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Babylon House was awarded the Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2025 National Architecture Awards ceremony held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra on Thursday, 6 November.

The property, perched on the ridge between Pittwater and Avalon Beach, represents an extraordinary collaboration between Casey Brown Architecture and its owners, who purchased the home in 2015. What followed was a nine-year journey to restore and reimagine a unique piece of local architectural history.

Originally constructed in 1953 to a design by architect Edwin Kingsbury, the home’s distinctive curved forms, stonework and unconventional character earned it the local nickname “The Castle”. After decades of neglect, the building has been meticulously repaired and thoughtfully transformed while preserving its eccentric spirit.

The jury praised the project’s attention to detail and experiential qualities. “Every space and detail has the heart of the architect and client in it,” the citation noted, highlighting features including integrated rock ledges, bathrooms accessed via a floor hatch, bespoke patterns in floor treatments, crafted handrails, hand-finished timbers, and even a stage in the lounge room.

The home’s design respects its modernist roots while adding contemporary elements. The living areas sit beneath a 320-square-metre kidney-shaped roof with no right angles, all featuring soaring ceilings over four metres high. Mysterious corridors and passageways wind through the property, leading to an expansive 80-square-metre free-span dining room that opens onto a substantial patio with sweeping Pacific Ocean and Pittwater views.

The renovation extended the original design language using materials including black timber, terrazzo, pickled timber panelling and dichroic glass louvres. Salvaged materials were reused throughout, and asymmetrical skylights now cast shafts of light across restored stone walls.

Practical improvements were carefully integrated without compromising the home’s character. A new driveway and cable car now provide step-free access to the property, while a new kitchen and laundry have been discreetly tucked beneath the existing roof. The new master suite wraps around the southern edge of the main living space, threading carefully between sandstone boulders and mature angophoras.

The jury described Babylon House as feeling “ancient and contemporary all at once” and commended it as “a truly beautiful example of working with the essence of an existing building and bringing it back from the brink.”

The project team included Casey Brown Architecture principals Rob Brown, project architect Thomas Monahan, and project lead Ryan Western, with construction by David Campbell Building and stonework by John Wittey.

Earlier this year, Babylon House also won two awards at the NSW Architecture Awards: the John Verge Award for Interior Architecture and the award for Alterations and Additions.

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The Emil Sodersten Award is one of the highest honours for interior architecture in Australia, recognising projects that demonstrate excellence in the design and execution of interior spaces.

Published 6-November-2025

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