House of the Year 2024 shortlist: Eavesdrop

Situated in the bucolic grounds of their former family home in Sussex, this carefully crafted house was designed by architect Tom Dowdall for his parents. They wanted a home which was more accessible, manageable, sustainable and truly integrated into the landscape.

Eavesdrop is a single storey, with level thresholds throughout, built around a generous landscaped courtyard. Its distinctive roof rises dramatically to form a generous living space which can open up to host friends and family. All four bedrooms and the study have stunning views of the garden, surrounding woods and wild meadow.

From afar, the house melds with its surroundings and looks as if it has always been there. Built on the site of a former tennis court, it nestles discreetly behind the bordering tree line. Close up, the beauty of its detailing is evident. Different textures, finishes and laying methods of Clipsham stone create nuanced contrasts between surfaces. Bespoke furniture, made from stone offcuts and the ash timber flooring, adorns the space and adds character.

Sustainability has been carefully considered and the house is built to Passivhaus standards; it is triple-glazed throughout and heated by a small, efficient gas boiler. The courtyard helps regulate the internal temperature and openings can be adjusted to enable natural cross-ventilation on warm days. The roof has been designed so that it overhangs further on the facades where the sun is most prominent, providing shade. Notably, the design also anticipates more sustainable systems in the future: for example, the roof detailing has been devised with the installation of photovoltaic arrays at a later stage in mind.

The client is delighted with the result, remarking: ‘Our retirement home is heavenly. It is warm in winter, cool in summer, comfortable, on a single level, and wheelchair-friendly throughout with no ledges, steps or thresholds. We are bathed in peace, tranquillity, calmness and restfulness.’

The judges were equally impressed with the architect’s first significant project, noting that the house is ‘future-proofed for the potential needs of old age, while clearly enabling multi-generational family use.’ They also commended its exceptional energy efficiency which ‘adds to the experiential comfort without compromising the clear architectural ambition’.

What is your favourite feature of the house?

Tom Dowdall The courtyard is my favourite feature. The idea of it as the heart of the home was central to the project from the very beginning. Yet how it is actually used and feels now built has been a great surprise. I never imagined that the arcade around the courtyard would appear like an athletics track to kids, yet they seem drawn to tear around it lap after lap! It has been a place to play, as well as to pause, and this feel permeates the whole house. It is proof to me that no matter how much you visualise something, the built reality can always surprise. 

What was the greatest challenge?

The greatest challenge was undertaking such a complicated build as a self-build. My parents and I decided to manage the construction ourselves in an attempt to reduce costs (compared to traditional procurement) and to choose which tradesmen we worked with.

Building a highly thermally efficient house together with such a complex structural geometry required a great deal of attention to all construction joints and details to ensure their integrity. Inevitably, not all work packages flowed seamlessly from one trade to the next and there were times where we needed to be hands on and learn a skill quickly to fill the gap.

What lessons from the project could be applied elsewhere?

Having managed this construction so closely, I do believe that architects are well suited to take such a direct role in projects of this size and, risk aside, I would encourage others to do so.

Working closely with the trades on site allowed many complicated details to be resolved with pragmatic ease and led to a better design overall.

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