From heritage homes to contemporary apartments, thoughtful design helps create the places people love to live in.
That’s the philosophy behind this year’s Built Environment Awards Best of the Best winner, Cera Stribley, whose Brighton development is challenging traditional ideas about apartment living.
The architecture and interior design practice was the standout at Bayside’s 2026 Built Environment Awards, taking home four awards for its development at 59 Carpenter Street, Brighton.
For Dom Cerantonio, Managing Principal at Cera Stribley, great architecture isn’t about creating a building that simply looks impressive.
“It’s about creating spaces people genuinely enjoy living in,” he said.
“The most important thing in the building is something you can’t draw, which is space.”
That thinking shaped every aspect of the development. High ceilings, generous balconies with integrated planting, natural light and carefully considered floorplans create homes that feel spacious and connected to the outdoors.
“Many residents are downsizing from larger family homes, so creating apartments that feel open and liveable was a key priority,” Dom said.
“We spend a lot of time thinking about the volume of a space and how people experience it every day.”
Inspired by Bayside’s coastline and natural landscape, the design uses soft curves and a restrained palette of concrete and glass to create a building that feels contemporary while sitting comfortably within its surroundings.
“We wanted the building to feel connected to the landscape,” Dom said.
“It’s important that buildings don’t all have to look the same.”
Bayside’s next Built Environment Awards will be held in 2028.
