the project

This project sits within a 56-acre site amid the rural beauty of the Scottish countryside. The plan is for a new eco-conscious four-bedroom home that fits seamlessly within its natural environment and offers views over hills, woodland, and a loch.

The existing house on the site is in a state of partial collapse, and will be demolished to create a house with exceptional energy efficiency and a better connection between building and surroundings. The clients wish to relish different views from various aspects of the new house.

The house will be single storey with expansive glazing, contain four large suites, spacious kitchen, larder, utility room, boot room, sauna, and offer outdoor living spaces that connect seamlessly to the house.

A new access road is planned to improve privacy from and for the neighbouring property.

How we worked

Together with our clients, we have come to a design for a low-level and low-impact home, that fully takes in the wonderful views.

Keeping in place mature trees on the site, the house fits an organic orientation, guided by the environment. Natural materials, including irregular timber slats, slate, and stone, will be used and seen. The new access will enhance the approach, terminating at a courtyard that provides a sense of shelter.

The house does not appear domineering from the outside, yet will offer wonderful internal flow and airy spaces, bathed in light. The style of the low house is a contemporary twist on the local vernacular design, using slate pitched roofs, stone walls and large windows.

To break up the impact of building, different structures are grouped in a natural way. By resisting the temptation for symmetry in their placement, the house takes on the feel of a farmhouse that has developed over time from humble barn beginnings, including replacement barns, and linking sections.

In line with the sustainable ethos of the project, the rubble generated from the demolition of the existing house is to be repurposed for the foundations or as a sub base for the new road.

The new building will incorporate eco-viable technologies. These include effective insulation and air tightness, ensuring high levels of energy efficiency and minimal heat demand, as well as using a combination of renewable energy sources, such an air-source heat pump to power underfloor heating.

Success of the project

This is a home that will be wonderful to inhabit, enriching the connection between the lodge and loch, hills and surrounding woodland environment. With a commitment to responsible development practices, the design is rooted in well-considered architectural principles that respect the special characteristics of the area, utilising the sloping topography to create contemporary living spaces without dominating the landscape. 
 
It is currently in the planning process. 
 

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Do you have a specific project idea that you've been thinking about? Feel free to reach out to us today, and we can initiate a conversation on how our services can assist you in bringing your vision to life.

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