26 August 2021
FROM sophisticated aspirational homes to state-of-the-art counter terrorism facilities, Brisbane builders proved their skill and craftsmanship is nothing short of world class, no matter the project, at the 2021 Housing & Construction Awards.
The excitement was unmistakable as Master Builders Queensland welcomed a live crowd to the event at The Great Hall, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday, 26 August. The calibre of entries brought by this year’s field was nothing short of exceptional, despite the ongoing trade and materials shortages and price hikes hampering the industry. The judging panel was delighted with the quality of construction, impeccable finishes, and level of detail on show in every project.
McLachlan Homes swept the pool with five Awards on the night, including the prestigious House of the Year title for Northbry Lodge. The breathtaking design of this Bellmere home fits seamlessly within its surroundings, delivering incredible craftsmanship and impeccable fittings. The judges were impressed with the open and liveable flow of the home, making for well-connected spaces, while the varied use of materials such as timber and large format tiles invoked a sense of warmth, delivering a resort-style home that’s easy to imagine living in. This beautiful modern Queenslander was also named best Individual Home over $2 million, as well as snapping up Best Residential Swimming Pool. The McLachlan Homes team also took home best Display Home from $250,000 up to $350,000 for The Eden (Newport) and Individual Home from $1.25 million up to $2 million for The Brook Project (Kalinga).
FK Gardner and Sons delivered an Australian first with the state-of-the-art Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre to win the coveted Project of the Year Award, as well as best Community Service Facilities. Having already captured the attention of international and interstate counterparts, the centre allows Queensland Police Service (QPS) to undertake training in real-life settings, and was delivered below budget, affording the construction of an obstacle course. FK Gardner and Sons worked with the QPS on every detail, ensuring safety and functionality was paramount, undertaking rigorous testing, and showing an excellent use and development of material, making our judging panel proud to be Queenslanders.
The stunning coastal façade presented by Project 54 boasts enviable street appeal well above its budget, delivering the sought-after President’s Award to Rome Design & Construct. The team delivered features and finishes not usually found at this price point, including stunning tiling, timber batten screened open staircase, and polished concrete flooring, all ticking the high-end box. The design also maximises space on a smaller block, still allowing for a backyard. Project 54 was also named best Individual Home from $250,000 up to $350,000, while Rome Design & Construct also won best Individual Home up to $250,000 for Project 45 at Belivah.
Buildcorp Group was among the other big winners on the night, taking home three Awards, including best Sporting Facilities for the Winter Olympic Aerial Ski Training Facility at Chandler. Graya Construction also scored a hat trick including Apprentice of the Year for Aidan McPaul. Brighton Homes had a triple treat, including Best
Residential Bathroomfor Grayson 30 (Narangba), while Apollo Property Group counted Health Facilities up to $20 million for Redcliffe Hospital Level 2 Operating Theatre & Recovery Redevelopment among their three gongs.
Master Builders CEO, Grant Galvin, congratulated the winners across all 53 categories.
“Since the pandemic first sank its teeth in, our members have excelled in the face of adversity, and are continuing to amaze us with their never-say-die attitude,” Mr Galvin said.
“That spirit of determination and exceptional quality of workmanship they’re renowned for provided the inspiration for our 2021 Housing & Construction Awards program – Built to rise above. The projects they’ve brought to life this year proves they’ve truly excelled in the face of adversity.
“This year’s field is one of the most diverse we’ve seen. From stunning renovations and beautiful new builds, to important community facilities like the police training centre, Brisbane airport, hospitals, and even an aerial ski jump – there’s nothing Master Builders can’t accomplish.
“I am immensely proud of our Brisbane builders, tradies and everyone who is a part of what makes this industry so great.
“No matter whether our 2021 entrants have taken an Award home or not, they’re in esteemed company, and a valued part of why Master Builders are so widely trusted and respected. Every member is like family.”
Major winners
World-class facility attracting international attention
Winner of the 2021 Brisbane House of the Year - Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre by FK Gardner and Sons Pty Ltd
An Australian first, the $52.8 million Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre incorporates the latest designs and materials from training centres around the world to deliver realistic, secure training scenarios, and is the first dedicated counter terrorism training facility in the state.
The centre has been designed to allow both state and national emergency service and defence agencies to participate in joint exercises, supporting close partnerships between the agencies.
The centre consists of a firearms training facility, multi-functional training centres, student messing and accommodation, as well as a scenario village. This state-of-the-art village includes shops, commercial building, petrol station, houses, including one with a dog run for training inside the roof cavity, bus stop, and train station complete with train carriages.
Judges’ comments:
“This is truly the most amazing project I have ever seen.”
“The gain for QPS in having such a state-of-the-art facility is extensive. The work the builder has done to ensure a top level of safety and functionality is nothing short of perfect.
“The attention to detail with testing was very complex and time-consuming, but necessary for a facility of this nature.”
“I feel proud to be a Queenslander knowing our police force has this type of training available to them.”
Dream plantation-style home with island views delivers ultimate escape
Winner of the 2021 Brisbane House of the Year - Northbry Lodge by McLachlan Special Projects Pty Ltd T/A McLachlan Homes
The tranquil site for Northbry Lodge proved the perfect inspiration for McLachlan Homes to craft a magnificent plantation-style home. The Grand Porte-cochère offers a sense of arrival, taking advantage of the four-metre raked ceilings, while the covered walkway leading to the rotunda includes water features, fish, turtles, and waterlilies.
Inside, the grand foyer sets the mood for the unique design elements within. Beneath the 4.5-metre-high ceiling sit the living, dining and kitchen, showcasing the external feature elements of stone, brick and timber, including a brick feature wall to ceiling height. The kitchen features a showstopping 5-metre-long stone island bench top, and a hidden martini bar and butler’s pantry.
Expansive stacker doors open to the centrally located alfresco, which can be used as a fully enclosed room or open outdoor space, while a lower level boasts a stunning pool, 20-person spa, swim-up bar, sun deck and fire pit, topped off with views to Moreton Island.
Each of the five bedrooms have their own customised walk-in robe, along with four bathrooms and two powder rooms. The master suite is the definition of luxury, with stunning views from the decked balcony, lavish ensuite, makeup desk, and customised walk-in robe straight out of a Hollywood movie.
A cinema room, smart home system, and many other features too numerous to list make this a truly memorable project designed to achieve a sense of escape from everyday life.
Judges’ comments:
“This home displays resort functionality with that family home feel. A modern Queenslander, lovely inside and out, perfect for the family.”
“The indoor-to-outdoor functionality is beautiful. It’s a ‘big family function’ type of home…different spaces for different uses – it’s a very useable home.”
“The design is quite innovative in terms of the main kitchen flowing to the entertaining/outdoor kitchen, then on to the outdoor swim-up bar.”
“It’s well-designed so the spaces are all well connected, and you can continue to be a part of the party.”
Sophisticated family home with style well beyond its price tag
Winner of the 2021 Brisbane President's Award - Project 54 by Descon Master Craftsmen Pty Ltd T/A Rome Design & Construct
This architectural home is designed to make a statement and evoke the feeling of being on vacation all year round.
Project 54 – Wishing you were coast side boasts stacks of features not normally found in the first home buyer category, such as feature timber batten screened open staircase, free standing bath, wall-hung vanities, beautiful high-end look tiling and polished concrete flooring, James Hardie Linea Board Cladding, and beautiful landscaping, all maximising space on a small block.
Built for the modern-day family, this home is anything but cookie cutter, offering unique architectural elements at an affordable price.
Judges’ comments:
“Everyone’s doing knockdown-rebuilds, so to have a 10-metre frontage and squeeze this place in there, for this price, is fantastic.”
“It’s got great street appeal for the price point – it’s a really affordable house that will be achievable for most families.
“The finishes – with the black and the fancy tiles throughout, the nice open stairs – they’re not things you would normally tend to pick up in a house of this price.”
“Why rent when you can go and build something like this?”
All Brisbane winners
Construction
- Health Facilities up to $20 million – Apollo Property Group Pty Ltd for Redcliffe Hospital Level 2 Operating Theatre & Recovery Redevelopment (Redcliffe)
- Health Facilities over $20 million – Watpac Construction Pty Ltd T/A BESIX Watpac for Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) (Herston)
- Education Facilities up to $10 million – Buildcorp Group Pty Limited T/A Buildcorp Group for QUT College, Kelvin Grove Campus Brisbane (Kelvin Grove)
- Education Facilities over $10 million – Tomkins Commercial & Industrial Builders Pty Ltd T/A Tomkins Commercial for St Margaret's Anglican Girls School Sports Precinct (Ascot)
- Sporting Facilities – Buildcorp Group Pty Limited T/A Buildcorp Group for Winter Olympic Aerial Ski Training Facility (Chandler)
- Community Service Facilities – FK Gardner and Sons Pty Ltd for Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre (Wacol)
- Retail Facilities up to $5 million – Apollo Property Group Pty Ltd for Fitzy's Loganholme (Loganholme)
- Retail Facilities over $5 million – Kane Constructions (QLD) Pty Ltd for DFO Jindalee Refurbishment Stage 2A (Jindalee)
- Tourism and Leisure Facilities up to $10 million – Ashley Cooper Construction Pty Ltd for Carina Leagues Club - Sports Bar & Café (Carina)
- Excellence in Workplace Health & Safety – Watpac Construction Pty Ltd T/A BESIX Watpac for Brisbane Domestic Terminal Retail Upgrade Stage 2 - Hanging Scaffold Solution (Brisbane Airport)
- Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Environmental Management – Axiom Construction Group Pty Ltd for Northshore Pet Resort (Rothwell)
- Commercial Building up to $5 million – Apollo Property Group Pty Ltd for MiHi Tavern (Brassall)
- Commercial Building from $5 million up to $50 million – Ausmar Homes Pty Ltd for Samford Grove | The Homestead (Samford Village)
- Industrial Building up to $5 million – Tomkins Commercial & Industrial Builders Pty Ltd T/A Tomkins Commercial for Crockford Office and Warehouse, Northgate (Northgate)
- Industrial Building over $5 million – Spaceframe Buildings Pty Ltd for Bidfoods Cold Storage Facility – Richlands (Richlands)
- Residential Building (high-rise over 3 storeys) up to $20 million – 5Point Projects Pty Ltd for OBSIDIAN (Teneriffe)
- Residential Building (high-rise over 3 storeys) over $20 million – McNab NQ Pty Ltd T/A McNab for Tree House by Aria (West End)
- Community Accommodation for Aged Care and Nursing Homes – Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd for Fernhill Residential Aged Care Facility Stage 1A (Caboolture)
- Refurbishment/Renovation up to $750,000 – J Hutchinson Pty Ltd T/A Hutchinson Builders for Nettleton Tribe Architects Office (Spring Hill)
- Refurbishment/Renovation over $750,000 – Buildcorp Group Pty Limited T/A Buildcorp Group for Transurban Head Office Brisbane (Brisbane)
Housing
- Best Use of Steel Frame Housing – McDonald Jones Homes Pty Ltd T/A Brighton Homes Queensland for Aveline 27 (Springfield)
- Individual Home up to $250,000 – Descon Master Craftsmen Pty Ltd T/A Rome Design & Construct for Project 45 (Belivah)
- Individual Home from $250,000 up to $350,000 – Descon Master Craftsmen Pty Ltd T/A Rome Design & Construct for Project 54 (Belivah)
- Individual Home from $350,000 up to $450,000 – Transpire Constructions Pty Ltd for Trinity 240 (Holland Park)
- Individual Home from $450,000 up to $550,000 – Hytek Building Pty Ltd T/A GJ Gardner Homes Jimboomba for Findlay-Field Home (Stockleigh)
- Individual Home from $550,000 up to $650,000 – Ambrose Homes Pty Ltd for Miss Hamptons (Wavell Heights)
- Individual Home from $650,000 up to $750,000 – Portfolio Property Investments Pty Ltd T/A PPI Property Group for 172 Abbotsleigh (Holland Park)
- Individual Home from $750,000 up to $950,000 – DJ Built Homes Pty Ltd for Ellwood (Ormiston)
- Individual Home from $950,000 up to $1.25 million – Hayward Developments Pty Ltd for Rockbourne (Paddington)
- Individual Home from $1.25 million up to $2 million – McLachlan Special Projects Pty Ltd T/A McLachlan Homes for The Brook Project (Kalinga)
- Individual Home over $2 million – McLachlan Special Projects Pty Ltd T/A McLachlan Homes for Northbry Lodge (Bellmere)
- Best Use of Sloping Sites – Graya Construction Pty Ltd for ARCOS (Paddington)
- Detached Secondary Dwelling – David A Bartle for Tiny House Shorncliffe (Shorncliffe)
- Home Renovation/Remodelling Project up to $275,000 – Copeland Projects Pty Ltd for Ara Project (Camp Hill)
- Home Renovation/Remodelling Project from $275,000 up to $575,000 – Update Renovate Extension Specialists Pty Ltd T/A Update Renovate for Evolve (Mount Gravatt East)
- Home Renovation/Remodelling Project from $575,000 up to $1 million – JCW Builders Pty Ltd for Woodville Street (Hendra)
- Home Renovation/Remodelling Project over $1 million – Graya Construction Pty Ltd for ARCOS (Paddington)
- Excellence in Sustainable Living – ARP Building Group Pty Ltd T/A Solaire Built for VANQUISH - Certified Passive House (Auchenflower)
- Display Home up to $250,000 – Australian Building Company for Lloyd (Narangba)
- Display Home from $250,000 up to $350,000 – McLachlan Special Projects Pty Ltd T/A McLachlan Homes for The Eden (Newport)
- Display Home from $350,000 up to $450,000 – McDonald Jones Homes Pty Ltd T/A Brighton Homes Queensland for Grayson 30 (Narangba)
- Display Home from $450,000 up to $550,000 – PDH QLD PTY LTD for Stradbroke 32 on display at Kalina Estate (Springfield)
- Display Home over $550,000 – Metricon Homes Qld Pty Ltd T/A Metricon Homes for Waterford (Rochedale)
- Medium Density up to 3 Storeys – Over 5 Dwellings – Azure Build Pty Ltd T/A Azure Development for Cornelia Edition (Minnippi)
Specialty
- Best Residential Kitchen – Metricon Homes Qld Pty Ltd T/A Metricon Homes for Waterford (Rochedale)
- Best Residential Bathroom – McDonald Jones Homes Pty Ltd T/A Brighton Homes Queensland for Grayson 30 (Narangba)
- Best Residential Swimming Pool – McLachlan Special Projects Pty Ltd T/A McLachlan Homes for Northbry Lodge (Bellmere)
Individual
- Apprentice of the Year – Aidan McPaul from Graya Construction Pty Ltd (Upper Mount Gravatt)
- Rising Star – Jarryd Duffy from Tide Constructions Pty Ltd (Wakerley)
- Women in Building – Andy King from King Builders Pty Ltd (Holland Park West)
Major
- President's Award – Descon Master Craftsmen Pty Ltd T/A Rome Design & Construct for Project 54 (Belivah)
- Project of the Year – FK Gardner and Sons Pty Ltd for Bob Atkinson Operational Capabilities Centre (Wacol)
- House of the Year – McLachlan Special Projects Pty Ltd T/A McLachlan Homes for Northbry Lodge (Bellmere)
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Melissa Seiler, Communications Advisor at melissa.seiler@mbqld.com.au
Christine Buzzard, Digital Communications Advisor at christine.buzzard@mbqld.com.au
Julie Russell, Manager Communications & Media at julie.russell@mbqld.com.au
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