Off-grid Scottish hideaway named UK’s best new house

Lochside House, a stunning new home in the West Highlands designed by HaysomWardMiller Architects, has been named RIBA House of the Year 2018.

The prestigious annual accolade is given by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to the UK’s best new architect-designed house.

Lochside House was revealed as the winner in the final episode of a special Channel 4 series Grand Designs: House of the Year.

Lochside House is a modest, sustainable home which sits in a magical location on the edge of a Scottish lake. The house is formed of three finely-crafted buildings, huddled together and clad in burnt Scottish larch, protected by a traditional drystone wall. With roofs that echo the distant mountains, Lochside House is perfectly integrated into the wild and rugged landscape.

Photograph: Richard Fraser.

A bespoke design for the owner – a ceramic artist – the house is completely off-grid: all energy comes from the sun and water is pulled up from a borehole. Inside, the rooms are comfortably sized with a pared-back aesthetic. Walls are lined in white oiled timber, surfaces are skimmed with a rough textured plaster and large windows at varying heights capture the stunning views.

RIBA President, Ben Derbyshire, said: "Lochside House is truly breathtaking. By containing its scale, sensitively positioning the crop of buildings on a promontory around established trees, and making use of local materials, HaysomWardMiller have created a home which perfectly responds to its exposed, unique location.

"With a highly sustainable, off-grid approach to energy and water, it leaves the surrounding environment as undisturbed as possible. Every detail has been fine-tuned to create an exceptional home and studio that meets the needs and wishes of its artist owner. Lochside House is the perfect addition to this dream landscape.”

Lochside House’s architect, Tom Miller of HaysomWardMiller, said: “To build a good, energy-efficient house here wasn’t straightforward. It was only possible because we had a client with the uncompromising determination and vision to keep pushing us to achieve our best, and a contractor’s team for whom we have enormous respect - they seemed to thrive on the unique challenges posed by building on such an exposed and inaccessible site.

"The fact that it was such a pleasure to work on is testament to the dedication of everyone who contributed. Our thanks go to the whole team.”

Also announced was the seventh and final home shortlisted for the RIBA House of the Year: The Makers House by Liddicoat & Goldhill.

The full shortlist for the RIBA House of the Year 2018 is:

• Pheasants by Sarah Griffiths + Amin Taha
• Red House by 31/44 Architects
• Coastal House by 6a Architects
• Old Shed New House by Tonkin Liu
• Lochside House by HaysomWardMiller Architects
• VEX by Chance de Silva & Scanner
• The Makers House by Liddicoat & Goldhill

RIBA House of the Year 2018 is sponsored by Forterra.