Grand Designs: London's Kew House and Vaulted House shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year award

Two spectacular London homes have made the final shortlist for this year's RIBA House of the Year award.   The projects were selected from a 'longlist' of 20 nominations and revealed in the second episode of special TV series for Channel 4, Grand Designs: House of the Year.   The first London home on the shortlist is Kew House, an experimental London home in south-west London's Kew Green conservation area. Tucked behind a 19th-century stable wall with two split wings linked by glass, the home was built using dual prefabricated weathering steel volumes.   Vaulted House in Chiswick is also in the running for the prestigious award. This family home, built on the walled site of a former taxi garage, has six roofs that join to form vaults. Each roof is topped by a skylight, illuminating the open-plan rooms below. Glazed walls slide back to expand the living space on to balconies of perforated mesh that create beautiful shadows on pristine courtyard walls.   The London homes join Sussex House and Flint House on the shortlist, with the final winner due to be announced on November 25. Visit architecture.com for more details and read Philippa Stockley's full report here.