A black house and a studio in a ruin are among the region’s five awards

Black House, Kent, by AR Design Studio (phs: Martin Gardner)

“The house impressed with its crisp, clean lines and thoughtful response to the landscape. The architect and client had worked closely together; one of their inspirations was the nearby Sissinghurst Castle Garden, where gardens are broken into a series of individual experiences with each room hidden from each other by walls and hedges. There is a uniformity to the treatment of finishes both inside and out, external black timber boarding and white painted interiors, which didn’t fully embrace the concept of distinct garden rooms but made for a calm and simple execution. The only element that departed from this palette was the brick tower which, like Sissinghurst, provides the view that draws together the various parts. Despite the house’s nod to Sissinghurst this is clearly a modernist design which enjoys pushing the structural possibilities to achieve an impressive 7.3-metre cantilever.”

City of London Freemen’s School swimming pool, Ashtead, by Hawkins Brown (phs: Jack Hobhouse)

“The pool building has a sensitive location: it is set within the Green Belt, a curtilage of listed buildings and adjacent to ancient woodland. The architects have responded by creating a quiet, unassuming building from the outside, which is practically invisible as you approach from the house. By contrast, the pool interior is light and spacious with a cathedral-like quality. The predominant internal material is timber, with whitewashed glulam frames and CLT panels – all well detailed and finely crafted. The proportions and spatial arrangement of the main pool interior are elegant and pleasing. Quality is high throughout, with the M&E virtually invisible within the main pool space, which is no mean feat.”

Oatlands Close, Surrey, by SOUP Architects (phs: Andy Matthews)

“An unexpected surprise hidden behind a pastiche-style suburban house. It is a complete transformation, with a new rear extension and garden pavilion and extensive internal refurbishment. The architects have created a delightful, spacious series of spaces that open up to the garden and significantly enhance the client’s life in the house. The new additions are bold, employing an asymmetrical form, which is a departure from the usual run-of-the-mill, glass-box house extensions. These moves are a contextual response to the site: the geometry of the new extension and pavilion unlock parts of the garden previously disconnected from the house. The garden pavilion has an idyllic location located in a beautifully landscaped garden, at the point where the garden kicks off in a different direction unseen from the main house. It is the knuckle that connects the garden to the house and offers opportunities to retreat and work peacefully, with views down the garden but with half an eye on what the kids are up to in the house.”

Sibson Building, University of Kent, by Penoyre & Prasad (phs: Quintin Lake, Tim Crocker)

“Housing the School of Mathematics and the School of Business, this is a very thoughtful building, with a clear architectural concept which has been rigorous enough to withstand the project development and budgetary constraints. The concept of zigzagging wings helps to integrate the two schools whilst allowing them to have their own dedicated spaces. Natural light pours in to the top-lit atrium, which provides a welcoming entrance and place to socialise. The concrete structure is exposed and finished to an very high quality and together with the timber glulam beams brings a lightness and elegance not usually seen in an education building of this scale. These materials are expressed similarly in other public-facing spaces, such as the lecture theatres and, to a lesser extent, the shared break-out spaces which break the length of the corridors. Overall, this is an exemplary education building embodying creativity with an intelligent and responsible approach.”

Studio in a Ruin, East Sussex, by Carmody Groarke (phs: Johan Dehlin)

“This project is the transformation from an unremarkable ruin, within an unremarkable field, into a beautifully poetic building. It was decided to keep what remained and build a new studio around it. The architect has chosen materials with a raw finish: polished in-situ concrete to the walls and an insulated Corten steel roof, both beautifully handcrafted. While the concrete walls follow the form of the old farmhouse, the steel roof is a complete departure. It is carefully choreographed to fold and extend beyond the building, in order to frame views, create covered outside spaces and to blend in with the gently undulating landscape. The design process has been very rigorous and controlled, yet there was enough flexibility to allow the local blacksmith to make his own mark on the roof.”