, Residential Design, AIDA 2024 Edition Office Naples Street House 17 Naples Street, Box Hill South, VictoriaVictoria Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award, Residential Architecture – Houses (New), 2024 (Victoria) 2025 Studio Bright Hedge and Arbour House Ivanhoe, VictoriaVictoria Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award, Residential Architecture – Houses (New), 2025 (Victoria)
2022 Award In 2022 the following projects were shortlisted for the award:
Mays Point House, Mays Point, Tasmania — Tanner Architects LiveWorkShare House, Samford Village, Queensland — Bligh Graham Architects Curl Curl House, Curl Curl, New South Wales — TRIAS (2022 National Award) Stable House, Forest Lodge, New South Wales — Sibling Architecture Corner House, Flinders, Victoria — Archier (2022 National Commendation) Jimmy's House, Goonderup, North Perth, Western Australia — MJA Studio with Studio Roam and IOTA (2022 National Award)
For only the second time, and the first time in forty years, no named award was given by the jury; Tony Giannone (Chair), Caroline Pidcock, Adrian Iredale, Poppy Taylor and Tim Ross.
2023 Award The following projects were shortlisted for the 2023 Robin Boyd Award by the AIA: 19 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, New South Wales – SJB (2023 Robin Boyd Award) Blok Stafford Heights, Stafford Heights, Brisbane, Queensland – Blok Modular with Vokes and Peters Celilo Springs, Mount Lawley, Perth, Western Australia – Western Architecture Studio Merricks Farmhouse, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria – Michael Lumby with Nielsen Jenkins (2023 National Award) Mossy Point House, South Coast, New South Wales – Edition Office (2023 National Commendation) Spring Creek Road Farm House, Bannockburn, Victoria – Architect Brew Koch (2023 National Award) Triptych, Rural Tasmania – Room 11 Architects
The 2023 jury members were Shannon Battisson (Chair), Shaneen Fantin, William Smart, Stephanie Kitingan and Scott Burchell.
The Robin Boyd Award was presented to Adam Haddow and Stewart Cowan from SJB for 19 Waterloo Street, at the National Awards held in Canberra on 31 October 2023. National Awards were also presented to Merricks Farmhouse by Michael Lumby with Nielsen Jenkins and Spring Creek Road Farm House by Architect Brew Koch. Mossy Point House by Edition office was presented a National Commendation.
2024 Award The following projects were shortlisted for the 2024 Robin Boyd Award by the AIA:
27 Rule Street, North Fremantle, Western Australian — Officer Woods Burnt Earth Beach House, Anglesea, Victoria — Wardle (2024 National Award) Courtyard House, Albert Park, Melbourne, Victoria — Clare Cousins Architects James Street, Launceston, Tasmania — Taylor and Hinds Architects Kidman Lane, Paddington, Sydney, New South Wales — Plus Minus Design Maitland Bay House, Killcare Heights, New South Wales — Studio Bright (2024 National Commendation) Naples Street House, Box Hill South, Melbourne, Victoria — Edition Office (2024 Robin Boyd Award) Six Ways House, North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria — Kennedy Nolan (2024 National Award) Three Gardens House, Adelaide Hills, South Australia — Parabolica
The Award was presented to Edition Office at the National Awards held in Adelaide on 7 November 2024. National Awards were also presented to Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle and Six Ways House by Kennedy Nolan. Maitland Bay House by Studio Bright was presented a National Commendation.
2025 Award The following projects were shortlisted for the 2025 Robin Boyd Award by the AIA:
Ochre House, Canberra, ACT — MYMYMY Architecture Lagoon House, Curl Curl, New South Wales — Peter Stutchbury Architecture (2025 National Award) Morning Bay House, Morning Bay, Pittwater, New South Wales — Casey Brown Architecture New Castle, Merewether, Newcastle, New South Wales — Anthony St John Parsons (2025 National Award) Mapleton House, Blackall Range, Sunshine Coast, Queensland — Atelier Chen Hung (2025 National Award) Nebraska, Bruny Island, Tasmania — Lara Maeseele Hedge and Arbour House, Ivanhoe, Melbourne, Victoria — Studio Bright (2025 Robin Boyd Award) Henville Street House, Fremantle, Western Australia — Philip Stejskal Architecture (2025 National Commendation)
2026 Award The following projects were shortlisted on 22 July 2026 for the 2026 Robin Boyd Award by the AIA: