Here are some of Canberra’s best in residential, commercial and civil construction, winners in this year’s ACT Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards. 

The ACT’s best residential, commercial and civil construction projects from the last 12 months were recognised at the Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards. 

More than 1200 industry guests attended the awards at the National Convention Centre on September 5 to celebrate excellence in building and construction.

Master Builders ACT CEO, Anna Neelagama, congratulated all finalists and winners.

House of the Year was awarded to Ewer Constructions for its Batten House in Curtin.

“Recognising the individuals who are making outstanding contributions to their businesses, clients and community is a critical part of our awards,” says Ms Neelagama.

“It is especially important to recognise the efforts of individuals during industry downturns where everyone is feeling the effect.”

Upside down house House of the Year

Ewer Constructions’ “Batten House”, the winning entrant for House of the Year and the Custom Built-Project Home $2 million to $4 million, was an afterthought submission. 

Four months out, it was only after founding director Alan Ewer realised that many of the contractors he was working with were entering the awards that he chanced a go. 

“It’s quite an achievement,” he says. 

“I couldn’t do it without the architect for the project, Ben Walker, who was such an inspiration and visionary.”

Located in Curtin, Alan’s “Batten House” was built “upside down” from the roof down. 

“It was a complicated build,” says Alan. 

“It was a 12-month lead time just to organise the wood.”

In total, the house took 18 months to build and unanimously won the award. 

Described as having “exceptional craftsmanship in the precise and care taken with every element of the build” in the award, Alan says he is thrilled to have honoured the 54 contractors involved in the build as well as the hardworking staff and suppliers. 

Occasionally guilty of “forgetting to look up” by focusing on the many chores and list of ongoing tasks in a build for at least 12 months after completion, Alan says it was jawdropper once completed. 

“It’s truly amazing,” he says. 

Alan is now going on to represent Canberra at the National Awards. 

Ewer Constructions. 65 Holman Street, Curtin. Call 0418 429137 or visit ewerconstructions.com.au

Young Builder of the Year with a passion for carpentry

Since completing his apprenticeship 14 years ago, Jake Casey has taken out the Young Builder of the Year award at the ACT’s Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards. 

“I have always been super passionate about carpentry,” he says. 

“I’m working the dream job and am surrounded by the best in trades and workers.” 

Jake Casey has four onsite employees, bringing a fresh perspective to the building industry. 

“We do everything from start to finish and focus on perfecting the small details,” he says. 

Utilising passive design to create innovative and supremely functional structures, Jake also took out the Custom Built/Project Home $1 million to $2 million award, which he credits to his incredible team. 

“It really was a team effort, I couldn’t do it without the boys’ hard work,” he says. 

“It’s nice to see the hard work pay off.” 

Jake says he continues to encourage his workers to think big and have three to five-year plans for the future. 

“It’s one thing for a company achievement, but it’s another thing for individual achievements,” he says. 

Following his success, Jake says Casey Projects has some “exciting” jobs planned. 

Casey Projects. Call 0450 807390 or visit caseyprojects.com

Award-winners with quality and livability on the mind

Winner of the display home below $500,000 award at the ACT’s Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards, Sunny Homes founder, Sunny Malhotra, says their winning entrant in Googong was designed to prove that quality and livability can go hand-in-hand. 

“We wanted to demonstrate to families that you don’t have to compromise on style of comfort to stay in the home you love,” he says. 

“To us, balance is everything. A home must be practical for everyday living, visually inspiring and built to last.

“We spend a lot of time perfecting layouts so they feel intuitive and functional, while also layering in design details and finishes that bring warmth and individuality.” 

Sunny says their ethos is simple: build every home as if it were their own. 

“That means quality craftsmanship, transparency with our clients and a genuine commitment to creating spaces that enhance lives.” 

This is Sunny’s sixth consecutive year being recognised at the Master Builders awards.

“It’s more than just a company milestone, it was a team celebration,” he says. 

“Our staff, trades, suppliers and clients all played a role in that success. 

“Personally, it reinforces why we do what we do – to create homes that people are proud to live in, and to keep raising the bar for residential building in Canberra.” 

Locally owned and family run, Sunny has delivered more than 250 houses to the Canberra community. 

Sunny Homes. 60 Edward Drive, Googong NSW. Call
0493 030306 or visit www.sunnyhomes.com.au

Good design that brings quiet joy into people’s lives

In collaboration with REP Building and Oztal Architects, Studio Black Interiors took out the Medium Density Townhouses and Villas for their Dickson Townhouse development. 

“It’s a project that combines quality, craftsmanship and a more spacious, house-like approach to urban living,” says principal designer, Maria Cerne. 

“I believe the best outcomes are always achieved when designers, builders and architects work closely together, and I’m grateful to the MBA for acknowledging our collective efforts.

“Quality craftsmanship and considered design are at the heart of Studio Black Interiors, and it’s an honour to see this townhouse project celebrated among such talented peers.”

Since 2020, Studio Black Interiors has been recognised with eight MBA awards across multiple categories. 

“We continue to work closely with Canberra’s leading builders and architects to deliver projects of the highest quality, always with a focus on timeless design and enduring craftsmanship,” says Maria. 

“It is incredibly rewarding to take a vision and shape it into a space that feels both beautiful and deeply personal.

“For me, the joy is seeing a client walk into their finished home and feel a sense of pride and belonging.” 

Maria says quality design isn’t just measured in looks, but how it feels every day. 

“Good design solves problems quietly, making life flow more easily while also standing the test of time,” she says. 

“Every choice, from the layout to the materials, is intentional and thoughtful with the aim of bringing calm, comfort and joy into people’s lives.” 

Studio Black Interiors. Call 0410 501729 or visit studioblack.com.au

Brothers honour heritage with a modern twist

Brother Projects has won the 2025 Renovation/Extension More Than $2.5 million at the Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards.

Located in Griffith, the renovation and extension project honoured the home’s heritage while delivering a large, modern extension. 

“We’ve restored the inner-south gem by retaining the cottage feel without feeling outdated,” says managing director Jamey Dutkiewicz.

Alluding to a modern style with semi-circle features on the guest bedroom, Jamey says it allows for glimpses from the street to the extension beyond without it being “overbearing from the street”. 

“The home delivers the perfect balance of space for the family, places to work and guest privacy,” he says. 

Blending indoor with outdoor living by incorporating slimline Vitrocsa sliding doors and cantilevered contract slabs, Jamey says the project is a shining example of how to integrate modern living and design, while carefully preserving important heritage. 

According to Jamey, the mission of the heritage project was ambitious. 

“We wanted to honour the original home’s Canberra heritage and retain the cottage feel, and deliver a modern extension.” 

Last year, younger brother Nathan Dutkiewicz won Young Builder of the Year and the company landed the 2024 House of the Year award.

Brother Projects. Call Jamey at 0419 266289, Nathan at 0419 266289 or visit brotherprojects.com.au 

Naming rights sponsor with a passion for the community

A premium partner with the Master Builders Association since 2017, Asset Construction Hire has been the naming rights sponsor of the Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards since 2018. 

“This relationship has really helped us to connect and gain visibility in Canberra’s busy building industry,” says general manager Hunter Cocks. 

“As a growing family-owned and local business, we always want to support local projects, organisations, community groups and charities.

“The chance to be involved in the Excellence Awards has been an incredible opportunity to be a part of celebrating this region’s growth, and the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.”

An independent and local hirer of equipment, Hunter says service is everything to them. 

“We supply only the best gear and brands to our customers, and back this up with a dedicated team of mechanics, on-site service technicians, free site measures, personal account managers and more,” he says. 

“We believe that being helpful and responsible is essential when supporting customers who are often undertaking complex work.”

A “highlight of their year”, Hunter says the awards night is an event that they are proud to support each year. 

“The awards bring together many of our customers and the industry, and being able to celebrate their successes in the same room is exciting, to say the least,” he says. 

Asset Construction Hire. 25 Cessnock Street, Fyshwick. Call 1300 361383 or visit assethire.com.au

A household name gets behind the awards

Seears Workwear is a corporate sponsor of the 2025 Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards.

Family owned and operated with 35 years of experience, Pat Seears, alongside son and daughter, Shane and Melissa, operate a big workwear gear and clothing store in Fyshwick.

Trading in Barrier Street since 2002, Pat says it’s an honour to be Canberra’s trusted leader in the workwear industry. 

“It’s extremely important that we provide the right equipment and the best safety products to our clients,” says Pat. 

“We want to get it right the first time so that we build long-term relationships with our clients.” 

Providing clothing and safety items for a wide variety of industries, Pat says they can help labourers, chefs, blue and white-collar workers all the way to government departments, such as Defence, and hospitals. 

“With 1400 square metres of space, there are truckloads of stock ready to meet our clients needs,” he says.

“There is nothing worse than having to wait weeks for something to be ordered in.”

Providing a free measure-and-quote and free delivery service, Pat says they also provide a full embroidery and screen printing service. 

“We are competitively priced and are prepared to negotiate on bulk orders,” he says. 

“These are just some factors on why we believe Seears Workwear has become a household name.” 

Seears Workwear, 60 Barrier Street, Fyshwick. Call 6280 4111 or visit seearsworkwear.com.au

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