Robin Boyd Award
The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture, Houses is an Australian national architecture prize presented annually by the Australian Institute of Architects since 1981.
Background
The award is for achievement in residential architecture, and specifically new houses. Alongside the named award, secondary awards are given including a 'National Award' and 'National Commendation' to highly regarded entries. Projects in this category must be residential in nature, generally falling within BCA Class 1a and must be new buildings. Projects with up to two self-contained dwellings may be entered in this category.Naming of the award
The award is presented in memory of the Australian architect Robin Boyd , 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 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
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
- Stable House, Forest Lodge, New South Wales — Sibling Architecture
- Corner House, Flinders, Victoria — Archier
- Jimmy's House, Goonderup, North Perth, Western Australia — MJA Studio with Studio Roam and IOTA
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
- 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
- Mossy Point House, South Coast, New South Wales – Edition Office
- Spring Creek Road Farm House, Bannockburn, Victoria – Architect Brew Koch
- Triptych, Rural Tasmania – Room 11 Architects
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.
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
- 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
- Naples Street House, Box Hill South, Melbourne, Victoria — Edition Office
- Six Ways House, North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria — Kennedy Nolan
- Three Gardens House, Adelaide Hills, South Australia — Parabolica
2025 Award
The following projects were shortlisted for the 2025 Robin Boyd Award by the AIA:- Ochre House, Canberra, ACT — MYMYMY Architecture
- Lagoon House, Curl Curl, New South Wales — Peter Stutchbury Architecture
- Morning Bay House, Morning Bay, Pittwater, New South Wales — Casey Brown Architecture
- New Castle, Merewether, Newcastle, New South Wales — Anthony St John Parsons
- Mapleton House, Blackall Range, Sunshine Coast, Queensland — Atelier Chen Hung
- Nebraska, Bruny Island, Tasmania — Lara Maeseele
- Hedge and Arbour House, Ivanhoe, Melbourne, Victoria — Studio Bright
- Henville Street House, Fremantle, Western Australia — Philip Stejskal Architecture
Distribution and location of Awards
A total of 80% of the Awards have been given to freestanding houses, and almost half of those to beach houses or holiday houses. Houses located in remote areas accounts for 35% of the awards, while just 18% of winning projects would be considered inner urban. A total of 18 suburban projects have won the award, around 35% 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 2025 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, Victoria and Queensland. No architects or projects from South Australia or ACT have been awarded since the award began in 1981.
The most common site locations for awards have been Sydney beachside or harbourside suburbs, Queensland coastal areas or on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. A total of 24 projects or 50% would be considered coastal, with the remainder divided 18% inner city, 12% rural and 35% suburban.
Publications
In April 2025 a 408 page compendium of all 50 projects awarded since 1981 was published by Thames & Hudson, titled Australian House: The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture Since 1981.- Australian Institute of Architects, Australian House: The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture Since 1981, Thames & Hudson, ISBN 9781760764562