A Residence In The Scottish Highlands Got Radical Extension

Lower Tullochgrue by Brown & Brown Architects is a historic home that has been renovated and extended in the middle of the Cairngorms National Park. A decaying steading was replaced with a modern expansion with a timber and glass upper volume atop a stone plinth, yet the site's original topography was preserved at all stages.

The requirement was for the design of a residence that could be utilized by a big family's many members, both collectively and in smaller family groupings. This prompted the development of vast common areas, separate guest accommodation in the form of a tiny separate block, and the remodeling of the old home to offer bedrooms for various members of the family over a wide age range, with differing levels of mobility.

The owner initially approached us with the request to extend the existing home into the next steading, which was 3m lower than the house and 6m distant, as well as at an unusual angle to the house. Our solution was to demolish the steading and reuse the materials before building a new stone plinth on top of which the main body of the addition could rest, providing for constant floor levels between the ancient and contemporary sections.

An existing access track influenced the extension's boundaries and was the driving force for the building being bigger on the first level, where it cantilevers over the track. The owner maintains their grandparents' 1960s Ford Falcon at the property, and the size of the car determined the spacing of the exposed steel column supporting the first floor, which had to give enough space for the car to pass through.

Throughout the design and delivery stages, the owner were involved through continuing collaborative design targeted at establishing how they and their extended family wanted to live and utilize the property. This resulted in the development of a separate games block, a guest suite with expanded accessible hygienic lodging for senior relatives, a modest spill-out area for when the home is full, and a variety of additional features.

Photographs by Dapple Photography.