A quaint stone cottage with a red-roofed extension sits amidst tall grasses under a moody sky. Patches of sunlight illuminate parts of the house, creating a striking contrast with the dark clouds above. Bare trees are visible in the background.

Coldrach

Aberdeenshire, Scotland

2012 — 2015

Client Private Client

Buildings · Private Homes · Conservation & Retrofit

Set near the foot of Lochnagar at Crathie in the Scottish Highlands, Coldrach is an 18-century ‘but and ben’ farmhouse that has been extended to incorporate new living space and create a sheltered, West-facing courtyard.

A snowy rural scene with a flock of sheep gathered in front of a rustic stone cottage and a wooden barn. The buildings are nestled among leafless trees with a hilly, snow-covered background.

Exterior view of a modern home with a large glass window showing an interior kitchen and a white rocking chair on a wooden floor. The roof is made of red corrugated metal, and the siding features wooden panels.

A rustic stone cottage and a white barn sit in a green field, backed by a dense forest of autumn trees with orange and yellow foliage. A hillside rises in the background, highlighting the seasonal landscape.

The new is connected to the old by a frameless band of glass, with the remainder of the addition clad in untreated European larch and red-oxide corrugated metal sheets. The result aims to not only mimic the austerity and ad-hoc charm of the existing granite home’s architecture, typical of the Highlands, but also continue the use of vernacular materials – honest and elementary.