The hush house lies in a picturesque village in North Yorkshire. The site 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. 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…