Strathblane House, Stirlingshire Home, Scottish Property, Architect, Images

Strathblane House : Stirlingshire Property

Residential Building in central Scotland – design by Studio KAP

Strathblane House – Extension, Stirlingshire

Photographs © Keith Hunter

Design: Studio Kap architects

Strathblane House

The house sits in a mature suburban landscape on the hillside looking north-west across Strathblane to Dumgoyne, westerly outpost of the Campsie Fells. The existing house, rather pretty and somewhat cottage-like from the front, was very square in plan with a truncated pyramidal roof. The back, unlovely but opening onto these wonderful views, appeared unfinished or even chopped off, presenting a sheer two-storey face to the garden.

photograph © Keith Hunter

In extending this house two major issues presented themselves. Firstly the finishing of a house which felt incomplete and unresolved and secondly to take possession of a garden and by implication the wider landscape which appeared to “run away” from the house downhill to the north.

photos © Keith Hunter

The nascent wings of the existing house were extended in the existing idiom of rough harling under a slate roof to embrace a new realm at the back of the house. The west wing turns back in on itself to enclose a study and create a solid but softer edge for light entering a new central external space.

The east wing extends directly towards the garden to enclose kitchen and dining areas. Beyond the end of the east wing a very solid chimney and snug grows up from the ground. Integral with a long wall and toolshed retaining an upper terrace this is seen as integral to new hard-landscaping elements as well as a part of the house. In the space between, floor, wall and roof planes depart from convention to form a more deconstructed and open connection accommodating the new garden room.

Finally a new garage and port cochere extend at the side to create a more expansive approach to the front of the house and further contain the new raised terrace to the rear.

Stirlingshire House information from Studio Kap architects

Studio KAP

Location: Strathblane, Scotland