Evoking the pleasure of a transforming toy
Liddicoat & Goldhill for John Sinclair
Contract value: Undisclosed
GIA: 2250m2
This project is a sheer delight. Designed as a country retreat and design studio, the space offers more than meets the eye: the aircraft hangar opening gear that jacks up the bottom half of the end elevation to reveal windows and create a covered shelter; the massive doors that open on castors to reveal the counterbalanced pivoting window and winding gear; the stair wrapped around a brick chimney flue.
The project has a crafted feel of times gone by while evoking the pleasure of a transforming toy. An SIP-clad steel exoskeleton sits over the original timber frame, allowing it to tell its story internally as it did when this was a modest farm building. The project is a blend of a client and his quirky obsessions and an architect who clearly delivered exactly what was required – and more.
See other winners in the RIBA Regional Awards 2015 – South East