Great so see our little Fingal House recognised alongside some high quality entries and being awarded a Highly Commended at the 2026 Grand Designs Australia House of the Year Awards.
Great to see architecture of this scale and simplicity being recognised at this level. Congratulations to all involved.
@granddesignsau@beckconstruct@ingineered@andymacpherson.studio
#jha #fingalhouse #goldcoastarchitecture #granddesigns #houseoftheyear
Located in the coastal village of Fingal Head, this project began as a modest 1960s fibro beach shack that our clients were deeply fond of for its scale, character and relaxed feel. After it was significantly impacted by flooding in February 2022, the owners chose to preserve rather than demolish, and sensitively adapt the house to respond to flood risk and support the needs of their growing family.
The project asked a simple question:
How can the life of an existing house be extended while preserving its character and connection to place?
Rather than starting again, the design focuses on understanding what already exists and finding ways to thoughtfully give it another life.
Thank you to @thedesignfiles for sharing the story of the project. We’ve received such positive feedback — it’s wonderful to see the project resonate with so many people. In a world where things can often feel disposable and replaceable, it’s a reminder that what already exists can hold real value and meaning, both now and into the future.
It was a pleasure to work with our clients on such a special project.
You can find the article here: /2026/03/architecture-fingal-house or via the link in our bio.
Project team — @justinhumphreyarchitects@britttowse
Builder — @beckconstruct
Engineering — @ingineered
Landscaping — @streatscapes
Photography — @andymacpherson.studio
Article — @christinalkarras for @thedesignfiles
Fingal House has been featured in the latest issue of Houses Magazine, as part of their Working With an Architect series. It’s a Q&A with our clients Shannon and Josh, reflecting on their experience: what they expected, what surprised them, and what they now love most about their home.
Following the damaging 2022 floods, the instinct may have been to start again.
However, the decision was made to retain the original, much-loved beach shack, lifting and carefully extending it to create a home that is both resilient to climate and deeply of its place. A new addition joins old and new, framing trees, light and water, while encouraging connection for the owners with the neighbours and each other.
It's a story told from the client's perspective, and we're grateful to Shannon and Josh for trusting us with something so personal — and to Houses for sharing it.
Project team — @justinhumphreyarchitects@britttowse
Builder — @beckconstruct
Engineering — @ingineered
Landscaping — @streatscapes
Photogrpahy — @andymacpherson.studio
Article — @alexakempton for @housesmagazine
Originally published in Houses issue 168.
Fantastic to hear that our Fingal House has been shortlisted for the Grand Designs Australia House of The Year!
If you love the project as much as we do, jump on and vote for it in the People’s Choice Award!
Thanks to our amazing clients and partners.
Project team - @justinhumphreyarchitects@britttowse
Builder - @beckconstruct
Engineering - @ingineered
Photography - @andymacpherson.studio
Fingal house is a project that JHA proudly worked on either side of the devastating floods which heavily impacted the coastal community in 2022.
Fingal House involved the considerate repurposing of the existing fibro beach house to meet the needs of a growing young family and better respond to climate and site.
The original house was retained for bedrooms, reclad, lifted to avoid future flood events, and a new spine of living spaces added. This new addition sensitively relates to the original house through scale, materials & form.
The original house is now presented on a warm brick screen that neatly contains the landscaped entry sequence. These entry stairs provide a natural perch to watch kids play on the lawn, to have a beer with neighbours or just take in the breezes and views to the local waterhole across the street.
This gesture strongly sets an agenda of neighborhood connection while reflecting our drive to strengthen the bond between people and place.
Stay tuned as we share more from this fantastic project.
@britttowse@beckconstruct@ingineered@andymacpherson.studio
#jha #fingalhouse #australianarchitecture #nswarchitecture #goldcoastarchitecture #architecture #architect
MCBA leadership luncheon was a huge success! We were so proud to host Jeff Cardenas, founder and CEO of Apptronik, a robotics and humanoids company! What an interesting and exciting time we are living in right now! Thank you to Len Critcher, Chris Camillo, and Jeff Cardenas for helping us arrange this!
2024 the year that was.. a big huge thank you to all of our wonderful clients, trades, suppliers, builders and collaborators for an epic year and a special mention to our three main men in the workshop who keep the wheels turning. With some exciting projects in the works, may 2025 be just as good to us all. Michael & Casey xx
