The brief was unusually direct: a family of active boys who live outdoors and come inside wet, muddy, and at speed. Design for that. Mark Hawkins did — and without letting practicality become an excuse for anything less than a well-resolved, contemporary home.

Tiled floors throughout are the most visible expression of that thinking. They're easy to clean, hard to damage, and in Hawkins' hands they read as a considered material choice rather than a concession. The layout gives the family room to move — generous open areas that absorb the noise and energy of a busy household without feeling chaotic. Where quiet is needed, the plan provides it.

Externally, plaster cladding with Linea board detailing gives the home its texture and presence. The contrast between the smooth plaster and the expressed board lines adds visual interest to what is otherwise a strong, clean form — modern without being stark, robust without being heavy.

There's a version of this brief that produces a house optimised purely for durability and nothing else. This isn't that house. It's a home that will take whatever a family throws at it — and still look good doing it.