Inside The Best Designed House In The U.K.

A converted barn and shed has been voted the best designed property in the U.K.

House Lessans, an three-bedroom property in Northern Ireland that cost £335,000 to build, was revealed as the winner in the finale of broadcaster Channel 4’s Grand Designs: House Of The Year.

The show, which featured the best new architect-designed houses in the U.K. is presented by The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

House Lessans, dubbed “a dream home on a budget,” sits on a former farm field in Saintfield, Northern Ireland.

The L-shaped black and white property was designed by architect Kieran McGonigle of architect practice McGonigle McGrath, Belfast, and cost £1,425 per square metre to build.

“Executed with incredible clarity and restraint, McGonigle McGrath have used simple and cheap materials to create a truly bespoke home that resonates with its owners and its context. Even with the tightest of budgets, House Lessans shows that a dream home, designed by a talented architect, can be a reality,” said Alan Jones, president of RIBA.

“It demonstrates that life-enhancing architecture does not have to cost the earth.” 

Jones added that the home was “a remarkable achievement for a newly built home of this scale” and that it “makes the everyday magical.”

The owners of the property, which features only one bathroom, told Channel 4 “it is a joy to live in.”

They added: “From seeing the soaring bedroom ceiling on wakening, being surrounded by the gentle landscape in the kitchen during the day, to enjoying the sunset in the top room.”