Percy Cottage, Northumberland

2024 RIBA North East Award
2024 RIBA North East Project Architect of the Year Alex Maxwell-Davies

Percy Cottage, Northumberland
Elliott Architects for private client
Contract value: Confidential
GIA: 123m²

The grade II listed Percy Cottage, located in the conservation area of a Northumberland town, is nestled between a winding river and the local high street. The client was bold in their brief to maximise space for their growing family, pushing the architects to test the limits of the constrained site and heritage context. The design is successful in integrating two additional contemporary wings of differing but complementary architectural styles while being respectful to the existing building’s fabric and its setting.

The house sits high on the river’s banks. The two wings added by Elliott Architects are further set back from the pre-existing building’s river frontage, enhancing the contextual benefit from the riverscape. The differing materiality of the wings – one silvering timber, one metal and glass – is sympathetic to the pre-existing cottage and its context. Rarely seen in the same view, only from the river’s banks, the two forms simultaneously contrast with but complement each other.

On arrival at Percy Cottage from the high street, you first see the pre-existing garden wall, with the flat roof construction of the new pavilion wing peeping up behind it. This wing, providing a new covered entrance to the family home, instantly opens into the light-filled single-storey living area. The practicalities of daily life are hidden by a dividing wall, which works hard to integrate simple yet thoughtful storage solutions, with boots, coats and toys all accounted for. The pre-existing external brick wall is exposed to the north, bringing warmth to the mainly glazed pavilion and resulting in a bright but unexpectedly cosy addition to the cottage.

The two-storey timber wing to the north, with its asymmetrical pitched roof, provides further play and bedroom accommodation for the family. The spaces, slightly compressed to suit the constraints of the site, are functional yet enjoyable to be in. Wherever possible the architects have taken advantage of views over the river, and the deep-set balcony to the bedroom provides a quiet and private spot for reflection. 

The historical cottage acts as a buffer between the two new contemporary wings. Transitions from old to new are celebrated through playful glass links, providing glimpses of views over the garden and the winding river beyond. Subtle aspects such as the changes in flooring material and exposing existing fabric at the transitions are further examples of the architects’ attention to detail.

The project architect, Alex Maxwell-Davies, has been awarded RIBA North East Project Architect of the Year for the care he has put into protecting the heritage building for generations to come, while providing a cosy and homely space for the family to enjoy. He demonstrated particularly strong interpersonal skills for collaboration and maintaining quality.

See the rest of the RIBA North East winners here. And all the RIBA Regional Awards here.

To see the whole RIBA Awards process visit architecture.com.

RIBA Regional Awards 2024 sponsored by EH Smith and Autodesk