HTA beat nine other shortlisted practices to win the Barratt/AJ Home of the Future competition, while HLM and up-and-coming practice C4 Architecture have both been commended. Launched in April, the contest asked UK architects, architectural designers and architectural and design firms to consider what homeowners will want in five to 10 years’ time and design a bold and innovative house in response which will appeal to the mass market.

Following an ‘overwhelming’ response from AJ’s readership, 10 practices were shortlisted in August and asked to develop and fine-tune their designs ahead of a final judging session held last month at the RIBA headquarters in Portland Place. The jury included three senior figures at Barratt and three external design experts selected by the AJ and was chaired by AJ deputy editor Will Hurst.

HTA’s proposal involved a ‘semi-wide’ frontage intended to take the best features of a double-frontage house – in particular the two dual-aspect reception rooms – within the confines of a more economical plot and house size. Judges were highly impressed with the scheme’s flexibility, attention to detail and focus on wellbeing and daylight levels, and it was the unanimous winner.

Barratt now intends to work with HTA to establish how its ideas can be incorporated into future designs that will then be tested with customers. Ultimately this process, the housebuilder believes, could ‘set new standards for new built properties across the UK’.

Full coverage of all 10 shortlisted schemes will appear in print and on the AJ’s website later this week.

This article first appeared in AJ, 20 October 2015.