Dolphin Court House | ME

Dolphin Court House | ME | Photographer: Christopher Frederick Jones

2026 National Architecture Awards Program

Dolphin Court House | ME

Traditional Land Owners

Kombumerri people of the Yugambeh nation

Year
2026
Chapter

Queensland

Region

Gold Coast and Northern Rivers

Category
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Builder
Sandbox
Photographer
Christopher Frederick Jones
Media summary

Dolphin Court House is a multigenerational house for a family of five and visiting family.  Habitation of the house encourages engagement with the subtropical climate.  One arrives not at a front door but front gate.  This opens onto a landscaped courtyard with views to the canal beyond.  This courtyard is the organizing device for the two main wings containing bedrooms and living.  The living wing opens on both sides creating a seamless connection with the adjacent landscape and canal beyond.  The courtyard and gardens throughout internalise the view, reinforce the connection to landscape, provide access to balanced natural light, microclimates for passive ventilation and privacy on a site heavily overlooked by neighbours.  The planning also accommodates varying models of future multigenerational living.  Robust materials were selected for their connection to place and enduring qualities.  

Our home is fun. Naturally when on water you wish to create a home which celebrates its aspect. One thing we truly love is while we have ability to open the house up and enjoy the water, we also have the ability to remain private and intimate, particularly in spaces where privacy is of more importance to us. We have remarkable balance in our home, between inside and out, between connection and seclusion, between activity and repose. What we love most about the house it is unmistakably us.

Project Practice Team

Matthew Eagle, Design Architect
Lisa Miller, Graduate of Architecture

Project Consultant and Construction Team

ME, Landscape Consultant
ME, Interior Designer
ME, Lighting Consultant
Westera Partners, Structural Engineer
UPS Planning, Town Planner
Bennett + Bennett, Surveyor
Pinnacle Engineering, Civil Consultant
Lougi & Control Studio, AV Consultant
Pacific Geotech, Geotechnical Engineer
Dipcon, ESD Consultant
McCarthy Consulting Group, Certifier

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