A stunning annex to a home in Hackney is among the remarkable British homes that won a major architectural award this year.
Located in the de Beauvoir Conservation in East London, the Grain House is an extension of an existing semi-detached Victorian house.
The remodeling of the house, which was completed in April 2019, won this month the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) in London for 2021.
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Designed by Hayhurst & Co Architects for a young family, the judges loved the “care” and “imagination” that were taken in designing the annex.
The extension innovatively joins the original house and new living spaces, connecting the entrance through the family spaces and the garden beyond.
The stunning property features a new artist studio located in the back of the garden, beautifully surrounded by the expansive window.
Prior to the rework, the traditional house consisted of a series of ‘cells’ rooms, with one narrow staircase connecting the lower and upper floors.
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The new design, which features a stunning two-story courtyard at the heart of the house with a new garden at its center, is praised for how it opens up the space, linking the existing rooms together.
A new staircase wraps around the patio, providing stunning views through the house and garden from one level to the next.
The lower ground floor is now a new space featuring a dining area with a large window seat overlooking the garden, under a pitched roof.
RIBA described how “innovative interventions” collectively lead to “a spatial sequence unfolding from light-filled interiors, demonstrating an ambitious architectural response to Victorian home design.”
Meanwhile, the artist’s new, detail-rich studio at the far end of the park replaces an old summer house that once occupied the site.
The palette of materials includes handcrafted tiles, natural lime plaster, pre-coated copper and charred pine.
Overall, the RIBA governors praised how old and new come together at home, with “a contrast of styles that reinforce the whole.”
What do you think about the house? Let us know in the comments below.
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