The Royal Institute of British Architects has crowned its London House of the Year for 2025, providing a new pinnacle of domestic design for the capital's daydreamers. The coveted title has been awarded to a transformative project in west central London known as the 'Chelsea Brut'.
A Minimalist Transformation in Chelsea
Designed by Pricegore Architects, the winning home is not a new build but a comprehensive extension, refurbishment, and retrofit of a four-storey 1960s townhouse. The project, which was showcased in a special episode of Grand Designs, involved stripping the interior back to its structural bones. The resulting aesthetic is a study in minimalist grey, using raw materials like lime plaster, lime slurry, and clay-block floors.
A stroke of luck during the renovation proved pivotal. The architects discovered the existing foundations were 1.5 metres lower than the floor level, allowing them to excavate and create a stunning kitchen, dining, and living space with soaring 3.5-metre ceilings.
Green Features and Luxe Amenities
True to its 'oasis' description, the house incorporates significant greenery. It features a small garden at the rear and a fully planted roof atop the new extension. Inside, the layout has been thoughtfully reconfigured. The second floor now houses a film room that doubles as a spare bedroom, while the original five bedrooms on the top floor have been converted into three larger, more generous suites.
Sustainability was a core principle of the overhaul. Key eco-friendly installations include thick wood fibre insulation, an automated skylight for summer ventilation, and a new air-source heat pump that provides both hot water and underfloor heating throughout the property.
London's Standout on a National Stage
The Chelsea Brut was the sole London representative on the shortlist of seven homes for the national RIBA House of the Year award for 2025, automatically making it the capital's best new house. The overall national prize was claimed by a self-built home in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.
This award highlights a continuing trend in London's property market: the ambitious, high-specification retrofit of existing buildings, blending architectural ambition with environmental responsibility to create unique urban sanctuaries.
