Borreraig House / Dualchas Architects

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Text description provided by the architects. This multi-award winning house has been inspired by the vernacular Scottish blackhouse, but abstracted in to modern architecture. The client inherited the croft from his mother, and he wanted to build a home that connected with the landscape and the local heritage.

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It is a house built for a Buddhist in a deeply Presbyterian part of Skye. The religions share a sense of dignity, quiet and respect. The intention was to create a calm, contemplative space for our client to escape the city and spend time with his friends.

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The first decision was to keep the building low to the skyline. This was done by breaking it up in to 3 separate elements: the living accommodation, the bedrooms wing, and a studio space.

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A natural bowl in the landscape was turned in to a lochan by damming the out-flowing burns – this became the focal point of the views and was intended to increase the sense of tranquillity. Materials were chosen which were found in the surrounding landscape – metal from the galvanised gates, larch from the fence posts and stone from walls and fanks. Internally the building has a simple palette of Caithness stone and oak. We took these materials and forms and refined and abstracted them. The larch is used as a rainscreen to give a crisp finish, the Caithness stone has been honed to a smooth surface, the oak panels set out on a 600 grid and the stone walls have been detailed to help create enclosure.

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The building is heavily insulated with external shutters as a barrier to the worst of the gales, and an air source heat pump to heat the water. The result is a building which not only uses sustainable technology, it sits low and easily in its landscape, inspired by the local materials and culture.

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