Inventive Broads mill home wins top design award
A ground-breaking extension to an iconic 19th century mill keeper’s cottage on the Broads has scooped two prestigious awards.
The cottage and the adjacent Grade II listed Hunsett Mill on the River Ant near Stalham, made famous on chocolate boxes, postcards and jigsaws, has won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Manser Medal 2010 for the best new house or major extension in the UK.
It has also won the CPRE Norfolk 2010 award from the 'Campaign to Protect Rural England'.
Acme Architects received the top prize of £10,000 and a specially commissioned trophy designed by artist Petr Wiegl at a ceremony at the RIBA.
The innovative design, which has replaced several piece-meal extensions to the mill keeper’s cottage, was created in the form of a triple-shadow of the original house and clad in black, charred timber, which the judges described as ‘more akin to a piece of art than a piece of rural, domestic architecture.’
They said: “Overall the restoration of the cottage and the new building, which are linked internally, is an exciting and intellectually stimulating response to the strange rural setting. A cultured client has given free reign to the innovation of his chosen architects Acme and engineers Adams Kara Taylor.
“Hunsett Mill proves that good architecture can be delivered on a budget and that it can be achieved in the most restrictive of situations. The resulting project balances value and quality and is one that many people could aspire to.
“The roof forms are particularly enjoyable, creating a series of linked gables that are asymmetric but rhythmic. Further changes of angle are added to create a series of interesting spaces, with the first floor walkway to the bedrooms particularly special. The whole is consistently detailed and well crafted with interesting use of off-site construction.”
Andrea Long, the Broads Authority’s Head of Planning said: “Our planning officers worked extremely closely with the architects and owners over a long period to achieve a contemporary design which was felt to reflect the importance of this landmark site within a nationally protected area. I think it is a reflection of the calibre of the Broads Authority’s planning committee that they went with a very innovative scheme.”
19/11/10
