The wait is over! Today, RIBA revealed Richard Murphy Architects' Murphy House in historic New Town, Edinburgh as the 2016 RIBA House of the Year. Henning Stummel Architects' Tin House in west London was also announced as the seventh shortlisted house. 

Architect Richard Murphy designed the house as his personal residence. The house, which sits on an awkward plot at the end of a terrace, only has an 11 m. x 6 m. footprint and a floor area of 165 m2. Despite its modest size, the Murphy House comprises of five levels, with hidden spaces and a quirky jigsaw element of moving pieces and disappearing walls that charmed the jury.  

The house includes three bedrooms, a living/dining/kitchen area at varying levels, a study, basement storage, garage, utility room, and a roof terrace. In creating the scheme, Murphy drew inspiration from his own design heroes like architect Carlo Scarpa.

Jury member Philip Thorn of Hiscox Home Insurance praised the Murphy House as a delightful “box of tricks” and Richard Murphy's clever use of space. “Every room contained a surprise and the attention to detail was exceptional,” Thorn said.

“We celebrated our 25th birthday last month and to receive this award is a wonderful present with such astonishing levels of public interest,” Richard Murphy said in a statement. “It’s been a huge pleasure to develop a lifetime’s themes and now it gives me great pleasure to live there.” 

The Tin House

The Tin House was the final project added to the House of the Year shortlist. Designed by Henning Stummel Architects, the Tin House is a secluded domestic space that comprises six different pavilions clad in a utilitarian, earth-colored metal and pyramidal top-lit forms.

You can find more photos of the Murphy House in the gallery below.

All photos courtesy of RIBA.