The architectural team behind the The Story of Emily, the immersive visitor attraction at St Ive have scooped two top national awards.

The attraction walked away with the 2025 RIBA South West and Wessex Award and the 2025 RIBA South West and Wessex Building of the Year Award at the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Awards.

Working with the team at Stonewood Design in Bath, The Story of Emily which celebrates the life of humanitarian Emily Hobhouse who campaigned against the use of concentration camps in the Anglo-Boer War includes bold new additions to her former rectory home.

The building at the bottom of the garden; the War Rooms tells the story of Emily Hobhouse's whistleblowing of the Anglo-Boer war. (Picture: The story of Emily)
The zinc-clad, high-tech immersive War Rooms experience documents Emily’s whistleblowing of the Anglo-Boer war. (Picture: The story of Emily) ( )

The zinc-clad, high-tech immersive War Rooms experience, a glazed South African heritage restaurant and sensitively restored farm buildings are a modern take on the local traditional Cornish architecture.

The design blends Cornwall’s natural beauty and architectural heritage with thoughtful innovation and sustainable features, creating a space that honours Emily’s life and legacy.

A glazed South African heritage restaurant situated next to the rectory kitchen gardens forms a centrepiece to the site showcasing Cornwall's natural beauty. (Picture: Craig Auckland, Fotohaus)
A glazed South African heritage restaurant situated next to the rectory kitchen gardens forms a centrepiece to the site showcasing Cornwall's natural beauty. (Picture: Craig Auckland, Fotohaus) ( )

The Story of Emily is located on the site of Emily’s childhood home at the Victorian rectory in St Ive, near Liskeard. It has been painstakingly restored as part of the wider immersive experience, ensuring visitors can explore the Hobhouse family home as it would have looked in 1875 as well as experience Emily’s role during the Anglo-Boer war, bringing the attention of the British government to the plight of Boer women and children in South Africa.

General Manager of St Ive experience, Martin Lovell said: “It was a pleasure for the Story of Emily team to work with Stonewood Design to carefully craft our historical space, whilst sensitively maintaining a range of significant existing features, including historic agricultural buildings, mature trees and traditional stone walls.

“We have created a beautiful space to enjoy and we are delighted this has been recognised at these prestigious regional architecture awards which have been running for 50 years”.