FMD Architects wins 2026 TIDA Australia Architect New Home of the Year
Congratulations to Fiona Dunin of FMD Architects, winner of the 2026 TIDA Australia Architect New Home of the Year – a sculptural home that's in tune with mature trees on the property
Designed in response to its sloping suburban site, this home was shaped to balance everyday family life and larger gatherings, while still providing distinct areas for privacy and retreat.
Rather than imposing a standard form across the slope, the design embeds voluminous and cavernous spaces within the layered terrain.
Two mature eucalypts anchor the site’s frontage, prompting curved rooflines that honour the established trees, while also anticipating their future growth.
At the heart of the plan is a double-height central volume, where in-situ concrete walls rise like tree trunks through a forest floor.
To the west sits the homeowners’ private realm, comprising a cocoon-like bedroom suite and a living space overlooking the garden.
To the east, are the more public areas – open-plan living, dining and a timber and stone kitchen, all connecting seamlessly to the garden.
Below ground, subterranean spaces host entertaining and wellness areas –including an entry bar illuminated by rippled light from a glass skylight topped by a shallow pond.
Beyond, a large dining area unfolds for dinner parties, and opens onto a games room.
Meanwhile, an outdoor dining pavilion nestles amid the planting like a folly, its blackened steel structure complementing the adjacent pool architecture.
The TIDA judges were deeply impressed by how this home’s architecture responds to its setting, and how bold forms and raw materials have been used to clearly define its various functional zones.
Congratulations to Fiona Dunin of FMD Architects – winner of the 2026 TIDA Australia Architect New Home of the Year.
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