San Diegans are not the only ones able to express their approval of excellent new architecture.

For the first time, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) included a Public Choice category in their annual architectural awards. Almost 5,500 people voted in the online public choice. The contenders can still be viewed on the voting website, although voting is obviously closed.

A private house overlooking Lough Swilly in Co Donegal is the first winner. The house is rooted in the landscape, with its zig-zag roof angled to catch both the rising and the setting sun. From the sea, it is virtually invisible. See more images of the house here.

Architect Tarla MacGabhann, who designed the house with his brother Antoin, said the public award was “profoundly more important” to them than awards they have won from their peers. “What we do as architects must be experienced and encountered by the public on a daily basis. That’s what really matters. This is a public endorsement,” he said.

See television coverage of the 2008 RIAI awards here.