S IX CONTENDERS FOR HOUSE OF THE YEAR… 1 The Cooperage, London

Chris Dyson Architects has given this former industrial building a smart update, using concrete, black steel and exposed brickwork with a fantastic lightness of touch.

2 Caring Wood, near Maidstone A modern vision of the English country house, this family home by Macdonald Wright and Niall Maxwell is a grand yet intimate space for three generations.

3 Ness Point, Dover This building’s thick, undulating walls mimic the beautiful white cliffs of Dover. Indeed, the intent of architect Tonkin Liu was to bring the landscape into the design. ➤

GRAND DESIGNS: HOUSE OF THE YEARThe RIBA House of the Year longlist celebrates the best of contemporary British home designs, and it even has its own TV programme!

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Every year, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) scours the UK in search of its House of the Year to celebrate architectural excellence in British housing design. This year’s 20-strong longlist showcases a wide range of projects. ELLE Decoration’s Editor-in-Chief Michelle Ogundehin has been travelling across the UK to take an exclusive peek inside some of them as a co-presenter – alongside Kevin McCloud and architect Damion Burrows – on Grand Designs: House of the Year, a four-part series on Channel 4 dedicated to the award. The first show airs on 8 November and the winner is announced during the final episode. Here, we explore Michelle’s top six contenders. View the full longlist at architecture.com.

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4 Woodman’s Treehouse, Dorset Built around the branches of a proud English oak tree, this woodland home, accessed via a suspension bridge, is the work of architects Brownlie Ernst and Marks, as well as furniture makers and specialists in green wood.

5 Hidden House, London Coffey Architects has maximised the appeal of this one-storey home on the site of an old caretaker’s shed. Vaulted roof lights ensure that the small building feels light and airy.

6 Peacock House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk Built facing a central courtyard, this home is made up of three independent blocks connected by the great outdoors. The simple exterior by BHSF Architekten and Studio-P belies the complexity within. ED

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