Winners of the 2026 Master Builders Excellence Award
Introduction
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Date
2026
Author
John Douglas
Type
News
The Award
Kick Building has been named the winner of the 2026 Master Builders NSW Northern Excellence in Building Award for Modular and Innovative Construction Homes (Over $500,000) for Pine Mountain Road. The award recognises the technical precision and considered approach that defined the project, from its striking cantilevered form to the craftsmanship embedded throughout. For a build that pushed the boundaries of modular construction in the Northern Rivers, the recognition is well earned.
The Project
Pine Mountain Road is a five-bedroom, four-bathroom residence perched on a ridgeline above Possum Creek, built without mechanical heating or cooling. The home was designed by Balanced Earth Architects with lead architect Mercedes Mambort and contract administration by Jose Do Architect, and delivered by Kick Building to a BASIX Water Score of 96 against a target of 40, and an Energy Score of 100 against a target of 68.
The build required Kick to work with hempcrete at a scale rarely seen in compliant residential construction in Australia. At approximately 280mm thick, the hempcrete external walls combined with 300mm rammed earth internal walls, north-facing glazing and calibrated eaves to create a home that regulates its own temperature through fabric and design alone. A 21kW solar system, 50kWh battery and 110,000-litre rainwater tank complete the picture.
View the project in detail here.
What the Recognition Means
Awards like this matter because they set a benchmark for what regional construction can achieve. Pine Mountain Road was not built as a demonstration project. It is a completed, occupied home that proves performance-led construction is practical, replicable and achievable in the Northern Rivers right now.
For Kick Building, the recognition reflects a commitment that runs through every project: to build responsibly, work with integrity and leave something behind that is genuinely better than what was there before.
The Team
Kick Building would like to acknowledge the full project team who made Pine Mountain Road possible. Architecture and concept design through to construction documentation by Balanced Earth Architects, interior design led by Mercedes Mambort of S.H.E Architects. Contract administration and project design coordination by Jose Do Architect. And to the client George Lewin, whose brief made this level of ambition possible.
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