Slate can be as modern as it can traditional, this boomerang-shaped slate roof on a country house in Stirlingshire is a great example of this versatility. This unusual slate roof has been created with 900m2 of HEAVY 3 natural roofing slate from Cupa Pizarras. The house won the Individual New Build or Small Development category at The Herald Property Awards for Scotland in 2017.
The boomerang-shaped slate roof is an essential feature of the project. As architect Fiona Robinson explains, they wanted to be sympathetic to the surrounding Scottish landscape and local architectural style, but the previous house was a lot smaller than their client wanted the new one to be, so the challenge was significant. They needed to make the building appear as small as possible by keeping the footprint tight.
Program
The five-bedroom house has two wings on the outside edge of the curve of the ‘c’. It looks like a boomerang from above. The large slate roof overhangs allow everything, including the garage, to be tucked underneath the ground floor. Built across eight different levels, some incredibly interesting spaces have been created internally. Making the most of the moorland views, the rooms to face north whilst to the rear of the property, the two wings form a natural south-facing private courtyard.
Slate Roof Design
Maximizing space and light were a priority for the homeowners of this contemporary Scottish home. To make the best use of the site’s space, the design follows the contours of the landscape to form a softly curved c-shape. The warm slate roof construction shaped like a boomerang provides a first-class defense against the elements and introduces roof lights and dormers at the same time.
HEAVY 3 Slate
Fiona Robinson, design architect and founding director at Thomas Robinson Architects, chose CUPA slate because the very nature of Scottish architecture lends itself to selecting a natural slate roof. Having used the Cupa Pizarras Heavy 3 slate on her own roof it has become her go-to slate of choice for projects that require a high-quality and durable product. HEAVY 3 natural slate is a strong material that withstands high wind speeds and driving rain. Its extra thickness makes it the preferred choice in Scotland.
