2025 Houses Awards: Quirky Great Ocean Road beach pad short-listed

‘She Sells Sea Shells’ by Multiplicity has been short-listed for the 2025 Houses Awards. Picture: Trevor Mein

A bathroom cabinet made from seashells and an upside down periscope are among quirky features that could see a Surf Coast beach pad named Australia’s best house.

The aptly named ‘She Sells Sea Shells’ by Multiplicity is among three standout local projects short-listed for the 2025 Houses Awards.

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.

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‘She Sells Sea Shells’ by Multiplicity has been short-listed for the 2025 Houses Awards. Picture: Trevor Mein

Shells are an unusual choice for the bathroom cabinet. Picture: Trevor Mein

Retro carpet features on the wall. Picture: Trevor Mein

The house, described as unpretentious and fun, has been short-listed in the New House under 200sq m category.

Mid-century design elements also inspired the another contender along the Great Ocean Road, Anglesea House by Eckersley Architects.

The two-storey residence featuring charred timber and natural stone aims to create a light environmental footprint through a gas-free design with solar heating and cooling.

Huge tracts of glass on both side of the main living pavilion frame uninterrupted views over the surrounding landscape.

The house is a contender in the New House over 200sq m category.

Anglesea House by Eckersley Architects has charred timber cladding. Picture: Tasha Tylee

Drought-tolerant gardens are part of the environmentally conscious Anglesea House by Eckersley Architects. Picture: Tasha Tylee

Houses Magazine editor and awards jury chair Alexa Kempton said the short-listed homes pioneered bold new ideas, with many embracing “the radical idea of doing less”.

“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 continued emphasis on responsible residential design.”

The region’s third short-listed project, a striking concrete home in a designated Otways bushfire “flame zone” punches above its small footprint despite initially being deemed unbuildable.

Otway Beach House at Yuulong, has earned Kerstin Thompson Architects a spot on the Houses Awards shortlist. Picture: Sharyn Cairns

The incredible view from Otway Beach House by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Picture: Sharyn Cairns

Kerstin Thompson Architects designed the year-round coastal retreat, which is short-listed in the New Homes under 200sq m category.

Bush-fire resilient materials of concrete and fire-rated glazing earned a green light from planners to construct the boxlike home, which is softened by blackbutt-lined interior walls and joinery.

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 named Australian House of the Year.

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