A Clayfield family’s request for extra living space and a shaded pool has culminated in their Brisbane home taking out the top honour at the national 2026 Houses Awards.
Owners Annie O’Rourke and Jim Jackson purchased the early 20th-century timber cottage in 2008. A decade later, their growing family of five needed more space. The couple also wanted to expand without sacrificing yard space, while the brief called for a swimming pool with ample shade that remained visible from inside the dwelling.
Brisbane architect John Ellway delivered a compact vertical solution, dubbed Half Light House. The design integrates the pool directly into the core of the new addition, with living spaces wrapping around a central void overlooking the water. Fixed glazing provides clear sightlines across the interior, while a deck positioned above part of the pool provides shade and allows both areas to function independently.
To preserve green space, the extension was kept compact. Project details record 55 square metres of demolition and 115 square metres of new work, for a net addition of 60 square metres on the 486-square-metre site. Ellway’s project notes say the extension was kept within the area of previous built form to maximise existing green space and planting.
Taming the Western Sun
Perched on a Clayfield ridge, the rear of the home faces west towards distant hills. The orientation brings strong afternoon and evening light, but it also exposes the glazed western side to heat and glare.
Five automated external blinds help regulate conditions along the western edge. Inside, stepped floor levels preserve views stretching from the original cottage, across the central pool and towards the landscape beyond. Retractable doors open the dining area towards the outdoors, while a strong tonal contrast marks the transition between old and new.
The restored original cottage remains predominantly white, while the newer extension is finished largely in darker tones. Jackson has said the name Half Light House came from changing patterns of light and shade throughout the day. Pool reflections also cast changing light across parts of the interior.
Project credits list Prandium Studio as landscape designer, Struss Constructions as builder and Ingineered as engineer. The garden, pool and living spaces are closely connected through the completed design.
A Second National Triumph
Jury members praised the design for respecting the scale and character of the original cottage while turning two major site constraints — the sloping block and western exposure — to the project’s advantage.
Half Light House emerged from a shortlist of 35 projects to win the House Alteration and Addition over 200 Square Metres category before claiming the Australian House of the Year title.
The victory gives Ellway his second Australian House of the Year title, following Three House in Paddington in 2021.
Published 6-Sept-2026