A reimagined corner shop building and a robust new coastal home are among the 120 shortlisted projects across 13 categories in the Australian Institute of Architects 2026 New South Wales Architecture Awards.
Thirty-four residences were shortlisted across the Residential Architecture – Houses (New), Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) and Interior Architecture categories.
Of the shortlisted houses, Surrey 112 by Smart Design Studio, Swansea Heads House by Anthrosite, and The Corner Shop House by Downie North appeared most frequently, each featuring twice on the shortlist.
For Surrey 112, Smart Design Studio transformed a long-neglected urban site in Darlinghurst into a four-bedroom home and studio, introducing light and a sculptural quality to the interiors. The project was shortlisted in both Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) and Interior Architecture.
Swansea Heads House, a new coastal home overlooking Crabbs Beach designed to withstand harsh coastal conditions through a robust form and sheltered courtyard, was shortlisted for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) and Interior Architecture.
Downie North’s Corner Shop House, which involved the adaptive reuse of a late nineteenth-century corner shop in Sydney’s Inner West into a light-filled three-bedroom home, featured on the Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) and Interior Architecture shortlists.
The houses shortlisted for the Residential Architecture – Houses (New), Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) and Interior Architecture categories include:
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Coogee House III – Tribe Studio
Cowrie Hole – Curious Practice
EA House – Bokey Grant
Enclave House – Bohane Campo
Exeter House – Luke Moloney Architecture
Garden Courtyard House – Grove Architects
Gerroa House – Scale Architecture
Gingkin – Incidental Architecture
Holocene House – Cplusc Architects and Builders
House of Shadows – Atelier Marks Gaal
Norton Street – Plus Minus Design
OK House – Stephen Collier Architect
Queenscliff House – Chenchow Little
Saddleback Mountain House – Casey Brown Architecture
Sapling – Anderson Architecture
Swansea Heads House – Anthrosite
Swirling Waters – Peter Stutchbury Architecture
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Clay House – Muci
Darlinghurst House – Anthony Gill Architects
Denj Lane – Carter Williamson Architects
Fort House – Curious Practice
House Gretchen – Lintel Studio for Architecture
House in Rosebery – Architect George
Kyoto House – Breakspear Architects
Lilyfield House – Tribe Studio
Playhouse – Carter Williamson Architects
Rainbow House – Virginia Kerridge Architect
Rows End – Retallack Thompson
Surrey 112 – Smart Design Studio
The Corner Shop House – Downie North
Tree House – ASA (Alexander Symes Architect)
Wilsons Cottage – Casey Brown Architecture
Zulaikha Laurence ‘Tree Change House’ – Studio ZAWA
Interior Architecture
Brise Soleil – Carter Williamson Architects
Surrey 112 – Smart Design Studio
Swansea Heads House – Anthrosite
The Corner Shop House – Downie North
Source: Architecture - architectureau
