Capture the buildings, gardens and people of Open House for your chance to win $1,000.

If you have a passion for architecture, gardens and the built environment, the Sunshine Coast Open House 2026 Photography Competition is your chance to share how you see the region. Take your photos during the program, between Friday 16 and Sunday 25 October, and submit your best shots by 5pm on Friday 30 October.

The competition is proudly supported by Queensland Timber Flooring, and the overall winner receives $1,000 in prize money.

Five categories

Entries can be submitted in five categories, with one overall winner selected from across all of them:

  • Exterior: facades, rooflines and buildings in their setting
  • Interior: light, space, materials and detail
  • Landscape/Garden: gardens, outdoor spaces and the landscapes around our buildings
  • Timber: timber in all its forms, from structure and cladding to floors and joinery
  • People: visitors, owners, guides and volunteers experiencing Open House

What the judges look for

Entries are judged on creativity, quality and significance to architecture by a panel of architects, built environment photographers and industry representatives.

Inspiration from 2025

Last year’s overall winner was Nik Kahler, whose photograph of Sunshine Coast City Hall was entered in the Landscape category. Shot from directly above, Nik’s image turns the white shade structures of the City Hall forecourt into a pattern of crisp geometric lines, framed by lush planting on either side. The contrast between the white steel, the dark paving and the deep green of the landscape, together with the shadows cast across the ground, shows how a fresh perspective can turn a familiar public space into something unexpected.


The Student category winner, Sienna Topp, captured Moon Mountain Sanctuary in Eumundi in a single, layered frame: bright paper daisies in the foreground, a bronze hare sculpture mid-leap, and Mount Cooroy rising behind. The movement of the sculpture, echoed by the clouds and the ridgeline, shows how architecture, art and landscape come together at the sanctuary.

Tips for your entry

  • Look for the light. Early morning and late afternoon bring out texture in timber, stone and concrete.
  • Step back to show a building in its landscape, then move in close for details such as joinery, materials and shadows.
  • Keep your verticals straight by holding your camera or phone level.
  • For People entries, capture moments of discovery: visitors looking up, touching materials or listening to a guide. Please ask permission before photographing people.
  • Respect the homeowners. Some properties may not permit photography, so always check with the volunteers on site.

How to enter

Read the terms and conditions and submit your entries at sunshinecoastopenhouse.com.au/2026-photography-competition. Entries close at 5pm on Friday 30 October.

Share your photos on social media and tag us @sunshinecoastopenhouse