Focusing on its location by a lochan amongst a regenerating natural woodland, Loch Cottage was a derelict cottage, originally built in the mid-19th Century, with a story added and byre attached in the early 20th Century. Our design took this derelict cottage and turned it into a habitable, warm and relaxing family home.
Through refurbishing the original cottage, we removed the cementitious render in favour of natural lime pointing, insulated the stone walls with natural woodfibre, and finished internally with lime plaster and breathable paint. A terrazzo concrete floor was added throughout with aggregate from the local quarry tying both the older cottage and new extension together. A new oak staircase winds up through the old house while the existing floorboards were carefully restored and re-laid upstairs.
A modest and restrained extension replaced the existing byre’s footprint to become the central living and dining space of the house, keeping the southern openings to the same locations as the original byre’s openings, while opening up the northern elevation to allow both views of the lochan and woodland while facilitating the connection between outdoor and indoor living. The extension and new porch have been clad in larch, a considered choice given the woodland location while taking its profile cues from the local context of the cottage’s original porch and other traditional buildings visible within the local village.