Live, Love, Loft wins at the ACT Architecture Awards

We're proud to share that our Live, Love, Loft project has received an Award for Sustainable Architecture at the 2026 ACT Architecture Awards.

"The house is the perfect design and size for our family: we each get our own space but no one's too far away. It's a cool oasis on baking summer days and a cosy, sun-drenched haven during the winter. The communal spaces are practical for daily living and flexible for entertaining — we particularly love gathering with friends around the bench while we cook. The loft has been a fun space for our kids and their friends, as well as a quiet office space during the day." — Christine Mackay, Client.

What we're most proud of is that this result was achieved through optimised design and careful, thorough execution of mostly standard construction methods. 8 NatHERS stars, 3.6 air changes per hour, and a lifecycle carbon assessment showing a 102% estimated reduction compared to an average new family home — on a 139m² footprint, built for $760k (in a Canberra market context.)

We think that's the point. High-performance housing needs to be achievable at scale, not just in exceptional circumstances. This project is our contribution to showing what that can look like: good holistic decisions, made early, executed well, with a builder and clients who were genuinely committed to the outcome.

The AIA sustainability category is open to all project types, not just housing. Being recognised in that context means a great deal to us.

Christine said it best when the family moved in: "I really feel like we've ruined the kids. How can they ever be happy living anywhere else?"

Looking for more?

See more of this project, HERE.