2023 HIA Australian Project Home

Western Australia’s The Rural Building Company was named the winner of the 2023 HIA Australian Project Home for a contemporary rural living home.

The impressive ranch-style home emanates rustic charm and sets the scene for relaxed, contemporary rural living in southern Western Australia.

The grand open-plan design features cavernous, raked ceilings and large highset windows that draw the gaze outward, while providing natural light to permeate the interior. A central fireplace adds an intimate touch, cleverly partitioning the lounge and dining areas.

Utilising a predominantly natural material palette, the home showcases richly hued Marri timber flooring underfoot and handmade tumbled face brick, seen to great effect surrounding the fireplace and as a splashback for the modernised country-style kitchen. A sliding stacker servery window opens out to the expansive south-facing alfresco area, its size and prominence accentuated by enormous thickset bush poles and exposed roof timbers.

Increasing the home’s connection to nature is a winter alfresco to the north, with the verandah acting as a welcoming entrance as well as an alternate outdoor sitting area for when the seasons change.

The acknowledgement was made during the 2023 HIA–CSR Australian Housing Awards presentation on 20 May, hosted by Merrick Watts.

The HIA Australian Project Home category, partnered by The Australian Reinforcing Company recognises individual homes based on a display home, sales brochure or the like for a repeatable design, tailored to suit the needs of the client and the site.

Western Australian HIA members were the recipients of four national awards this year, including Professional Small Builder / Renovator, Project Home, Spec Home and HIA Apprentice Host Trainer.