Staircase Opened Up During Refurbishment

Before and after pictures of the staircase at Dunbeg House, near Fort William.

 

The existing servants’ staircase to the basement was cramped and dark.  The client wanted to make the lower ground floor of the property feel like part of the house.

 

The link between the floors has been greatly improved by the removal of a partition wall to enhance visibilty and sense of space on the staircase.  The details of the stair have been merticulously matched to those elsewhere in the property.

 

The client used skilled craftsmen to match the wood panneling, spindles and plasterwork incuding the newel post at the bottom of the staircase which was hand carved from Oak.

 

Helen Lucas Architects oversaw the extensive redevelopment of this Listed Property situated on the banks of Loch Leven.  See more pictures of Dunbeg House on our other posts.

 

 

Roof with a View

The standing seam zinc roof has been installed at the site of one of our new build houses in Roshven, Glenuig.

 

The zinc specified is pre-patinated to a dull grey colour to blend in with the natural greys of the surrounding rocky beach site.  Zinc is a self healing material that is infinitely recyclable.

 

More photos to follow when the protective coating is removed!

 

 

Project at Grange Loan Completed

Works to this listed gatehouse, situated in the Grange area of Edinburgh have been completed.

After the long planning process where permission was granted by the planning comittee in 2006 the construction stages have run smoothly. The new building and refurbishment of the old gatehouse demostrate excellent workmanship by the contractor Braidwood Building.

Timber Frame Erected in Roshven

The timber frame for a new house overlooking Goat Island on the west coast of Scotland has been complete. Designed by Carpenter Oak Woodland from douglas fir the frame will remain visible after the building has been completed. The house has been designed to have a light touch on the landscape and sits on small concrete pads cast directly onto the rocky site.

Renovation of Dunbeg House Completed

Work has finished on the Grade B listed Dunbeg House on the Banks of Loch Leven.

Extensive conservation work has been done to Dunbeg, including a new stair down to the basement to match the existing grand stair, new kitchen, the insulation of internal walls and the addition of ensuite bathrooms to the bedrooms. Our particular favourite bits include the new barbecue deck, perched on a rocky outcrop above the loch, and the new top floor artists studio.

A Light Touch on the Landscape

Delicate Concrete Feet Cast for a New House in Roshven

The New House stands on a rocky beach just above the high tide line.  This low carbon house has a green oak frame.

 

The main timber columns  land on these neat little concrete pads.  This means that the ground beneath the house is relatively unaffected by the building’s presence.

 

Where ever possible we would recommend a light touch on the landscape.  We have used this strategy  on other remote projects in beautiful locations where preserving the landscape is of the utmost priority.

 

Frisealach another costal project on a rocky site was completed in 2007 can be seen on our main website.

Scissor Trusses Installed at Stoer

Three Green Oak Scissor Trusses are Installed at New House by Carpenter Oak Woodland

We were excited to receive site photos of the scissor trusses during their installation.  The hand crafted green oak trusses will form the centre piece of this newly built family home situated on a croft in the north west highlands.

The green oak trusses are supported on conventional timber kit walls.  Other projects also in collaboration with Carpenter Oak Woodland use green oak as their primary structure throughout such as our project currently on site in Roshven and Frisealach completed in 2008 on our main website.

New House on Site in North Berwick

Shape of New House is Revealed by the Timber Frame

The timber frame has revealed the form of the new house which is currently on site in North Berwick.

 

Our clients who are based in Edinburgh initially approached us to refurbish the property they had acquired overlooking the sea at North Berwick.

 

After carefully considering refurbishment options and getting them priced it became clear that in this instance a new building was a sensible solution for this site.  20% VAT on the refurbishment costs become zero on a new build and our clients decided to change course and invest the 20% saving in gaining a bespoke, energy-efficient house.

 

Planning permission was granted for the rebuilding of a new, greener house, more suited to the clients needs.  They are looking forward to moving to this beautiful part of the coast when the project is complete.

 

 

 

 

Sea Views at North Berwick

Window Setting Out at Coastal New Build House

The architects for the new build house at North Berwick have been on site to check the exact positions of the glazing.  Facing north, the proposed house has windows arranged to frame the islands of Fidra, Lamb, Craigleith and Bass Rock.  In this photo the island of Craigleith is framed by the kitchen window.

 

 

 

 

Planning Permission in Stoer Lochinver

Permission granted for former croft in Sutherland

5th April 2010

The project team were delighted to gain planning permission for a new three bedroom dwelling on remote croft land in Lochinver Sutherland. Situated on the coast in an area of outstanding natural beauty planning permission for a new house was granted under delegated powers by the HIghland Council in April. Helen Lucas architects are developing the proposals with the clients and are looking forward to starting on site in Spring next year.