Private House 1109 - GA Studio
There was a time when beautiful, modern homes were the privilege of those with extreme wealth, but this design from GA Studios, who are based in Manchester, proves otherwise. The scheme, which is in a rural area of Cheshire, has gained nationwide attention for its recognition in architectural awards across the UK. It has even been featured in the US, in magazines such as The Architect. From its completion in 2015, it has won the New Build Home Award at the Northern Design Awards in 2015, the One Off Housing Built Award at the Manchester Design Awards in 2015, the Small Project of the Year Award - for projects costing less than £500,000, at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) North West Awards in 2016. The architects, GA Studio, also won the Emerging Architect of the Year Award at the RIBA North West Awards in the same year. The private home, which cost only £300,000 to build, was also long listed for the RIBA House of the Year Award for 2016, one of the RIBA’s most prestigious awards for schemes of this type. The design itself is well suited to its surroundings. Set back from the road, it is beautifully camouflaged by a screen of trees and shrubbery, with the elevated timber box blending seamlessly into the conservation area. Where the brick walls move around the space underneath, vistas are created above which also feature green areas as the young family look out from the windows above. The natural connection continues downstairs, where the living room wall entirely opens up into the garden. The fittings and furnishings are made from timber, with an angular yet smooth and elegant staircase the absolute centrepiece of the internal design. The scheme is also designed to Passivhaus standards, meaning there is no need for conventional central heating. Instead, via way of high insulation levels and complete airtightness throughout, an MVHR system effectively warms and circulates air around the whole house.
