FARMHOUSE IN HIGHLAND PERTHSHIRE
The local 'longhouse' vernacular building form of the area is subverted in an expressive response to site context - a heavily wooded south facing hillside with views over the Tay valley.
The tilted roof and wall planes were inspired by the angular facetted rocks that scatter the ground across the site. Roofs twist and dip at both ends into an asymmetric form. End gable walls are battered. The walls, clad in zinc sheets, reflect the smooth split exposed rock faces and the timber surfaces the natural harmonies of life and cycle of seasons.
The main access and principal apartments are on a single level, following the natural contours to minimise visual impact.
Form and orientation are designed to optimise solar gain and shelter from the wind. Sustainable design features include an internal fieldstone masonry heat-sink to balance night-time temperature.
Timber frame construction with larch cladding, lime render and slate. Thick walls filled with the client's own sheeps wool insulation processed locally. A woodburning stove and solar collectors provide heating and hot water. On-site rainwater collection and foulwater treatment promote self-sufficiency.
