Architect-Designed Homes Open to the Public in London

Most people think of London’s architecture as old stone buildings, red brick terraces, or grand Victorian mansions. But hidden in quiet streets from Notting Hill to Peckham, there are homes designed by today’s leading architects-homes that look like art installations, feel like calm sanctuaries, and are rarely seen by the public. Until now.

These aren’t just houses. They’re architectural experiments.

Every year, a small group of architects in London open their own homes to visitors during Open House London, a city-wide event that’s been running since 1992. Unlike typical real estate showings, these aren’t staged with fake plants and rented furniture. These are lived-in spaces where design decisions are bold, intentional, and sometimes controversial.

In 2025, over 80 architect-designed homes opened their doors. One in Hackney had a living room that floated above a garden, supported by steel beams painted matte black. Another in Clapham used only reclaimed oak and self-healing concrete-materials chosen because they age gracefully, not because they’re trendy. These homes don’t follow trends. They challenge them.

Why open your home to strangers?

Architects don’t do this for publicity. Most say they do it because they’re tired of seeing their work only in magazines or on Instagram. "People think architecture is about grand facades," says Lena Ruiz, who designed a narrow, five-story home in Islington with a vertical garden climbing the entire east wall. "But the real magic is in how light hits the kitchen at 4 p.m. in winter, or how the staircase turns into a bookshelf without anyone noticing. You can’t see that in a photo. You have to be there."

For many visitors, it’s the first time they’ve touched a wall made of rammed earth, sat on a bench built into a window alcove, or stepped barefoot on heated timber floors. These aren’t luxury features-they’re thoughtful responses to how people actually live.

What you’ll actually see on a tour

If you sign up for one of these tours, here’s what you won’t find:

• No velvet ropes
• No "Do Not Touch" signs
• No glossy brochures with impossible price tags

Instead, you’ll get:

• A 45-minute guided walk with the architect or their assistant
• Handwritten notes on why certain materials were chosen
• Real cost breakdowns-yes, they’ll tell you how much the custom steel frame cost
• Opportunities to ask, "Why did you put the toilet here?"

One home in Brixton had its bathroom tucked under the stairs. The architect explained it was because the family’s toddler kept wandering into the bedroom at night, and putting the loo near the bed made bedtime easier. It wasn’t about space-saving. It was about human behavior.

Not all of them are expensive

You might assume these homes cost millions. They don’t. Some of the most inspiring ones were built for under £300,000.

In 2024, a pair of young architects in Walthamstow turned a derelict corner shop into a three-bedroom home using prefabricated timber panels and recycled glass. The total cost? £285,000. The result? A bright, airy space with a rooftop terrace that doubles as a small urban farm. They open it once a year. Over 1,200 people visited last time.

There’s also the house in Lewisham built by a single mother who studied architecture online. She used modular steel frames, solar tiles, and rainwater harvesting. Her home runs on 80% less energy than a typical London home. She doesn’t charge for tours. She just asks visitors to bring a book to leave behind for the local library.

How to find and visit these homes

Open House London runs every September. But you don’t have to wait for that.

Several groups now organize smaller tours year-round:

1. Architects’ Own Homes (architectsownhomes.org) - A curated list of 20+ homes open by appointment. You can request a tour with a short email.
2. London Design Collective - Hosts monthly "Design Walks" in different neighborhoods. Each walk includes one private home.
3. Streets of London - A free app that maps architect-designed homes with photos, owner quotes, and open dates.

Pro tip: Sign up for the newsletter of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). They send out monthly alerts when a new home opens for tours.

What you’ll learn that no textbook can teach

Architecture schools teach you about proportions, materials, and structural systems. But they rarely show you how people really use space.

Visiting these homes teaches you things like:

• How a 12-inch overhang on a roof can prevent rain from blowing into a window
• Why a kitchen island might be 10 inches taller than normal-because the owner is 6’4"
• How a hallway can double as a gallery without feeling like a museum
• Why some architects leave walls unfinished, so residents can paint them later

One visitor told me she cried when she saw a bedroom with no door. The architect explained it was to let sound from the baby monitor travel easily. "I didn’t know you could design for silence," she said.

These homes are changing how London thinks about housing

London has a housing crisis. The average home is smaller than it was in the 1950s. Developers push for maximum units per plot. But these architect-designed homes prove you don’t need size to have quality.

They show that good design isn’t about luxury finishes. It’s about:

• Light that changes with the seasons
• Walls that breathe
• Spaces that adapt to your life, not the other way around

City planners are starting to take notice. In 2025, the London Borough of Camden approved a new policy requiring all new social housing projects to include at least one architect-designed model unit open to residents for feedback. It’s a small step-but it started with people walking through private homes and asking, "Why can’t my home feel like this?"

Next steps: How to plan your visit

If you want to see these homes for yourself:

1. Visit openhouselondon.org.uk and sign up for the 2026 newsletter (opens in March).
2. Download the "Streets of London" app from your phone’s app store.
3. Join the London Design Collective mailing list-it’s free and updates every two weeks.
4. When you visit, bring a notebook. Write down what surprises you. The best designs often come from small, unexpected choices.

You don’t need to be an architect. You don’t need to own a home. You just need to be curious.