challenged the industry to design a house that can adapt to

different life stages.

The participants were asked to rethink the construction and design of

individual homes, so that they were easily adaptable to less mobile

inhabitants, and also to create communities in which ageing occupants could

continue to enjoy shared amenities.

The top design also had to be attractive to its potential buyers, because the

competition was put to the public vote.

The winner, gaining 12,000 votes from Mail on Sunday readers, was the

strikingly modern SunnySideUp, designed by Kosi Architects. Here are its three

main features:

The architects took as a starting point the accepted norm for a house – rows of

houses facing onto streets crammed with cars, with living rooms on the ground

floor and bedrooms above. Then they scrapped it.

They ended up with the living room, dining room and kitchen on the top floor

where they can benefit from the light and views, and maximise energy

efficiency. And they put the bedrooms on the ground floor where the garden

aspect gives inhabitants increased privacy, and a cool temperature is

maintained throughout the day. The two floors are linked by wide, gentle

gradient stairs, which are designed to allow for a stair lift to be fitted if

necessary as owners age.

But the feature that, according to Warren Rosing, one of the Kosi architects

responsible for the design, was particularly popular with the public, is

actually the parking.

In a SunnySideUp development no one has to look out onto a street full of cars,

or worry about their kids being run over, because the terrace zone at the first

floor level link all the homes and is a car-free zone.

Vehicles are tucked away on the lower floor, leaving safe and pleasant spaces

outside the houses for people to meet, and kids to play.

A lift takes people directly from garage to living area, so that all residents,

including the elderly and those with heavy shopping, can move comfortably

between the floors. The natural feel of the front area is enhanced by the

planters that are placed outside the kitchens at the front to encourage

residents to grow vegetables and flowers where they can be seen.

The idea is that not only would they look pretty, but they would be a talking

point, encouraging interaction between residents on the terrace area outside.

But it’s the fact that the space is designed to adapt to the changing needs,

including the fluctuating income of its owners, that makes it a thought-provoking,

as well as a winning, design.

The lower-floor bedrooms have separate outdoor access so they can be easily

let. The idea is that owners can get some extra money to pay for their

mortgages during the first years. And later in the future, those bedrooms can

be used as a granny flat, or an office, and can easily be converted into a

separate one-bed flat if your kids won’t leave home.

And if more space is required, as well as the usual loft that can be converted,

there is potential for a gallery floor to be inserted in the living room.

At the moment the SunnySideUp house is still just a set of drawings. But Warren

Rosing says, “We are hoping to have it built.”

The organisers are in talks with builders, but due to  the economic

climate it may take longer than we would like.”Weʼre sure it will be worth the

wait” they say.