Last standing 100yo beach shack crowned Australia’s best reno

The 100 year old Woodside Cottage won Australia’s top residential renovation for 2026, designed by local studio ME. Picture: Christopher Frederick Jones A humble 1920s weatherboard cottage that refused to be wiped out by encroaching high-rises has beaten mega-mansions to take out Australia’s best renovation of the year award. The century-old survivor called Woodside Cottage, whose renovation was designed by Queensland studio ME, pulled off a classic underdog victory at the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2026 National Architecture Awards Thursday night. SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL LIST OF NATIONAL WINNERS Woodside Cottage, designed by local studio ME, included the addition of a tower to match surrounding apartment buildings and catch the views. Picture: Christopher Frederick Jones It took out the prestigious Eleanor Cullis-Hill Award for Residential Architecture (Houses – Alterations and Additions), officially securing the title of Australia’s finest home renovation. Located in the heart of Burleigh Heads, the Gold Coast triumph headlined a massive night that covered the best architecture of the year across the country – a major feat for a home originally built in the early 1920s by H...