Date: 02 June 09
Author: Caroline Ednie, Web Editor
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The Longhouse was designed by Skye based Rural Design Architects to take advantage of the exceptional site: at one side there are views over to the Western Isles; on another Loch Dunvegan; and on another the craggy silhouette of the Cuillins.
The result of this site sympathetic solution is a design that has been dictated by the plan and section. The form is a simple, landscape-hugging larch clad longhouse, topped by a tight pitch corrugated cement roof. Within this very simple shape openings have been cut into very precise views and framing very specific parts of the landscape. Extra depth has also been created by means of a lean-to and projecting window creating in effect a contemporary take on the traditional rural sheds and longhouses that punctuate the Skye landscape.
The single storey house has been constructed via a post and beam frame - with flitch beams to in the middle for extra support. This traditional method of building means that the construction elements are exposed, which not only optimizes usable space but provides the house with a rough and ready, rustic aesthetic.
Internally, the Longhouse features an open plan and large volume (almost 5 and a half metres high) living, dining and kitchen space. Two bedrooms are located at the opposite end of the house from the kitchen, with a shower room, additional bathroom, utility area and study completing the picture. A sun room adds an extra living dimension to the living area. Additional space has been located in the attic area above the two bedrooms, and this opens up into a sizeable mezzanine overlooking the main living area. Light has been cleverly pulled from above into the main living area, and combines to rich effect with the natural larch floor and plywood ceiling finishes.
Effective energy efficiency has been achived by a passive solar approach, and augmented by a super insulated airtight construction featuring an air source heat pump together with a heat recovery and ventilation system.
According to architect Alan Dickson of Rural Design, the Longhouse might be best summed up as an example of "complicated simplicity". "It’s a simple shape: a narrow plan with extra depth created by a lean-to and tight pitched roof. The complexity comes in the way that the structure is expressed and how the plan works. All beams in the grid of the structure work with the internal components and relate to one other as do the openings to the surrounding landscape. It's often said of Modernist architects that they don't draw the elevation until the end. There’s a bit of that principle in this house."
Project: The Longhouse
Architect: Rural Design
Client: Private
Location: Isle of Skye
Cost: £230K
Link: www.ruraldesign.co.uk
Images: Courtesy of Alan Dickson and the Milne Family
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