Time, effort and a good measure of risk-taking have paid dividends in this nifty New Zealand home for two couples.

Inspired by terrariums, an architect renovates an existing cottage into a flexible family home that mingles architecture and landscape.

An 1880s cottage in Sydney is carefully modernised while staying true to the timeless principles of honest construction, quality materials and abundant light.

A five-storey, multi-generational glass-and-concrete home on a tiny St Kilda in-fill site zoned for business sure got the neighbours and council talking. Architect Matt Gibson and design industry clients collaborated closely on this striking presence animated by its surroundings.

Light, bright and bold: this architect’s Perth family home is a modern take on gable-roofed character buildings complete with top-notch views.

Maddison Architects director Drew Carling and designer Jenni Draper found plenty to love about a “defensive” 45-year-old brown brick legal office on a tapering block in West Melbourne. The beauty of their high-impact renovation is its exquisite restraint.

Panovscott has turned a workers cottage inside out and back-to-front to borrow from and contribute to the surrounding landscape.

An unassuming home is reworked into a finely detailed family environment that subtly honours craftsmanship.

Penny Fuller and Jad Silvester’s reconfiguration of their 40-square-metre one-bedroom apartment was an exercise in efficiency. The architects, who lead their own practice, Silvester Fuller, made dimensional improvements and utilised visual tricks to maximise the space functionally and visually.

A landmark modernist home in Brisbane is given a new lease on life through an empathetic and considered restoration.