The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the shortlist for the RIBA House of the Year 2023, the annual award for the UK’s best new house.
From a Devonshire cow shed transformed into an unconventional family home, to a fortress-like structure clad in crushed TV screens, nestled on the banks of a Scottish loch, this year’s shortlist showcases six exceptional homes.
Photo: Saltmarsh House - Nick Kane
The shortlist for the RIBA House of the Year 2023 is:
Cowshed, South Devon by David Kohn Architects
Comprising an artist’s studio, office, and generous living space, this project breathes new life into a former agricultural building. The owners have spent the last 15 years creating a community of homes in a farm compound, with Cowshed the last to be completed.
Almost all of the 1970s agricultural structure has been retained while economical materials, including locally sourced concrete blocks and cedar from a nearby estate, have been elevated through careful use. Playful details include the reuse of lights previously used to warm calves, while carefully positioned windows with colourful reveals reference the owner’s artwork, injecting colour into the pared-back structure.
Green House, Tottenham, London by Hayhurst & Co
Tucked away down an alley in London’s Tottenham, this exceptional five-bedroom house blurs boundaries between inside and outdoor spaces. A ‘riad’ style central atrium, bamboo and sliding polycarbonate screens, reference the greenhouses that once stood on the site. At the same time, double-aspect views of the gardens and a roof terrace further emphasise the connection to nature. A simple block form plan and creative use of sustainable materials inform the aesthetic, providing generous space and light within the modest budget.
Hundred Acre Wood, Argyll and Bute, Scotland by Denizen Works
Paying homage to Scotland’s baronial castles, brochs and tower houses, this silver-grey building has a sculptural quality. Hunkered into its dramatic setting on the banks of Loch Awe it offers a retreat from the elements.
Appearing ancient and new at the same time, unique interventions include a textured façade made from crushed TV screens - a playful nod to the homeowner’s dislike of TV. A two-meter-wide roof light lined in gold leaf fills a huge central hall with warm light, while enlarged window frames carefully curate views across the landscape and thick walls with deep reveals add to the spectacular fortress-like appearance.
Made of Sand, Devon by Studio Weave
This two-story annex sensitively extends a Devonshire stone cottage, creating a space to connect with nature and art. Working with local craftsmen, traditional methods have been delicately blended with contemporary design to create a calming environment to rest and creatively recharge.
The heavily insulated timber frame is exposed both internally and externally while Western Red Cedar cladding and panels of Douglas fir on the interior, anchor the property in the surrounding hills. The warm palette continues throughout with handmade terracotta floor tiles and rust-coloured plaster walls seamlessly bringing together the existing and new structures.
Middle Avenue, Farnham by Rural Office
Replacing an inter-war bungalow in a conservation area, this contemporary home succeeds in perfectly connecting with the vernacular of its Surrey village setting. Meticulous research is evident in details such as the steeply pitched roof and white gables, the asymmetric design reflecting the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Covered in handmade red clay Keymer tiles, the building forms a natural sequence with the others in the conservation area. The rigour of the architectural detailing and craftsmanship are evident throughout.
Saltmarsh House, Isle of Wight by Niall McLaughlin Architects
A pyramidal copper roof with a crisp minimalist eavesdrop edge, seems to hover above an intricate glass pavilion, referencing the repeating pitched-roofed glasshouses that once graced the same grounds. Large windows provide uninterrupted harbour views, and the use of glass and steel creates a sense of lightness and transparency that blends seamlessly into the surroundings.
Jury Chair, Dido Milne, said of this year’s shortlist: “This year’s RIBA House of the Year shortlist includes a range of exciting new typologies, including a rethink of the family terraced house and a model for collective rural living. Here we have everything; from homes inserted into tight urban sites and new life breathed into existing structures, to detached rural homes where the architect has been given free rein to reimagine the baronial hall or lakeside retreat. Localism is a recurring theme, with architects engaging with the local vernacular without being slaves to tradition, and local sourcing of materials targeting both embodied and operational carbon to deliver genuinely sustainable design.
“The most notable aspect this year, however, is the power of ‘collaboration’ to deliver great buildings. The fundamental importance of the client and architect relationship is evident in all the shortlisted projects which demonstrate how an architect can bring a client's dreams to life."
The RIBA House of the Year 2023 jury comprised: Dido Milne, Director of CSK Architects, co-founder of Coppin Dockray Architects, Jessam Al-Jawad, Director and co-founder of multi-disciplinary architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike, and Albert Hill, co-founder of The Modern House and Inigo.
