I imagine many readers will have been watching Channel 4’s coverage of the RIBA House of the Year, hosted by Kevin McCloud.This annual event showcases a range of award-winning homes across the country, from modest small conversions to bespoke new homes. This year in particular is refreshing in that the majority of schemes are relatively small scale, though a number of them are built to a significant budget, beyond the means of most of us. What this TV programme does do though, is to highlight the diversity of approach to housing design in Britain and it is many and varied and all the better for that.

There is no one size suits all-rather each project taken on its own in terms of design, form and materials.

A number of the houses are highly contextual and appropriate to their location. Homes such as Seabreeze, have been designed in response to a harsh maritime climate, where erosion due to sand and salt have been considered in the detailing of the house, to avoid nooks and crannies which could be subject to erosion.

The Dutch Barn is a lovely transformation of an existing roll-topped, steel-framed Dutch barn. It shows how even the simplest of rural forms can be transformed into dramatic homes. The counterpoint of the rusty steel tower acts as a foil to the black cladding of the barn.

Of the 20 projects on the overall shortlist, nearly half are adaptations and reworking of existing buildings and I can certainly admire the tenacity that I know is required to deliver such quality of project.

I can’t say that the taste will be to everyone’s liking but I know that quality is only achieved through the dedication of client, architect and builder and these three parties must work closely together to ensure a successful outcome.

There is also the process of gaining planning consent for such schemes. Being different to the norm can be a challenge since the easier route in planning

would be to replicate the scale, form and materiality of adjoining buildings.

Designing something different is done in the hope that the resulting architecture will enhance the built environment. A good building can, and often does, act as a catalyst for regeneration .

On a large scale, this is evident in inner city regeneration, where relatively deprived areas are reborn through innovative new development, such as the Holbeck area of Leeds. Here, new buildings and reworked industrial buildings, have created a vibrant new community close to the city centre.

Such programmes as House of the Year and the evidence of positive inner-city regeneration demonstrate the value that good design can bring to our homes and cities.

It is great to know that in the Yorkshire Region, there are numerous architectural practices striving to make a difference. Should you be considering designing a new home or reworking your existing home, do contact the Yorkshire region RIBA for advice and do look online at the work of local architects.

I would also encourage potential clients to visit homes designed by practices to see first-hand what can be achieved. It is also a useful learning exercise, to understand the complexities of the process. It could help you create your own House of the Year.

Ric Blenkharn, www.brable.com

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