Oldbury Home wins 2026 HIA Australian Project Home of the Year Winner!

There’s something special about a home that feels both grounded in its surroundings and elevated in its design. That balance is exactly what The Rural Building Co. has achieved once again, earning national recognition at the HIA Australian Housing Awards on 18 April on the Gold Coast.

The home behind the accolade sits quietly in Oldbury, in Western Australia’s Peel region. At first glance, it feels at ease in its surroundings. Look closer, and it becomes clear that this sense of ease has been carefully considered at every step.

The exterior sets the tone. Custom cladding and corrugated steel create a distinctly Australian character, while bush pole supports reference traditional rural building methods. Nothing feels forced or overly styled. Instead, the home reads as a natural extension of the landscape around it.

This kind of restraint is often what makes a home endure. It doesn’t rely on trends, but on materials and forms that have proven their place over time.

Inside, the home opens up in a way that feels both generous and intentional. Natural light moves easily through the central living spaces, softening the scale created by vaulted ceilings and gabled windows.

According to New Home Consultant Brook Leber, the design draws from familiar rural elements but adapts them for contemporary living.

“The Oldbury demonstrates how thoughtful design can elevate everyday living,” he explains. “It pairs striking architectural features with practical inclusions like a concealed scullery and seamless alfresco integration.”

These decisions aren’t about adding more, but about refining how the home works. The kitchen connects rather than dominates. Storage is present, but discreet. Indoor and outdoor spaces relate to each other without interruption.

What stands out most is how the home responds to the way people actually live. It allows for quiet moments as easily as it does for gathering. It offers openness without sacrificing comfort.

General Manager Tony Harvie describes this as central to the way the company approaches design.

“We understand that our clients want a home that reflects their lifestyle,” he says. “For decades, we’ve been designing rural homes people can live in, entertain in, relax in and step away to.”

It’s a reminder that a well-designed home doesn’t need to announce itself loudly. Its value is often felt in the small, daily interactions, how light falls across a room, how spaces connect, how easily life moves through it.

This Oldbury residence is, on paper, an award-winning home. In practice, it’s something quieter and more enduring.

It shows what can happen when a home is shaped around its environment and the people who live in it, rather than around a fixed template. The result isn’t just visually appealing, it feels considered, lived-in and lasting.

For anyone thinking about building, it offers a useful perspective, not just on what a home should look like, but on how it should support the way you want to live. It’s a reflection of our company ethos: We Understand.