Private Client | 2015 - 2016

Located near Banchory in the rolling landscape of Lower Deeside, Aberdeenshire, this design for an elevated site overlooking the Water of Feugh is organised around a series of stepped volumes tucked under a consistent roof profile.

Although the plan of the house is of a linear nature, it has been angled slightly (relative to the line of the site) to create, with the help of a garage, a courtyard entrance area on the north side of the site. This courtyard area has been set below the line of the existing ground level of the site, providing a space sheltered from the prevailing wind coming up the valley.

The lowest portion of the house is formed by the foundations and terrace area of the house, built from drystane granite walling. This wall is a continuation of an existing dyke that runs along the south side of the site and forms a solid stepped plinth to anchor the design to the hillside. The middle portion of the house is formed by walls finished with untreated timber and glass. The upper portion is formed by an overhanging zinc-clad roof with shallow fascias and concealed gutters. The gentle form of the roofline can be seen to reflect the shape of the distant hills to the south. The eaves of the roof match the slope of the site and together with the granite dyke help to situate the house into the landscape.