Dulux Colour Awards 2024
Commercial and Multi-Residential Exterior
This category recognises excellence in exterior paint finishes of any commercial, industrial, educational facility, multi-residential development and/or apartment building.
Commercial and Multi-Residential Exterior Winner
COMMON Architecture + Interiors
Seven Colourful Little Houses
About the project
These houses are low-maintenance, long-lasting and healthy homes accessible to various occupiers. They demonstrate the important role colour plays when reimagining the suburban quarter-acre dream. The colour scheme inspiration resulted from suburb research that revealed hints of colour were already in use in the area. These colours were then reimagined and reinterpreted into a contemporary outcome illustrating the power of singular bold colour selections.
What the judges said
"Colour blocking entire homes aligned in a series of seven, no less, proves that bold, singular design strategies can be affordable, impactful and create deep, positive impressions in our built environment.
"Breaking the norm of a satellite town outside Christchurch, these modest dwellings eschew the prevailing cookie-cutter style and add a street presence that is truly uplifting. Their tonal values are beautifully balanced, from dusky blues and sage greens, through to red and orange, against silver and off-white, demonstrating a process of great consideration and commitment to reimagining the suburban sprawl.
"While each is individually tailored, with their unique palettes continued internally in fixtures, finishes and joinery, it is the collective impact on the broader community that we particularly commend.
"The architects wholeheartedly fulfilled their ambition to use colour to add a sense of harmony and balance to the street elevation and recognise depth, movement and texture as important design elements in the wider suburban context."
Sarosh Mulla, judge
The winning palette
Duralloy® Silver Pearl Kinetic®
Duralloy® Terracotta
Commendation
Speculative Architecture and Brammer Architects, Architects in Association
Good Samaritan College
About the project
The college's reddish exterior echoes the distinctive volcanic soil of Toowoomba’s geology. The simplified palette has been used on the façade's openings, shutters, rails and downpipes to enhance depth and texture. Also, in a nod to the classic cafe striped awnings, the underside of the verandah near the food technology spaces of a café and commercial kitchen, was painted in a red and white stripe.
What the judges said
"An exemplar of an all-encompassing tonal colour strategy. This is statement architecture and a sophisticated design resolution using colour as the defining element."
Good Samaritan College
The palette
Dulux Colour Awards 2024 category winners
Explore how the winners brought to life the innovative use of colour in residential, commercial and public spaces.
Dulux Colour Awards 2024
Our finalists
View the 83 projects from designers and architects selected as this year's finalists from a record 527 entries across eight categories.
Image credits
Stephen Goodenough Seven Colourful Little Houses | Charlie Hillhouse and Rhett Hammerton Good Samaritan College.
*Palette colours: Duralloy® Titania, Duralloy® Mist Green, Duralloy® Wizard, Duralloy® New Denim Blue, Duralloy® Scoria and Duralloy® Terracotta are only available in New Zealand. Visit Dulux Powder Coating Australia or Dulux Powder Coating New Zealand for more details.