Patkau Architects’ Tula House Wins RIBA Award

Raised 44 feet up from Pacific waters, the Tula House on Quadra Island, B.C. is the latest recipient of the International Excellence in Architecture award from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

A stunning panoramic view of sea, mountain and sky is the perfect backdrop for the Tula House by Patkau Architects—a pinnacle of modern home design. So it’s no wonder this house is the recipient of this year’s RIBA Award for International Excellence in Architecture.It’s the only Canadian project and only project deigned by a North American architect to ever win this award, and in fact, only three projects in all of North America have ever won it. Perched atop a jagged rocky cliff overlooking the Straight of Georgia, the house was designed around its rather unusual topography: with a backyard of untouched forests of red alder and big-leaf maple, the residence’s sleek, futuristic design starkly contrasts its surroundings.The house has an ingenious groundwater system that displays water in the entryway courtyard before flowing onward. It was designed to have a flow conducted by gradually opening concrete walls that channel you towards its glorious view. Take a look at more photos of this gorgeous design below.