On the banks of the Thames: a dream house by the water

What could be more romantic than a house on the river with its changing views of swans, rowboats and majestic barges? But with water comes the risk of flooding. This is why Elizabeth Rose decided to take preventive measures when she rebuilt her house. Rose's new home, situated on an idyllic willow-lined stretch of the River Thames below Marlow, has been flood-proofed and future-proofed in a way that belies the simplicity of its architecture.

The single-storey house, designed by London architects Knox Bhavan, is loosely inspired by the Edwardian barges that once lined the riverbank, and has just won the prestigious Architects' award Newspaper House of the Year. The building replaced Rose's former home - a "difficult" 1920s property where she lived for 17 years. "We considered renovating it, but for everything we wanted to achieve - energy efficiency, climate resilience - it turned out to be more effective to start over," says the former dancer. Also, storylines like these are rare because most are passed down from generation to generation.

Instead of a classic wooden or concrete frame, architect Sasha Bhavan used a pre-cut system , pre-insulated blocks or cassettes, made from scrap wood, with...