We’re delighted and honestly a little overwhelmed to share that last night we won not one but two @ribasoutheast awards 🏆🏆
· RIBA South East Award for Clay Rise
· RIBA South East Project Architect of the Year for Andre Ford
To be recognised in the company of so many brilliant buildings and talented people on the shortlist made it all the more special.
A huge thank you to @ribasoutheast for creating such a beautifully considered and tasteful celebration of architecture. What an evening.
And to the judges - thank you for your kind and generous words. They meant a great deal to us.
Finally a big thank you to our wonderful collaborators:
@craftandothervices@salt_press@frenchandtye
We’re delighted to share that Clay Rise has been shortlisted for a RIBA South East Award 2026.
Our West Sussex home reflects an ongoing interest in architecture as a dialogue between place and time.
It’s an honour to be recognised alongside such a wide range of accomplished projects across the region.
Staging & Photography: @craftandothervices
A home that feels grown from landscape and memory.
In the rolling fields of West Sussex, Clay Rise unfolds with a sweeping clay-tiled roof that feels like wind-shaped land turned to architecture. Handmade brick and local timber hold spaces that move gently through light and curve, while interiors of lime plaster, sapele timber and stone quietly frame views to sky and Downs.
Designed by its owners, Andre and Jessica Templeton Ford, this is a house that listens to place and lineage, rooted in craft and poised for life beyond plan.
📐 @templeton_ford
📸 @frenchandtye
#contemporaryarchitecture #ruralhome #homedesign #archilovers #britishdesign
Clay Rise is a vertical study in material honesty. Set against the undulating greenery of West Hoathly, the residence is defined by a sweeping red clay tile envelope that transitions into a base of bricks made from the very soil found on-site. The architecture doesn’t merely occupy the land; it is a direct dialogue with the Sussex earth, featuring a tiered roofline that echoes the rhythm of the nearby South Downs.
Inside, the sensory experience shifts toward softness and tactility. Lime-plastered walls, exposed timber, and CNC-cut geometries create an interior palette that feels curated and enduring. Large sapele timber openings frame the landscape, while the split-level arrangement allows the garden to flow naturally into the living spaces, blurring the boundary between the built environment and the wild terrain beyond.
via #urdesignmag
architect @templeton_ford
images @frenchandtye
#Architecture #WestSussex #TempletonFord #ManserMedal #SustainableDesign #TimberFrame #ClayArchitecture #InteriorDesign #BritishArchitecture #Craftsmanship #ResidentialDesign #SouthDowns
A recent project, now appearing in the press.
Interior styling and staging for Clay Rise, an architecture‑led residential project by @templeton_ford . This extraordinary home has been shortlisted for the AJ Manser Medal, The British Homes Awards House of the Year award and was just featured in @obsmagazine and online @theobserveruk , thanks to the brilliant @hannahnewtonscribbles
Second image credit: @frenchandtye
PR: @salt_press
We're delighted to share Clay Rise was featured in the @obsmagazine over the weekend.
The house is embedded into its hillside site, creating a split-level home with interiors shaped by a series of gentle curves, softening thresholds and framing views.
A refined pallet of natural materials including timber, lime plaster and stone create quiet, calming spaces that feel tactile and grounded in their setting.
Editor: @malagiah
Words: @hannahnewtonscribbles
Images: @frenchandtye
Styling: @craftandothervices
PR: @salt_press
#architecture #interiors #newbuild
We’re delighted to share that Clay Rise has been shortlisted for House of the Year (up to 2,500 sq ft) in the 2025 British Homes Awards
Clay Rise has been a deeply personal project, designed and built as a family home over the past few years. To see it recognised on a national stage alongside such inspiring projects is a huge honour.
Architecture: @templeton_ford
Styling: @craftandothervices
#BritishHomesAwards #BHA25 #BritHomesAwards #HouseOfTheYear #ClayRise #TempletonFord
@britishhomesawards
Softly curved reveals frame the bath-level window at Clay Rise, bringing light into the space even on the greyest of days.
Styling: @craftandothervices
One of the newer additions to our Clay Rise house, this solid oak desk offers a light-filled workspace with views over the garden. Beautifully crafted by the talented @dean_rush_ .
Photography & Staging: @craftandothervices
We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the AJ Manser Medal – House of the Year Award 2025 with Clay Rise.
It's an honour to see our self-build house in West Sussex standing alongside such inspiring projects and practices on this year’s shortlist.
The Manser Medal is a longstanding prize recognising the best house completed in the UK each year. Named after architect Michael Manser (1929–2016), it was launched in 2001 to inspire innovation in house design and has celebrated some of the country’s most iconic homes.
Staging & Photography: @craftandothervices
