exterior view of the award winning Villa Varoise

3 of the best self build homes in 2020

Innovative and creative architecture to inspire your own project

By Hugh Metcalf | 3 November 2020

The Architecture Masterprize celebrates the world’s most outstanding architecture. In its fifth year, the awards draws entries from architects around the globe. Categories include institutional architecture, restoration and renovation, residential architecture, interior design, and many others. Winners are selected by a jury of architects and leaders in the architecture world, and receive the Architecture Masterprize (AMP) trophy. The following Residential Architecture – Single Family category-winning projects, were selected Best of the Best. They joined Best of the Best winners from all the other categories. These are the best self build homes of 2020.

Villa Varoise

The striking façade of this home created by NADAAA, an architecture and urban design practice based in Boston, USA. The house is in Le Var, southern France, and owned by a family who wanted to create a connection with the agricultural site. A key feature of the design is the enclosed courtyard that provides privacy for the family, access to the driveway and views of the landscape and sky.

The courtyard is surrounded by the diagonal form of the house. Photo: John Horner

This design is adapts to the sloping site and offers views over the countryside from the glazed facade on the side of the house opposite the courtyard.

Villa Varoise

The courtyard is surrounded by the diagonal form of the house. Photo: John Horner

This design is adapts to the sloping site and offers views over the countryside from the glazed facade on the side of the house opposite the courtyard.

Terrano House

On the plateau of a mountain outside of Mexico City, in Mexico, this design by Fernanda Canales Arquitectura seeks to make the house work in partnership with the wild landscape. The house functions as a shelter from the weather, temperatures can vary hugely even in one day and rainfall is heavy during half of the year. At the same time, as far as possible, it is open to the surrounding landscape.

The red brick and undulating red tile roof of this courtyard house in the countryside around Mexico City.

Secondhand bricks create earthy red walls. Photo: Fernanda Canales Arquitectura

The house includes four courtyards. One acts as a transition between the outside and the entrance, another is at the centre of the house between the public and private areas. One leads to the rooftop terraces, while the other provides privacy, ventilation and sun to the utility area. Each interior space connects to at least one patio on one side and to the surrounding land on the other. What makes this house one of the best self build homes? Undoubtedly, its close and unique relationship with nature must be a key factor.

View from the kitchen to the dining area with timber floors, concrete ceiling and built-in wooden furniture

View of the vaulted roof shape in the dining area. Photo: Fernanda Canales Arquitectura

Triangle Rectangle House

With a brief to create a private space for the owner of Triangle Rectangle House, Republic of Korea-based Architect-K’s design doesn’t give much away from the exterior. But, the building is arranged around a central courtyard, bringing light into the centre of the home.

Exterior facade of a south Korean home with white rendered top half and horizontal brick below

White render and brick highlight the cut out details of this home. Photo: Architect-K

Expanding on the circulation space around the courtyard, Architect-K’s Kichul Lee created individual apertures out into the calming central space, as well as through the skylight. The controlled light through the gaps in the house’s exterior walls creates delicate and dramatic changes of light throughout the day.