Notes to editors

Notes to editors:

 

1. For images contact Lorna Gemmell in the RIBA Press Office on 020 7307 3761 or email lorna.gemmell@inst.riba.org

 

2. The full building citation follows:

The Salt House

St Lawrence Bay, Essex

Architect: Alison Brooks Architects

 

Client: John and Margaret Skerritt

Structural engineer:    Price & Myers

Contractor:  EO Jones + Sons

Contract value:  £467,000

Date of completion:May 2005

Gross internal area:    270 square metres

 

The Salt House harks back to a tradition of the first half of the twentieth century: the modernist seaside house. But instead of white render, here all is smooth timber. This experimental beach house is breathtaking in the rigour of its design, detailing and execution. The architecture of apparently random distorted forms is in fact underpinned by a convincing logic.

 

It is a fusion of a series of internal volumes, arranged around a central atrium, blending with the hipped forms of the neighbouring oystermen's cottages. The new house sits alongside its neighbours in a natural and seemingly inevitable way. The whole building is raised above ground level to allow floodwaters to pass under the timber decks. With no visible means of support, the first floor seems to float above the site, so touches the landscape lightly.

 

The handling of materials and structure is assured and gives the building a tactile quality that lifts the design above a mere exercise in form-making. The timber boarding of the envelope covers not just walls but also sections of the roof. It is highly refined and crisply detailed. There is just enough information about the steel frame that underpins the three-dimensional volumes where it bursts through the continuous skin, revealing cruciform columns. The interior is largely seamless: white plaster walls and ceilings provide a neutral background for the slate and timber floors and the timber and glass staircase.

 

Each space inside and out has a distinct presence and the forms are handled expertly. They link seamlessly to provide a memorable sequence of spaces around the roof-lit central atrium, which has a beautiful quality of light and airiness. Each space has a new and unexpected view, aided by the geometry of the windows and balconies. The drama of the seaside landscape is exploited well.

 

Despite its unusual crystalline geometry, the house is not a 'look-at-me' statement and fits very comfortably into the surrounding landscape. The budget was surprisingly modest bearing in mind the sumptuousness of the materials and the consistently high standard of finish throughout.

 

4. The Rooflight Company has built an outstanding reputation for innovation and design quality, and proudly sponsors the Manser Medal as part of its ongoing commitment towards supporting excellence in architectural design.

 

5. The RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal is the UK's most prestigious architectural prize and is awarded annually to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. Winners must be RIBA Members and the building may be anywhere in the European Union. The shortlists are drawn from the winners of the 2007 RIBA National and European Awards. The prize is named after the architect Sir James Stirling 1926 – 1992. The winner receives £20,000. 

 

6. Established in 1895, The Architects' Journal has consistently been at the forefront of architectural publishing. Its weekly news coverage, comprehensive building studies and in-depth technical and practice features make it essential reading for the profession, and its incisive commentary makes it a must-read for opinion formers. The AJ is the UK's leading independent architectural magazine, whose authoritative voice has informed generations of architects. For more information on the RIBA Awards visit the AJ website at www.ajplus.co.uk

 

7. All RIBA Award winners can be seen at www.architecture.com

 

8. The RIBA Awards and RIBA Stirling Prize are managed by the RIBA Trust. The RIBA Trust manages the cultural assets of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), including the internationally recognised collections of the British Architectural Library. It is the UK's national architecture centre, delivering the RIBA Awards and RIBA Stirling Prize (live on Channel 4); the Royal Gold Medal; International and Honorary Fellowships; Architecture Week (with Arts Council England and the Architecture Centre Network); a full programme of lectures, exhibitions, tours and other events; and an education programme.