House of the Year winner with Wienerberger’s Keymer

Following an extensive search, Keymer handmade tiles, from Wienerberger, were used for the Caring Wood country home project that won the 2017 RIBA House of the Year.

In an episode of Channel 4’s hit show Grand Designs: House of the Year, the Kevin McCloud-fronted show awarded the project, set in 84 acres of serene Kentish countryside, designed by architects James Macdonald Wright and Niall Maxwell, with the prestigious prize.

The incredible country home, which features formal, communal and private spaces, possessed a roofing design which had a combination of shapes and angles, whereby a durable and adaptable roof tile product was sought after.

A lengthy search of comparing suppliers and products led the architectural duo plumping for Keymer. This choice perfectly tackled the imposing brief by embodying the spirit of the English country design, which needed the context and landscape to be considered, along with aesthetic ambitions, practical needs and sustainable principles.

Keymer is one of the UK’s oldest brands and the County Peg Antique variety was chosen because of the natural appearance, which features a distinctive finish and warm colour due to Keymer’s use of rich Wealdon Clay.

Also, the design allowed for simplicity in terms of handling and laying for contractors. The architects’ meticulous detailing and planning drew them to Keymer, because of their dedicated and flexible service.

Throughout the project, James and Niall’s questions were quickly addressed by Keymer, with the project team working tirelessly to guarantee nothing was left to chance, meaning every angle and shape was specifically detailed and modelled in advance.

153,000 Keymer County Peg Antique tiles were used in the project, all creating a impressive looking roof for the country home. The tiles were gradually delivered throughout each stage of the project and were produced over a period of a year using the traditional handmade techniques.

Caring Wood’s sustainability is also addressed through a low energy design and the use of clean green technologies, but also in the application of regional building form, material choices and detailing.

Having created the framework for the house and estate, it will now evolve to suit changing family needs, whilst the material will maintain their performance and aesthetic integrity.

Christine Leadbeater, Business Development Manager for Keymer, said: “To be involved in a project like this is a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity. It is very unusual, but we had and still have a great relationship with the architects.

“One of our strengths at Keymer is project management, it’s what we do very well. Having one reliable main contact was really important. It’s one of the reasons we got to work on a project like this.”

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