Bidiagal, Birrabirragal and Gadigal
NSW
The Love Shack is a built prototype for local material reuse. The design approach is governed by resource efficiency and experimentation. The core philosophy centres on minimising waste while maximising lifespan in an effort to re-frame predetermined conceptions of how salvaged materials should look and perform.
The pavilion adapts to different uses, shifting between a bedroom, a living area and an office that can become an extension of the backyard when the façade is open and a private hideaway when closed. Passive cooling, lighting and ventilation techniques were employed to create a comfortable space year-round.
Close collaboration with builders and trades enabled innovative reuse exploration. Constructed from reclaimed materials—including overpour concrete, salvaged timber, and a custom marble render—the project embodies real-world circular design principles in practice. Re-milled window hardware to handcrafted lighting from offcuts, celebrates material stewardship and local craftsmanship.
Small Project Architecture Citation:
Love Shack exemplifies sustainability and innovation in a tactile and beautifully crafted garden retreat.
Aptly named, this is an architecture of love and commitment that is calm and understated whilst setting a benchmark for the future. It challenges architecture to re-examine the design and procurement process through detailed material exploration and collaboration, with every material decision informed by a desire to minimise waste, celebrate reuse and inform disassembly These choices have also enhanced the outcome of the project, creating beauty through the varying timber palettes, the crushed marble facade panels and bespoke lights crafted from wood offcuts.
The small space is carefully planned with understanding of how it would be explored and approached. The circular movement through the bathroom allows privacy from the garden and varies how the shack is utilised. Like everything in the project, nothing has been left to chance, yet there is an effortless and beautiful simplicity that belies the research and innovation that makes it the exemplar it is.
Designed as a prototype, this project deserves to be celebrated for the process as much as the outcome.
Sustainable Architecture Citation:
Made from salvaged local materials and designed so most can be dismantled and reused, Second Edition’s Love Shack in Sydney’s Bondi Beach is a beautiful prototype for how to reduce waste in the construction industry. Only 30m2, it fills a range of needs for the homeowners – it can be a granny flat, a home office or a place for a party. Innovative and thoughtful, it involved complex planning to stockpile and reuse materials that would have otherwise ended up in a skip. A compelling example is its concrete footings which were made from over-pour from nearby sites. Ìý
The ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
