Founded in 2002 by Anthony Hudson and based in London and Norfolk, Hudson Architects is recognised for design excellence and has been the recipient of numerous awards.
In the housing sector, for instance, the practice has set new standards in domestic architectural design, with award-winning projects that include the Baggy House in Devon, the Drop House in Hertfordshire, Cedar House in Norfolk, and the Light House in Belper. Projects in the urban regeneration sector include Stoneleigh Managed Workspace in Tottenham for Haringey Council (2007), Castleford Town Square for Wakefield Council (2007) and Salvation Army Chelmsford (2009), which received the ACE/RIBA Award for Religious Architecture 2009, and was highly commended in the International Commercial Property Awards 2010.
The renovation of a former banking hall in central Norwich into a state-of-the-art 24-hour support centre for young people earned the practice the RIBA East Community Architecture Award in 2010 and a Civic Trust Community Recognition Award 2011. At Hudson Architects they believe that the finest architecture is achieved through a process of continuous collaboration, analysis and application of insight to arrive at solutions that are aesthetically pleasing, environmentally responsible, financially aware, artful and elegantly crafted. This philosophy was underlined on yet another award-winning project; Bavent House, an eye-catching new four-bedroom family house situated in the Suffolk countryside. Inspired by the architecture of its surroundings, including agricultural barns and the humble beach hut, the design employs robust economical materials, including an engineered timber frame, black zinc and Iroko timber cladding, in order to reflect a regional vernacular that leans heavily on the use of wood.
Winner of a RIBA award and a finalist in the Grand Design Awards, Bavent House is clad in black zinc and has its simple form distorted by shifts in geometry, which in places turns to face the views and in others is cut away to divulge a warmer Iroko timber cladding that gives a softer ambience to the courtyard and entrance space. The timber was selected for its precise finish and warm colour, which left untreated, will weather to grey over time to harmonise the building with its setting, a landscape of reeds and grasses.
At the centre of the plan is a double-height area with office space on the first floor bridge and a large dining area, forming the heart of the house. From here the building is divided into two wings: with a large living room and guest bedrooms above on one side; the kitchen, snug and utility spaces serve as the everyday rooms on the other side, with the two main bedrooms above.
The interior has an unpretentious aesthetic of white walls coupled with 270mm wide Douglas fir engineered floors that put emphasis on the geometry of the double-height space. The boards were supplied untreated and finished with a lye and soap wash to lighten the final finish of the board. The walls are punctuated with carefully positioned picture timber windows of varying sizes that serve to focus the eye on views of the surrounding countryside. The woods specified for the staircase, banisters and windows were chosen for their neutral character and complement the client’s eclectic collection of furniture throughout the interior.
For further information visit, www.hudsonarchitects.co.uk.
