Glencanisp Housing Sutherland, Scottish Building, Homes Design, Property Images
Glencanisp Housing, Sutherland
New Residential Development in northwest Scotland by Rural Design, UK
24 Feb 2010
New Housing at Glencanisp, Sutherland
Architects: Rural Design ltd, Isle of Skye
Housing in Sutherland
Proposals for new housing on the edge of the Sutherland village of Lochinver in the
Scottish Highlands have been revealed, following the completion of initial designs by Skye-based Rural Design.
images from architects
Since the community buy out in 2005 the Assynt Foundation has been attempting to promote the provision of new housing for Lochinver. The village is currently landlocked and available sites for new affordable housing are very scarce.
The chosen site provided by the Assynt Foundation sits in the shadow of the iconic mountain of Suilven and presents considerable challenges. The landscape consists of three-billion-year old cnocan rock formations surrounded by deep peat beds and so there are few precedents for larger scale rural housing design.
Picking up on ideas first explored by MLTW at the Sea Ranch condominium in California, it is proposed that 30 houses are divided into four aggregated blocks. This approach minimises the environmental impact of the building footprint and infrastructure. Private internal space is contained between each paired block, minimising the overall visual impact.
The buildings will be timber-framed and timber-clad, with turf roofs. The terrace forms lend themselves to the communal heating system.
The project is now seeking funding from the Scottish Government and will shortly be submitted for planning approval.
images from architects
Rural Design Director Alan Dickson commented, “we hope this proves to be a ground breaking project, demonstrating that our beautiful landscape need not be degraded into suburbia, and that it is possible to achieve badly needed housing without destroying our heritage.”
Glencanisp Housing Sutherland images / information from Rural Design
rural design are architects studio based on the Isle of Skye.
Location: Glencanisp, Lochinver, Sutherland, north west Scotland
Architecture in Scotland
Scottish Architecture Designs – chronological list
Contemporary Architecture in north west Scotland – architectural selection below:
Fiscavaig House, Isle of Skye
Fiscavaig House
Skye House, Isle of Skye
Camustianavaig House
Long House, Isle of Skye
Long House Skye
Macallan Distillery in Speyside, Speyside, Highlands, Northern Scotland
Design: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP)
photo © Simon PricePA Wire
New Macallan Distillery in Speyside, Scotland
Comments / photos for the Glencanisp Housing, Sutherland Scottish Architecture page welcome