Saltbush Retreat Wins 2026 HIA Western Victoria Home of the Year

Written By Audrey Whisker

Updated 5 October 2026

We’re delighted to share that Saltbush Retreat has received three honours at the 2026 HIA Western Victoria Regional Housing Awards:

  • 2026 HIA Western Victoria Home of the Year

  • 2026 HIA Western Victoria Overall Custom Built Home

  • 2026 HIA Western Victoria Custom Built Home $1 million–$1.5 million

The awards were received by builder Argent Constructions for Saltbush Retreat, designed by Whisker Architecture and completed in 2025.

Recognition like this belongs to the whole project team. We’re grateful to our clients for trusting the team with their forever home on Victoria’s south-west coast, and proud to see Argent Constructions’ work recognised.

The Warrnambool home brings together step-free access, wide circulation, low-maintenance materials and passive-solar thinking. Its layout can support the owners at home alone as well as visits from children, grandchildren and the wider family.

View the Saltbush Retreat project.

Saltbush Retreat

Designed by Whisker Architecture, built by Argent Constructions. Photography by Canterbury Creative.

Audrey Whisker

Audrey Whisker is a Melbourne architect and director of Whisker Architecture. Her work spans homes, schools and workplaces, with a focus on how people use spaces and how those spaces affect everyday life. She has trained in Passive House design and brings that knowledge to comfortable, efficient buildings. Inclusivity and accessibility remain central to her practice.

https://www.whiskerarchitecture.com
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