The competition helps in finding the best and most innovative home extensions in London. NLA is the center for London’s built environment. The NLA program of exhibitions, conferences and free talks brings together the key figures in London government, development and design to share knowledge, identify opportunities and debate the issues facing the industry.
The judges unanimously selected Platform 5’s Mapledene Road scheme as Overall Winner for its careful and beautiful detailing, use of glass to create a light and airy space and for its well thought out interplay with the existing residential building.
The competition, launched in association with Time Out, RIBA London and The Building Centre in 2009, and sponsored by Brick Development Association, Dendura and Molteni & C, was open to architects and homeowners who had completed extensions in London within the last five years, as well as to architects and designers with imaginative ideas for creating more space to live.
Judging took place in mid-November 2009, in which an eminent jury, including Peter Bishop, group director of Design, Development & Environment at the London Development Agency; Michelle Ogundehin, editor of Elle Decoration; and architect Alison Brooks selected the winning schemes within six categories: Best Use of Glass, Best Use of Concrete, Best Use of Timber, Best Use of Brick, Most Sustainable and Best Overall.
Platform 5’s Mapledene Road, Hackney project involved the renovation of a Victorian terrace by introducing a layer of precise built-in furniture and architectural elements into the raw historic fabric that enabled new patterns of occupation and opened up the ground floor spaces to the garden and sky.
Cross Street by Islington Paul Archer Design, described as a house built beneath another, was chosen as Second Place for its innovative use of space. It was also granted the award for Most Sustainable project.
Hidden House by Camden Edgley Design is a self-contained nanny flat built
underneath a garden in Camden, with a glass cube dropping down into the internal space to bring in light and air, creating a space that is private, introspective and peaceful. The project was awarded Third Place for its original concept, innovative use of land and attractive internal spaces.
Hunt House by Islington Paul Archer Design was selected as winner for Best Use of Glass for its creation of a light and airy extension and for its simple detailing.
Ruskin Park House by Lambeth AY Architects is a Victorian semi-detached house that has been awarded Best Use of Concrete for its open expression of cast concrete, which has been embraced as a main design feature in this bright and unique extension.
Private Residence Kennington by Lambeth Inglis Badrashi Loddo is a sensitive conversion of a 1960s ex-local authority terrace house, and was awarded Best Use of Timber for its beautiful detailing of timber beams.
Tray Houseby Redbridge Hayhurst & Co involved the placement of a single material insert – a black tray – into the garden, and the project won award in Best Use of Brick category for its use of brick as a strong concept for the scheme.
An exhibition of the 32 short-listed and winning schemes will be on display at the NLA galleries from December 8- January 30, 2009, with a day of free public advice and talks by the architects, as well as experts in design, planning and sustainability on January 23, 2010.
