A NORTH Tyne home, designed to be both environmentally and disability friendly, has been shortlisted for a prestigious architecture award.

Shawm House, just north of West Woodburn, was a self-build by newly-established property developer Richard Pender, who worked alongside Newcastle architects MawsonKerr to create the ideal home for his elderly parents.

It has now been shortlisted for the Regional RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Award, along with eight other North-East buildings.

Living in the farmhouse at the front of their new home, Anne and Anthony Pender were finding it increasingly difficult to manage as they headed into their late 70s.

Their new home is a highly sustainable eco-friendly design, created with the elderly and disabled in mind. It boasts level thresholds, wide doors, ramps, electric blinds and curtains and intercom front door control.

“They are thrilled to be able to stay in a part of the world they love,” explained Richard.

“It’s an upside down house, which means the living area is on the first floor to take advantage of the fantastic views over the Rede Valley.”

Having dabbled in property development previously, this was a new challenge for Richard, who took on the management of all aspects of the build.

He worked with Dan Kerr from MawsonKerr on the design and sub-contractors who took on other parts of the build. But it was a hands-on project, which also saw him get stuck into the manual labour too.

“It’s fantastic to be shortlisted; it quite amuses me because the awards are quite prestigious, and looking at some of the nominations we are competing with is amazing,” he said.

“There’s a building in Durham which was designed by Daniel Libeskind, who designed the World Trade Centre and the Jewish Museum in Berlin; he’s a real “star-chitect”, and seeing a little self-build in Northumberland next to that was quite amusing!

“I’m extremely proud – at times the whole building experience was traumatic, especially during the winter months.

“It was a sense of relief to get it done within my parent’s budget, and then to be able to sit back and see it nominated for the award is quite pleasing.”