West Sussex House, RIBA Award Shortlisted Home, English Countryside Property, Architecture

Sussex House in the Countryside

Royal Institute of British Architects Prize Shortlisted UK Home – design by Wilkinson King Architects

26 Nov 2015

West Sussex House in the Countryside

Contemporary Sussex House in the Countryside

Design: Wilkinson King Architects

Location: Sussex, Southeast England, UK

Sussex House an elegant villa in the Sussex countryside was announced 4 November as the first of two houses to be shortlisted for the coveted 2015 RIBA House of the Year award.

Sussex House:

Sussex House, West Sussex by Wilkinson King Architects – shortlisted for the RIBA House of the Year

This stand-alone contemporary villa set in the Sussex countryside is an exceptional retreat.

Externally the house is quietly confident, with its row of low-profile roof pyramids, windows positioned to take advantage of the views and a muted colour palette of materials.

A lack of decoration and ornament gives this modern house a functional feel, but one that is cleverly considered to the very last detail.

Internally the double-height void and staircase orchestrate the house, effortlessly, organising a contiguous open plan and cellular spaces into a simple but elegant arrangement.

The over-sailing first floor produces the feeling of a quiet monastic cloister with sun-filled spaces and carefully framed views.

There is much to admire about the project, and it is clear the designers have invested a lot of energy into guiding the project to have a crafted feel through modern materials and technologies. The design fulfils the brief and provides the clients with so much more.

According to Wilkinson King Architects, “The brief was for a contemporary house that would sit and weather well in the landscape and respond materially to the tree lined site and rural setting. There are 4 bedrooms, one at ground level, and a study which overlooks a double height reception space. The first floor construction is entirely of cross laminated timber. The roof is made from tilted triangular planes, forming a folded, undulating surface inspired by the form of distant hills.”

The full shortlist for the 2015 RIBA House of the Year award is:

Flint House, Buckinghamshire by Skene Catling De La Pena
Kew House, London by Piercy&Company
Levring House, Londonby Jamie Fobert Architects
Maghera, County Downby Mcgonigle McGrath
(The) Mill, Scottish Borders by WT Architecture
Sussex House, West Sussex by Wilkinson King Architects
Vaulted House, London by vPPR Architects

RIBA Award Winner, 2015

Website: Sussex House by Wilkinson King Architects

Grand Designs: House of the Year 2015

RIBA Awards 2016

Sussex House Awards

RIBA House of the Year 2015: Finalist
RIBA National Award 2015: a Winner
RIBA Award, Southeast Region: a Winner
Structural Timber Awards, 2015: Winner
Wood Awards, 2015: Highly Commended
ISE Structural Awards 2015: Shortlisted
Architect of the Year Awards – Best One-off House 2014: Finalist

Website: Wilkinson King Architects

Location:West Sussex, England, UK