Stanbridge Mill Library, which is set in the curtilage of Stanbridge Mill Farm just outside Wimborne, is one of six projects to win a Royal Institute of British Architects South West Award.

The new library, designed by Crawshaw Architects LLP, is sited in a former farm building and contains a section of historic books.

Regional jury chairman, Fergus Feilden, said of this year’s award winners: “The jury admired how this year’s projects looked to the future through enhanced environmental performance, retaining and enhancing existing building stock where possible and future proofing buildings to meet the changing demands of an aging population and evolving society.

“The scale and diversity of the region was reflected in the range of winners, with designs responding to challenging briefs and locations with great skill and invention. Smaller projects riffed off existing typologies and the rural vernacular, often combining high-tech contemporary prefabrication with beautiful hand-crafted details, while the larger projects balanced the demands of community and education through openness and flexibility.”

The other winning projects were: Creek House, Cornwall, Great Brockeridge, Bristol, The Red House, Shaftesbury, UWE Bristol School of Engineering, Bristol, and Winsford Cottage Hospital.