21 March 2013
STUDIO BEDNARSKI, a London-based architectural practice, has scooped top prize in the ‘Self build development of The Year’ at the Ideal Home Show Blue Ribbon Awards 2013 for its ‘Double House’ project.
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The elongated site, perched on the corner of Westborne Park Road, Notting Hill, proved too small to accommodate a house with a garden. So, STUDIO BEDNARSKI opted for two ‘vertically detached’ houses.
Cezary Bednarski, the founder of the architectural enterprise, lives in the upper home, which has main living space on the top floor and bedrooms on the first. A roof garden covers the entire footprint of the building which soaks up rainwater to feed the residents – it also features a vegetable patch. The two-storey three-bedroom lower house was sold to a Dutch architect.
The awards ceremony commends the most ingenious modern home design – and was particularly looking for entries from self builders wishing to submit designs for single houses, apartments or developments.
NaSBA Chair, Ted Stevens – one of the judges at the event, said: “It’s always very challenging to build a new home on a tight urban corner site in the centre of a city. Here they have cleverly made use of every inch of space, so much so that they have actually squeezed two homes onto the footprint, one above the other. The quality of workmanship and the attention to detail is excellent, and they’ve made good use of light and exploited the views well”.
