Stone, Clay & Oak Shape Hebridean Modern Home
By: Norse Stone
The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, are a chain of islands which sits off the northwest coast of Scotland famed for their resilient landscape, rugged coastlines and untouched beaches. On the island of Harris, it was these natural surroundings which not only inspired but also grounded the design of a new build home.
From the very beginning, project architect, Dualchas, decided that Scaristavore was to be built not as an imposing or contrasting feature in the landscape but as if it rose up from the rocky ground it would stand on. Each material and component was carefully considered to ensure they best reflect the islands terrain, enhance views of the vast skies and capture the movement of natural light.
To achieve this, the palette of materials used for the project was condensed down to just three predominant choices: stone, clay and oak. Internally, clay and oak wrap the walls and create spaces which seamlessly flow into the next whilst, externally, the stone fixes the structure to the hillside as if it has always been there.
Finding a stone to achieve this involved looking across the water at a very similar landscape. Under the surface of the north coast of the mainland surrounded by dramatic coasts, heather covered hills and vast reaching moorlands, is an indigenous natural stone material called Caithness flagstone. Widely known for its durability and strength, it has paved streets, built walls and featured in homes across the UK, Europe and overseas. Although grey when first extracted, when it is left exposed to the elements the stones surface weathers over time to hues of browns, buffs and blues. The natural properties and weathering abilities of this stone made it the ideal material for incorporating Scaristavore into its Hebridean hillside.
Specialising in the extraction and manufacturing of Caithness flagstone products, Norse Stone Ltd supplied the external stone aspect of the project using stone from their quarries in Caithness. The client was even able to come and visit the quarries ensuring the stone met their specific needs.
The external design of this building focused on mirroring the natural landscape around it creating the illusion of it actually being part of the ground it stood on. This was aided further by the weathered colours of the stone instantly aging the appearance and softening the straight lines and edges. The product used to achieve this and clad the outside of the building was Norse Stone’s riven Caithness facing stone. It was provided in a mixed palette of both greys and weathered colour stone to allow the building to naturally weather and settle into its surroundings.
The sense of flow which has been created inside, was also carried outside through the continued use of stone from the building and onto the land itself. Domestic Caithness flagstone paving was used to create an outdoor space directly adjacent to the building and leads to flagstone steps which have been built into the slope of the hill. The stone steps are up to 2m in length and 140mm thick, each with hand dressed edges created with both care and precision. The Caithness flagstone is complemented further by the use of carefully selected stone boulders and walling. This combination of materials literally grounds the project, providing a durable aesthetic that will allow the building to become part of the natural landscape.
We are proud to feature and promote in our architecture magazine Dualchas’ Scaristavore home rooted in the Hebridean landscape
