The Story of Emily

by Stonewood Design

Client Private

Award RIBA South West and Wessex Award 2025 and RIBA South West and Wessex Building of the Year 2025 (sponsored by EH Smith)

The Story of EmilyFotohausWEBIMAGE2jpg — The Story of Emily © Fotohaus

The award winner tells us, "The Story of Emily museum celebrates the life of humanitarian Emily Hobhouse, who campaigned against the UK’s use of concentration camps in the Boer War.

Located in her birthplace, the east Cornish village of St Ive, the museum site encompasses the rectory where she grew up in addition to a collection of new-build and rebuilt elements. These are defined by two sharply different characters – a modern take on the traditional Cornish vernacular for the visitor amenities and staff facilities, and a contrasting, zinc-clad form for the exhibition on the war."

Extract from the RIBA Awards Jury citation, "The Story of Emily builds upon a growing legacy of architectural patronage, being by the same team as the 2023 RIBA Award-winning The Newt in Somerset. Displaying great attention to detail regarding the form, scale, space, light and materials used, the buildings show ambition as they strive for the conservation of some of the structures on site but also to preserve the culture and history behind them. Local stone has been used for the new staff housing and ancillary buildings, including the café, with contemporary details and features such as frameless windows incorporated."

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal

Contractor Stonewood Builders

Principle contractor, staff accommodation JE Stacey

Principle contractor, the Rectory Westcountry Stonemasons Limited

Structural engineer Hydrock

Civils Hydrock

Environmental/M&E engineer E3 Consulting Engineers

Quantity surveyor/cost consultant Synergy

Fire engineer Hydrock

Principal designer Hydrock

Landscape architect LT Studio

Geotechnical engineer Hydrock