Clayworth, Dunstable

2025 RIBA East Award

House 
ArkleBoyce Architects for private client
Contract value: Confidential
GIA: 477m² 

The couple who commissioned this fully accessible modern home describe the project as ‘transformational’. The client had found it increasingly challenging, becoming almost impossible, to look after his disabled wife in their old home. 

During the jury visit he was keen to extol the virtues of writing down a clear brief. This has served them very well, as they seem to have achieved everything they aspired to – living comfortably, albeit with a carer on site but independently located.

The flint-clad house, which uses the site of a previous 1970s cottage, sits down low and is virtually invisible from the entrance until further down the drive, which is surrounded by informal landscaping. 

Punctuated by a prominent chimney, the house lines one side of the entrance yard, and has a large porte-cochère at right angles from the front door. This space provides an elegant screen to a courtyard garden and is linked to the carer’s accommodation.

Everything from this point on is about comfortably handling a disability. Getting out of the car is sheltered, and the entrance hall provides a singular linear route off which the open-plan living space, bedrooms and bathrooms are all easily accessible and enjoy garden views. 

The kitchen-dining-living room is a generous and sophisticated space surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass, well shaded by a simple monolithic overhang. Electric solar blinds for all windows are hidden in the ceiling. 

There are three large sliding panels which enable the space to open up to an outside barbecue area and walkway that doubles as an exercise path for the client’s disabled wife. At the other end of the house is a glamorous bedroom with a similar glass enclosure to the garden. The bedroom is spacious enough to have guests visit the bedside when wished, and the bathroom is large and joyfully clad in large-chip terrazzo.

Nothing about these rooms reduces quality in the effort to ensure accessibility. The ambition is stylish living, and this is elegantly delivered throughout the house. 

The only space not fully accessible is the client’s private first-floor study – an eyrie overlooking the garden and the sedum roof areas, a space for stepping away from the flow of daily life, a retreat. A good-sized gym for medical exercise, a shower/changing room, utility rooms and a grown-up ‘play room’ complete with an impressive wine storage wall extend the space in a more deliberately utilitarian basement suite of rooms – all accessible by lift.

The house opens completely to the garden along the southwest. The linear form is reflected in thoughtful landscaping and meadow planting. This is a house totally at peace in its setting, delivering generous, flexible and accessible space to a family who wanted something special – and, working collaboratively with ArkleBoyce, got exactly what they wanted.

View all of our East winners here, and all our RIBA UK Award winners here.

View the full RIBA UK Awards 2025 process.

RIBA UK Awards 2025 sponsored by Autodesk, EH Smith, Equitone and VELUX