Alfred Hitchcock may have had filmgoers in a flap with The Birds, but Oscar-winning film producer David Puttnam has won fans among architects by winning a prestigious international award for his birdwatchers’ pavilion in west Cork.

The building, called Think Tank, cost €285,000 and was designed as a quiet retreat for Puttnam in the grounds of his farmhouse near Skibbereen.

The structure serves as a combined bird-watcher’s hide and secluded space for relaxing and giving his creative talents room to develop. The retreat also serves as an ideal bolt-hole to escape from the demands of his roles as a member of the House of Lords and president of the British branch of Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency.

The design of Think Tank, by London-based architect Philip Gumuchdjian, was awarded the Stephen Lawrence Prize at a Royal Institute of British Architects’ ceremony in Bristol earlier this month. Think Tank beat off competition from Britain and Spain to win the award, which is one of the biggest architectural prizes in Britain. Previous winners include a cultural centre in France by Ian Ritchie, the British architect who designed the Spire in O’Connell Street in Dublin. The prize commemorates a teenage student who was murdered in a racially-motivated attack in London in 1993. Lawrence had planned to become an architect.

Puttnam, whose film credits include The Killing Fields, Midnight Express and Chariots of Fire, has had his farmhouse on the banks of the river Ilen in west Cork since 1988 and spends as much time there as his schedule allows. He considers west Cork his main home, although his professional roles require him to be based in London. Puttnam says he spent a long time looking for a suitable country retreat. He first considered the west coast of Scotland while on location for his production of Local Hero in the early 1980s, but came across the property near Skibbereen by chance on a trip to west Cork.

“I’m very lucky with the location. I love watching birds and the retreat is right on an estuary in a mixed zone. It’s as interesting as it gets,” Puttnam says.

It is certainly a birdwatcher’s paradise, situated at the point where freshwater meets saltwater, providing the best of both worlds. When the tide is out, the retreat overlooks mudflats that attract many types of sea birds and oystercatchers.

Puttnam said the structure took advantage of the latest technology: “I visited some friends in the US and saw how adventurous you could be with glass. The technology had taken an extraordinary leap forward.”

The retreat covers 500 sq ft, which is about half the size of an average semi-detached house. Puttnam says he likes to be there alone with his high-specification telescope.

Gumuchdjian’s design paid particular attention to maximising the view. The building has glass walls but borrows from oriental influences in its shape and the design of its slanted roof, which is made from cedar planks.

Cedar was chosen ahead of slate because it is lightweight, but also a good insulator. Cedar also weathers quickly, a feature Gumuchdjian said was crucial in making the structure blend in with its surroundings. “It tarnishes and adopts a silvery colour very quickly. Then when it rains, it darkens, only to bleach again when the wood dries out. It’s a constantly changing building and is in keeping with the very dramatic nature of the weather in Ireland.”

Access is through sliding glass doors, which complement the design and minimise the barrier between inside and outside. The proximity to the waterside is very attractive. On sunny days, light is reflected off the water. “The challenge was to keep the sense of being in nature and surrounded by nature, even though you’re in a fully-shaped building,” said Gumuchdjian.

Inside, the structure has a small free-standing frosted glass cubicle that is divided between a stainless-steel kitchen area and a toilet. The interior also contains a large, fully-stocked bookshelf and seating that minimises interference with the simplicity of the design.

Puttnam is thrilled with the award, especially as it earns recognition for Gumuchdjian. “This was his first professional solo flight as an architect and it’s a phenomenal start,” he says.

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