House for Mother

Jury’s statement

This house, this home, is like a portrait of a close friend. It is the personal touches that give this building its distinctive and irresistible appeal. The clear layout of the rooms shows a delicate sense of scale and proportion. The rooms are woven together: the kitchen flows into the living room, which in turn leads off to the greenhouse.

The materials and structure support this clarity, creating volumes and rooms as they go. The interior of the building is defined by the glulam frames, pine plywood and site-cast internal thresholds. Wood is set up in contrast to and interaction with concrete and steel, which only serves to make it stand out more. The details are playful and well executed, with great empathy. Natural light is beautifully harnessed to bring a dynamism to the rooms.

The building works in harmony with the plot, using cleverly placed openings to invite in the surrounding garden and the neighbouring homes. The aluminium cladding envelops and protects the interior, while at the same time issuing a challenge to the wider built environment. The project displays an exchange between interior and exterior space, between different scales and materials.