Sustainable five-bedroom family home in Tottenham likened to a ‘domestic greenhouse’ is named RIBA House of the Year 2023
- The north London ‘Green House’ boasts five bedrooms and sustainable features
- READ MORE: The homes competing to win RIBA’s House of the Year – from a renovated Devonshire cow shed to a fortress-like house on the banks of a Scottish loch
Green House, a family home inspired by nature, has been named RIBA House of the Year 2023.
Architects at Hayhurst & Co. delivered the vision of owners Tom and Amandine, who both longed for a low-cost, functional five-bedroom home for their family in a Conservation Area in Tottenham, north London.
The award, which was established in 2013, is presented to the best new architect-designed house or extension in the UK.
Green House innovated a typical terraced house and replaced an existing property down an alleyway on a compact urban plot.
The owners aimed to maximise living space and feel connected to nature despite being inside.
Green House (pictured) in a conservation area in Tottenham has been named RIBA House of the year 2023
Green House’s modern exterior is clad in polycarbonate panels and screened with dense plating, discreetly hiding the lavish new home.
The home adopts a ‘biophilic design’ approach by maximising connections to the natural environment.
The atrium, bamboo planting and exterior sliding polycarbonate screens reference the gardens that once stood on the back land plot – blending the indoor space with the outside.
The adjustable nature of the screens and planting also allows the family to adjust the level of privacy and ventilation as they wish.
Inside, the green-painted steel stairs deliver the home’s bold character, which leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Inspired by a Riad architectural design, natural light floods the house, hence RIBA’s jurors describing it as a ‘domestic greenhouse’ and ‘extraordinary ordinary house.’
The house also boasts plush views of the gardens and roof terrace to emphasize the property’s interrelation with the surrounding greenery.
On the ground floor, the kitchen, dining, and living areas flow into one another and can be divided by floor-to-floor ceiling sweeping curtains.
Designed by Hayhurst & Co, the home adopts a ‘biophilic design’ approach by maximising connections to the natural environment
The exterior is clad in polycarbonate panels and screened with dense plating, discreetly disguising the lavish new home
The Green House lends its name to the abundance of surrounding greenery and sustainable features.
In particular, the house comprises energy-efficient flooring.
Cross-laminated walls, reclaimed concrete blocks, and recycled cork rubber flooring maximise the home’s efficiency.
The central block form also implements an efficient approach to reduce operational energy use.
Air-source heat pumps and solar panels are also used to reduce energy costs.
Green House is inspired by Riad architectural design, and the airy rooms are flooded with natural light
Described as a ‘domestic greenhouse’ the Tottenham-based family home emphasizes the surrounding nature
The home comprises several sustainable features, including energy efficient flooring and solar panels
Jury Chair, Dido Milne, said of this year’s winner: ‘Green House, affectionately known as the ‘Tottenham Riad’, is a true oasis within the city.
‘It is both airy and cosy, bold yet respectful of its neighbours. Your eye is simultaneously drawn upwards to open sky and down and out across the living room to verdant greenery.
The close architect and client relationship, with a joint desire to deliver a truly sustainable home, is evident in all of the design decisions and detailing.
‘On a confined urban site, the house was delivered to a tight budget with an economy of means – and it remains richer for it.
Nowhere do you feel the site or budget was restricted. It feels both luxurious, homely, deeply private and relaxing.
‘It’s an extraordinary ordinary house and a remarkable collaboration.’
The RIBA House of the Year 2023 jury comprised: Dido Milne, Director of CSK Architects, Bev Dockray, co-founder of Coppin Dockray Architects, Jessam Al-Jawad, Director and co-founder of multi-disciplinary architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike and Albert Hill, co-founder of The Modern House and Inigo
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