In this article we cover:
- Design lessons self-builders and home improvers can take from RIBA House of the Year 2025
- How award-winning homes respond to challenging sites and landscapes
- Budget-smart ideas for creating high-quality, functional homes
- Energy-efficient design strategies for low-energy, sustainable homes
- Renovation and deep retrofit insights for transforming existing houses
- Future-proofing homes with flexible layouts and adaptable spaces
- The importance of material choice, daylighting, and spatial flow
- Benefits of working closely with an architect to meet family needs
The RIBA House of the Year 2025 winner and shortlisted entries offer a useful reality check on what good housing design can actually achieve. Not just what it looks like, but also in terms of comfort, energy use, longevity and how a home fits its setting.
The 2025 winner and shortlisted homes cover everything from rural self-builds and bungalow upgrades to tight urban retrofits. What unites them is not big budgets or flashy ideas, but clear thinking, strong client–architect relationships and well-judged design decisions.
If you’re planning a major home renovation or a self-build project in 2026 here’s what you can take from the RIBA House of the Year 2025 design ideas.
WINNER
Working with the land, not against it
Caochan na Creige, Outer Hebrides – Izat Arundell Architects
This year’s winner is a self-build that shows how far you can go by letting the site dictate the design. Built on a small, exposed plot in the Outer Hebrides, the house wraps itself around an existing large rock. Rather than seeing it as a problem, the architects used it to provide shelter from wind and weather.
The materials are about as local and robust as they come. Lewisian Gneiss stone clads the exterior, rooting the house in the landscape while helping to cope with a tough climate. Inside. Scottish cedar lines the walls, creating warmth and comfort without fuss. The layout doesn’t give everything away at once either. Views are revealed gradually as you move through the house, which makes the spaces feel richer without adding size.
For self-builders, the lesson here is simple: a modestly sized home, built with care and a clear response to its setting, can deliver far more than a bigger house that ignores its surroundings.
SHORTLISTED
Making large spaces work hard
The Orchards, Somerset – Prewett Bizley Architects
At first, The Orchards looks like a simple, low single-storey house. Step inside, though, and the space feels much bigger than expected. The house is laid out in one long line, with a wide central hallway that immediately gives a sense of scale.
The layout is practical: family and entertaining areas are on one side, while bedrooms and bathrooms are tucked away for privacy. Small changes in floor level and ceiling height add interest without making the house complicated. The generous circulation space isn’t wasted, instead it helps the house feel open and calm.
Energy efficiency was a priority, and the house follows Passivhaus principles, but the architects didn’t let rules drive the design. Instead, they focused on how the family actually lives, with practical wet rooms, drying areas and even a small indoor pool that opens onto the garden. It shows that energy-smart design works best when it fits everyday life.
Turning a standard house into something exceptional
Chelsea Brut, London – Pricegore Architects
From the outside, Chelsea Brut doesn’t give much away. It’s a 1960s townhouse in a busy part of London, not the kind of house you’d expect to see completely transformed. Step inside, however, and the change is dramatic.
The house was stripped back to its basic structure, extended and replanned on every floor. The architects got lucky when they discovered the foundations were lower than expected. This allowed them to create a big, open kitchen and living space with 3.5-metre-high ceilings – something rare in a retrofit like this. The new space opens onto a small garden, which is visually linked to a planted roof on the extension, giving the home a calm, green feel despite the city setting.
What makes the project stand out is the consistent approach. Materials were reused where possible, breathable insulation was added and lime plaster replaced plasterboard to improve air quality. Services like an air-source heat pump, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) and passive ventilation were carefully integrated. Actual energy use came in lower than predicted, showing how well a retrofit can work when it’s carefully planned from start to finish.
Rethinking the bungalow
A House of Wood Shingle, Bath – Forgeworks Architects
This project began as a fairly ordinary 1950s bungalow. Rather than tearing it down, the architects worked with the existing building by wrapping it with insulated cedar shingles and making a few layout changes.
The biggest improvement is a new central hallway with a skylight. This links the bedrooms and brings daylight into what was previously a dark, awkward space. The reception rooms are clearly defined but still feel connected. Carefully placed window openings create long views through the house and out to the garden.
A simple but clever change was inverting the roof pitch. This opened up west-facing views and improved how the house fits into its surroundings. On a limited budget, these adjustments show how keeping what works, planning carefully and using light thoughtfully can completely transform a home without major extensions.
Designing for flexible family life
Housestead, Suffolk – Sanei Hopkins Architects
Housestead is a weekend home made up of several separate buildings rather than one single house. This isn’t just for show, the layout lets different parts of the home be used (or left unheated) depending on whether the homeowners are there alone or with their children.
Each building has its own character. There’s a glass-walled living space with a thatched roof, a children’s bedroom block with improvised solar water-heating panels, a steel-clad structure for services and a raised glazed office with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
The design encourages outdoor and seasonal living, with the buildings acting as shelters rather than dominating the site. It’s a practical example of how breaking a house into smaller parts can improve flexibility, reduce energy use and fit more gently into a rural setting.
Doing more by doing less
The Old Byre, Isle of Wight – Gianni Botsford Architects
The Old Byre is a conversion of two simple farm buildings into a home with extra space for visiting artists to live and work. The architects kept the original footprint and structure, adding insulation and cladding the barns in corrugated cement board to give the buildings a clean, modern look.
At the centre of the project is an inward-facing courtyard that works as an outdoor room. Living areas and workspaces open onto it, and the space changes throughout the day as sunlight moves across it. Inside, rough timber frames sit alongside more polished glazed elements, striking a balance between practicality and comfort.
By avoiding extensions and using a single heating system for both home and studio, the project keeps energy use low and costs under control. It’s a good example of how a simple, restrained approach can create a functional, efficient and unique home.
Future-proofing without compromise
Amento, Suffolk – James Gorst Architects
Amento was designed for a couple planning ahead for retirement. It’s a single-storey home that avoids the usual bungalow clichés. Two large brick walls run through the house, organising the spaces and giving the home a sense of structure and permanence.
Between these walls are timber lean-tos, each serving a different function — bedrooms, living areas and so on. The main living space feels calm and open, with plenty of glazing, exposed timber and materials that will age well over time.
Sustainability is built in quietly. The house uses timber construction, an air-source heat pump and a rainwater system, all integrated into the design rather than added on as an afterthought. The result is a home that works well for later life without feeling limited or compromised.
Repair as a design strategy
Hastings House, East Sussex – Hugh Strange Architects
Hastings House shows how careful repair combined with selective new building can make a tricky site work. The original, late 19th century house is beautifully restored, keeping mouldings, stained glass, decorative barge boards and clay tiles. Sliding timber doors open onto a repaired, rough concrete yard.
A steel staircase skirts the retaining wall to a small pathway, while simple concrete walls and planted beds complement the garden. A steel pergola tops off the upper level.
The mix of old and new is clear, with carefully detailed joinery set against raw concrete and basic blockwork. The house feels both charming and liveable. Since moving in, the client has added his own garden projects, showing how the design supports how people actually live rather than feeling fixed or formal.
