“We wanted it to sit well in the landscape and not really draw too much attention to itself.”


has been designed around the views. Rooms and furniture were decided based on what could be seen when sitting, standing, cooking – even lying in bed. “You’re thinking all the time about what you can see from where you’d be sitting, standing and lying down. In the bedrooms, the view from the bed was considered and designed around it”.


The main bedroom suite with dressing area and shower room opens out on to the front of the house and the incredible views from the deck outside. The back of the house is home to two bedrooms, a bathroom and a utility room. The simplicity of the interiors and the colour palette allows their possessions to sing by having a very well made blank space for the couple to decorate with art and furniture. The interior is white and oaî‚Ž with a er high fi nish. The couple chose artworks and furniture to add personality to the inside, while recognising the vast majority of the colour, texture and tone comes from the world outside visible through the many triple-glazed windows that have been simply draped in white sheer fabric. “We just like everything white and calm and classic,” says Suzanne. “The material we’ve focused on is oaî‚Ž fi nishes and a reduced palette. It allows you to express yourself on the art on the walls and the objects.” The couple has a practical approach to avoid clutter in their simply designed home. “We have lots of storage and are disciplined to put things awa uanne sas. he fi ttings are deliberately simple and low-tech, making for calm, serene and low maintenance spaces.” The environmentally-friendly and modern technology that come with a sustainable house are all there. In this part of Scotland, where temperatures average 12 degrees and there are more than 200 days of rainfall in all seasons, homes need to be well-insulated. The house features an air source heat pump and the black exterior absorbs and retains heat. There’s an overhang to create shade – and their water suppl is naturall fi ltered ighland spring.


48


“We’ve lived in big drafty houses for the last  ears eplains arî‚Ž. nd this is the fi rst one which is not quite airtight, but it’s pretty tight and you do overheat; you end up having to open a window or doors at night.” Things ran smoothly, but the Ukraine war


created a shortage of concrete and block work and prices were rocketing just before they started the proect in . e were terrifi ed at one point as concrete went up 20% in two days,” says Mark. It meant working with the contractor to change to a fl eible agreement in which the couple would pay for time and materials instead of a fi ed price. e was able to bring it in about £6,000 over budget on a £360,000 project,” says Mark. “Timewise we did the whole thing in a year which was slightly longer than anticipated because the retaining wall was done over Christmas and New Year and the weather meant it took longer to dry and that put us back about a month.”


So has designing and building – and paying – for their own home changed how they approach the day job? “I think we’re more aware of certain design decisions and how they factor into the whole process,” says Mark. “And that economies have to be made along the way as well, because very few people have an unlimited budget.” “We were very aware of the cost and every


square metre we didn’t really need we were paying for,” says Suzanne. “We kept everything to a sensible size but factored in lots of storage so the rooms themselves can be modest. Though we have generous living spaces, we kept the bedrooms fairly minimal.” For Suzanne and Mark, their new home is helping them live the life they have always wanted. And as architectural designers, they are keen to spread the word. “We ask people how they live and how they want to live,” says Suzanne. And that’s really the crux of the issue: whether the house is helping you to live how you want, or whether it’s hindering it.


CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS


ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Studio M www.studio-mcphillips.co.uk


STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Steven Ferguson at SF Structures www.sfstructures.com


CONTRACTOR Aidan Gregory Building Services


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