Highgate Hill House Named Brisbane House of the Year

The Australian Institute of Architects’ 2014 Brisbane Regional Architecture Awards named Highgate Hill House by Twofold Studio and Cox Rayner Architects as Brisbane House of the Year. According to the jury, its use of space, poetic rooms and visceral qualities created a “sublime piece of architecture expressed through intricate detailing.”

The house is a combination of a new exterior and a small existing worker’s cottage within a narrow inner-city state.
According to Jayson Blight, the project architect, the design addressed the existing constraints by optimizing the land while respecting its neighborhood and the existing structure itself.

Blight said, “The planning is compact and sustainable.” He added, “We have used volume and carefully managed glazing to create a sense of space and connection to the outside.”

Blight cited that the roof form which soars upwards allowed natural light from the north to flow into its interior while the south part of the house was connected to its outdoor garden. With the use of sliding walls, brick walls and floors, they were able to create a structure which has an efficient and seamless blend of outdoor and indoor spaces. They also used brick and rosewood joinery to stay true to the house’s historic qualities.

Blight collaborated on the design with Melissa Blight of Twofold Studio.

Aside from Highgate Hill, other residential projects were also recognized during the awarding ceremony including the Indooroopilly Residence (Kieron Gait Architects), In-Between Room (Phorm Architecture +Design), West End Tower (Owen and Vokes and Peters), and Point Lookout Beach Shack (Marc & Co Architects). All of these projects belong to the Residential Architecture Houses Alterations and Additions Category.

For the Residential Architecture Houses New category, Courtyard Residence in Rochedale (Blueprint Architects) and Oxlade Drive House (James Russell Architects) both took home their awards. Booney Lane Affordable Housing (Cox Rayner Architects) won the Residential Architecture Multiple Houses Category.