Best architectural House

July 13, 2016
Best The River House Design by

Despite being a far cry from a grand mansion or a stately home, the futuristic single-storey three-bedroom Fayland House near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, has beaten off competition from around the world to be crowned the best new home by The Architectural ReviewDespite being a far cry from a grand mansion or a stately home, the futuristic single-storey three-bedroom Fayland House near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, has beaten off competition from around the world to be crowned the best new home by The Architectural Review

Described by the judges as having a 'rigid, rhythmic façade' and a 'challenging' design, the 'asymmetrical' property was completed in 2013

It is owned by multi-millionaire property developer Mike Spink and his wife Maria, who paid £6.7million for the prime 50-acre plot in the Chilterns in 2008 before knocking down the existing house on the site.

The site was previously occupied by an early 20th-century house – said to be of no 'architectural value' – which was made up of a series of eight buildings, including stables, a gym, a greenhouse and an outdoor swimming pool.

The Spinks then brought in leading architect David Chipperfield to design a three-bedroom home with a thoroughly modern twist.

Described by the judges as having a 'rigid, rhythmic façade' and a 'challenging' design, the 'asymmetrical' property was completed in 2013Like the best country piles, the house - called Faylands - is nestled among rolling hills and surrounded by a wildflower meadow with its own herd of cows.

But that's where the similarities end.

Instead of cosy rooms with roaring fires, a farmhouse kitchen with an Aga or a traditional brick exterior, the house is simple and modern to the verge of being empty.

A total of 11 concrete columns hold up the front of the property making it look more like an industrial unit than a home, while the flat roof and oblong-shape make it resemble more of a bunker than a sprawling estate.

However the judges of The Architectural Review House Awards 2015 - a competition to find the world's best house built in the last five years – heaped praise on it.

Some of the biggest names in modern architecture described it as 'a radical take on the English country house', 'subversive and as having a 'beautiful enfilade' - where a suite of rooms with doorways are in line with each other.

Property developer Mr Spink spent £42million developing Park Place (pictured) near Henley-on-Thames before selling it for £140millionHOME'S MULTI-MILLIONAIRE OWNER: HOW FAYLANDS IS WORK OF 'HIGHLY REGARDED' PROPERTY DEVELOPER

Property developer Mr Spink spent £42million developing Park Place (pictured) near Henley-on-Thames before selling it for £140million

Faylands House is owned by multi-millionaire property developer Mike Spink and his Finnish investment banker wife Maria.

Mr Spink is an Oxfordshire-based property tycoon who once spent £42million developing a country estate called Park Place near Henley-on-Thames before selling it to Russian billionaire Andrey Borodin for £140million.

The sale of the Grade II-listed building - which backed onto the Thames and included 200 acres of parkland, listed monuments, houses, cottages, stables and a boat house - made it the most expensive home in Britain, knocking One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, London, off the top spot.

Mr Spink, who tends to keep a low-profile, is ‘highly-regarded’ for his discreet attitude, qualified as a chartered surveyor before becoming a developer.

Among his more than 100 projects is a dramatic overhaul of a £2million Georgian townhouse in London’s South Kensington in the 1990s, the development of five Belgravia flats into one large mansion in 2006 and the refurbishment of a five-storey £85million property in Kensington for Ukrainian businesswoman Elena Franchuk in 2008.

He also went on to combine two houses into one in South Kensington, doubling the value of the property, and built an apartment in Knightsbridge overlooking Hyde Park.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
RELATED VIDEO
Best Small House Architecture Design with Modern
Best Small House Architecture Design with Modern ...
Best architectural,design building and house 60 photo
Best architectural,design building and house 60 photo ...
Best Architectural and design amasing interior house60
Best Architectural and design amasing interior house...60 ...
RELATED FACTS
Share this Post
latest post
follow us