dWELL winning entries
The dWELL design competition invited industry professionals and tertiary students to design a new style of home with wellness, innovation, affordability and sustainability at its heart.
The winning entries showcase what is possible, what is practical and what is affordable in providing next-generation housing for all Australians. We will work closely with the winning team to determine if we will refine and progress their designs to construction, and if so where.
Professional category winners
House 186.3
James Ellis Warren Haasnoot, Greg Lee and Luke Grey - Curious Practice
House 186.3 is not a proposal for a house; it is a proposal for a lifestyle that promotes sustainability and wellbeing across the site and beyond, imagining how we might want or hope to live now.
This design calls for ageing housing stock set for demolition to be relocated to a vacant site, revamped and reused to save on materials and maintain some of the aesthetics of traditional suburban homes.
The flexible indoor spaces mean the home’s layout and use can change as a family’s needs evolve, smart technology keeps tabs on water and energy use, strategic design minimises the need for air-conditioning and communal outdoor spaces bring people together to socialise and contribute to their community.
Student category winners
The Inbetween House
Natalie Keynton, Riley Sherman and Robert Snelling - The University of Melbourne
The Inbetween House strikes a balance between a scalable and site-specific housing model. The design applies a scalable solution to solves three core issues including affordable land and housing, social connectedness and living well.
Two modular homes on the site, with a smaller building footprint than most new homes. Separate levels could be adapted for use as a home office, accommodation for multiple generations in a family or as separate housing units.
It calls for a community land trust arrangement, where the site’s land is owned by a non-profit corporation and the two dwellings are owned by its residents, to increase affordability.
The design considers the use of materials from an ongoing cost perspective, rather than an upfront material cost.
Shortlist Entries
ELK Design (professional category shortlist)
ELK Design
Wade Fairley, Tim Graham,Peter Golema, Clint Stephenson, Ayrton Di Paolo and Daniel Hadley
An adaptable dwelling to suit the needs of the ever-evolving multi-generational family. The design team at ELK set out to design an affordable modular housing system which responds to the site, climate and the multi-generational family. The modular design could be easily replicated on other sites in the city and offers affordability of construction through incorporation of modular/pre-fabricated methodology. The model also takes full advantage of site typography, orientation and views.
Ambient House (professional category shortlist)
Ambient House
Ben Berwick - Prevalent Architecture
Brooke Jackson - Informal Architects/University of Technology Sydney
Arianna Brambilla - The University of Sydney
Based on both initial and projected needs, the house will seemingly act as one united dWelling that is able to seamlessly form multiple homes if and when required. The design also envisages a blurring of the LOT boundary – utilising set-backs to give back to community with provisions of community gardens. The utilisation of the ‘Active House System’ means it could be replicated on other sites.
Lifted Structures (student category shortlist)
Lifted_structures
Matthew Hurley - The University of Newcastle
Lifted_structures is a modular home design with an ethos of reusing and providing second life for materials. Pairing that ethos with processes and timbers that have incredibly low wastages rates and are able to be sustainable driven. The material selection provides a thermally stable design that does not require mechanical heating or cooling. The design also incorporates a green roof.
CONNECT: Dudley (student category shortlist)
CONNECT: Dudley
Hugh Beale, Jacob Bucci Ainsworth and Hugh Roberts - The University of Sydney
CONNECT Dudley incorporates simplified modular and sustainable design concepts together to create a variable space centered around communal living and environmental harmony. From a material perspective the project exemplifies hardwearing materials to cope with Australia’s harsh climatic conditions. The design considered the concept of a home that is flexible and adaptable, with shared communal areas and non-permanent walls. Elements of the design are inspired by the history of the suburb.
View competition details View the dWELL Timeline