Project Name: Six Columns House

Location: London, United Kingdom

Design Team: 31/44 Architects

Building Area: 1,640 m²

Completion Year: 2024

Photographer: Nick Dearden

Special Honor: 2024 RIBA House of the Year

Lead Designer: Will Burges

Structural Engineering: Price & Myers

Main Contractor: Altlant Construction

Landscape Architecture: Aarde

Feature：

Project - Nestled in the leafy suburbs of Crystal Palace, London, the Six Columns House by 31/44 Architects emerges as a masterclass in adaptive, thoughtful design that challenges conventional residential architecture. Named RIBA House of the Year 2024, this bespoke family home is a testament to architectural ingenuity, seamlessly blending personal narrative, contextual sensitivity, and forward-thinking sustainability.

Conceived by practice founder Will Burges for his own family, the house is a deliberate departure from static residential design. Situated on a previously undeveloped side garden, the structure navigates complex site constraints—including a protected sycamore tree—with remarkable grace. Its innovative form twists and steps across a trapezoidal plot, creating a dynamic architectural volume that respects both its immediate context and broader urban fabric.

The project's design philosophy is revolutionary: a home conceived as an "unfinished" entity, capable of evolving with its inhabitants' changing needs. This approach is manifest in the carefully considered materiality and spatial arrangement. Exposed timber, unpainted pine joinery, and a brutalist palette of spruce paneling and painted brick create a raw, adaptable interior landscape that eschews traditional finish treatments.

Sustainability is deeply embedded in the project's DNA. Fully electric and powered by an air-source heat pump, the house produces just 1.78 tonnes of CO2 annually—a fraction of a standard home's carbon footprint. Structural innovations, such as avoiding concrete-piled foundations and using steel screw piles, further demonstrate the architects' commitment to minimizing environmental impact.

With its six defining columns and eclectic architectural references—from post-war California Case Study Houses to Le Corbusier's early modern joinery—the Six Columns House transcends mere shelter, becoming a living manifesto of contemporary architectural possibility.

Design Team - In the dynamic landscape of contemporary architectural practice, 31/44 Architects emerges as a paradigm of contextual and innovative design, challenging conventional boundaries of urban architectural intervention. Founded in 2010 by Will Burges and Stephen Davies, the London-based practice has distinguished itself through a nuanced approach that meticulously integrates new architectural interventions within existing urban fabrics.

With a philosophical commitment to place-making, 31/44 transcends mere building design, crafting architectural narratives that deeply resonate with historical, cultural, and spatial contexts. Their portfolio demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of architectural morphology, where each project becomes a deliberate, considerate contribution to its surrounding environment.

The practice's international recognition—including prestigious accolades such as the Manser Medal and RIBA National Awards—underscores their design excellence. Their work has been celebrated across major European cultural capitals, from London to Berlin, reflecting a design language that is both locally sensitive and globally compelling.

Led by a multidisciplinary team of chartered architects with diverse academic and professional backgrounds, 31/44 operates with an intellectual rigor that extends beyond physical construction. Their engagement with academic institutions, particularly through teaching studios at Kingston School of Art, ensures a continuous dialogue between theoretical exploration and practical architectural implementation.

The Six Columns House, recently crowned RIBA House of the Year 2024, epitomizes their design philosophy—a testament to their ability to transform constraints into architectural opportunities, creating spaces that are simultaneously innovative, sustainable, and profoundly contextual.