Stonehouse Road

Strathaven

A conspicuous gap at the edge of Strathaven offered an opportunity to complete the settlement with architecture that mediates between town and countryside. The site sits between the substantial masonry form of St Patrick's Church and two smaller domestic bungalows.

Our response
Two simple volumes step from single to two storeys, bridging the change in scale between the neighbouring buildings and softening the transition to the open landscape. Their arrangement gives the new development a clear presence without competing with the church.

Materials
Blonde-grey mottled brick draws on the varied tones of the church stonework, while its familiar domestic module helps relate the proposal to the houses nearby. Precisely proportioned openings and vertical cedar cladding introduce warmth and connect the building to the woodland character of this semi-rural site.

Outcome
The design turns a vacant edge site into a considered piece of Strathaven's urban fabric, using massing and materials to reconcile two contrasting contexts.