THE SHORTLIST
Despite running for over two decades, The Daily Telegraph and Homebuilding & Renovating
Awards is always full of surprises and we are still inspired by the creativity of remodellers, extenders and self-builders alike. This year is no exception.
All beautiful and well-designed, every house on the 2018 shortlist deserves to be celebrated, from the conversion of a derelict model farm, to the state-of-the art glass extension in London, complete with glazed roof and swimming pool.
Location Oxfordshire Project Remodel and Extension Designer Woodfield Brady Architects
An ingeniously designed floorplan, high-quality internal finishes and remodelled façade have completely transformed this dated 20th-century property into one fit for modern family life. Old sections were stripped away, with a two-storey wing added. The exterior cladding and neutral render provide the house with a complete facelift.
Location Cheshire Project Remodel and Extension Designer Scott Donald Architecture
Sensitively nestled between its 19th-century host and the original boundary walls lies a perfectly formed glass-box extension. With a brief to “open the house to the garden”, architect Scott Donald’s awe-inspiring 3.2m glass pocket doors create a seamless transition between the white contemporary kitchen and the natural world beyond.
The kitchen extension is now the hub of the home. This project also saw the creation of a basement level with home cinema and games room, and care has been taken to create a smooth transition between traditional and contemporary spaces.
Location Wiltshire Project Conversion Homeowner Joanna and Simon Kitching designer Elkins Architects
Sitting quietly behind its original (restored) gates, one would never guess that a beautiful family home lies behind the entrance, all wrapped round a large courtyard with views out over the countryside. It’s also hard to believe that this charming home was a former model farm that had been left derelict. Bringing the agricultural buildings into the present day, the owners have converted the existing buildings and even rebuilt the curved roof, which the impressive living room sits under. This sensitive conversion project showcases how unloved agricultural buildings can be brought back to life, with modern technologies (including a ground source heat pump) added to make modern living easier.
location London Project Contemporary Extension Designer Guarnieri Architects
Behind the Victorian façade of this terraced property in south-west London lies an extension which forms a striking contrast to the traditional red-brick exterior. Thanks to an inspired concept from Guarnieri Architects, the interiors of this period home have been completely stripped back, with minimalist rooms in abundance. The jewel in the crown, however, is the impressive two-storey glass box extension to the rear, which provides impressive views of the garden from the kitchen diner via full-height glazing. A glazed roof and swimming pool complete the picture. Luxurious materials used throughout the home, including marble and slate, also add wow factor.
Location Lake District Project Extension and Renovation of a Farmhouse Designer Architecture519
Looking from the lakeside up the valley, you’d be forgiven for thinking this farmhouse extension has always been part of the view. Firmly rooted in the vernacular of the Lake District, the two-storey extension is set back from the original building, remaining subservient to the preceding structure and the dominating landscape.
Framed in oak, the open-plan living space resists any attempts to mimic a period interior and instead sits comfortably beside the large expanse of glass that fronts the structure before melting into the entryway of the farmhouse. Careful level changes and sensitive restoration create a hybrid that unashamedly revels in the history of the farmhouse as well as its future as a modern home.
Location Kelvedon, Essex Project Traditional-Style Self-build Homeowner Adrian and Sandra Girling DESIGNER Matthew Girling
This charming traditional-style self-build features red bricks with lime mortar on the exterior ground floor and a dual curved roof over the entrance. Render and natural timber cladding above the brickwork, meanwhile, conveys a more lightweight feel. Once inside, an open plan layout on the ground floor has varying floor and ceiling heights to cleverly differentiate the living, kitchen and dining spaces.
location North Sheffield Project Remodel and Renovation of an Existing Home Homeowner John and Joan Bloxam Designer Paul Testa Architecture
Architect Paul Testa was tasked with renovating a small and dated bungalow on an awkward multilevel plot on the edge of the Peak District. The result clearly shows that smart, forward-thinking design can create a light-filled, energy-efficient and accessible home, despite such unpromising beginnings. For more on this home, see page 70.
Location Hertfordshire Project Passivhaus Self-build Homeowner Daniel Luhde-Thompson and Sarah MacLaren Designer Nicholas Tye Architects and Gresford Architects
A ‘fabric first’ approach was adopted for this modernist, certified Passivhaus in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. The five bedroom home was built from a timber frame, which was constructed off site with insulation and airtight membrane already installed — with the result that energy bills are almost nonexistent. Entering the home, visitors are greeted with a through view to the mature garden, via large sliding doors. Other stand-out features include a colourful kitchen, handmade by a family member and finished with contemporary concrete worktops, and an en suite bedroom with access to a Japanese bath on a private roof terrace overlooking the garden.
Location London Project Contemporary Self-build Designer Guttfield Architecture
Hackney Backhouse is a two-storey, three-bed home built on the site of a former garage and workshop in a conservation area. The striking home is screened off from the busy road by vertical Corten louvres that provide privacy while keeping the house in touch with its environment.
The tight 8m x 11m plot was excavated in order to create the twostorey home, with open plan living and kitchen space on the first floor and the bedrooms created at basement level. Floor-to-ceiling glazing, two discrete sunken courtyards and superb lighting make this home a fabulous example of smart urban design.
LOCATION Cheshire Project Barn Conversion and Extension Designer Hayes & Partners
Retaining both integrity and character, this barn conversion effortlessly unites a once disused agricultural brick building with contemporary materials to create a modern home. An unassuming glass corridor enabled the stable wing to be converted into bedrooms, beautifully framing the original exterior walls.
The eponymous two-storey pigeon house had previously been divided but now homes a guest suite that celebrates the original timber structure in tandem with the modern extension.
Location Hampshire Project Remodel and Extension Homeowner Joy and John Cousins Designer The Classic Architecture Company
Joy Cousins and her husband John, both in their mid-80s, chose to extensively remodel their home with the aim of futureproofing it. Central to this idea was the creation of a separate 25m2 carer’s suite above the detached garage, a lift from the open plan lounge/kitchen area to the master bedroom, and a large swimming pool to allow the couple to keep fit. The dramatic transformation has created a warm, inviting home with all the comfort and accessibility that the couple were seeking.
Location Lewes Project Remodel and Loft Conversion Homeowner Bronwen Wright Designer fifty point eight Architecture + Interiors
A loft conversion and remodel have completely transformed this terraced home. Bronwen Wright, with some help from her architect brother Angus Eitel, came up with an affordable scheme that took just five months to complete — delivered on time and on a £120,000 budget. The new loft conversion houses the master bedroom that looks towards Lewes Castle while the open plan kitchen/ living area downstairs creates a greater connection between the house and the garden — devised with the help of interior designer Clare Pascoe.
Location Cornwall Project Extension to a Cottage Designer Stan Bolt: Architect
Dating back to the 1890s, this granite cottage boasts unbroken panoramic views of the Atlantic and Cornish coast. The original home is now accompanied by a generous extension that makes the most of those awe-inspiring views and connects the house to its landscape — with surrounding terraces and courtyards seamlessly linking to the new living spaces. Judge Darren Bray commented: “This project is a masterclass in simple, low-key contextualism.” The slate roof floats above the extension, supported by minimally framed glass gables, and cements it to the local vernacular.