AN architects' practice in Chepstow has won a prestigious national award for the design of a house.

Hall and Bednarcyzk, based in Lower Church Street, was honoured in the Royal Institute of British Architecture's (RIBA) 2012 Welsh Architecture Awards.

Martin Hall and Kelly Bednarcyzk were honoured for the design of Garreg a Gwydr (Welsh for Stone and Glass), a four-bedroom house at Itton Common.

Carreg a Gwydr was one of just four buildings in Wales to have been honoured in the Welsh Architecture Awards and the only house.

It was also selected as a finalist in this year's Grand Designs awards.

Mr Hall said: "In seeking to create an expansive and spacious modern home within tight AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) planning restrictions, the design maximises habitable space by employing very low-pitched roof forms and splaying out the massing of key rooms to meet the surrounding views.

"This approach creates a horizontal emphasis to the design that, when combined with carefully selected materials, helps to merge the building's form into the surrounding landscape."

Last year Hall and Bednarcyzk won a RIBA award for their work on Blue Door, a house at Llanishen.