A tiny stone home built by hand on a remote Scottish island has just been named Grand Designs House of the Year for 2025 and it’s turned ideas about ambition and architecture on their head.
Instead of glass palaces or dramatic loft conversions, this year’s winner is modest, elemental and deeply shaped by its place, putting it firmly amongst Grand Design's best houses that we've ever seen.
Built by the owners themselves with local materials and sheer determination, it has earned praise from judges, host Kevin McCloud, and the couple who now call it home.
A rugged home rooted in ancient rock
Cnoc Na Craoibhe, Gaelic for “little quiet one by the rock”, sits on a windswept headland on the Isle of Harris, clad in Lewisian gneiss, the very stone that forms the island’s bedrock. That choice of material wasn’t just aesthetic.
Judges from the Royal Institute of British Architects described the house as modest in size but “luxurious in its connection to the surrounding landscape”, and said it appeared to grow from its site with a quiet confidence that belies its small footprint, meaning it was one of six nominees to get through from the first week on Grand Designs House of the Year.
David Kohn, who chaired the RIBA jury, said the home tackled every challenge it faced - from climate to budget - with a “rare mixture of sensitivity and boldness”, noting how its unconventional form recalls both ancient defensive structures and the local geology without ever feeling out of place.
A one-storey stone house shaped by weather and craft
At roughly 85 square metres, the self-build isn’t large, but its design makes the most of every inch. With an open-plan living area and large windows looking out over the Atlantic, it feels spacious where it counts and calm where it matters.
Built over 18 months with just Eilidh Izat, her partner Jack Arundell and a small crew, every stone was carried and positioned by hand through storms and biting wind - and in the face of contractor quotes that far exceeded their budget.
Kevin McCloud, presenting the final episode of the Channel 4 series, said the house was “clever” and “crafted from the very rock that this island is made from”, adding that its walls “are exactly what you want between you and a howling storm.” He also pointed out how the building seems to “listen to the land”, finding energy and meaning in a form that is simple but deeply considered.
What the homeowners say about the win
For the couple who built it, the award has been both a surprise and a vindication of their approach. Izat said the way the house settled into its setting was intentional, explaining that using the same stone as the landscape meant the building “seems so settled because we have built it from the same stone that comes from the ground.”
She added that living in a smaller home forced decisions that encouraged sustainability and awareness of how they live, and that winning the title of House of the Year was “an incredible moment” that vindicated that mindset.
Arundell reflected on how the build had tested and taught them, saying simply that “we’ve given it our best shot and we’ve ended up getting House of the Year,” a phrase that captures both their humility and pride.
In an architectural landscape often focused on daring forms and dramatic budgets, this quiet Hebridean house reminds us that great design doesn’t have to shout to be heard. With stone, sky and sea as its backdrop, it has redefined what winning can look like.
You can watch the entire series Grand Designs House of the Year on the Channel 4 website.
