The finalists for the prestigious 2025 Manser Medal - AJ House of the Year have been revealed, showcasing eight exceptional residential projects that represent the cutting edge of contemporary British architecture. The shortlist features diverse approaches to housing design, from urban apartment transformations to rural self-builds, each demonstrating innovative solutions to modern living challenges.
Among the standout projects is Carmody Groarke's remarkable transformation of an apartment in a 19th-century Grade II-listed merchant's house in Covent Garden. The project features a striking 14-meter-long folded aluminum rooftop pavilion that takes the form of a pitched roof extension. The pavilion, constructed from 25mm-thick solid-plate sanded aluminum, includes large openings that mirror the window patterns of the historic building below, creating a harmonious dialogue between old and new.
Another notable finalist is Graeme Williamson's Twin House in Stoke Newington, Hackney, which challenges conventional spatial hierarchy through its innovative two-gabled form. The design places living rooms on the first floor with bedrooms below, flipping traditional layouts. The distinctive two-gabled profile is clad in striking red cement board, making it a bold addition to the London streetscape.
Beyond London, the shortlist includes several projects that demonstrate thoughtful responses to their natural environments. A Paragraph 84e house by Architects Group and Rural Solutions, situated in a designated National Landscape, cuts into the Yorkshire landscape and mimics natural organic forms through its copper-clad flutes. Meanwhile, new practice Templeton Ford's rural West Sussex self-build home features a large concave roof inspired by the legacy of Arts and Crafts buildings in the area, complemented by vernacular clay tiles that root it in local tradition.
In Scotland, Mallet's project uses blackened timber and local stone to transform a former ploughman's cottage in Perthshire, demonstrating how contemporary interventions can breathe new life into historic rural structures. Studioshaw has earned another shortlist spot for its Catching Sun House in Walthamstow, which has also been shortlisted in the Project under £500,000 category, proving that exceptional design doesn't require unlimited budgets.
The international influence on British architecture is represented by Takero Shimazaki Architects' hybrid timber and stone Japanese-inspired house in South London, while Sanei + Hopkins Architects contributes a reimagining of the traditional country lodge in Suffolk, showing how classical typologies can be refreshed for contemporary living.
The Manser Medal holds significant prestige in British architecture, recognizing the best house completed in the UK over a 12-month period. Named after renowned British architect Michael Manser (1929-2016), a former RIBA President and Royal Academician, the award was launched in 2001 to inspire innovation in house design. The prize began in partnership with the AJ, with Cezary Bednarski's 1A Merthyr Terrace in Barnes taking the inaugural award. Notable past winners include Mole Architects' Black House in 2004 and Skene Catling de la Peña's Flint House in Buckinghamshire in 2015.
Last year's winner was Surman Weston's self-build project, Peckham House, which impressed judges with its contemporary take on the terrace typology. The project featured a simple four-square form that gained character through distinctive hit-and-miss brickwork. Located on a former piece of scrubby grass next to a Brutalist car park in Peckham, south London, judges praised how it successfully fitted into its eclectic context. One judge noted it "stands out but blends in," while another called it "brilliantly contextual."
The Peckham House project was particularly notable because the architects worked as client, designer, and contractor, described as "pure passion" by one judge. The scheme updated the traditional terrace house form with innovative features including the main garden space on the roof, complete with a greenhouse. For the first time, judges also awarded a highly commended recognition to Gianni Botsford's Reciprocal House for its "refinement and single-minded intensity of conception and execution."
This year's competition attracted more than 20 project submissions for the Manser Medal category alone, part of a total of 120 projects shortlisted across 19 categories for the eighth AJ Architecture Awards. The expert judging panel includes Eleanor Fawcett of Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, Alpa Delpani (head of strategic planning and design at London Borough of Waltham Forest), Robin Nicholson (fellow of Cullinan Studio), and strategist Daisy Froud.
The judges evaluate projects on multiple criteria beyond standout design, including how each project has met or exceeded its brief, promoted client or community engagement, and excelled in the use of space or sense of place. Sustainability measures are also strictly analyzed, reflecting the profession's growing focus on environmental responsibility. All submitted projects must have been completed between January 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.
The winners across all 19 categories, plus three editorial-chosen awards, will be announced at a celebratory dinner event at the Royal Lancaster London on November 27, 2025. The complete Manser Medal - AJ House of the Year shortlist includes: A contemporary home for a couple in a protected landscape by Architects Group and Rural Solutions, Black and Stone by Mallet, Catching Sun House by studioshaw, Clay Rise by Templeton Ford, Covent Garden Apartment by Carmody Groarke, Housestead by Sanei + Hopkins Architects, Niwa House by Takero Shimazaki Architects, and Twin House by Graeme Williamson Architects.
