Six Columns, a thoughtful and highly sustainable two-storey home designed by architect Will Burges of 31/44 Architects for his family of four in Crystal Palace, has won the RIBA House of the Year 2024 prize.
The house, named after its six main structural columns, cleverly maximises a tight suburban plot to provide four bedrooms using an articulated plan with a plinth and smaller upper level. It echoes the proportions and materials of neighbouring terrace houses, while retaining its own individual character that references the designer’s broad architectural influences (including the Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe and the Case Study houses in California).
RIBA said: “The house is discrete, and considerate to neighbours, but with design flourishes that allow the project to carefully balance both conventional and contemporary features. For instance, its brick facade and terracotta tile roof align with the rest of the street, while concrete beams and a statement veined marble panel by the front door add a touch of bespoke grandeur.”
The efficient layout creates a functional family home that can be easily adapted for future requirements. The entrance hall connects the home’s various zones, there is a light and airy kitchen diner “blending modern finishes (full height sliding windows and sleek white granite countertops) with a distinct raw aesthetic (oiled, unpainted pine cupboards and drawers).”
The house features “modular living, with smaller rooms that prioritise storage and privacy.” The living room has thick exposed pine walls that double as shelving units. While designed to feel snug in winter, the room can be opened up via a sliding door to the kitchen during the summer months.
In addition to the self-contained bedroom suite on the ground floor, two further bedrooms can be found on the second floor, and a fourth within the attic, nestled within a raised roof box.
RIBA commented further on the the use of “self-finished materials” throughout, as “intentionally challenges the layering and ‘covering-up’ of contemporary construction. Exposed painted brickwork and readily-available spruce pine panels for fittings and joinery not only offer a natural warmth, but can be adjusted with ease in the future.”
Will Burges commented: “We like the idea that you can see everything that a building is made of, and how that might inform future reuse, or adjustment of the building.” He added: “We also like the notion it’s kind of an ‘unfinished house.’”
There are three separate garden spaces, including a low-maintenance, west-facing rainwater garden that channels water from all the roofs that tumble out of a huge spout and into a steel tank to prevent overflow and promote reuse.
RIBA president Muyiwa Oki, said: “Six Columns shows what can be achieved when working with even the tightest of suburban sites, and its flexible, unfinished aesthetic offers a solution to futureproofed design: this is a home that can evolve with its occupants’ changing needs over time.”
“The generosity of space belies the limitations of this small garden plot. As we look for creative and practical solutions to the housing crisis, Six Columns offers a blueprint for bespoke urban infill development.”