2025 Houses Awards: Bushfire ready steel treehouse among short-listed Victorian projects

Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker has been short-listed for the Houses Awards. Picture: Tasha Tylee

An elevated steel treehouse built to withstand bushfire and a cavern-like hideaway are among standout Victorian homes in contention to be crowned Australia’s House of the Year.

More than 80 projects from across the state have been short-listed for the 2025 Houses Awards, with many rewarded for embracing the “radical idea of doing less”.

One of the smallest abodes to make the cut is Sawmill Treehouse, an unconventional one-bedroom bush retreat constructed over a gully where street water was discharged.

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Described by one visitor as a “spaceship”, the Robbie Walker design sits on four slender columns that mimic the surrounding trees, allowing for cars to pass underneath.

The high risk of ember attack dictated that all external materials had to be nonflammable, so the treehouse roof and walls were covered in steel slats that serve the dual purpose of providing shade and natural cooling.

Houses Awards jury chair Alexa Kempton said the short-listed homes pioneered bold new ideas.

She said there was an emerging trend towards more compact homes and out-of-the-box transformations that spared existing homes from demolition.

Cars can pass under the Sawmill Treehouse on en route to a separate garage and hidden barbecue area. Picture: Tasha Tylee

Immerse yourself in nature. Picture: Tasha Tylee

“Many of this year’s short-listed homes show us that we should be designing smarter, rather than bigger,” Ms Kempton said.

“Increasingly, we see architects telling clients ‘you don’t need more space – you need better design’.

“The jury observed modestly scaled new houses as well as clever interventions to existing homes and applauded this continue emphasis on responsible residential design.”

Rising demand for granny flats and studios has also seen the introduction of a new category this year to recognise small projects.

But there’s still plenty of grand statements in the mix, such as the striking House on a Hill, by Leeton Pointon Architects and Allison Pye Interiors.

House on a Hill, by Leeton Pointon Architects and Allison Pye Interiors. Photos: Lisa Cohen

The curvaceous country retreat on the Mornington Peninsula is short-listed in the New House over 200sq m category.

The home’s robust concrete walls, cave-like arched doorways and dramatic windows are designed to shelter multiple generations of the family from its harsh windy environment while framing distant pastoral views.

Capitalising on the vista over Mount Martha also inspired another ambitious Mornington Peninsula project in the same category, FIGR Architecture Studio’s pavilion style Kross House.

The design was inspired by the local boardwalk and appears to levitate above the hillside and an 18m lap pool below.

Kross House by FIGR Architecture Studio takes is inspiration from a nearby boardwalk. Photos: Tom Blachford

The kitchen is pretty in pink at ‘Magic’, a California bungalow renovation by Wowowa. Picture: Martina Gemmola

In Northcote, Wowowa directors Monique and Scott Woodward’s own California bungalow renovation is in the running for best House Alteration and Addition under 200sq m.

Barbie would be right at home among the pink, copper and maroon residence, designed during maternity leave.

A cinquefoil arch is a nod to a favourite Jaipurian holiday destination, while inside pink cabinetry and ceilings radiate warmth.

‘She Sells Sea Shells’ by Multiplicity has been short-listed in the New House under 200sq m category. Picture: Trevor Mein

The design is a tribute to the simplicity of traditional beach shacks. Picture: Trevor Mein

Even bolder interior choices, including a bathroom cabinet constructed from shells and an upside down periscope, make an appearance at another a quirky Great Ocean Road beach house.

The aptly named ‘She Sells Sea Shells’ by Multiplicity is in the running for best New House under 200sq m.

A bunk room for the kids is just about the only conventional feature of the Aireys Inlet getaway, which has retro carpet on the walls, instead of the floors, and a brick island bench.

The winners of the 2025 House Awards will be announced at a gala event on August 1, with one home from across the nine categories to be crowned Australian House of the Year.

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