This incredible contemporary Yorkshire house has been named as one of the UK’s 30 best buildings

The awards, which have been presented since 1966, recognise the UK’s best new buildings and provide insight into the country’s architecture, design and social trends.

The winners range from an intricately patterned extension to a listed synagogue at Manchester Jewish Museum and a fish bone-shaped bridge in a community park, to the remodelling of a theatre to create an immersive cabaret experience at The Kit Kat Club, and include the Hushh House near Richmond, designed by Hexham based Elliott Architects.

The property, which is in a picturesque village, was built on a site that is bounded by other properties and so the design was developed as a series of internal and external courtyards to create space and light even in an inward and enclosed condition.

Ben Elliott of Elliott Architects says: “The conservation area context required a careful and sensitive approach to the design which draws on the history of the area, with the roof envisaged as a raised village garden. The building sits intentionally low, but the central gallery volume creates a contrast in the proportion of the spaces, as well as housing a ‘secret’ reading room.”

The RIBA judges said: “An unassuming, modest approach leads to a sophisticated building of surprising scale and complexity. A series of interlinked, composed spaces that are separated by small courtyards, make for a very bespoke home. The building sits in the former grounds of an existing larger property and develops the previous walled tennis court.

“The constrained site could have restricted the house, making it feel compromised; instead, the skilful use of multiple small courtyards brings light and aspect to each room and allows each to be distinct and characterful. As a consequence, the house feels rich and diverse, without this detracting from the consistency of the overall home."

RIBA’s National Awards continue to evolve to encourage best practice in sustainable development. All the projects have been ‘in use’ for at least one year and have submitted data demonstrating their environmental performance.

The RIBA National Award winners are automatically in contention for the RIBA Stirling Prize, awarded to the UK’s best building, and the Stirling Prize shortlist will be announced on September 6 and the winner announced on October 19 at a ceremony in Manchester.

Commenting on the winning projects, RIBA President, Simon Allford, said: “At this time, when building collaboratively and working towards a sustainable future are paramount, the 2023 RIBA National Award winners offer a rich source of inspiration. Each project looks, in its own way, to address both its client brief and the wider role architecture can play in serving society.

“Among the winners are a number of projects that offer a model for an architecture that is more widely responsible. These buildings intelligently illustrate the potential of well-designed spaces to bring people together and, ultimately, architecture’s power to change our world for the better.

"Our awards are a marker of progressive excellence in sustainable design, very much aligned with our wider commitment to a low carbon future. These are examples of forward thinking and ingenuity that raise the bar for us all.”