Anthony
St
John
Parsons

Architecture
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Selected Projects


New Castle
Merewether
Fronte Oceano
North Avoca

New Castle

Location
Year
Budget 
Builder
Landscape
Engineer
    Merewether, Newcastle Australia
2020 - 2024
$$$
Ledbury Construction
Studio JEF + Shakkei Landscaping
Izzat
Awards

 AIA National Award for Residential Architecture - Houses (new)
AIA National Award for Interior Architecture
AIA NSW Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture - Houses (new)
AIA NSW Award for Interior Architecture
AIA Newcastle Medallion
AIA Newcastle Award for Residential Architecture - Houses (new)
AIA Newcastle Award for Interior Architecture
PressHouses Magazine Issue 163

Architecture Au - National Awards

Yellow Trace

Sydney Morning Herald

Habitus
Jury CitationIn a quiet suburban street in Merewether, on a generous but otherwise unremarkable site with no commanding view, lies a house of extraordinary ambition and execution. New Castle by Anthony St John Parsons is conceived as a walled garden – a secret paradise that turns inward, offering sanctuary, escape, and reflection. From the street, a monolithic limestone facade is softened with mature planting and curious openings. It sets up a ceremonial arrival to the landscape within.

The house unfolds like a wooden puzzle box, a sequence of volumes intimately connected to each other and to the garden across three levels. It is a large house, but you are never lost. The order of the plan takes you below and then above ground, culminating with the roof terrace which opens up to the sky and water on the horizon. The detailing is exquisite: every joint, finish, and line has been considered and resolved. Each gesture is the product of rigorous thought.

While it may not speak to the broader challenges of housing in Australia, New Castle is a rare work of architectural bravura. It draws on centuries of architectural knowledge – from the monumental grandeur of Roman villas to the artistry of Mughal gardens – it thoughtfully reinterprets these lessons in a contemporary way, creating a residence that is both timeless and new. A beautiful one-off, distilled with clarity, courage, and craft. The jury is unanimous in awarding it the 2025 Wilkinson Award.