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On Friday night, we were absolutely thrilled to receive 3 major awards and a commendation for our Swansea Heads House and Maryville Heirloom House at the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Regional Awards. Swansea Heads House received: The David Boyle Award - The highest award in the Central Division Named Award - Houses New Named Award - Interiors Maryville Heirloom House received: Commendation - Houses (Alterations and Additions) We are incredibly proud of our team, Hannah Devine @hannah.may.d Amelia Tedder @amelia.tedder Tegan Warris @teganwarris and Louise Eddie @lou_ed and excited for our wonderful clients, Chris and Chrisy and Mel and Michael. Thank you to the @architecturensw @raia_nsw_regional_committee and the jury for their recognition. Both awarded projects are located on Awabakal land.

As we bid farewell to 2025, we reflect on four significant projects that were completed this year: completed in January Swansea Heads House project lead @hannah.may.d builder @pbuiltconstructions completed in February Maryville Heirloom House project lead @amelia.tedder builder @builtbyeli completed in July Whitebridge Long House project lead @lou_ed @teganwarris builder Richard Fox completed in December The White House project lead @hannah.may.d builder Richard Fox photography images 1, 2, 3, 4 @christopherfrederickjones images 5, 6 @amelia.tedder image 7 @hannah.may.d image 8 by client Happy New Year! We’ll be back in 2026 on January 12th

Earlier this month, Mark gave an online lecture titled ‘Little House Big Garden’ to master’s students at the University of Salford, Manchester @march.studio.salford Thank you to Ian Owen for the invite.

Arch no.2 - form lowered today. The first arch was a bit of a ‘have a go’ and learn experience. We wanted it done in one session to ensure it was drying/setting as one solid unit. For the second arch we decided to be a bit more methodical and quantify things for future reference. It took: People hours - Two of us a full day’s work. We’re a pair of office workers in our late 40’s so not the ‘A team’ when it comes to manual labour but we’re both tenacious about committing ourselves and getting things done to our standard. We were still relocating access platforms and securing roof tarpaulins as the kids started asking for dinner 🫣. Materials - It took 35 mixes in our 120L pan mixer. 17.5 bags of AHM binder and hemp herd each to complete the arch. Curing time - The form was lowered 5 days after the hemp was installed. We still think it could have been done earlier but this building has to fit into our life schedule so it gets done when we can. Formwork manipulation - This time the form was lowered by one person with the aid of a scissor lift trolley and acro props. It has even been relocated ready to be raised into position for arch 3. Relocating the form was something we had previously thought not possible without 2 people. We’ve learning as we go. Raising the form is however may take 2 of us to safely get it all the way into up between ceiling beams as getting weight distribution uneven on the lifter can cause instability. Observations - There was no deflection in the ceiling beam this time a few probable reasons that are too detailed for here. There are small cracks appearing but they’re not structural of concern it would be a visual issue for some people but so far we’re fine with the cracks, it’s consistent with the handmade quality of the material.

Our first hemp masonry arch in a building! We're happy with the way it's looking and somewhat relieved the form came away without bringing the arch with it 😅. It's been a journey to get here but the initial reveal is promising. We're still figuring and refining things as we go. Things we're still working on: - manoeuvring the long, heavy form into the next position. - deflection in the ceiling beam installed to carry the arch weight. With only one arch done the load is causing deflection which will hopefully correct once the next arch is in place. - slight racking in one side showing where there has been movement in the beam. we'll watch it and see if it changes when the next arch is added. - Keeping the form clean and straight, washing down and trying to keep the form supported without stress while it dries to avoid any bowing, it needs to to remain the same for all the arches.

The form for the first hemp masonry arch being lowered.

Seamless connections between indoor and courtyard spaces enhance both visual and physical relationships. Face sliding timber doors retract to create an outdoor connection for the kitchen and dining area. While between the two pavilions, an elevated operable walkway, provided by an 8m-long glazed tilt door, offers passive heating and cooling for the home. In winter, solar heat gain and thermal mass continue to heat the home. In summer, the open door allows both passive ventilation and engagement with the courtyard sanctuary. To the rear (refuge), the pavilion is screened from view. Masonry screens conceal the interiors of the private and back-of-house spaces from the central courtyard. To the rear garden, overlooking neighbours, high-level timber screens filter light while providing refuge. A planted garden extends through the screened zone, connecting the interior space to the exterior. This threshold is blurred in the ensuite through a fully retractable face sliding door, opening a bath to this screened garden. From the main bedroom, elevated above the courtyard, the room is oriented to frame views of the courtyard in the foreground, extending through the glazed front pavilion to the ocean horizon beyond. #swanseaheadshouse project lead @hannah.may.d builder @pbuiltconstructions structural / stormwater @izzat_consulting_engineers garden design @prandiumstudio photography @christopherfrederickjones special thanks to: master bricklayer @brickslayer joinery @everlongjoinery brick supply @naturalbrick_ lighting @_lucianlight roofing @bespokeroofingandcladding landscaping @creativelandscapesnewcastle On Awabakal land 3/3

Guided by the simple principles of prospect and refuge, the solution to the site’s condition involves the arrangement of two distinct pavilions enclosing a sheltered courtyard garden. The front transparent pavilion (prospect) faces the street and ocean. A space to see and be seen with neighbours, local surfers, fishermen and passersby is formed while enjoying the elevated view. These public spaces of the home are shielded from the southerly winds by a glazed screen, which preserves the ocean views from the courtyard and rear pavilion. At street level, the front garden welcomes you in. A cantilevering black concrete seat welcomes conversation. A place for the morning coffee or evening beers with the community and the environment. A side path directs your arrival to a garden, the central courtyard. A space that enriches everyday experiences. Within the courtyard, the garden is designed around a layer of red ochre clay brick paving, terraced seating and a colonnade that helps to define the space. An outdoor fireplace and Argentine barbecue grill accommodate the outdoor dining terrace. Native plants populate the softscape, offering a diverse range of sensory and seasonal experiences, whilst an outdoor shower screened from view provides refreshment after an ocean swim. #swanseaheadshouse project lead @hannah.may.d builder @pbuiltconstructions structural / stormwater @izzat_consulting_engineers garden design @prandiumstudio photography @christopherfrederickjones special thanks to: master bricklayer @brickslayer joinery @everlongjoinery brick supply @naturalbrick_ lighting @_lucianlight roofing @bespokeroofingandcladding landscaping @creativelandscapesnewcastle On Awabakal land 2/3

Swansea Heads House is a new home with a great view. Exposed to the southerly winds, the robust form draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape while addressing the harsh coastal conditions. Located overlooking Crabbs Beach, a 300m-long, curving east-facing sand and cobble beach with extensive rock platforms and a weathered headland showcases the area’s unique geological formation. The distinct layered seams of the landscape are reflected in the design through the use of horizontal datums, which are referenced through material selection and colour. Ever-present within the home, the horizon line is framed at every opportunity. Complemented by the material datums that highlight the three distinct floor levels, which address the sloping site. To the lower street level, a charcoal base. Garage, storage and sauna. Elevated 2 metres above the street, red ochre clay bricks define the central courtyard, with the kitchen, dining, and side entry all directly on grade. The upper, white limestone level sits 1 metre above the courtyard, providing direct access to the rear yard. Acting as a windbreak, the exterior of the building is crafted to endure the challenging coastal environment. Featuring handcrafted double-skin masonry, dry pressed clay bricks, and timber-framed glazed windows and doors. Weathered timber screens and cladding are complemented by standing seam aluminium roof sheeting incorporating concealed gutters and downpipes. Together, these materials create a polychromatic assembly inspired by the local geology. #swanseaheadshouse project lead @hannah.may.d builder @pbuiltconstructions structural / stormwater @izzat_consulting_engineers garden design @prandiumstudio photography @christopherfrederickjones special thanks to: master bricklayer @brickslayer joinery @everlongjoinery brick supply @naturalbrick_ lighting @_lucianlight roofing @bespokeroofingandcladding landscaping @creativelandscapesnewcastle On Awabakal land 1/3

The courtyard serves as a setting where the garden’s ‘performance’ enhances and enriches everyday experiences. The poetic qualities of the landscape materials and their sensory attributes are essential. In the courtyard, landscape elements interact with the architectural space, adding movement, illumination and temperature control. Within the courtyard, the garden is designed around a layer of recycled brick paving and seating plinths that help define the space. A timber-framed structure featuring a retractable shade cover is designed to accommodate an outdoor table, fostering direct interaction with the garden. Native plants populate the garden beds, offering a diverse range of sensory and seasonal experiences. In the coming years, as these landscape elements become more established, they will fill the space and create continual memorable experiences as the garden and family continue to grow together. Enclosing the courtyard is a new detached studio that includes an ensuite, directly connected to the studio, and garden storage accessible only from the courtyard. The studio space is designed to accommodate various living patterns; it can serve as a quiet retreat for work or relaxation, while an integrated murphy bed allows family members or friends to stay in privacy. A secondary courtyard garden provides additional light and ventilation, while increasing the site’s overall spatial depth through distant views that connect both buildings and gardens. #cookshillhouse project lead @lou_ed builder @goodwin.vaughan structural / stormwater @partridge_engineers garden design @prandiumstudio photography @christopherfrederickjones On Awabakal land 3/3

The reworked layout reinforces the original single-loaded hallway, which connects the original cottage at the front and the rear addition at the back. This hallway provides access to a new laundry area, linen storage, and the main bathroom. Beyond these spaces, you arrive at an operable sculptural skylight threshold that reflects light and moves air throughout the room, leading you into a new open-plan kitchen and dining room that visually connects to a central courtyard garden. Connecting the house and garden is achieved by lowering the living area to garden level, creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces that enhances both visual and physical relationships, while adding depth to a compact living area. The relationship is enhanced by a datum of timber veneer joinery, which structures the room. The everyday needs and requirements are hidden behind this timber layer of fixed battens, hinged, sliding, and retractable panels and screens, which provide functional storage while framing and orienting the view to the great room, the central courtyard. #cookshillhouse project lead @lou_ed builder @goodwin.vaughan structural / stormwater @partridge_engineers garden design @prandiumstudio photography @christopherfrederickjones On Awabakal land 2/3

Cooks Hill House is a project that reorganises and reimagines an existing single-storey terrace, promoting a sustainable approach to renewal through minimal intervention. Located within a Heritage Conservation area on the sandy, flood-prone flatlands of Cooks Hill, the narrow 7.9m-wide site fronts an original, character-rich, 1920s gable-ended single-storey brick veneer cottage, extended to the rear by a 1990 single-storey extension. The disconnected nature of the house and yard presented opportunities for improvement, as evident in the overgrown and neglected rear yard that completes the 50-metre-long site. Our approach was to retain both the original cottage and the addition and rework from within. New works were minimal to the original cottage, with the upgrade of an existing hallway skylight as the one intervention. The opening is repositioned to sit flush against three walls, ensuring that light reflects throughout the space during the day. Additionally, the skylight was replaced with an operable skylight to provide stack ventilation, along with enhanced daylighting. Otherwise, only minor upgrades were completed to the existing cottage. Moving into the 1990s extension, a structural inspection confirmed that the addition was in sound condition, leading to an easy decision to retain and not waste this existing structure. This included maintaining the majority of the internal floor structure, external wall and roof structure, as well as the existing windows and external doors. In contrast, all internal walls, except for upgrades to the existing ensuite, were entirely overhauled to improve the circulation pathways, which were previously disconnected and inefficient. #cookshillhouse project lead @lou_ed builder @goodwin.vaughan structural / stormwater @partridge_engineers garden design @prandiumstudio photography images 1, 6 @christopherfrederickjones photography images 2, 3 @amelia.tedder On Awabakal land 1/3