The winner of Britain's best new House of the Year 2018, as selected by the Royal Institute of British Architects, has been announced by presenter Kevin McCloud on Channel 4's Grand Designs. So, from a former gin distillery to a timber-clad house in Belfast that only cost £100,000 to build, take a peek at some of the UK's most beautiful homes and find out who was crowned the UK's best new home...  

This Devonshire house by 6a architects has been stripped back, transforming a once unremarkable 20th-century property into a home that reflects its seaside landscape. Inside, exposed brick, timber staircases and double-height rooms make the most of the light flooding through the windows, creating a peaceful coastal escape. The house's innovative approach to materials also bagged it the gold medal and interiors prize in 2017's Wood Awards.

Once a container for old tools, the original steel-frame shed has been transformed into a modern home, with plenty of light, high ceilings and cosy corners to enjoy the rural lifestyle. Designed by forward-thinking architect Tonkin Liu – who was also shortlisted in 2017 for Ness Point – this bold building mixes elements of the traditional cottage with a clean modern look that still fits in with its woodland setting.

Daylight was the simple inspiration behind this striking end-of-terrace, which has been remodelled and extended by the celebrated London firm AY Architects. A large atrium has been carved out through all four floors of the property, so that light can travel from the top floor down to the basement. Light bounces off the warm mahogany timber used all through the house in the stairs, bookcases and flooring making a family home with mid-century good looks and tons of practical storage.

Bringing a Grade II-listed villa in Bath into the 21st century was a task that required careful consideration. Yet this development by James Grayley Architects employ subtle changes – fitting the modern kitchen into one of the existing historic spaces and threading the bathrooms back into the old property. A final flourish is the covered walkway at the back of the house, which is a contemporary realisation of plans by the original architect John Palmer. 

This futuristic new build in Kent was surprisingly inspired by Sissinghurst Castle's garden and brought to life by AR Design Studio. The floating home is made up of several blocks which are each linked to different sections of the garden. At the heart of the design, a central courtyard serves all of the separate living spaces - best seen and understood when viewed from the roof of the brick tower. 

This design in north London is the second project for 6a Architects that has made the long list. Behind the black facade there are four separate two-bedroom apartments spread across their own floor, a concept inspired by images of stacking objects. Each apartment is different from one another but they all have two concrete columns and large, often floor-length, windows till the homes with light in this traditional terraced street.

Red House by 31/44 Architects takes the humble brick to another level. This playful property uses this most ordinary material, which is usually only used in façades of older properties, and treats it like most modern designers treat steel and glass. The modern twist on Victorian style is reflected inside where slick concrete meets oak staircases, in a property which strikes just the right balance between old and new.

Lochside House sits next to the body of water it is named after, and with its sustainable wood build seeks to integrate seamlessly into the landscape of Scotland's West Highlands. The project by HaysomWardMiller Architects, which specialises in sustainable, energy-efficient builds, had to be made by hand due to the remote location, with wooden SIP panels being pre-cut before they were transported to the site. 

This black-timber build stands out from the brickwork of the backstreets of Belfast. Made by FAMILY – a very cool group of architects, designers and makers from Northern Ireland and Norway – the compact property explores, and seeks to solve, the problem of small living in the spaces between the city centre and the suburbs. Split into two sections, the property's high ceilings and large windows help to create a sense of space, all for only £100,000. 

Ouseburn Road by Miller Partnership Architects is actually not just one house, but two. The result of a joint brief from two next-door neighbours who wanted to downsize into sustainable homes, the properties share similar architecture with concrete, exposed brickwork and a clean modern design. With a combined plot width of 14 metres at the bottom of adjoining steep back gardens, the houses cut into the slope and are capped with a wildflower rooftop garden.

An extensive ground floor extension and a new first-floor unit have transformed this four-bedroom property in Surrey. The house sits on a bend in the road so that it faces its long rear garden at an angle. Consequently, the designers at SOUP Architects sought to open up the garden with the extension, using floor-length glass to bring the outside in. The new contemporary box extension at the top of the property contains a new bedroom, adding much-needed space to this family home on a relatively tight budget.

This house that sits by the river Thames in Oxfordshire has been a decade in the making by architects Sarah Griffiths and Amin Taha. Consequently the light, contemporary property has been designed without compromise and uses luxury elements like an oversized reflecting pool and sculpture to create a modernist dream home.

This east London new build is called The Makers House due to the hand-assembled materials that form it. The property, which sits between two pairs of Victorian villas, consists of four high-ceilinged storeys, and the architects at Liddicoat & Goldhill LLP have employed scientific modelling to ensure that the building welcomes as much light as possible into its spacious rooms. 

 To say that the Old Court House had been derelict and in disrepair for the 30 years before its transformation would be an understatement. The 16th-century property was on the brink of collapse but been restored by Harrison Brookes Architects to its former glory. The new structure mixes modern materials with the period look of the house, salvaging much-loved parts of the old house and adding a new wing full of bright open-plan living spaces.

This Victorian gin distillery in London's bustling east end has been transformed into a tranquil family home by Open Practice Architecture. The property with timber and exposed steelwork hints to its industrial past, while the neutral palette and large windows create a bright, comfortable living space.

Inspired by the avant-garde music of the composer, Erik Satie, VEX has an air of the experimental to it. Designed by architects-cum-artists Steve Chance and Wendy de Silva in collaboration with the musician Scanner, the curved building is made of poured concrete and has been clad in corrugated iron. The curves offer unparalleled views and a calm and open interior.

Offering south-facing panoramic views, this glass and timber property in Berkshire by Gregory Phillips Architects is the epitome of sleek, modern design. Its muted grey appearance is continued inside where concrete and grey brickwork create a minimal, yet awe-inspiring living space.

Shropshire Residence is a luxurious family home by Gregory Phillips Architects that seeks to update the concept of the traditional English country home. Set in 21 acres of grounds the property has four separate two-storey sections leading off from a central hall, which connects the house to the garden. Large windows and balconies make this impressive house light, bright and airy and inside there's a beautiful indoor swimming pool and home gym.

 

 

A Grade II-listed, six storey Regency townhouse that was built in 1827 has been restored after some ill-advised adaptations in the 19th and 20th centuries left parts of it dark and stuffy. The architect, Carmody Groarke added a glass atrium and completely reconfigured a newer section at the back of the house, filling it with gleaming Carrera marble to match the white plaster in the original rooms and bespoke modern light fittings and furniture specially designed for the space.

Caroline Place is the second property on the long list for architect Amin Taha (also see Pheasants), who shares the glory with the design cooperative known as Groupwork. Originally a brick terrace, a light basement and courtyard garden have been added to the 1950s shell to create mid-century inspired masterpiece. Much of the transformation of this family home has been internal, with beautiful cherry wood cabinetry and travertine flooring, and a stunning bespoke staircase with a decorative metalwork.

The overall winner of House of the Year 2018 is Lochside House. Architect Takero Shimazaki, who was chair of the RIBA jury, said: “We chose Lochside House because of its extraordinary client-architect relationship, which resulted in an exceptional house that has a rich conversation with the natural environment. It is astonishing that the remoteness and challenging weather did not prevent the client’s vision being achieved.”

This modest, sustainable home sits in a magical spot on the edge of a Scottish lake but it is the way the house works with its environment that really impressed the judges. The house is formed of three finely-crafted buildings, huddled together and clad in burnt Scottish larch, protected by a traditional drystone wall.

“Lochside House is the perfect addition to this dream landscape,” said Ben Derbyshire, RIBA President. “By containing its scale, sensitively positioning the crop of buildings, and making use of local materials, HaysomWardMiller have created a home which perfectly responds to its exposed, unique location."

Architect, Tom Miller of HaysomWardMiller who built the house was open about the challenges of the project. “To build a good, energy-efficient house here wasn’t straightforward.  It was only possible because we had a client with the uncompromising determination and a contractor’s team (who) seemed to thrive on the unique challenges posed by building on such an exposed and inaccessible site.” 

With roofs that echo the distant mountains, Lochside House is perfectly integrated into the wild and rugged landscape. It was designed specifically for its owner, a ceramic artist, who’s minimal approach and love of natural materials shines through in every tiny detail.

The house is completely off-grid: all energy comes from the sun and water is pulled up from a borehole. Sliding storm doors can be pulled across to protect the windows and provide shelter from the brutal Scottish winters. Walls are lined in white oiled timber, surfaces are skimmed with a rough textured plaster and large windows at varying heights capture the stunning views.

Inside, the rooms are comfortably sized with a pared-back aesthetic. “I fell in love with the Scottish Highlands on a camping trip after university and dreamt one day of renovating or building a place to live and work,” said the owner, Michelle.

The calm, pale interior is bright all through the winter, with very little embellishment or colour to detract from the raw beauty of the building materials. “I was so lucky to find an architect who shared my sense of the importance of the place and am delighted that the final result -  my home - does justice to its magical setting,” said Michelle.

Modern and traditional building methods work seamlessly together inside the home with a clean contemporary fireplace slotted into a brick chimney. Design details like these mid-height wall openings connect the space without disrupting cosy corners, giving “an overwhelming sense of comfort, warmth and homeliness”, said head judge Takero Shimazaki.

Grand Designs: House of the Year presenter, Kevin McCloud, said: “This building has been tailored to its site. It’s been stitched and woven…seamed in to the tapestry of this place and it is so much the better for it. It’s the kind of architecture that we can all easily love, the kind of architecture we can all easily learn from; and it’s a way of building that we, in Britain, are getting really very good at."