James Macdonald Wright and Niall Maxwell’s reimagining of the English country house, “Caring Wood,” has been selected as the 2017 RIBA House of the Year, bestowed annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to the “best new house or house extension designed by an architect in the UK.” Inspired by the traditional ‘oast houses’ – agricultural buildings used for kilning hops – found in the county of Kent, the house was lauded by the jury for its celebrating of local building crafts and traditions, including the use of handmade peg clay tiles, locally quarried ragstone and coppiced chestnut shingles. “I am delighted that Caring Wood has been named RIBA House of the Year 2017,” said RIBA President Ben Derbyshire. “It’s a house built for multiple generations of a growing family and allows the owner’s daughters, their husbands and their children to reside under one roof – cleverly accommodating their desire to be together and their desire to be apart. This ambitious house explores new architectural methods, materials and crafts and allows us to question the future of housing and the concept of multi-generational living. I’ve no doubt many of the ideas displayed at Caring Wood will influence UK housing for many years to come.”
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