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. As the family occupy the building, they will continue to tinker with it, inside and out, allowing it to evolve to their changing needs over time.
Named after the six columns that form the main structure of the building, the two-storey, four-bedroom house echoes the proportions and materials of neighboring terrace houses, while retaining its own individual character that references the designer’s broad architectural influences, such as the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe or the Case Study houses in California.
Image: Building Narratives
The house is discrete and considerate to its neighbours but there are design flourishes that allow the project to carefully balance both conventional and contemporary features. For instance, its brick façade and terracotta tile roof align with the 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 the left, a light and airy kitchen diner blends modern finishes – such as full height sliding windows and sleek white granite countertops – with a distinct raw aesthetic, exemplified 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 characterized 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.
Image: Building Narratives
In addition to the self-contained bedroom suite on the ground floor, two further bedrooms can be found on the second floor, and a fourth within the attic, nestled within a raised roof box.
The use of self-finished materials throughout intentionally challenges the layering and ‘covering-up’ of contemporary construction. Exposed painted brickwork and readily-available spruce pine panels for fittings 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 overflow and promote reuse.
RIBA President Muyiwa Oki, said: “Six Columns is a beautifully crafted family home that cleverly incorporates Brutalist references and creative flourishes while retaining a strong sense of suburban belonging.
“It shows what can be achieved when working with even the tightest of suburban sites, and its flexible, unfinished aesthetic offers a solution to futureproofed design: this is a home that can evolve with its occupants’ changing needs overtime.
“The generosity of space belies the limitations of this small garden plot. As we look for creative and practical solutions to the housing crisis, Six Columns offers a blueprint for bespoke urban infill development.”
Image: Building Narratives
The 2024 RIBA House of the Year Award Chair, Je Ahn, said: “What makes a great home? Building your own home is a hugely intensive endeavour; if you are lucky enough to do it at all, you will probably only ever do it once in your life. One-off houses are as unique and varied as we are as individuals, so often producing them needs a closer understanding between the client and architect.
“This philosophy of the home as a lifelong process might be a tricky concept in this fast-paced contractual world, however, Six Columns demonstrates an important message that we should all remember; your home is not a static slice of time, but continuously evolves with you.”
The other shortlisted projects for the prize included:
• Eavesdrop, Sussex, by Tom Dowdall Architects
• Farmworker’s House, Cornwall, by Hugh Strange Architects
• Peckham House, London, by Surman Weston
• The Hall, Kent, by TaylorHare Architects
• Plas Hendy Stable Block, Monmouthshire, by Studio Brassica Architects
