Easton crowned Residential Master Builder of the Year for the second time in five years

Written By Jessica Thomas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — 12 October 2026

Easton crowned Residential Master Builder of the Year for the second time in five years

Two winning homes, two contract models, two delivery structures, one formula.

MELBOURNE — Boutique Melbourne builder Easton has been named Master Builder of the Year – Residential at the 2026 Master Builders Victoria Excellence in Housing Awards for Brighton House, a restored 1870s Bayside estate. The project also won Best Renovation/Addition Over $2M.

The win makes Easton a two-time holder of Victoria's highest residential building honour within five years, after its Toorak residence took the same title in 2021.

What sets the two wins apart is how different the projects were. Each was delivered under a different contract, a different scope and a different management structure, yet both reached the top of the state's residential awards.

A table outlining the differences between 2021 and 2026 Wins for Easton

"One award can be put down to a great project opportunity," said Easton CEO Jordan Easton. "Winning this award twice on a completely different kind of project, under a completely different contract, tells us the result comes from how we work: the people we hire, the trades we trust and the way we bring every consultant to the same table."

"Whether we're leading the project or working inside someone else's structure, the standard doesn't change."

A heritage estate, reborn below and above ground

Brighton House sits on one of Brighton's last remaining private estates, framed by more than 3,000 square metres of gardens overlooking Port Phillip Bay. Designed by Geoff Challis of Venn Architects, the project restored the 1870s mansion's façade, slate roof, timber windows, brickwork and wrought-iron detailing, and unpicked a 1980s renovation that had cut the house off from its grounds.

Beneath the tennis court, Easton excavated a new basement with a ten-car garage, gym, wine cellar, whisky room, cinema and golf simulator, linked to the house by a tunnel under the heritage structure. The work required bored piers, underpinning, capping beams and shotcrete retention, all without disturbing the protected fabric above.

Delivered on a fixed-price contract, the project absorbed significant client-driven additions during construction without adding a day to the program.

Master Builders Victoria's award citation notes: "What distinguishes Brighton House is not scale alone, but the precision of its execution."

The owners said: "From the outset, Easton gave us complete confidence. Every challenge that came up, and with a home this old there were many, was met with calm, intelligence and craftsmanship. We simply could not have done this without them."

Brighton House was recently featured by Vogue Living.

Project credits

About Easton

Easton is a prestige Melbourne construction company delivering bespoke residential and commercial projects for discerning clients across Victoria. Based in Kew East, Easton works as builder, construction manager and project manager, and is known for heritage restoration and technically complex homes. easton.co

Media contact

Jessica Janson, Marketing Manager, Easton · jessica@easton.co · 03 9827 1372

Images: award-night photography available on request. Brighton House project photography is embargoed until 5 December 2026.

ENDS

Jessica Thomas
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