Environmentally friendly ‘domestic greenhouse’ crowned house of the year
An environmentally friendly “domestic greenhouse” has been crowned house of the year by the Royal Institution of British Architects.
The five-bedroom family home is located in a conservation area in Tottenham, north London, and is a reimagined, energy-efficient take on the classic terrace house.
The property is clad in sliding polycarbonate panels and flooded with plants, giving the exterior the appearance of a greenhouse and allowing the owners, Tom and Amandine, and their children to be closer to nature while living in the city.
Designed by Hayhurst and Co, the inside of the home features a vast central atrium with bold, green steel stairs leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
On the ground floor, floor-to-ceiling curtains replace doors, with the kitchen, dining and living areas all open plan.
Described as a “city oasis”, the home was designed to increase connections to the natural world, the designers said, with bamboo planting and polycarbonate screens “blurring boundaries between indoors and outside spaces”.
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) walls, reclaimed concrete blocks and recycled cork rubber flooring also maximise the energy efficiency of the property, while air-source heat pumps and solar panels further help reduce energy demand.
Also on this year’s shortlist was a home in Dalmally, Scotland, which is believed to be the first building to be clad in recycled television screens, and a converted cow shed in Devon.
Dido Milne, the jury chairman, 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.”
She added: “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.”
