This year’s shortlist of 15 projects include houses from the UK, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, China, Australia and Japan
The private house occupies a unique position in both the history of architecture and human imagination. Beyond its core function of shelter, it is an object of fantasy, a source of delight, a talisman and a testing ground.
AR House recognises innovation and excellence in the design of dwellings. As the one commission that virtually all architects tackle at some stage in their careers, the house is still an important rite of passage for young designers. Offering the potential for genuine innovation, it remains critical to the ferment and crystallisation of new architectural ideas.
This year’s judging panel included the London-based Japanese architect Takeshi Hayatsu, co-founder of Norwegian practice Manthey Kula, Beate Hølmebakk, and British architect Stephen Taylor. Over 200 entries were received from around the globe and considered by the judges, who were looking for ingenious and pioneering houses that seek to push the type forward.
Stephen Taylor asserted that the shortlist should express more than ‘just a glossary of style or high taste’. Takeshi Hayatsu commented that he was ‘looking for something new or critical, that does more than just borrow someone else’s idea’, Beate Hølmebakk agreeing that this could come in the form of ‘even a small piece of innovation’, adding that she was interested in ‘spatial quality over object quality’.
The winner and commended projects will be announced online in early July and published in the July/August issue of The Architectural Review.
AR House awards shortlist
Casa Volta in Puerto Escondido, Mexico by Ambrosi Etchegaray. Photograph by Sergio López
Casa Volta in Puerto Escondido, Mexico by Ambrosi Etchegaray. Photograph by Sergio López
Song House in Shanghai, China by AZL Architects. Photograph by Yao Li
Song House in Shanghai, China by AZL Architects. Photograph by Yao Li
Casa St Cugat in St Cugat del Vallès, Spain by Camps Felip Arquitecturia. Photograph by José Hevia
Casa St Cugat in St Cugat del Vallès, Spain by Camps Felip Arquitecturia. Photograph by José Hevia
Hamra studio residence in Gotland, Sweden by Collectif Encore. Photograph by Michel Bonvin
Hamra studio residence in Gotland, Sweden by Collectif Encore. Photograph by Michel Bonvin
81 Hollybrook Grove House in Dublin, Republic of Ireland by David Leech
81 Hollybrook Grove in Dublin, Republic of Ireland by David Leech Architects. Photograph by David Leech
Hawthorn House in Melbourne, Australia by Edition Office. Photograph by Ben Hosking
Hawthorn House in Melbourne, Australia by Edition Office. Photograph by Ben Hosking
House in Kamitomii, Kurashiki, Japan by General Design Co. Photograph by Daici Ano
House in Kamitomii, Kurashiki, Japan by General Design Co. Photograph by Daici Ano
House in a Garden in London, UK by Gianni Botsford Architects. Photograph by Edmund Sumner
House in a Garden in London, UK by Gianni Botsford Architects. Photograph by Edmund Sumner
Photographer’s House in London, UK by Hugh Strange Architects. Photograph by David Grandorge
Photographer’s House in London, UK by Hugh Strange Architects. Photograph by David Grandorge
Strip House in Aichi, Japan by Kochi Architect’s Studio. Photograph by Kazuyasu Kochi
Strip House in Aichi, Japan by Kochi Architect’s Studio. Photograph by Kazuyasu Kochi
Cloister House in Perth, Australia by MORQ. Photograph by Givlio Aristide
Cloister House in Perth, Australia by MORQ. Photograph by Givlio Aristide
The Longhouse in Daylesford, Australia by Partners Hill. Photograph by Shantanu Starick
The Longhouse in Daylesford, Australia by Partners Hill. Photograph by Shantanu Starick
Cut in Koganecho, Yokohama, Japan by Persimmon Hills Architects. Photograph by Kenta Hasegawa
Cut in Koganecho, Yokohama, Japan by Persimmon Hills Architects. Photograph by Kenta Hasegawa
Loop Terrace in Kobe, Japan by Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates. Photograph by Toshiyuki Yano
Loop Terrace in Kobe, Japan by Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates. Photograph by Toshiyuki Yano
Casa de Piedra in Cáceres, Spain by Tuñón Arquitectos. Photograph by Luis Asín
Casa de Piedra in Cáceres, Spain by Tuñón Arquitectos. Photograph by Luis Asín
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Balancing blocks: Casa St Cugat, Catalonia, Spain, Camps Felip Arquitecturia
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: The seemingly impregnable corrugated aluminium carapace of Camps Felip Arquitecturia’s Casa Sant Cugat contrasts with light-infused private inner rooms overlooking a private central garden
Shadow play: Hawthorn House, Victoria, Australia, by Edition Office
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Perhaps harsh and impersonal from the outside, the Hawthorn House in Victoria by Edition Office is open and expansive within, engendering a strong sense of privacy
Spotlight: house in a garden, London, UK, Gianni Botsford Architects
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Gianni Botsford Architects deftly manipulate light and shadow on a small and mainly subterranean site in Notting Hill
Light room: photographer’s house, London, UK, Hugh Strange Architects
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Hugh Strange Architects present a fresh take on London’s ubiquitous Victorian terrace extension
Ascending order: Loop Terrace, Kobe, Japan, Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Inspired by the 17th century Katsura Imperial Villa, Tomohiro Hata Architect and Associates’ Loop Terrace inverts its form by focusing views inwards and providing sanctuary from the bustle of Kobe
Holding the line: The Longhouse, Daylesford, Australia, by Partners Hill
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Both public and private functions are accommodated under the sweeping shed roof of Partners Hill’s Longhouse in Daylesford
Slice of life: the Cut, Koganecho, Japan, by Persimmon Hills Architects
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Persimmon Hills Architects’ intriguing folded plane mediates between the gallery and living space of a repurposed sex shop in Yokohama
Brick house: Casa Volta, Oaxaca, Mexico by Ambrosi Etchegaray
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Ambrosi Etchegaray’s fusion of Modernist restraint and the vernacular in this retreat in Oaxaca segregates eating, sleeping and living in a ritual of water, earth and air
Staircase to heaven: Casa de Piedra, Cáceres, Spain, by Tuñón Arquitectos
AR House awards 2019 shortlisted: Tuñón Arquitectos’s restrained cubic form of traditional local quartzite fuses with the natural lines and undulations of its setting
Level crossings: Nishinakayama-cho Strip House, Aichi, Japan, by Kochi Architect's Studio
AR House commended: Kochi Architect’s Studio deploys a play of intersecting planes to achieve an adept balance of open space and privacy
