RIBA Stirling Prize 2006 RIBA 2006 Manser Medal

Date Published:

23/06/2008

While the Stirling Prize recognises landmark architectural works, the Manser Medal, sponsored by The Architects' Journal, rewards more modest buildings: it is given to the designers of the best one-off house in the UK.

Brick House, London

Caruso St John Architects

Credit: Helene Binet

Also competing with the big boys for the Stirling Prize, the house was created for a family who wanted a large open living area. Tucked away on an awkward backyard site, lies this modern home where the humble brick has been elevated to sculptural status. They form floors, ceilings and walls inside, and enclose the house from the outside.

On the upper ground level, the main living space enjoys exciting variations in its ceiling height and angles, which also help to define different areas, including a kitchen and dining space. Also on this upper level is a separate study/TV room. And throughout, the bricks, along with effective lighting, provide a sense of warmth.

Esher House, Surrey

Wilkinson King Architects

Credit: Paul Tyagi

This 'box', as the architects simply call it, is actually a five-bedroom house. And, as boxes go, it is incredibly spacious. There are lofty ceilings and lots of light and views. It is beautiful in its modernistic simplicity which, say the judges, is so masterful that the result is actually rich and sophisticated. 'This building is one of those which should still look excellent in ten, twenty or even thirty years time,' they say. The punchy, crisp design is so effective that nothing could be added or taken away - 'it is a total design.' The finishing touches are the landscaping and pool.

Holly Barn

Knox Bhavan Architects

Credit: Denis Gilbert/VIEW

An 'upside down barn' was exactly what its disabled owner wanted from this derelict barn on a bluff at the edge of a small village and surrounded by the Norfolk Broads. Unusually, in terms of accessibility, all the main living areas – lounge, dining kitchen and study - are on the first floor. But this means, together with the large sliding screen windows, the splendid views and fresh air can be enjoyed to the full. The best view is from the master bedroom at the far end.

Great thought has gone into integrating the special access features for its wheelchair-bound owner, such as recesses for door handles so doors can open fully. A games room and guest bedrooms are on the ground floor. From the outside, its shape, Dutch barn-like hooped roof and natural timber boarding 'takes the breath away', say the judges.

Light House, London

Gianni Botsford Architects

Credit: Helene Binet

The owners didn't just want a light-filled, five-bedroom family home in this backland site in Notting Hill, surrounded by other houses. They wanted privacy, a library, a wine cellar, pool – and even a chapel. And this former industrial warehouse now has all that as well as the other requirements of a suite of living rooms and two studies.

The 'exquisite' design had to work with the former building – and 14 separate party wall agreements. Maximising light in such a confined situation resulted in putting the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living spaces above under a fully glazed roof which filters just the right amount of light to the different rooms below.

Wrap House, London

Alison Brooks Architects

A dining room extension never looked so impressive – which is why it deserves its own name of Wrap House. The initial humble idea has produced a complex series of spaces which 'colonise' the garden. Sliding glass doors opening onto a timber terrace deck built around a majestic, mature tree add to the feel of effortless blending. The overall shapes of the timber walls and roof mean it is as good to look onto from its Edwardian house as to look out of. Thanks to its glass link separating the extension from the rest of the house, it gives the impression of being a pavilion in its own right.

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