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NEWS AWARD
Architect’s adaptable south London home named RIBA House of the Year
Photos © Building Narratives
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Six Columns by 31/44 Architects as the winner of RIBA House of the Year 2024, the annual award for the UK’s best new home. Designed by Will Burges, director of
31/44 Architects, as a family home for himself, his wife and two children, Six Columns cleverly occupies a tight urban plot in the leafy suburbs of Crystal Palace, south London. It’s expected that further changes will be made to the building now they are living in it, as the family’s needs change over time.
Named after the six columns that form the building’s main structure, the two- storey, four-bedroom house echoes the proportions and materials of neighbouring terrace houses, while retaining its own individual character that references the designer’s broad architectural infl uences, including the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe, and the Case Study houses in California.
RIBA commented: “The house is discrete and considers its neighbours but there are design fl ourishes that allow the project to carefully balance both conventional and contemporary features.” Its brick facade and terracotta tile roof align with the
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rest of the street, while concrete beams and a statement veined marble panel by the front door “add a touch of bespoke grandeur.” Inside, the layout makes the most of the wedge-shaped site, creating a functional family home that can be easily adapted for future requirements. The entrance hall serves as the central
hub, connecting the home’s various zones. To one side of the hall, a light and airy kitchen diner blends modern fi nishes – such as full height sliding windows and sleek white granite countertops – with a “distinct raw aesthetic,” exemplifi ed by oiled, unpainted pine cupboards and drawers. To the right of the entrance, the layout swaps open-plan design for modular living, with smaller rooms that prioritise storage and privacy. The living room is characterised by thick exposed pine walls that double as shelving units and serve as a Wunderkammer (or ‘cabinet of curiosities’) to showcase the family’s collections and memories. While designed to feel snug in winter, the room can be opened up via a sliding door to the kitchen during the summer months.
In addition to the self-contained bedroom suite on the ground fl oor, two further bedrooms can be found on the second fl oor,
and a fourth within the attic, nestled within a raised roof box. The use of self-fi nished materials throughout “intentionally challenges the layering and ‘covering-up’ of contemporary construction.” Exposed painted brickwork and readily-available spruce pine panels for fi ttings and joinery not only offer a natural warmth, but can be adjusted with ease in the future. Outside, the house boasts three separate garden spaces, including a low-maintenance, west-facing rainwater garden that channels water from all the roofs that tumble out of a huge spout and into a steel tank to prevent overfl ow and promote reuse.
RIBA President Muyiwa Oki, commented on Burges’ winning design: “Six Columns is a beautifully crafted family home that cleverly incorporates Brutalist references and creative fl ourishes while retaining a strong sense of suburban belonging.” He added: “It shows what can be achieved when working with even the tightest of suburban sites, and its fl exible, unfi nished aesthetic offers a solution to futureproofed design: this is a home that can evolve with its occupants’ changing needs over time.”
ADF JANUARY 2025
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