Nestled next to the forest, on rising ground with far-reaching views, is the old croft house that offers a time capsule to the past. The small house is distinguished by its deep solid stone walls with minimal apertures to the outside world and a rusty metal roof that complements the earthy tones of the surrounding landscape. 

To preserve the character of the historic croft and celebrate its charm, our proposal includes minimal intervention to the surviving building. The new build dwelling is located to the rear of the site where it serves as a backdrop to the original croft house. The resultant ‘T’ shaped footprint allows the new house to capitalise on the expansive views across the Highlands. Meanwhile, the old croft will be retained as a largely single space volume, a flexible gathering space for hosting film nights and ceilidhs for the remote village community.

To embed the architecture within the sloping landscape, the new build form will step with the existing ground. This begins with the garage where you will enter at the lowest point and move gradually up through the building, culminating in the first-floor office that will be perched above the main roof. This office will provide panoramic views back towards the croft house, rowan tree, forest and distant munro.