Date: 03 November 08
Author: Caroline Ednie, Web Editor
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The west coast of Lewis is characterised by swelling Atlantic seas, and expanses of white sand: a bare treeless landscape, where people, beasts and plants hunker down against the gales.
A mission hall stood on the site – grey, Presbyterian and functional. No one had worshipped there for years, but inside it was complete with alter, pews and open Gaelic bibles, as if abandoned mid-sermon.
Dualchas were later approached by Gordon and Jackie MacKay to design a home on the mission hall site. The MacKays wanted a building that showed a similar response to the landscape as the traditional low slung, landscape hugging blackhouses of Lewis – but they also required a house that was modern and comfortable.
It was decided to cut the house in to the hillside, and to break it into two expressed structures in order to keep its appearance modest. The idea of the building becoming part of the landscape was strengthened further by the choice of external materials – a stone retaining wall and larch rain screen. The client couldn’t be persuaded to go with a metal roof, but the grey slate ties in with the large rocks that litter the landscape.
The house, which features a utility room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen/ dining, and living room on the ground floor, with an additional bedroom and bathroom on the upper level, is highly insulated with a heat recovery system. A simple palette of material helps express the simple volumes of the interiors, and focus the eye to the distinctive landscape viewed from the large areas of glazing.
Two outbuildings are built to the same external detail as the house. One building is a garage – the other is a small “mission hall”, which contains some remnants from the old Presbyterian hall, which formerly stood on the site. A Gaelic bible on a lectern forms the centrepiece.
Project: Talla Choinneachaidh
Architect: Dualchas Building Design
Client: Gordon and Jackie MacKay
Location: Breanish, Isle of Lewis
Cost: £350k
Link: http://www.dualchas.com/
Images: Dualchas Building Design
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Building Biographies
09 Oct 08 to 11 Jan 09, The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Gallery 4
The 4th biennial survey of architecture in Scotland explores new trends in regional and sustainable building by looking at eight recently completed buildings, mainly in the Highlands and Islands, alongside six from continental Europe.
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