The Royal Institute of British Architects has awarded RIBA House of the Year 2022, to a "contemporary new family house in rural Dorset," the Red House by David Kohn Architects. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, the structure "reinterprets the style in an intentionally provocative way [...] [with] playful eccentricity, including oversized eaves, patterned red brickwork, and contrasting bold green details".
Established in 2013, RIBA House of the Year is awarded to the best new house or house extension designed by an architect in the UK. Previous winners of the award that celebrates excellence and innovation in home design include Alison Brooks Architects for House on the Hill (2021), McGonigle McGrath for House Lessans (2019) HaysomWardMiller for Lochside House (2018), Richard Murphy Architects for Murphy House (2016), Skene Catling de la Peña for Flint House (2015), Loyn & Co for Stormy Castle (2014) and Carl Turner Architects for Slip House (2013).
Located on the hills of rural Dorset, the Red House creates a light and airy interior space. The ground floor offers practical and accessible ease of living through an open plan whereas more privacy and coziness are generated in certain enclosed spaces by moving walls, "in and out of alignment [...] offering only glimpses into the different areas, rather than a full view down the length of the house".
According to the official statement, "the owners wanted a home that could adapt for future accessibility needs". In fact, the design incorporated several thoughtful design future proofs, without comprising the needs of the present or the style of the house, such as rounded corners, grab-rails, no door handles, and even a lift. Moreover, in designing for climate change, the architects put in place thick walls and deep eaves, the concrete has been left exposed to maximize the thermal stability of the interiors and the deep concrete foundations have been replaced by steel piles, reducing the embodied carbon in the groundworks.
Ordinary yet quirky, extravagant although utilitarian, The Red House confronts our expectations of a house in a beautiful setting that never wants to settle into being one way or another. An aesthetic and sustainable building with future-proof functionality, it draws on architectural references from Morris to Stirling – with many surprises throughout which were applauded by all the jury members. Internally, the enfilade is formed without doors from the entrance to the living, kitchen, and dining areas, allowing the space to magically flow. This house was certainly the most debated, which in itself deserves praise.-- Taro Tsuruta, Chair of the RIBA House of the Year 2022 jury.
The jury for the House of the Year 2022 was: Taro Tsuruta (Chair), founder Tsuruta Architects; Alison Brooks, founder and creative director of Alison Brooks Architects; Yinka Ilori, founder of Yinka Ilori Studio; Ben Ridley, founder, and director at Architecture for London; Nicola Tikari, co-founder and director of Tikari Works.
The other shortlisted projects for RIBA House of the Year 2022 were:
- Seabreeze by RX Architects
- The Dutch Barn by Sandy Rendel Architects Ltd
- Mews House Deep Retrofit by Prewett Bizley Architects
- Surbiton Springs by Surman Weston
- Suffolk Cottage by Haysom Ward Miller
- The Library House by Macdonald Wright Architects
