Open House Festival

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Remarkable Homes sponsored by AUCOOT

From hempcrete walls to mid-century conversation pits and even a house shaped like an ark, this year’s Open House Festival offers a rare glimpse inside some truly exceptional homes. We’re proud to be sponsoring the Remarkable Homes category, not least because it's given us time to reflect on what we feel makes a home feel truly special. For us, it starts with character. When the personalities and passions of the owners are centre stage, the result is always a bold and original set of design choices. To help you navigate the many incredible spaces on offer, we have explored the full festival line-up and curated this selection of the homes we’re most excited to visit.

Drop in

1 Halliwick Road

residence

A low energy refurbishment of an Edwardian house, with rear extension and loft conversion. Wood fibre insulation, MVHR, airtightness layer, triple glazing, timber structure and low embodied energy materials.

Architecture for London, 2020

Guided tour

6 Wood Lane

residence

A double-height ark floats above a masonry base & entrance footbridge. Off the elevated living area a smokers' balcony overlooks the lush garden below. Above, semi circular terrace and winter garden nestles within the wooded surrounds.

Birds Portchmouth Russum Architects, 2016

Drop in

A House of Moments

residence

The House of Moments transforms a Victorian terrace in London into a serene, light-filled family home, blending crafted details, thoughtful spatial planning, and strong connections to nature and natural light.

Magri Williams, 2025

Drop in

A Living Wonderland

residence

Known as A Living Wonderland, the house serves as an immersive canvas for storytelling, collaboration, and contemporary design, where every detail has been curated with care. Playful, precise and poetic in equal measure, the home unfolds across three bedrooms, three reception rooms, and a lantern-roofed kitchen that opens onto terraced gardens.

Irenie Studio, 2025

Drop in

Hemp House

residence

A simple and joyful addition to a family home which demonstrates that building affordably with carbon-negative and regenerative natural materials is possible even at a domestic scale.

nimtim architects, 2022

Drop in

Kew House

residence

A family home renown for it's quality of space and light, set around a courtyard and formed from two gabled Corten steel buildings connected by a glazed link. The basement gallery will be showing Art Form, an exhibition on the engineering of 50 major artworks by Price & Myers.

Piercy & Company, 2014

Drop in

Pear Tree House

residence

A contemporary self-build architect's house designed around a 100-year old pear tree, constructed of board-marked concrete and timber cladding featuring onsite crafted joinery and light fittings. RIBA London Award winner 2015.

Edgley Design, 2014

Drop in

Segmental House

residence

Renovation and extension of a Grade 2 listed, five storey house by Dominic McKenzie Architects. New rear extension constructed using bespoke brickwork. Lower ground floor lined with douglas fir panelling throughout. Bespoke kitchen and pantry. Upper ground floor sensitively remodelled. Rear garden design by Charlotte Rowe Garden Design.

Dominic Mckenzie Architects, 2024