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Award-winning houses with Urban Front doors

We're delighted to have made front doors for these award-winning houses that showcase the very best in architectural design.

Shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year 2024, Eavesdrop is built to Passivhaus principles.
Shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year 2024, Eavesdrop is built to Passivhaus principles.
The use of a matching boarded panel creates an impressive entrance.
The use of a matching boarded panel creates an impressive entrance.
The house is all on one level offering easy living for retirement.
The house is all on one level offering easy living for retirement.
The form of the house references traditional agricultural buildings.
The form of the house references traditional agricultural buildings.

This beautifully crafted house, which won RIBA's South East Award in 2024, was built in the grounds of the client’s former family home in Sussex. Designed by architect Tom Dowdall as a retirement property, the home is all on one floor with a landscaped courtyard at the heart of the design. The property follows Passivhaus principles and is exceptionally energy efficient. Well-being is at the centre of the home, which is planned with flexibility and adaptability in mind.

Awards
Shortlisted, RIBA House of the Year 2024
Winner, RIBA South East Award 2024
Winner, Sussex Heritage Trust Award 2024
Winner, British Homes Awards, House of the Year (over 2,500sqft) 2023

Door details
Porto Passive in European oak 1200mm by 2100mm (frame 2750mm by 2190mm)

This award winning house has an enviable position nestled in the Kent hillside.
This award winning house has an enviable position nestled in the Kent hillside.
Urban Front worked with the architects to ensure the doors wouldn't stand out too much.
Urban Front worked with the architects to ensure the doors wouldn't stand out too much.
The door fits perfectly with the Scandinavian look of the interiors.
The door fits perfectly with the Scandinavian look of the interiors.

A house that has won RIBA House of the Year is always going to be special, but even that doesn't prepare you for the sheer glory of Caring Wood.  Built using Cross Lamination Timber and gracefully designed, this house is mighty in every way.

"Caring Wood is a country home for three generations of the same family, incorporating formal, communal and private spaces. Set in 84 acres its brief was to embody the spirit of the English country house and estate in a design which would embrace its context and landscape, while providing a carbon neutral response to climate change" says MacDonald Wright Architects.

Urban Front supplied seven doors in total for this house – some are installed in the internal courtyard and some are hidden in the chestnut cladding. We worked closely with the architects to ensure the doors would not stand out too much. However, the front door does feature stand out elements. The lighting around the entrance, Scandinavian-inspired interiors and Urban Front doors work beautifully together creating a country home to be enjoyed by many generations.

Award
Winner, RIBA House of the Year 2017

Door details
We made seven bespoke Porto doors in chestnut to match the cladding. The main door measures 1400mm by 2513mm.

A stunning sustainable home with a Passivhaus Urban Front door
A stunning sustainable home with a Passivhaus Urban Front door
The European oak stands out amid the white walls and black detailing.
The European oak stands out amid the white walls and black detailing.
This property has achieved EnerPHit certification, the Passivhaus standard for retrofits.
This property has achieved EnerPHit certification, the Passivhaus standard for retrofits.
The kitchen looks onto the garden and across London.
The kitchen looks onto the garden and across London.

“We wanted to achieve an energy-efficient retrofit, that removed all gas and wood burning, and incorporated passive heating and cooling features into our home. We wanted to show that having an eco-house doesn’t mean sacrificing design principles. We decided to aim for a Passivhaus-level retrofit. Our architect ... found that Urban Front creates beautifully crafted doors that meet both the design aesthetic and the functional needs of our build. Our door is well-designed, its scale impressive and it fits perfectly with our design,” says homeowner Jodi. The property is now one of only nine refurbishments in London to meet EnerPHit standards as certified by the Passivhaus Institute. Read the full case study. 

Awards
Winner, Anna Whitehead Prize, BIID Interior Design Awards 2025
Winner, Regional category for Greater London, BIID Interior Design Awards 2025

Door details
Porto e98 passive in European oak finished in ebony oil (external side) 1315mm by 2475mm 

Black timber cladding, Flemish Bond brickwork and flint create a contemporary twist.
Black timber cladding, Flemish Bond brickwork and flint create a contemporary twist.
The properties all echo the shapes of the agricultural buildings they have replaced.
The properties all echo the shapes of the agricultural buildings they have replaced.
The oversized door finished in ebony oil is a focal point in this white hallway.
The oversized door finished in ebony oil is a focal point in this white hallway.
The interiors are generous with lovely views from every window.
The interiors are generous with lovely views from every window.
One of several stunning bathrooms in the Birch Grove properties.
One of several stunning bathrooms in the Birch Grove properties.
The properties are surrounded by native species with fluid, informal boundaries.
The properties are surrounded by native species with fluid, informal boundaries.

Located in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, these three unique Net Zero homes replace a dilapidated poultry farm on green belt land. The properties echo the shapes of the original farm buildings. Boundaries between the homes are fluid and informal indicated by natural raised forms. “Birch Grove is where discerning architectural design and nature have converged to create luxury homes with a difference,” says Paul Higgs, Founder of eco developer, Millbank Homes. Read the full case study.

Awards
Winner – Development of the Year (up to 20 homes), British Home Awards 2024
Winner – Development Transformation of the Year, British Home Awards 2024
Winner – Best Small Development, Evening Standard New Homes Awards 2024

Door details
Rondo V pivot in oak with ebony oil and ridged sidelights
House one: 1200mm by 2970mm. House two: 1200mm by 2180mm. House three: 1200mm by 2230mm
Handles: Option 7 black stainless steel

The iroko door works beautifully with the Corten canopy and black cladding.
The iroko door works beautifully with the Corten canopy and black cladding.
The bridge adds drama and allows light into the lower level.
The bridge adds drama and allows light into the lower level.
The Hide has stunning views across the Buckinghamshire countryside.
The Hide has stunning views across the Buckinghamshire countryside.
Crittall windows create the perfect frame for the views and let light in, too.
Crittall windows create the perfect frame for the views and let light in, too.
The snug with fireplace has a cosy feel.
The snug with fireplace has a cosy feel.

“Our design centres on a steel- and timber-framed home featuring traditional Chiltern red brick alongside black timber cladding, which ensures the building is in keeping with the local vernacular. Crittall windows and Corten steel elements create a contemporary industrial aesthetic. We wanted a striking door at the end of a bespoke bridge from the road, which was in keeping with the design of the house. The bridge adds drama and allows the house to be located slightly away from its slope delivering more light to the lower level rooms,” says Andrew Veness, Associate – Sustainability Lead, HollandGreen. Read the full case study.

Awards
Winner – Best Individual Home, LABC Building Excellence Awards 2023
Finalist – House of the Year, British Homes Awards 2022
Winner – Best Replacement Dwelling, South East, BUILD’s Architectural Awards 2020

Door details
Rondo V in iroko1200mm by 2426mm with BZ5 handle

The door is well protected by the design of the facade.
The door is well protected by the design of the facade.
The house features different textures and shapes including the eye-catching chimneys.
The house features different textures and shapes including the eye-catching chimneys.
The white hallway with wood detailing is the perfect frame for the greenery opposite the front door.
The white hallway with wood detailing is the perfect frame for the greenery opposite the front door.
Simple, warm and textural with a focus on natural materials with the door taking centre stage.
Simple, warm and textural with a focus on natural materials with the door taking centre stage.
The pivot Ridge design in iroko makes for an impressive entrance.
The pivot Ridge design in iroko makes for an impressive entrance.
The living room features a wonderful folded oak panelled ceiling.
The living room features a wonderful folded oak panelled ceiling.

“The house is designed as an upside-down house with primary living spaces on the first floor to make the most of the views. The house design is based on a trinity of elements with the three pavilions and three chimney stacks organised within a classical proportioning system. Square shapes repeat throughout the design. The front door was our recommendation to the client. We’re impressed by the door’s structural integrity and resilience to the North Norfolk coastal weather,” says Adrian Small, Partner, Cowper Griffith Architects. Read the full case study. 

Award
Winner, Best New-Build, Norfolk Design & Craftsmanship Awards 2025

Door details
Ridge pivot in iroko with matching sidelights, finished in oil. 1200mm by 2346mm
Handle: Solid cast bronze BZ5

The front door takes centre stage in this contemporary new build.
The front door takes centre stage in this contemporary new build.
The hallway features oak panelling and a fireplace in a nod to traditional homes.
The hallway features oak panelling and a fireplace in a nod to traditional homes.
The kitchen makes the most of lovely countryside views.
The kitchen makes the most of lovely countryside views.
Bold use of colour and pattern continues throughout the house.
Bold use of colour and pattern continues throughout the house.
Use of serene green creates a relaxing space with countryside views.
Use of serene green creates a relaxing space with countryside views.

“This contemporary five-bed family home, which replaces a previous structure, is set within an area of outstanding natural beauty, next to ancient woodland, and within the green belt. At the heart of the design is a highly efficient square-plan layout, which enhances spatial circulation while significantly reducing energy-loss compared to the original linear footprint. The entrance was designed to provide a clear and unambiguous entrance to the house, with a sense of security and permanence, as well as providing glimpses of the space within. We wanted beauty and for the door to be in keeping with the overall design,” says Tim Hoskins, Turner & Hoskins Architects. Read the full case study.

Award
Winner, Best Brick Home, Build It Awards 2025

Door details
Parma in oak 1360mm by 2305mm and option 1 handle in stainless steel

Beautiful contemporary architecture on the beach at Camber Sands.
Beautiful contemporary architecture on the beach at Camber Sands.
Porto front door clad in Keony timber to match the property.
Porto front door clad in Keony timber to match the property.
The contemporary Porto front door matches the exterior cladding.
The contemporary Porto front door matches the exterior cladding.
What a way to step out of your front door!
What a way to step out of your front door!
Glorious views from every angle.
Glorious views from every angle.
The use of wood creates a warm inviting environment inside.
The use of wood creates a warm inviting environment inside.

"The site is on the beach at Camber Sands with the sea to front and sand dunes to the rear. It is a beautiful but sometimes harsh location. The house design was required to be both flood resilient and resistant whilst sitting comfortably alongside existing beach houses and the natural backdrop of the dunes and sea. The main structure is formed from an ICF construction system with an engineered timber upper deck and roof structure. The entire structure was heavily insulated and clad with Kebony timber. The effect of wrapping the entire building in same material visually strengthens the simple form. As the natural material weathers it will become part of the landscape and topography of the beach. Of course the front door is also wrapped in Kebony and becomes the portal to a timber lined hallway, completed with the cladding repeated on the inner face of the door," Stuart Martin, Walker and Martin Architects.

Awards
Winner, RICS Residential Design Award 2017

Door details
Porto clad in Kebony wood 1040mm by 2150mm with clear glass side light and option 2 handle 

 

Cladding, flint and Corten combine beautifully on this special home.
Cladding, flint and Corten combine beautifully on this special home.
The front door finished in ebony oil complements the black and grey of the flint and cladding.
The front door finished in ebony oil complements the black and grey of the flint and cladding.
Monochrome interiors are flooded with light thanks to expanses of glass.
Monochrome interiors are flooded with light thanks to expanses of glass.

House 19, by architect Heinz Richardson of Jestico + Whiles, is located within a suburban area of an ancient market town in Buckinghamshire.  The architect on the project was clear about the kind of door he wanted. It was a lovely opportunity to highlight a doorway within a beautifully detailed Corten canopy and stunning flint work. The rest of the building includes burnt cedar cladding – the ancient Japanese art of burning timber to provide a beautiful and long lasting product – and black windows. The front elevation hides a fabulous inner courtyard and a carefully lit house, which is white in contrast to the exterior. The door, our Terano design, is European oak finished in a grey/black. The mixture of stainless steel and Corten accessories work together perfectly to make this door look special.

Awards
Winner, RIBA South Awards 2016
Winner, Chilterns Building Design Award 2017
Winner, LABC Central Building Excellence Award 2017

Door details
Capri bespoke in European oak finished with ebony oil and with sandblasted glass vision panel (985mm by 2170mm)

 

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