Old Shed New House

Private Winner 2018

Location: North Yorkshire
Architect: Tonkin Liu
Structural Engineer: Rodrigues Associates
Main Contractor: Vine House Construction
Joinery: Image Developments Northern Ltd
Wood Supplier: Arnold Laver
Wood Species: Siberian larch, Latvian birch, Scandinavian spruce

This timber framed and clad house is nestled within the landscape of North Yorkshire. An existing agricultural shed on the site has been transformed into a home containing a lifetime collection of books and art. The steel portal frame and ground-slab have been enlarged and infilled with a new timber frame clad in varied widths of shot-blasted timber and galvanised steel. The rhythmic façade reads like the bark of silver birch trees found on the site. The landscape is drawn into the building’s two double-height volumes through large axial openings. A long gallery entices visitors in. A tall south-facing library evokes a forest clearing in the heart of the house. The spacious library is wrapped by a modestly sized living room and three bedrooms. Behind the long gallery, a thick wall conceals the staircase, utility room and storage. The environmental approach was to create a highly insulated and airtight building that follows the passivhaus strategy. Timber solar louvres were integrated into the cladding system to limit solar gain.