The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the winners of the 2021 National Awards. See the shortlist and the winner of the House of the Year category
The Royal Institute of British Architects award has been presented since 1966 and recognizes the best new buildings in Britain, providing insight into trends in construction and design.
Key trends among this year's award winners: sensitive restoration and adaptation of existing buildings.
In his speech, RIBA president Simon Alford noted the symbiosis of "radical, cutting-edge new designs...that have breathed new life into historic buildings," and emphasized the importance of carbon emissions, "low energy architecture is our present and future."
«House on the Hill»
Winner of RIBA's House of the Year 2021 nomination..
This eighteenth-century farmhouse at the highest point in Gloucestershire has been transformed over ten years into a gallery of Indian and African sculpture.
On one side, three floors were consolidated into one elaborate new exhibition space.
The annex, larger than the original house, but clearly subordinate to it.
The cladding of the new addition is dark brown fiber cement with contrasting small flashes of polished stainless steel. The sloping geometry of the architecture creates shifting planes and an intricate play of barriers and voids. And at the same time, there is a sense of openness with carefully considered views in all directions.
Six other projects were shortlisted.
«Corner House»
The newly-built house fits perfectly into the context of the neighboring homes, accommodating references and reinterpretations of Victorian elements.
The light elegant brick finish looks welcoming and inviting, even in cloudy weather.
«House for Theo and Oskar»
The aim of the renovation was to transform the family cottage into a comfortable home for Theo and Oskar's children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, given their limited mobility and plans for the future.
The rear façade highlights the diagonal wooden roof, cantilevered over sliding glazing that provides barrier-free access from the children's bedrooms to the terrace.
«House in Assynt»
An example of sustainable and thoughtful architecture that blends into the landscape, has the least possible impact on the environment, and at the same time is a safe haven for its occupants.
«Slot House»
The project demonstrates how, with a little more time to coordinate construction, sewer and plumbing pipes, stairs and cabinets, you can inhabit and use the narrowest and most cramped areas.
«The Outfarm»
A previously abandoned building was found by accident as a ruin, and has been transformed into something worthy of being a landmark. Much of its massive quality masonry has been preserved and abundantly enhanced with wood.
«The Water Tower»
An abandoned water tower was transformed into a residential home while maintaining its aesthetic. The entire structure was redesigned to take into account the missing weight of the water. The water tank is cut into the sides to create a 360 degree panoramic window, aligned with the visible horizon. The floors inside the tower are made of CLT panels. A cantilevered staircase serves as a compression spiral to stabilize the structure and a passive ventilation chamber.
