March House,
on the Thames near Cookham

Judges praised the exceptional way this house responded to its site and was ‘thoughtfully composed, carefully detailed, modest and delightful’. Designed to be a low-impact building, it sits on the banks of the River Thames, raised on stilts to make it flood-resilient.

The structure is formed of robust, low-carbon materials, with a prefabricated, timber frame: ‘It doesn’t shout about being sustainable,’ said the judges. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) were used for the build but, said one judge, ‘the house felt crafted up-close’. Even offcuts from the CLT structure have been re-used to make a shelving system.

Judges liked how the plan ‘worked very hard’. It is arranged around a pronounced central north-south axis which contains the main living spaces, expressed externally by the rise of the roof. These spaces include a lounge and dining room, subdivided by a free-standing wall and lit by a central rooflight. Bedroom suites bookend this on the river side.

The interiors exhibit careful use of space, with a built-in flexibility tailored to client requirements.

Large frameless windows with fixed glazing and opening ventilation panels are placed to frame views out to the landscape, while ensuring privacy from the Thames path. Together with the rooflights, these fill the house with light.

Judges commented on a sense of ‘timelessness’ they felt about this house and also commended the very compelling narrative from the architect in the presentation of the project. ‘It will always look fabulous and be a joy to live in,’ said one.

The long-standing prize recognises the best completed house in the UK and was named after the renowned British architect Michael Manser (1929-2016), a former RIBA president and Royal Academician. The medal became part of the AJ Architecture Awards again in 2019.

The Manser Medal was launched in 2001 to inspire innovation in house design and began life in partnership with the AJ. The inaugural winning project was Cezary Bednarski’s 1A Merthyr Terrace in Barnes; other winners have included Mole Architects’ Black House in 2004 and Skene Catling de la Peña’s Flint House in Buckinghamshire in 2015.

Last year, the prize went to Windward House, a farmhouse extension by Alison Brooks Architects. The scheme then followed up its Manser Medal victory by scooping the RIBA House of the Year award. 

The Manser Medal – AJ House of the Year champions architectural excellence in a new-build or significantly extended and refurbished house. All 11 finalists will be visited by an expert judging panel that includes Pollard Thomas Edwards senior advisor Teresa Borsuk.

ARCHITECT

KnoxBhavan Architects
69 Choumert Rd,
London SE15 4AR

T: 020 7635 9911

Website: www.knoxbhavan.co.uk