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Exterior of Saltmarsh house by Niall McLaughlin

RIBA names top 20 British homes of 2023

There are 20 homes vying for RIBA's House of the Year 2023 award, including a glass pavilion by Niall McLaughlin Architects and a timber-clad cottage extension by Studio Weave.

A converted pub by Erbar Mattes and the transformation of a former garage by Satish Jassal Architects are also both on the list.

Made of Sand (above) and Saltmarsh House (top image) are vying for this year's RIBA House of the Year. Photo by Jim Stephenson

RIBA House of the Year is awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) annually to the "best example of a one-off house designed by an architect in the UK".

It was established in 2013 in replacement of the Manser Medal, which was set up in 2001.

A converted pub is also on the longlist. Photo by Simon Menges

Several of the homes longlisted for this year's award were also recently named winners of the RIBA National Awards for 2023.

These include a mass-timber home by Ao-ft, a castle-like dwelling in Scotland by Denizen Works and Niall McLaughlin Architects' glasshouse-informed pavilion on the Isle of Wight.

A longlisted house by Denizen Works also won a RIBA National Award. Photo by Gilbert McCarragher

An arts and crafts-style home by Rural Office and a clifftop house by Maich Swift Architects were also longlisted after receiving RIBA National Awards, alongside a pavilion with an oversailing roof by Hamish Herford and Nicholas Lyons and Ann Nisbet Studio's transformation of a stone ruin.

Jury chair Dido Milne said this year's shortlist "showcases architects expressing their creativity within a wide variety of settings".

Spruce House is another RIBA National Award winner. Photo by Rory Gardiner

Milne, who is a director at CSK Architects, is joined on the jury by Coppin Dockray Architects co-founder Bev Dockray, Al-Jawad Pile director Jessam Al-Jawad and The Modern House co-founder Albert Hill.

This year, the panel has placed a special focus on identifying projects where architects focused on their environmental impact, according to Milne.

"At this critical point in time in terms of 'climate break down' we were really looking to see how deep a dive the architects had taken into issues around environmental sustainability," explained Milne.

"What we are building with, the provenance of materials and the impact on biodiversity are starting to really influence designs."

Hamish Herford and Nicholas Lyons designed the Blackbird house. Photo by James Brittain

Unlike the last seven years, the shortlist will be revealed exclusively by RIBA on 26 October rather than via the Grand Designs: House of the Year programme on Channel 4. The date of the winner announcement is yet to be revealed.

Previous winners include an "ordinary yet quirky" home in Dorset and a residence that references the hop-drying towers of the Kent countryside.

Scroll down to see the full longlist for 2023:


Middle Avenue by Rural Office
› Rhossili House by Maich Swift Architects
› Riverview by Mole Architects
Saltmarsh by Niall McLaughlin Architects
Southwark Brick House by Satish Jassal Architects
Spruce House by Ao-ft
› Threefold House by Knox Bhavan Architects

A garage transformation by Satish Jassal Architects is also longlisted. Photo by Richard Chivers

› Godwit House by MawsonKerr Architects
› Green House by Hayhurst and Co
› Hidden House by Hall + Bednarcyzk Architects
› House in Hove by Farshid Moussavi Architecture
Hundred Acre Woodby Denizen Works
› Island House by Miya Ushida Architects
Made of Sand by Studio Weave

Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio is one of the 20 longlisted projects. Photo by David Barbour

› Blackbird by Hamish Herford and Nicholas Lyons
Blockmakers Arms by Erbar Mattes
› Cove Ridge by Coffey Architects
› Cowshed by David Kohn Architects
› Cuddymoss by Ann Nisbet Studio
› Forest Road SNUG home by Ecomotive for HomeMade

The main photo of Saltmash House is by Nick Kane.

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