A ‘forever’ home for a family who love the outdoors, on a fantastic elevated and open rural site, near Bennachie in the Aberdeenshire countryside. 

The site of an abandoned farmstead, we undertook a thorough laser survey to identify all historic walls which broke through the ground to determine where a building could be constructed without disturbing any of the ruins. This lead us to design a long, elevated structure cantilevered above the hillside. A palette of natural materials helps the building blend into the landscape, while a ruined outbuilding on the site is a gentle reminder of the history this site has seen.

Comprised of a simple timber and glass form, the house is sited on a smoked clay brick wall which runs both inside and outside of the building — the large windows pulling the view right up to the house. Window benches, reading snugs, and social spaces offering contrasting views of either Back O’Bennachie to the South, or the ruined castle sitting atop Dunnideer Hill to the North-West. 

The external envelope utilises recycled newspaper insulation, and the expanses of south-facing glass allow the house to be heated mostly by passive means — requiring very little in the way of further heating. A solar array and water-heating stove provide the vast majority of any additional power needed.