Colbost

Waternish, Isle Of Skye

At Colbost, a generous family brief is broken down into a series of simple forms that sit low in the exposed crofting landscape overlooking Dunvegan Bay.

Designed for a family of five, the house brings together four bedrooms, generous communal spaces, a games room and study, alongside the storage and practical spaces needed for everyday family life.

A house as a group of buildings
A simple black agricultural shed on the neighbouring croft provided the starting point. Rather than express 246m² as one volume, the accommodation is divided among simple forms around a sheltered courtyard.

The taller bedroom wing sits in the shadow of the crag; a lower communal building faces the view, with smaller storage and plant structures completing the group. Inside, living, dining and kitchen share a bright volume, while a sliding oak screen separates quieter private areas when needed.

Materials and performance
Black-stained Siberian larch and black aluminium roofing unify the separate forms. Concealed rainwater goods and eaves-free detailing allow the house to read from the road as a collection of agricultural buildings rather than a large residence.

High insulation and high-performance windows reduce heating demand. Wood-burning stoves provide much of the living-space heat, supported by an air-source heat pump.

What the writer said
“A generous, light-flooded and eminently user-friendly four-bedroom home.”

Caroline Ednie, Wallpaper*

Awards and recognition
IAA Best New House, 2014
Saltire Housing Design Award, 2014
Featured in Dezeen, Wallpaper*, Grand Designs Magazine and Homes & Interiors Scotland

Models of Colbost and Cliff House form part of the permanent collection at V&A Dundee, recognising their contribution to contemporary rural Scottish architecture.