The story behind a shortlisted project: Catching Sun House by studioshaw

Studioshaw is shortlisted in the House of The Year (up to 2,500 sq ft) category in this year’s British Homes Awards for the Catching Sun House. Mark Shaw founded Studioshaw in 2016 after 8 years working for Morris + Company where he was a Senior Associate. At MoCo he designed and delivered a number of multi award-winning mixed-use, workplace and housing projects. Here he explains the thinking behind the project, from the planning process to use of materials and low energy elements.

Q: Can you first of all summarise the planning story of this project and what you learned?

MS: We acquired the site at auction with an existing planning consent already in place. The previous owner had submitted three planning applications, the first two of which were rejected, so the site had already undergone a lengthy planning journey. It quickly became clear to us that the consented scheme did not make the most of the site’s potential, so we set out to redesign it.

Our first application reconfigured the layout of two houses to make better use of the L-shaped plot and reorganised the internal arrangements to improve light and outlook. We also introduced additional courtyards, ensuring that every habitable room (both living spaces and bedrooms) had direct access to external space. The second application was an opportunity for Catching Sun House to escape the confines of the consented schemes to date. The consents had stated that the houses were to be no higher than the Victorian garden walls surrounding the site. So our second application introduced gently pitching roofs in the spaces leading to clerestory windows which gave views of the sky and higher internal ceilings. The application also included a first floor room, built in place of an existing two story structure on the site. This added an additional room which acts as a study and a tv room and has incredible views over towards the Walthamstow marshes.

Mark Shaw, founding director of studioshaw

Light floods in to the living space of Catching Sun House

Q: Drawing light into the scheme was really innovative – tell us what you did in that regard?

MS: The key move was figuring out where the sun was going to be at different times of day and year. We spent a lot of time on a 3D modelling programme testing this. We realigned the living and kitchen spaces to take advantage of a gap between the adjacent Victorian terraces, allowing morning light to flood the kitchen and living room. On an early site visit I climbed up into the existing 1.5 storey building on the site. It was 5pm and I witnessed the most amazing sunset, as the sun set over the neighbouring gardens and the nearby wild marshes. I was determined to capture this in the design of the new house!

Q: What determined your choice of the main materials – concrete blockwork, timber roof, glazing?

MS: At that point, I had lived for years in crumbling Gregorian and Victorian houses. It was a constant DIY work of DIY and gave me a hatred of paint and plasterboard. I was determined to design a maintenance-free, long lasting house. I love breezeblocks because they seem sensible to me and much more practical for building than bricks. The blocks we used are ‘special finish’ and have a glistening property which reflect light and are designed to be left exposed. They are also much cheaper to lay and build with than reinforced concrete. The glazing is anodised aluminium, a more expensive version of powder coated aluminium glazing which is more common but because there is no paint involved lasts much longer and the sheen on it is more beautiful. The plywood ceilings are left exposed – I think the wood is beautiful and why would you cover it up with paint or plasterboard?

The project includes a restrained material and texture palette, comprising fairfaced concrete blocks, timber, and anodized aluminium windows

A glass box houses a shower in the courtyard of the house

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the complexity of the indoors yet looks outdoors shower?

MS: The house is small and there wasn’t really enough space for two bathrooms. I wanted a family bathroom but also my own shower in the main bedroom. Baths have become more common in bedrooms these days, but I still love showers! Originally, I placed it outside in the courtyard but eventually decided to reposition it – still in the courtyard but placing it indoors within an elegantly detailed glass box. My tutor at university was always saying to us ‘just put it in a glass box’ and so, I did! It took a lot of detailing time working with the glazing supplier who wasn’t really used to this sort of careful and precise design: the structure is as thin and minimal as possible.

Q: Tell us about the low energy elements to this project and why you decided to implement them?

MS: I really hate being cold and I am very determined to find alternatives to fossil fuels, so I opted for an air-source heat pump combined with underfloor heating. However, I didn’t want a bulky unit sitting on the roof, so after some research I discovered an Austrian model that is completely internal and concealed it neatly within a cupboard. To make the system efficient, we upgraded the insulation throughout the building to minimise heat loss. The result is a compact, discreet solution that is inexpensive to run and perfectly suited to the scale of the house.

Q: What learnings have you taken from this project into your other work?

MS: The project remained in the design stage for an extended period, giving us the opportunity to test a number of ideas that we have since applied to larger schemes. Key considerations included how can we track the sun’s path to maximise solar gain and provide free energy for heating during winter; how can we specify materials that are durable, long-lasting, and require minimal maintenance and how can we refine the spatial plan to maximise the relationship between interior spaces and the surrounding external environment. Rather than appointing a main contractor, we chose to work directly with a series of specialist sub-contractors, many of whom we knew and trusted. This approach reduced risk from a cost perspective, as each package of work was carefully budgeted, ensuring no major overruns at the end. It also allowed us to drive value within each package, achieving the best possible outcomes and ensuring that every pound spent contributed directly to delivering a high-quality building on a very tight budget.

The workspace on the ground floor affords spectacular views of sunsets and greenery

Q: And finally, what value do you see in entering awards?

MS: There are countless awards out there, but we believe it’s essential to enter the right ones. Recognition matters, not only for the practice, but also for the many people involved in delivering a project of this scale. In this case, that included our Project Architect, Emma Hugh, alongside consultants, and the numerous sub-contractors. For us as a practice, awards also acknowledge the design skills and processes that we believe enabled us to achieve a high-quality building within a very tight budget. Writing submissions is, in itself, a valuable exercise: it offers the chance to reflect on the journey, take stock of the challenges overcome, and celebrate a significant milestone.