When a Perth couple asked for a family-first home that would take the chaos out of life with three young, active boys, Perth practice Darklight Designs stepped up with a plan that included a “destruction zone”.
The owners, two working parents, specified plenty of space be available for adventurous play.
They also wanted gardens be in view from every major room and for the home to have a mid-century modern look with a coastal feel that stood apart from the typical white beach house.
The brief also came with other challenges: The coastal block has big changes in ground level, a mature gym on the street had to be kept, and the finishes had to be able to survive the boys’ knocks and the salt air.
In response, the architect designed Old Ladies Club, a pavilion-style home designed in two wings with gardens at its heart, parking hidden underneath and a “destruction zone” for the boys - a functional, fuss-free rumpus room at the end of the home that opens out onto a big lawn for play.
“A long, split-level layout steps across the site, with the parents’ zone at the front, the boys’ wing at the back and a central family space linking the two,” Darklight Designs director Adam Butcher said.
“Every major room looks onto landscaped gardens, courtyards or the pool, catching the morning sun from the east while shielded from the harsh western sun. Outside, stack-bond concrete brick, composite timber cladding and simple forms let the retained gum take centre stage on the street.”
The Watermans Bay home, build by Ormo Build on a 488sqm block and completed in December 2024, has now been selected at the West Coast’s residential building design of the year in the annual Design Matters National Building Design Awards.
It also won the best new house in the $1 million to $2m category and the excellence in the use of bricks award in the competition, which was announced in Perth last Friday night.
The West Coast commercial building design of the year award went to a Cowaramup restaurant, set overlooking the vines, created for Miss Chow’s by Mata Design Studio’. The other major category, the Past PResidents award, was won by Reside Studio for Cala residence in Burnside.
Darklight Design also won awards for Daisy’s House in Sorrento, Francisca House in North Perth and its Get Shorty renovation at Safety Bay.
Both companies are now among a handful of local studios in contention for Design Matters’ national awards. These will be announced alongside the competitions East Coast winners in Sydney on Saturday night.
The judges said Old Ladies Club was an outstanding example of how thoughtful planning, restrained materials and a strong design concept can create a home that will endure for generations. They also praised its long, pavilion-style layout that separates the parents’ retreat from the children’s wing around a central garden.
Co-chair of the 2026 judging panel Donna Monaghan, from Form and Function Building Design, said this year’s WA winners were set apart by was how they handled tough sites, whether while working on a steep coastal block, a tight suburban lot or a restaurant in a working vineyard.
“The best designers didn’t fight those constraints. They designed around them, and the buildings are better for it,” she said.
“Old Ladies Club is a great example. It’s planned around how a busy family with three boys actually lives, and it’s built with real care. Practical planning, beautiful craftsmanship and a sense of fun: that’s what the best WA work had in common this year.”
Design Matters national CEO Danielle Jonhson said overall WA’s winning projects reflected five qualities: smart answers to difficult sites, light and connection to the outdoors, timeless design with a sense of fun, craftsmanship and detail and sustainability “that delivers”.
“What stood out to our judges this year was how cleverly designers solved difficult sites, from steep coastal blocks to tight suburban lots, without losing sight of how families actually live,” Ms Johnston said.
“These are calm, timeless buildings that are beautifully made, with a real sense of fun in the detail. And we’re seeing designers show that strong sustainability can be achieved within a modest budget.”
Mr Butcher said Old Ladies Club didn’t reflect current trends for curves and arches, with its clean and elegant lines but was driven by the company’s function-first approach to design, delivered with a playful streak and a sense of fun.
That shows in its name, reflecting the old-school names of the local subdivision, which bear monikers such as Elsie, Mary, Flora, Ethel, Ada and Elvire.
“I chose the name because Old Ladies Club is in a beautiful part of Watermans Bay that has all these really classical names,” Mr Butcher said. “I like to have a bit of fun.”
2026 Building Design Awards
West Coast winners include:
Old Ladies Club, Watermans Bay, by Darklight Designs
Miss Chow’s, Cowaramup, by Mata Design Studio
Cala Residence, Burnside, by Reside Studio
Daisy’s House, Sorrento, by Darklight Designs
The King, East Fremantle, by &Dalecki
Middleton Home, Middleton, by Rogier Voorhoeve
P’s Place, Witchcliffe, by Pernille Stent