Richard Rose-Casemore

In this scheme, a plot of land comprising a garage and drive was cleverly developed by a young architect into a two-storey house and workspace. It sits between two terraces, one Victorian, one Edwardian, and the architect was able to convince the planning committee that counterpoint rather than contextualism was acceptable. At the time the council monitored its progress as a model for the future use of brownfield sites in the city. The judges considered Hatherley Studio an exemplary work: taking a tight brownfield site in a domestic street, creating a home for the architect and his partner as well as a studio for her, and persuading a reluctant planning authority through the sheer elegance of a modernist solution which turned contextualism on its head. The design burrows deep into the sloping site, placing office, bedroom and bathroom below the existing ground level, but opening them out by cutting away the land at the front, while still protecting these spaces with a walled courtyard. Above is an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area whose spacious airiness belies the tightness of the plan. The entire project displays enthusiasm, confidence, optimism and a love of architecture.