In partnership with the National Centre for Excellence in Housing, BRE (Building Research Establishment), Building Design, Real Estate TV and VELUX, the Awards challenged architects on the register of the ARB and homebuilders to create an eco-sensitive design for tomorrow’s mainstream house type. Working to a brief developed in consultation with RIBA, that has addressed today’s critical environmental issues and encouraged the use of innovative products and technologies, architects were invited to present their design solutions. Nine designs were short-listed by The Panel of Judges, chaired by Michael Manser, CBE, RA, PPRIBA and Chairman of The Manser Practice. The winning design and all submissions can be viewed by clicking this link.
Readers
of The Mail on
Sunday, voted for the winning design - GREEN HOUSE - which was announced
by RIBA President Jack Pringle at the Award’s presentation on May
31 2007 at The London Marriott, Grosvenor Square where GAUNT FRANCIS ARCHITECTS
received a £5000 prize presented by VELUX.
Recognising that the winning design will become a benchmark prototype for our future high density housing, GREEN HOUSE has been built on the BRE Innovation Park at Garston, by Britain's Premier House-Builder, Barratt Homes, to attain level 6 in the Code for Sustainable Homes and become the first stamp duty exempt house from a major UK house builder. It will stand for two years and form part of BRE’s training and education programme.
It was opened by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint in May 2008.

Click here to download the National Centre for Excellence in Housing press release.
| General | Annual Design Competition | Partners | Design Brief |
|---|---|---|---|