‘Wallace and Gromit’ home with secret bath and disappearing walls named 2016 RIBA house of the year
Nearly a decade in the making, Murphy House won out over other entrants because of its 'pure perfection' & inspired design
A PROPERTY boasting a hidden bath and disappearing walls has been named House of the Year by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The five storey home was constructed on a sandstone terrace on Hart Street in New Town, Edinburgh, which is Unesco-listed.
The property comes with stylish features including a folding corner wall, sliding bookshelf ladders that glide around a secret library, and a roof terrace.
The home was designed by Richard Murphy Architects, inspired by the work of the late Carlo Scarpa, a 20th century Italian architect.
Planning for the property, affectionately named Murphy House, was approved in 2007, and construction was completed in Easter last year.
Speaking on the gong, RIBA president Jane Duncan said: "The Murphy House is this year's best example of how to overcome challenging constraints - from planning restrictions and an awkward site in an urban location - to build a stunning house.
"Nearly a decade in the making, this house is a true labour of love for Richard.
"Part jigsaw puzzle, with its hidden and unexpected spaces, and part Wallace and Gromit with its moving pieces and disappearing walls, this is a model house of pure perfection and a worthy winner of the RIBA House of the Year 2016."
Property owner Mr Murphy added: "We celebrated our 25th birthday last month and to receive this award is a wonderful present and with such astonishing level of public interest.
"It's our 21st RIBA award and takes its place in a long line of awards for buildings small and large, and for whole variety of types including domestic, educational, health, arts and a new British Embassy.
"It emphasises yet again that the practice demonstrates both great versatility and consistently high quality in all its work current and past."
The result was announced during the final episode of Channel 4’s Grand Designs.
A four-bed home squeezed into a back garden that 'looks like a stack of portable cabins' was one of the finalists for the prestigious property award.
Pete and Sally's unique property - squeezed into the back garden of his childhood home in Manchester - sparked 30 complaints from neighbours when it was first proposed.
"There was a couple who said they thought it looked like portable cabins stacked on top of each other. It was really upsetting," the Private House 1109 residents said.
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The judges described the family home as a comfortable and welcoming space.
"This logical flow of space extends to the outside areas where, despite the close proximity to the boundaries, the careful framing of views and maximisation of space gives the impression of a much larger plot," they said.
The show also saw McCloud visit three other unusual homes in the running for the sought-after title of House of the Year.
The homes included the "Tin House" on a modest street in West London.
The architect's main priority was to create a secluded, private home that is both visual and acoustic.
The design is a composition of different pavilions: six earth-coloured metal-clad pyramidal top-lit forms in a warm earthy colour, which is keeping with the surrounding buildings.
Space is maximised through six interconnected pods laid out in a horseshoe shape, with each pavilion containing a room.
The two larger pods contain the living room, which is connected to the kitchen and dining room.
Edge Hill in Newcastle was also a finalist, which peaks over the gates along an avenue in the Darras Hall leafy estate.
The elegant and bold new private family property is set back from the street edge and sits as a separate entity, respecting the estate's bylaws.
On the ground floor the entrance lobby first leads to a snug.
Moving through the generous hallway, the space opens out to breathtaking views of the garden and beyond, framed by large expanses of glazing.
To the upper levels a complex series of bedrooms, bathrooms, terraces and an office are combined.
The spaces are carefully located to allow the volume of the external skin to be legible.
The result is an uncluttered, spacious and serene home.
The Cheeran House in Berkshire was another contender for the coveted prize.
It sits between two worlds – a courtyard and a walled garden.
The design is based on the desire to enjoy both a south facing aspect, yet also engage with the walled garden to the north.
The house therefore becomes part of the rebuilt wall, part of the walled garden.
With the overall height strictly controlled by planning restrictions and the site rising by two metres from front to back, the inner courtyard is part-sunk into the ground, increasing the sense of enclosure.
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