GLOBAL – Two Australian residential projects have received top honours at the prestigious 2025 Dezeen Awards, a benchmark for international design excellence. The awards, presented by the influential architecture and design publication Dezeen, were announced at a ceremony in London on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, EAT. The winning projects, a Sydney bathroom inspired by Bram Stoker's *Dracula* and an innovative Melbourne home blurring indoor and outdoor spaces, showcase emerging global trends in residential design.

The accolades were awarded to Sydney-based Jillian Dinkel for 'Bathroom Interior of the Year' and Melbourne's Studio Bright for 'House (Urban) of the Year'. The annual awards programme reportedly received over 4,300 entries from 89 countries this year, underscoring the global significance of the competition.

Creative and Contextual Design

Jillian Dinkel's studio was recognised for its transformation of Kilmory House, the former stables of a historic estate in Sydney built around 1913. The design for the award-winning bathroom featured a dark, moody, and luxurious interior, with the novel *Dracula* serving as an initial inspiration for the home's dramatic colour scheme. Dezeen's judges praised the project for its masterful mix of materials, including stainless steel, marble, and Venetian plaster, and its high level of craftsmanship. "My clients were really open to being quite adventurous in creating spaces that felt very dramatic," Dinkel stated, as reported by The Guardian on November 26, 2025.

In Melbourne, Studio Bright's 'Hedge and Arbour House' won for its unique approach to suburban living. The design features metal mesh screens that envelop the structure, acting as a framework for climbing deciduous plants. This 'living facade' provides natural, seasonal shading and integrates the house with its landscape. The judges described the home as a "clever and intriguing" project that capably balances privacy with the need for light and air.

Global Benchmarks and Local Relevance

The Dezeen Awards are recognised as a significant indicator of excellence and innovation in the global architecture and design industry. Winning projects often set international trends and provide a measure of the industry's direction. While no Kenyan or East African firms were named among the winners in these specific categories, the results offer valuable insights for Kenya's dynamic construction and design sectors.

The focus on adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, as seen in the Kilmory House project, resonates with ongoing conversations in Nairobi and Mombasa about preserving historical architecture while adapting it for modern use. Similarly, the emphasis on sustainable and nature-integrated design in the Hedge and Arbour House reflects a growing global movement that is gaining traction within Kenyan architectural circles, where harnessing natural light and ventilation is paramount.

Kenyan firms have previously achieved success on the international stage. In 2019, Nairobi's Britam Tower became the first building in Africa to receive the Emporis Skyscraper Award. In 2020, architectural firm BellTower won the Lexus Design Award Grand Prix for a low-cost housing design. Furthermore, Nairobi-based Urko Sánchez Architects was a finalist in the 2018 Dezeen Awards for a residential project, demonstrating that Kenyan design can compete at the highest level. These achievements highlight the capability and potential of the local industry to produce world-class work that is both contextually relevant and globally recognised.

As Kenya's urban centres continue to expand, the principles of innovative material use, sustainability, and creative adaptation of space showcased by the 2025 Dezeen Awards winners serve as a crucial reference point for local architects, developers, and policymakers aiming to elevate the standards of the built environment across the region.