# Robin Boyd Award

The Robin Boyd Award for New Residential Architecture is an Australian national architecture prize presented annually by the Australian Institute of Architects since 1981.
The award is the highest in the residential architecture category. Alongside the named award, secondary awards are given including a 'National Award' and 'National Commendation' to highly regarded entries.
The award is presented in memory of the Australian architect Robin Boyd CBE (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 year :
| Year | Winner | Project | Location | Other RAIA/AIA Awards |
| 1981 | Glenn Murcutt | Two Houses (Nicholas and Carruthers Houses) | Mount Irvine | Wilkinson Award, 1981 |
| 1982 | NO AWARD | NO AWARD | NO AWARD | NO AWARD |
| 1983 | McIntyre Partnership | Sea House | Caraar Creek Lane, Beleura Hill, Mornington | |
| 1984 | Louise St John Kennedy | Downes–Stoney Residence | East Perth | |
| 1985 | Glenn Murcutt | Magney House | Bingie Bingie Point, New South Wales | National Award for Enduring Architecture, 2011 New South Wales Enduring Architecture Award, 2011 Wilkinson Award, 1985 |
| 1986 | Geoffrey Pie Architects/Planners | Pie Residence | Peregian Beach | Robin Gibson Award for Enduring Architecture, 2012 (QLD) |
| 1987 | Ken Woolley, Ancher Mortlock Woolley | Palm Beach House | Palm Beach | |
| 1988 | Alexander Tzannes | Henwood House | Paddington | |
| 1989 | Don Watson | Campbell House/Graceville House | 35 Molonga Terrace, Graceville | |
| 1990 | Alex Popov Architects | Griffin House | 8a Rockley Street, Castlecrag | |
| 1991 | Gabriel Poole (Joint Winner) | Tent House | Eumundi | |
| 1991 | Dale Jones–Evans (Joint Winner) | Gallery House | 23 Morang Road, Hawthorn | |
| 1992 | Lindsay Clare Architects | Clare House | Buderim | |
| 1993 | Gordon & Valich (Joint Winner) | Palm Beach House | 7 Northview Road, Palm Beach | |
| 1993 | Hamish Lyon and Astrid Jenkin with Charles Salter (Joint Winner) | Lyon/Jenkin House | Carlton | |
| 1993 | Troppo Architects (Joint Winner) | Commonwealth Defence Housing Authority, Larrakeyah Housing Precinct 2 | Larrakeyah, Darwin | Tracy Memorial Award, 1993 (NT) |
| 1994 | Bud Brannigan | Brannigan Residence | St Lucia | |
| 1995 | Clare Design (Joint Winner) | Hammond Residence | Cooran | |
| 1995 | Craig A Rossetti (Joint Winner) | 106–112 Cremorne Street (Six Terraces) | Richmond | |
| 1996 | Ken Latona (Joint Winner) | Additions to a front verandah | Woollahra | |
| 1996 | John Mainwaring & Associates (Joint Winner) | Chapman House | Noosa Heads | |
| 1997 | Alexander Tzannes Associates | House | Northbridge | |
| 1998 | Durbach Block Architects | Droga Apartment | Foster Street, Surry Hills | |
| 1999 | Denton Corker Marshall (Joint Winner) | Sheep Farm House | Kyneton | |
| 1999 | Graham Jahn Associates (Joint Winner) | Grant House | 1 Esther Street, Surry Hills | |
| 2000 | Denton Corker Marshall | Emery Residence | Cape Schanck | |
| 2001 | Donovan Hill | D House | Harcourt Street, New Farm | House of the Year Award, 2001 |
| 2002 | Bligh Voller Nield & Troppo Architects | Lavarack Barracks Redevelopment Stage 2 | Townsville | |
| 2003 | Stutchbury + Pape (Joint Winner) | Bay House | Watsons Bay | NSW Chapter Award for Architecture – Single Housing, 2003 |
| 2003 | Kerry Hill Architects (Joint Winner) | Ogilvie House | Sunshine Beach |
| 2004 | Durbach Block Architects | House Spry | Point Piper | NSW Chapter Award for Architecture – Single Housing, 2004 |
| 2005 | Stutchbury and Pape | Springwater | Seaforth | NSW Chapter Award for Architecture – Single Housing, 2005 |
| 2006 | Sean Godsell Architects | St Andrews Beach House | St Andrews Beach | Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2006 |
| 2007 | Paul Morgan Architects | Cape Schanck House | Bass Vista Boulevard, Cape Schanck | Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2007 |
| 2008 | McBride Charles Ryan | Klein Bottle House | Rye | Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture, 2008 |
| 2009 | Chenchow Little Architects | Freshwater House | Freshwater | NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2009 |
| 2010 | HBV Architects (James Jones) | House at Trial Bay | 3101 Channel Highway, Kettering | Tasmania Chapter, Esmond Dorney Award (Residential Architecture), 2010 |
| 2011 | Neeson Murcutt Architects | Castlecrag House | Castlecrag | NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2011 |
| 2012 | John Wardle Architects | Shearer's Quarters | North Bruny Island | 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, Fairhaven | Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2013 (1 of 3 awarded) |
| 2014 | Kerstin Thompson Architects | House at Hanging Rock | Hanging Rock | Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture, 2014 |
| 2015 | Jesse Bennett Architect | Planchonella House | Cairns | 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 | 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, Tamarama | Wilkinson Award, 2017 |
| 2018 | Sean Godsell Architects | House on the Coast | Mornington Peninsula | Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2018 (1 of 3 awarded) |
| 2019 | Partners Hill (Timothy Hill) | Daylesford Longhouse | Daylesford | Victoria Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2019 (1 of 5 awarded) |
| 2020 | Peter Stutchbury Architecture (Joint Winner) | Basin Beach House | Basin Beach, Mona Vale | NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2020 (1 of 5 awarded) |
| 2020 | Kerstin Thompson Architects (Joint Winner) | East Street | 350 East Street, East Albury | NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2021 (1 of 5 awarded) |
| 2021 | Peter Stutchbury Architecture | Night Sky | Blackheath | NSW Chapter, Residential Architecture Award – New Houses, 2021 (1 of 5 awarded) |
| 2022 | NO AWARD | NO AWARD | NO AWARD | NO AWARD |
| 2023 | SJB (Adam Haddow) | 19 Waterloo Street | 19 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills | Wilkinson Award, 2023 (NSW) Commendation, New House (under 200m$^2$), Houses Awards Commendation, Residential Design, AIDA |
| 2024 | Edition Office | Naples Street House | 17 Naples Street, Box Hill South, Victoria | Harold Desbrowe—Annear Award, Residential Architecture – Houses (New), 2024 (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.
   "19 Waterloo Street is a spectacular example of a new approach to urban infill. Constructed on the 30 square metres left between a new mixed-use building (a studio apartment and commercial tenancy) and an existing factory, the home shows how hard architecture can work, even on a small footprint. From the moment it comes into view, the home announces itself as something different. Full of colour, the facade disguises the program within, allowing an element of privacy balanced by a sense of generosity to the public street. All the required elements of home are present, with each opening off the central stair. Entry, workspace, kitchen, living and bedroom all have their own character and charm. Each is also light and radiates an overwhelming impression of space and connection to greenery that is not easily achieved within such a hard, industrial fabric. The culmination of the upwards journey is a rooftop garden that provides that final, much-loved element of the Australian home. No function was jettisoned in the small footprint, and the space is successful as a home for two, or as a space to welcome gatherings."

## 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.
   "Naples Street House represents a brave departure from suburban conventions, offering a considered rethinking of a family home. A deliberately understated facade prioritises the interior through animation of the inhabitants’ daily lives, creating a quiet address to the under-pedestrianised streetscape that finds belonging through form and scale. The low-peaked brick-slip roof references the brick bungalows of the neighbourhood’s past while rejecting contemporary adaptations of the style. The central courtyard becomes the orienting focus of the home. The symmetrical plan, coupled with the varied section, introduces unexpected interplays of light and space. Public programmed rooms converse with one another through the careful placement of apertures, while bedrooms are discreetly tucked away to the landscaped side of the house."

## Distribution and location of Awards

To 2024 a total of 50 Robin Boyd Awards had been given in the 42 years of the award, with no award given in only two years (1982 and 2022). On seven occasions joint winners have been awarded; 1991, 1993 (three winners), 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2020.
A total of 80% of the Awards have been given to freestanding houses (40 of 50), and almost half of those to beach houses or holiday houses (19 total). Houses located in remote areas accounts for 40% of the awards, while only 18% of winning projects would be considered inner urban. A total of 17 suburban projects have won the award, around 34% of all Award winners.
Around 47% of awards have been won by projects in metropolitan urban areas, and 53% in non–metropolitan locations. Ten awards have been won in regional Victoria compared with only four awards in regional New South Wales – two of those by Glenn Murcutt — and seven awards in regional Queensland.
To 2024 more than two-thirds of all awards have been won by houses located in New South Wales or Victoria, and 92% of all awards won on the mainland eastern seaboard states of New South Wales (42%), Victoria (28%) and Queensland (22%). No architects or projects from South Australia or ACT have been awarded since the award began.
The most common site locations for awards have been Sydney beachside or harbourside suburbs (10 awards or 20%), Queensland coastal areas (7 awards) or on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria (6 awards). A total of 24 projects or 50% would be considered coastal, 18% inner city, 12% rural and 34% suburban.
* New South Wales (42%)
* Victoria (28%)
* Queensland (22%)
* Tasmania (4%)
* Western Australia (2%)
* Northern Territory (2%)
* South Australia (0%)
* Australian Capital Territory (0%)