Best Architecture Single Residence EUROPE Award Winner 2024-2025

Best Architecture Single Residence UK Award Winner 2024-2025

Best Architecture Single Residence Surrey Award Winner 2024-2025

Sited on the brow of rolling hills overlooking a valley on the edge of the Surrey Hills Natural Landscape with a backdrop of mature woodland, the concave curved plan provides different views from the principal spaces along the southern elevation while the curved circulation spaces offer tantalising glimpses between rooms. Spine walls, following straight radii lines from a common centre point, divide the curved walls to create and define the spaces.

The curved plan is also echoed in the split curved roof mixing barrel vaults and S-spline roof forms with an interlinking flat roof entrance hall and the curving roof forms express the rolling nature of the surrounding Surrey Hills. Internally, the curved glu-lam beams forming the barrel vault roofs are visible in the ceilings to the main reception spaces and principal bedroom suite. These main spaces are positioned on the southern side of the building, leaving circulation spaces and ancillary utility spaces to the north, to take advantage of the views over the rolling hills and valley below. In order to ensure overheating isn’t an issue, solar control triple glazing to the southern elevation is combined with the deep overhanging roofs to the ground floor spaces which also creates outdoor covered dining spaces.

The curved floor plan, with radii varying from 25m to 38m, created interesting construction issues not just in terms of setting out but also curved steelwork, curving plasterboard to follow the faceted blockwork walls, steel spine staircases following the radii of curved walls, setting straight windows in curved walls etc. For the zinc standing seam roof, each panel tapers in plan to take up the curve while also bending to follow the roof profile; curving in three dimensions for the S-spline roof section as well. The attention to detail required to produce such a high-quality and unusual build tested all the contractors on site but the end result speaks for itself and the client, and we, are delighted with the finished home.

Externally, the paved terrace is carefully set out to pick up on the spine walls in straight lines with diagonal paving between to take up the curved plan. The overhanging roofs are supported on a series of timber and steel posts, aligned with the internal spine walls and reminiscent of the curving colonnades of Classical antiquity such as Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli. The internal spine walls are further expressed externally with low stone clad walls extending beyond the line of the terrace to divide the private terraces from the bedroom wing with the outdoor entertainment areas leading down to the outdoor kitchen, swimming pool with its retractable enclosure and attached gym, games room and changing facilities.

The soft palette of external materials and colours was carefully chosen to represent the tones of the woodland behind and the sandy soils of the local area. Ecoscape composite recycled timber cladding, Norstone stone cladding, VM Zinc roofing and aluminium powder coated rainwater goods and self-coloured soffit and fascia boards minimise future maintenance.

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Thank you to Matt Chisnall for his photography work again

The site, while a simple rectangle on plan, slopes down considerably from the road level and the new design takes advantage of this to step down from the front of the house (entrance hall, reception and utility room) to the rear of the house to give the open plan kitchen / dining room and adjacent TV room / snug a more generous ceiling height.

Designed using traditional double pitched roof form the dark timber cladding and crisp white render are complemented with dark bronze coloured window frames, rainwater goods and fascias.

The symetrical roof has been created as the road itself south to north and the lowered eaves to the north ensure that from the neighbour’s view the replacement house has no impact on theie view of skyor created an unacceptable loss of daylight. A detailed Daylight Impact Assessment was carried out using 3D modelling software to create Waldram Diagrams and to ensure that the Visible Sky Component and Annual Probable Sunlight Hours remained above the BRE recommended impact limits.

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In 2015 we completed a new home set within a different part of the same woodland site for a private client who then discovered the love of building. Having project managed the build of their first house the client then decided to embark on building a second house further down their large plot.

Whereas their first project was unashamedly modern in style this project has a more traditional style to it albeit it with a contemporary twist.

The linear plan form is exaggerated by the low pitched roof with wide overhanging eaves, high level string course separating the rendered ground floor from the timber clad first floor. This timber string course continues around the whole building and delineates the windows sills to the upper floor while the choice of vertical timber cladding sets a rhythm and echoes the vertical pine tress around the site.

The rear balcony off the Principal Bedroom forms a canopy over the large south facing ground floor reception room windows and is supported on stone piers; the same stone used on the front porch and the ground floor of the neighbouring first house for the client.

Built using solid 215mm blockwork with external insulation and render the house benefits from a high thermal mass internally while the external insulation ensures a consistent wrapping of the structure and avoids thermal bridging. The overhanging roof eaves also provide passive solar control to the upper floor windows.

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The rear of the plot rises up from the sunken rear terrace and extensive pergola feature to create a sheltered garden entertaining area.

The double height central entrance hall with a feature curving stair, large rooflight and full glazing includes a generous galleried landing. Glazed doors throughout the ground floor ensures that the owners can enjoy views through the house to the gardens beyond.

The flat, cantilevered roof design, low retaining walls and use of different materials extenuates the low, horizontal feel of the scheme while the roof and balconies around the house also provides passive solar control to the large areas of glazing on both floors.

Planning is expected to be submitted in Summer 2020.

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Designed to reflect the vernacular architecture of the host dwelling, Plot 1 sits behind a dense screen of Tree Preservation Order protected planting and includes steep roofs, gable ends, timber lintels, roughcast render, clay tiles roofs and tall, decorative chimney stacks. An extensive Flood Risk Assessment demonstrated clearly that the site lies outside any flood risks and a comprehensive additional planting scheme will enhance the local biodiversity and further improve the native planting scheme around the site.

Construction work is set to start on site in Summer 2020.

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The footprint is similar to the existing bungalow, which had previous permission for a couple of former windows to the roof. The site is elevated above the road and benefits from wide views over the countryside to the south, looking over the top of buildings further down the slope.

The narrow access road and limited space on site, coupled with the clients’ desire to create an energy efficient and cost effective building, meant a timber frame solution was the natural choice.

The traditional design features two simple rectangular plans, intersecting and slide over each other. These are roofed with traditional forms of steep pitched gable ended roofs. The majority of the building is to be timber clad with the main entrance elevation having a stone facing, echoed partially on the rear elevation, helps reinforce the two different plan elements. Likewise, the roofs are a combination of both natural slate and standing seam zinc to differentiate between the two forms.

Works are expected to start on site in early autumn 2020.

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It replaces an brick and pitched roof cottage on the site with a modern, open plan, light filled scheme that maximises out to the gardens to the south. Slim brieze soliel over the south / west facing windows have been added to introduce passive solar control to reduce overheating in summer while allowing low winter sun to enter deep in to the building. Different depths of project were modelled and tested to calculate the number of hours of direct sunlight falling on the glass using the geo-synchronised 3D model and software designed to calculate annual sunlight levels.

Designed to be constructed as a timberframe building to minimise site deliveries, provide cost-effective construction with reduced build-times the flat roof is covered with sedum ‘green’ matting to improve the bio-diversity of the site.

Planning permission is to be submitted to Waverley Borough Council in late Spring 2020.

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A series of planning applications and Permitted Development Rights approvals were sought to extend and remodel the original dwelling to bulk up the existing property to around 336sq.m and give a volume of around 1,160cu.m and at that point the planning application was submitted to Waverley Borough Council. Despite the limitations of their planning policies to cap the size of replacement dwellings is was acknowledged that the extant permissions would amount to ‘very special circumstances’ to permit this larger replacement home.

The existing house, sitting right on the side of the access track, was effectively single storey with a small room in the cramped loft space. The replacement dwelling is designed to give the appearance of a single storey dwelling through the roof forms and materials yet the ‘bedroom wing’ is a full two storey element giving an increase in the overall height of just 0.6m.

Planning Permission was granted in August 2019 and construction was completed in 2022.

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SIPs Contractor was Bentley Projects