Showpiece for a lifetime's collection of books
Tonkin Liu for private client
Contract value: Confidential
GIA: 210m²
The clients had spent several years looking for a quiet site to build their retirement home before they found a farm shed located in a wild garden, on the edge of a small village in North Yorkshire. A long double-height gallery maintains the tree-lined approach and a tall library, bounded by mirror-backed shelving, evokes the copse of silver birch found on the site.
Walking into the library through a sliding door from the living room brought gasps from the awards jury. It is the heart of the home and a showpiece for a lifetime’s collection of books. Clever use of light and mirrors give the impression that it is an art piece in itself. Otherwise this is a modest three-bedroom house, built cost effectively, but with exquisite detailing inside and out.
Yorkshire Small Project of the Year
See other winners in the RIBA Regional Awards – Yorkshire
Click to read RIBAJ's full review of Tonkin Liu's Old Shed, New House by George Grylls.