McGinlay Bell’s Glasgow house prizes Nordic idioms in blackened timber, glass and brick, and geometric volumes with a domestic scale

There is often a Nordic inflection to Scottish cultural production, not least in architecture. Whether the consequence of geographic proximity and close historic associations (especially in the north) or a political and social fascination (perhaps these days especially in the south) there has long been a draw on Nordic sensibilities. In the design of this house at Ellergreen Road in the famously leafy and affluent Glasgow suburb Bearsden these influences have been knowingly explored and celebrated by architects McGinlay Bell. 

Arranging and participating in an annual study tour is one of the joys of running a university design studio, revisiting formative buildings with the benefit of time and alternative perspectives or seeing new work that challenges the potential for complacency. In April 2016, roughly a year prior to their appointment on this project, practice founders Brian McGinlay and Mark Bell returned on one such pilgrimage to Finland with their Y4 students from Strathclyde University: five days, five cities, thirty buildings by Alvar Aalto. The consequences of discussions instigated by this trip can be seen both in the formulation of their strategic response to this site and in the detail and expression of the completed building.

A two story block of brickwork containing the most intimate rooms locates the building on the (private) street edge and provides an anchor on two sides to a comparatively informal low level pavilion of black stained timber and glass. The two volumes are legible as such at all times on the compact site and are of a markedly and appropriately different character both internally and externally. Enclosed, with controlled and elevated views in the case of the former; expansive, fluid and permeable for the latter. The two elements are nevertheless united through a carefully judged approach to scale, lending domestic familiarity to this building; an unassuming sensibility unlike some of the more substantial neighbours that, once the connection is appreciated, does indeed bring to mind Aalto’s residential work. The Aalto reference is also reinforced in a direct visual manner by the vertical emphasis of the timber on the pavilion element, the asymmetric butterfly roof atop the sheer volume of the private block and a horizontal plane of brickwork set into the ground at the entrance. 

These influences also reflect the predilections of the clients. A construction professional and an accountant, the couple have an enthusiasm of their own for ‘mid-century’ architecture and one anticipates that the acknowledged references in the design have brought a lot of enjoyment. However it is in the coherence of the spatial concept where the success of this project is primarily experienced.

As a response to the constrained site (formerly the neighboring villa’s tennis court) the low level pavilion element is particularly effective — the orthogonal meandering of the plan provides three simple but distinct courtyards, carefully scaled and related back to the internal spaces which they adjoin. At the front of the house a ‘den’ abuts a timber decked suntrap; midway through the plan a pocket garden is a welcome intrusion that provides visual separation between a secondary bedroom and the living room; at the rear the kitchen and dining space extends outside the building line and into the back of the plot. While the Nordic idioms found in this building are clear to see; especially in the form and exterior detailing; on the blisteringly hot July afternoon of my visit (flip flops, palm fronds, a cooling breeze though the house) references to houses from the Case Study programme are also enjoyably apparent: fixed spans, material efficiency and above all the emphasis and suitability of the home as a venue for entertaining. While this house may be a departure for Bearsden in terms of aesthetics and how a home might be conceived, there is also sense of effortless comfort that the well-heeled suburban setting will be untroubled by.

The underlying strategy has been pursued rigorously and consistently through the design process, translating well to the completed building. This is notable as the procurement of this building did not follow the conventional pattern: the project was self-managed by the client couple, with individual trades directly appointed and coordinated. There are instances in the detail where a disconnection in sequencing between trades has led to additional work being required to bring things back together. Project Architects can come under particular pressure in such circumstances and in this case the increased site attendance of Angus Ritchie was crucial in maintaining the clarity and cohesion of the two principle organizing elements; so clear in the concept; being carried through during construction.

Of course there are advantages to self-procurement, principally in relation to cost and flexibility in material sourcing. Slender bricks, of a typically high quality, were purchased direct from Petersen Tegl in Denmark; and rough timber boarding, off the saw, stained black and mounted on edge was obtained via the architects from another client’s supply on the west coast of Scotland. It is gratifying that the specification of these two materials was secure throughout the process, intrinsic as they are to the external expression and detail of the building. Photographs of the building taken by Jack Hobhouse following completion also show a matter-of-fact fascia to the pavilion in black elastomeric membrane; the roof covering lapped over the perimeter and brought down to the top of the timber cladding. This has since been covered over with black zinc, perhaps a more conventional facing material however there is the feeling that the directness of the EDPM may have been truer to the ethos of the original design intent.

Internally, the project makes extensive use of microcement in various pigments. The material is used on floors, walls and ceilings; and also sliding doors and the kitchen. The uniformity of this approach is practical; it is a versatile finishing material; however with multiple colours deployed it is not the simple background that would privilege a play of light or the clever geometric orchestration of the space, but at the same time and given the uniformity of texture and finish it also curiously flattens the sense of materiality. By contrast however the intersection between the two storey volume and the pavilion is highly convincing: access to the private areas of the house is demarcated with beautifully designed, coordinated and fabricated cabinetry. The same book matched joinery covers an end wall of the living room and together these elements provide a material counterpoint that lends finesse to the interior.