"Extraordinary ordinary house" in London named UK's best new home

The polycarbonate-clad Green House that architecture studio Hayhurst & Co slotted into a tight site in London has been named the RIBA's House of the Year for 2023.
Replacing an existing home in an alleyway in Tottenham, the plant and light-filled residence is modelled on a riad - a type of traditional Moroccan house built around a central courtyard.
It was hailed by the jury of this year's RIBA House of the Year prize as "a true oasis within the city".
Read more on Dezeen: www.dezeen.com/?p=2009884
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[@Kingbruffbruff]

The variations in light and the openness to the outside world is really uplifting. I think the changes of seasons, of weather, of day into night will be joyful and constant. I love it. All the best in your new home.

[@SipanTseliker]

I am curious how much exactly is the low budget?

[@SkeletonFlake]

Apparently it’s 560k

[@SipanTseliker]

@@SkeletonFlake hahaha. Huge! Then I guess for a london house its low...

[@bazman32]

560K!!?? Thats excellent!! What great architects!

[@adddelay]

I had a slight guffaw when they said "tight budget" and "five bedrooms" in one sentence, but 560 for that is pretty impressive.

[@srinivasbengalurumysuru]

Anything which is less than 50% of your budget 😄

[@rfmrs2506]

'Low budget' and 'affordable housing don't mean anything without some context, low budget for who and affordable for who? I do like the house, but lets not be naive about low budget and if we can avoid saying carbon neutral(again in what context) that would be great.

[@jedrashidul6952]

This is a common architecture style in my country many other places with tropical climate! Loving the fact that it's adaptable to your climate as well❤️

[@BENNYYKWAI]

It would be so nice if all houses be built with a center courtyard, either open or with skylight !

[@joebob1994]

I'd love to live there! The central atrium has the feel of a Moroccan riad.

[@bosvigos9165]

A truly gorgeous space, space being the operative word. I could live there in a heartbeat! Enjoy a wonderful life in your beautiful home!

[@fatimaayesh7]

So pleasing to the eye and radiates a huge sense of comfort.

[@wildlifegardenssydney7492]

beautiful big windows….lovely connection to the garden…….

[@efecan1990]

I'm curious what they consider as low budget.

[@magicmayhem69]

It's absolutely wonderful, very inspiring, well done to all involved!

[@TheSushmaHomeSellingTeam]

Absolutely extraordinary to have your huge plants inside and have a landscape as your interior design. 😍🌿

[@arthurwatts1680]

I live in the Tropics, surrounded by greenery - warm and wet makes perfect sense. Cold and wet at my front door would drive me bonkers but clearly this family has made it work. Kudos.

[@dwylhq874]

Two words: Heating Bill! 💸 🔥

[@pauldeane3517]

It will depend on the insulation in the CLT walls & glazing. My house is similar construction and the bills are a lot less than our old Victorian terrace. (under £100 for December)

[@joeyb5648]

Looks absolutely sensational.

[@SP-fw1xe]

The interior layout of this house reminds me of the George Eastman House in Rochester NY or the Vizcaya House in Miami FL with its open atrium in the middle. It’s fantastic.

[@OliveHay]

It would be interesting to know their budget!

[@aviajarehema7393]

Excellent architecture re this house!

[@lenkamaresova4116]

All that windows to the greenery are great esp. in a city. If I did not see the place and the exteriors, I would think that there is a big garden outside.

[@MaxGDesign]

Great use of materials. Looks like it will perform terribly in cold weather. A big heat sink to the outside with the light airy central skylight/courtyard. Is it insulated some how? Are there planning restrictions on insulation in london?

[@Kimmy234L]

Beautiful Urban Riad 🌿🌵🪴

[@JacquelineHahn1]

I really love this house

[@alancawfield6549]

Really annoys me when people go on about a low budget design that clearly is only low budget if you're a multi millionaire.

[@caramanville2483]

I like the celling light in the bath. Please could you give me the reference? It is at the 1:37 part of the video.

[@_Breakdown]

*FRUSTRATING - - THEY DON’T SHOW THE WHOLE SPACE ???* 1) there’s some kind of space or room with bamboo trees (in front of the 2 larger bedrooms) - - why don’t they show it? 2) there’s a 2nd bathroom (?) judging by the 2nd roof skylight 3) there’s some kind of light-filled hall (bathroom? storage?) on 2nd floor that the central skylight covers (as determined from the aerial shot) 4) there’s some kind of roof (or 2nd floor?) patio space w furniture (also in the aerial shot) *WHY THE HECK DON’T THEY SHOW ALL THESE SPACES?*

[@toi_techno]

Cool house

[@leafy803]

I remember an architect saying to not position a staircase so your being watched as you go up, down. I think this is an example why not to. I do like stairs, halls having other purposes, room use, just not sure here.

[@killroy123]

I just love how beautiful it looks and when you pan out to where it fits, it makes it even more stunning given the other houses close by

[@_Murky_]

this design is straight out of what you see in south east asia

[@agaobi573]

Excellent! This is what I call architectural design! 🤩

[@unizmanda-liu]

I love the design, the openness, the nature in the home, the low carbon footprint. However it looking so different from the houses around, was planning permission a difficult to obtain @Hayhurst & Co ?

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

I love it. I would totally live there. -- Except the staircase would have been better in a U shape or slight curve near the outside wall. It would be safer to have 2 pads to block any falls from being severe, and would be more open and inviting in the middle rather than a monolith staircase. I remember my sister fell down a long steel staircase and it was brutal!

[@semaj4818]

I'd assume the choices were made due to their budget.. that's what I'd assume tho also seems cheaper rather than the U shape or curve style.

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

@@semaj4818 Oh I get it, but they've also got children and their friends. It's just dangerous.

[@onerider8285]

looks great! but please define low budget 😂

[@leapjumpsoar8049]

Think its 560k

[@davidcattin7006]

Keep it under a million - LOL!!!!!

[@bosvigos9165]

I think there is low budget, then there is low budget in London...

[@reginabash-taqi7094]

How much did the land cost?

[@sheikstaah]

i'm curious to see how building control authorised this

[@Jessica-kk1cz]

It’s a Riad, like in Marrakech.

[@user-yb6tk1ru6x]

Where in London is this house?

[@jiosophie4703]

Curious how they got planning permission for this

[@pandasal2713]

Same here how

[@olivercarter1599]

£550k for the Hayhurst contract, and then add on the land value in Harringey. Not exactly the shoestring they bang on about is it

[@alfs3]

Any info on total cost for land + build cost?

[@podorf]

Yeah it's frustrating how abstract the English are when discussing money. In London, not "pots of money" where real estate is considered, is probably £1.5 mill. Most 2 bedrooms are approaching £1 mill in most areas of London now.

[@Knight766]

Over £1 million guaranteed

[@davidcattin7006]

Can you make me one about half as big? Thanks! :o)

[@hannaj9156]

looks like a converted warehouse in Hackney Wick with better interior design.

[@rakhsanar5291]

not sure about this.... the atrium feels a bit cold

[@hellotwat]

soooo what was the budget? after all that chat about it being low they should really say lol...

[@heyzutube]

If councils can get rid of their nonsense rules of maintaining traditional looks you can have a lot more of these beautiful modern homes and London can evolve with the times.

[@divinenonbinary]

Anyone knows how it’s possible for a non living structure to be carbon negative? You cut the tree that’s alr negative. Even if you used renewable energy to do that, there’s carbon going into transportation and producing the tool to cut it. What did she mean by that exactly?

[@davidhunternyc1]

This is a remarkable home. At first I was suspicious but I was quickly convinced of its brilliance. My one critique is with the staircase. The homeowners chose to paint the staircase green. Normally, I would've chosen black but let's go with green. This hue of green isn't correct. This is more of a "puke green" or "prison green." An altogether better green would be "celadon green." Done correctly, celadon green is the most beautiful color of all. A great celadon has a beige putty base with equal parts green and blue, and balanced out with warm grey. A great celadon is confounding, impossible to pin down as to what color it actually is. Most importantly, celadon is super elegant. Celadon has a pulse. It breathes. Celadon is a color best expressed over a thousand years in Chinese porcelain. My other critique about the staircase is with the vertical spindles. They are too thick, again making them feel like prison bars. I would've preferred to use cables, given the staircase a lighter, softer feel and would've better blended into the architecture. Other than the staircase, this is a perfect home. Astonishing.

[@princetate1586]

🌲🍿👀🇿🇼🇿🇼🇿🇼🇿🇼🌲woow!

[@mlake4725]

Truly uninspiring plastic box that lacks beauty 🍻

[@mikebradford9433]

Like living in a stick insect cage.

[@aramj7863]

NAH, NOT FOR ME.

[@Tahahahahahahaha]

anyone who says a material is "carbon negative" is thoughtless and gullible.

[@patmanrick]

I think it's a phrase used to mean that the material absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than is used to procure/process it (not of course that it literally reduces total carbon atoms in the universe). Is that not feasible for a wood product?

[@jmoz]

Looks like a waste of money imo

[@hersheylima5482]

Thank you so much for not showing me another BS tiny home Wheelchair accessible would have been better

[@Jimbo_Jumbo]

The celebration of ugliness such as this house is getting out of hand in the architecture world.

[@retrospective77]

Ugly is subjective. I think it's beautiful.

[@MrYanhem]

I hate it when people say this. Firstly, this is the choice of the client, not yours. Secondly, Architecture shouldn't be dictated by others how it should be. The craft essentialy revolves around creating a space for people to live in that fits their needs. That brings me to my third point. The house suits the needs of its users. They wanted low budget, which makes a square form more logical due to detailing. The owners have corrugated sheets on the facade, maybe they have a histrory in farmland and wanted that to reflect in their facade, maybe it makes them feel connected to their roots. Corrugated sheet is a cheap way to clad a facade. The house being made of mass timber is another great feat. Natural construction materials are booming nowadays, and this one is carbon negative. The front facade is closed off: closing for the public eye, which can't look inside, and, if the facade is north facing, keeping heat inside. This is another example of sturdy design. The way the owners live, surrounded by natural materials and the design theme being 'connectedness', I think the architects did a fantastic job at designing.

[@jsslgn]

@@retrospective77 right? The way low-budget was used in this context, seems way too subjective. Nowhere near from its objective definition.

[@09_jp_]

"Claire (Taggart) and Nick (Hayhurst) at Hayhurst" The 'men' were merely props, apparently - no need to hear from them Great use of space on a tight budget and tricky site. Far too austere in its street presence and dialogue with the context to be considered "House of the Year" but there are narratives to uphold and propaganda to peddle

[@nickstibbs1]

which ‘men’?

[@09_jp_]

@@nickstibbs1 the ones who are actually gender inverted females

[@benh715]

Imagine living next door to that. Typical London attitude of self over community.