Six Columns in Crystal Palace, designed by practice director Will Burges to be his own family home, was chosen ahead of five other finalists - including Surman Westons Peckham House, which won the AJ Manser Medal earlier this week.Also shortlisted were houses by Studio Brassica Architects, TaylorHare Architects, Hugh Strange Architects, and Tom Dowdall Architects.The two-storey, four-bedroom house is named after the six columns that form its main structure, and was designed to evolve to the familys changing needs over time, allowing them to continue to tinker with it, inside and out.Advertisement Source:Building NarrativesRIBA House of the Year 2024 winner: Six Columns by 31/44The RIBA jury said the project is discrete and considerate to its neighbours while boasting design features that carefully balance both conventional and contemporary features such as concrete beams and a statement veined marble panel by the front door adding a touch of bespoke grandeur.Judges said the layout makes the most of the wedge-shaped site, creating a functional family home that can be easily adapted for future requirements.The jury also praised its self-finishes throughout, including exposed painted brickwork and readily available spruce pine panels for fittings and joinery, which intentionally challenge the covering up of contemporary construction and can be easily adjusted in the future.RIBA House of the Year 2024 winners and finalists[WINNER] Six Columns, London, by 31/44 ArchitectsDesigned to meet a familys changing needs, Six Columns is a flexible, future-facing home intended to evolve with its occupants. It makes efficient and sophisticated use of space, and materials, with sustainable and cost-reducing features. Brutalist references and creative flourishes a stepping brickwork wall, rustications and pilasters, and a green marble panel make for a distinct and refreshing aesthetic. Wherever possible, self-finished materials are employed; the ground floor has exposed painted brickwork, and readily-available spruce panels are used to create many of the fittings and joinery, which can be adjusted with ease over time.Farmworkers House, Cornwall, by Hugh Strange ArchitectsNestled into a wooded field, this deceptively simple home adopts an introverted courtyard house typology, its L-shaped plan sheltering a south-facing garden. Thick masonry walls of monolithic clay blocks form the protective wings, simply finished with textured lime render. Beyond the walls, the surrounding agricultural land is left untouched, allowing livestock to graze right up to the boundary walls. Inside, smooth unpainted lime plaster mirrors the roughcast outside, while dark brick floors throughout recall Victorian stable pavers, and an exposed roof structure of locally-grown Douglas Fir hangs above.Peckham House, London, by Surman WestonThis small but generously-spaced family home is full of enthusiasm and playfulness, with a faade defined by a distinctive pattern of hit-and-miss brickwork that playfully interprets the local houses. It sits on the end of an unassuming urban terrace, which makes the most of a small site, including a roof terrace to provide some needed outside space.Eavesdrop, Sussex, byTom Dowdall ArchitectsDesigned for retirement, the home is focused on wellbeing, calm and flexibility, with level thresholds for full accessibility, as well as light, tranquil spaces that open up to host friends and family. A generous central courtyard provides sunlight, fresh air, and year-round enjoyment of plants and wildlife. With its sweeping, rising roof, simple construction, and stone finishes, the house fits seamlessly into the landscape, while close up, the beauty of its stone detailing is revealed.The Hall, Kent, by TaylorHare ArchitectsSituated in the Kent Downs, this Grade II-listed 16th century residence has been extensively and sympathetically refurbished into a sustainable home. Interiors have been both restored and modernised, with finely crafted detailing and considered new interventions that work in harmony so that the historical compliments the contemporary. The house is an exemplar of green living, while simultaneously restoring the surrounding listed outbuildings and adding a pool, pool house, tennis court, stable block, and a new lake. The end result is a demonstration of how to extend the life of a historic building, while creating elegant living spaces for the future.Plas Hendy Stable Block, Monmouthshire, byStudio Brassica ArchitectsA Grade II-listed Arts & Crafts stable block has been rescued and restored to create a novel and accessible family home. Simple materials, detailing, and variation are applied in spirited and thoughtful ways, balancing aesthetic, heritage, and ecological obligations, while upgrades to sustainability and references to the Arts & Craft movement such as sawtooth brickwork and quarry tiles create moments of playfulness while demonstrating the many benefits of repurposing existing buildings.RIBA House of the Year Award chair, Studio Weave founder Je Ahn, said: This philosophy of the home as a lifelong process might be a tricky concept in this fast-paced contractual world, however, Six Columns demonstrates an important message that we should all remember: your home is not a static slice of time but continuously evolves with you.RIBA president Muyiwa Oki said the home cleverly incorporates Brutalist references and creative flourishes while retaining a strong sense of urban belonging.AdvertisementHe added: 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.Projects shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year 2024The RIBA House of the Year award was set up in 2013 and is awarded to the best new house or house extension designed by an architect in the UK. Last years prize went to a home in Tottenham, north London, by Hayhurst & Co described as a riad-inspired urban oasis (pictured below).Previous winners include McGonigle McGrath for House Lessans (2019), HaysomWardMiller for Lochside House (2018), Richard Murphy Architects for Murphy House (2016), Skene Catling de la Pea for Flint House (2015), Loyn & Co for Stormy Castle (2014) and Carl Turner Architects for Slip House (2013). Source:Kilian O'SullivanWinner of RIBA House of the Year 2023: Green House by Hayhurst & Co