What makes a home easy to live in? A closer look at Ridgewater Homes' Franklin 26
HIA awards season is here. Across the program, a long list of builders and designs is put in front of the industry, and most categories are assessed by HIA judges who inspect entries on site. People's Choice works differently.
In the People's Choice Home category, the public decides. HIA describes it as a way to celebrate homes that reflect real lifestyles and preferences. Voters can reward anything from smart use of space to striking details, or simply a home that looks right for everyday living.
That's a useful lens for anyone choosing a home design, because it shifts the question. It's less about what impresses on paper and more about what you can picture yourself living in on an ordinary Tuesday.
We took a closer look at the Franklin 26 from Ridgewater Homes. Its display home was a finalist in the 2025 HIA Victorian Housing Awards – People's Choice Home category, and the design has since been named one of the builder's top picks for 2026. Here's how the Franklin 26 measures up against the things HIA says the category is really about.
The Franklin 26 at a glance
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2-car garage
Single storey, total area 226.7
Minimum block: 12.5m wide x 32m deep
Smart use of space on a narrower block
A 12.5m frontage isn't a lot to work with, and it's common across Melbourne's new estates. The Franklin 26 handles it by running the home in a long, clear line from front to back, with a central passage connecting the zones.
The double garage takes up one side of the frontage. The entry and master suite take the other. From there, the home opens up the further back you go, finishing with the largest space in the plan, the family and meals area, which leads out to the alfresco.
The result is a plan where the biggest rooms sit where the household gathers, rather than being spread thinly across the whole footprint.
Zones that give everyone some breathing room
This is where the layout does its most useful work.
The master suite sits at the front of the home. It comes with a walk-in robe and ensuite, and it's set well apart from the other bedrooms.
Bedrooms 2, 3 and 4 are grouped towards the rear, each with its own robe. They share a main bathroom with a bath and shower, and the WC is separate. That's a small detail that matters on busy mornings.
Between the two zones sits the theatre. It gives the household a second living space away from the open-plan area, and it also puts some distance between the parents' end of the home and the kids'.
For a single-storey home, that's a clear level of separation without needing stairs or a second level.
Built for everyday living
The kitchen, meals and family area form one continuous space at the back of the home. The kitchen has an island bench facing into the living area, so whoever is cooking stays part of what's happening.
Behind the kitchen is a walk-in pantry, which keeps bulk storage and appliances off the main benches. The family and meals area then opens to the alfresco, so the step from indoor to outdoor is a short one.
Ridgewater describes the Franklin designs as made for both everyday comfort and entertaining, and this back section of the plan is where both happen.
Storage throughout
Storage rarely makes a home look good in photos, but it makes a big difference once you've moved in. In the Franklin 26, it's spread across the plan:
A walk-in robe in the master suite
Built-in robes in all three secondary bedrooms
A linen cupboard near the rear bedrooms, plus another linen and a broom cupboard at the laundry
A walk-in pantry behind the kitchen
What to look for when you're choosing a design
Whether or not the Franklin 26 is the right fit for you, the People's Choice criteria are a handy checklist to take into any display home:
Does the space feel used well? Look at where the biggest rooms sit, and whether they're the rooms you'd spend the most time in.
Can the household spread out? Count the living zones, and check how far the bedrooms are from each other and from the main living area.
Can you picture a normal weekday here? Walk the route from the garage to the kitchen, from the bedrooms to the bathroom, and from the kitchen to the outdoor area.
Where does everything go? Look for robes, linen, pantry and laundry storage, not just floor space.
Final thought
Awards are a nice signal, but the real test of a home design is how it holds up in daily life. Being a People's Choice finalist means the Franklin 26 caught the public's attention. Whether it suits your household comes down to your block, your routine and what you need from each room.
The best way to find out is to see a home in person. Visit a Ridgewater display home or book a free design consultation to talk through the Franklin designs and whether they suit your block.
Home designs by Ridgewater Homes in Victoria
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at iBuildNew, where he leads the editorial team and oversees the country's most comprehensive news coverage dedicated to the new home building industry. With more than a decade of experience in residential real estate journalism, Joel brings deep insight into Australia's evolving home building and construction landscape.
