A house that takes a modern twist on the mock tudor era, and combines it with California modernism and the New York industrial loft look, in the middle of suburban Surbiton, has been shortlisted for the House of the Year 2022.
The other finalist selected last night on the Channel 4 show was the redevelopment of a rural flint and stone cottage, of just four rooms, into a family house of two living quarters for the parents and the teenage girls.
Surbiton Springs is a newly built, two storey detached house with a steel exposed frame rather than the timber frame of a tudor house with a wow-factor triple height entrance hall and a covered balcony off the master bedroom.
Suffolk Cottage is a modern copy of the small farmhand’s dwelling connected to the original cottage by a new family room extension on the rear overlooking the countryside.
Each week architectural guru Kevin McCloud walks viewers through five projects to be shortlisted to scoop the overall House of the Year award – one of the most prestigious accolades in residential architecture.
In last night’s third episode, these two projects won the mould-breaking category of pioneering homes that could define a new architectural movement.
At the end of the series they will go head-to-head with five others from the categories hard to build, exceptional craftsmanship and transformations of existing buildings to be judged by RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects.
McCloud is joined by design expert and Author Michelle Ogundehin, architect Damion Burrows and conservation architect Natasha Huq to showcase these homes.
Here are last night’s shortlisted projects, plus the longlisted homes they were up against.
Shortlisted: Surbiton Springs, London
Surman Weston
The local vernacular in this part of Surbiton in south-west London are rows of neat mock tudor houses. The first pioneering project on tonight’s show nods to its neighbours but also takes inspiration from Californian modernism and New York lofts.
The typical exposed timber frame of a mock tudor house has been through a "punk" reimagining, says McCloud. The exoskeleton of the house is steel, the traditional leaded windows are a scaled up crittal-style affair and the ceiling in the huge open plan living room took influence from a multi-storey car park (Peckham Levels to be precise).
It sounds austere but the oak floors, and dappled lattice of brickwork on the facade and balcony soften the look.
Thanks to the steel frame the living room is 11m across with sliding doors that let the garden in. Due to the strength of the frame this uninterrupted space has no need for columns.
The RIBA judges liked the "subtle and respectful way it plays with local traditions."
Shortlisted: Suffolk Cottage, Suffolk
Haysom Ward Miller Architects
A tumbled down brick and flint cottage from the 19th century has been rebooted for modern family life.
Tim and Liz (previous winners of House of the Year) and their two teenage daughters have cloned the cottage using modern materials (such a diagonal fired concrete tiles) with a single storey extension on the back which overlooks wildflower meadows.
The parents have the main and original cottage, redesigned, while the girls have their own wing. Rather than being joined by a corridor, they meet in the large open plan living area in the middle.
“This is where we come together every day, everyone travels in and through it all the time, it’s our central space,” says Tim.
The couple focused on using sustainable materials such as self-coloured plaster to avoid the use of paint, and natural clay and chalk floor tiles. There are also solar panels on the roof and the stone walls are made from leftover bits from a builder’s yard.
In total this modest but beautiful new home was constructed on a budget of £320,000.
Derwent Valley Villa, Derbyshire
Blee Halligan
Father-of-three Craig lost his wife Lisa to a terminal illness after they had bought a plot with a run-down bungalow with plans to transform it into their family home. "My instinct was to forget the project and sell it," he tells McCloud. "But I realised it could be a new start for the children."
They now live in the finished home with Craig’s new partner Charlie, whose husband had also died, and their five children.
This house is formed of four blocks (in L-shaped pairs) joined by glass corridors which create a feeling of being immersed in the garden. It is now the ultimate playhouse for this lively blended family and has also been "healing" for them all.
There is a garage and office in the entrance block where the children come in from school, dump their bags and "decompress" before heading down the glass walkway and into the main building, comprising the kitchen, living room and playroom-tv room (which can be shut off via a pocket door). It is also down some steps which act as a "natural barrier" to toys, says Craig.
"It is an amazing place for children to get lost," adds McCloud.
Peeking House, London
Fletcher Crane Architects
Poking through the red brick terraces is Peeking House on the footprint the size of a garage. The four-storey, split level home starts three metres under ground where there is now also a courtyard garden.
Each floor is stacked off-centre, each up half a flight of open weave stairs allowing light to travel through the small building.
Once a car parking space and a dumping ground for old mattresses, it is a cleverly designed two-bedroom, two-bathroom property to rent.
Every inch of space has been preserved where possible with exposed brick walls left unrendered and lights fitted into the spaces within the structural rafters. Cupboards are built in and even door handles are recessed.
Mountain View, London
CAN Architects
Architect Matt and his long-suffering wife Laura have taken influences for their daring home in Sydenham from Disneyland and her geography degree.
The extension of the Edwardian home is noticeable over the garden fences by its huge cut-out mountain range mounted on the facade, a reference to the Matterhorn ride. Red and white columns and compass-like patterns sunken into the floor point to Laura’s degree and love of nature.
Half-demolished walls act as shelves and the ceiling joists have been left exposed (despite the lack of ceiling) at the top of the stairs.
McCloud calls it wild, surreal and theatrical. "It’s deeply odd" he says, "but that’s why I love it."
To find out which two projects will be put through to the final shortlist for the RIBA House of the Year 2022, watch Channel 4 tonight at 9pm.
