Dualchas Architects

How do you take an initial idea, a response to a site, and follow it through to a completed project? Neil Stephen and Rory Flyn of Dualchas discuss a selection of projects in their latest webinar, highlighting how context is key - whether designing in a crofting settlement or an historic village. To view the webinar, follow this link: https://lnkd.in/ee7BKBfy 

We're advertising a position for our Skye office. Anyone interested see details here: https://lnkd.in/e7XQh_ms

Don't let your work make you ill - and try to hold on to your youthful ambition.

There's no point competing with the stunning landscapes of the Highlands - just keep it simple.

What do you do when you find an old ruin on site, a third of which has disappeared? One option is to rebuild the cottage to its original form - another is to demolish it an replace it with a new building. Instead we decided to retain the fragment in the form we found it. A new structure was erected close by, the exact width and profile of the ruin. The only connection is a glass link. The old cottage contains the main bedroom, the new structure the living space. But it is the journey between the old and new structures, the connection to the landscape, the change in materials and variety of experiences which gives the building its interest. Paying respect to what has been built before is important - and sometimes a simple idea, carried through, is all a project requires. #Architecture #ContemporaryArchitecture #ResidentialArchitecture #AdaptiveReuse #ArchitecturalDesign #ArchitectureAndLandscape #ScottishHighlands

How can the story of a dead community help keep an existing one alive? The people of Uig in the Western Isles have an answer but need support.

In Uig, on the west coast of Lewis, the community has recognised the need to fight to save their school, culture and way of life - to ensure that there is a future for Gaelic, its young people and to attract new people to live there. Their vision is to use the story of a dead community, St Kilda, to bring new life to their own. Ionad Hiort, The St Kilda Centre, is to be located on the cliffs of Mangersta, the building angled towards the distant island archipelago. Dualchas, in collaboration with Norwegian practice Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, has been working with the community for a number of years on the design of the building. It has achieved planning consent, and now the drive is to get it on site. It will be a visitor experience, primarily told through Gaelic, about the islands and people of St Kilda, but also a celebration of the shared culture, landscapes and wildlife of this remarkable part of the world. The resourcefulness and dedication of the Uig community, led by stalwarts such as Iain Buchanan and Joni Buchanan, cannot be overstated. The love they have for their community and their language, and the concern they have for the future has helped drive this project forward. For them, they are not remote, they are not "on the edge". They are at the centre of their world which has as much validity and as much preciousness as anywhere else in the world. And with the development of technology and remote working, there is no reason why a beautiful place such as Uig, with its expansive white sand beaches, glorious landscapes and rich and deep culture should not be a wonderful place for families, and businesses to flourish. Their vision is that "Ionad Hiort | St Kilda Centre will preserve St Kilda's heritage, sharing it with the world while inspiring new generations. Beyond cultural preservation, the Centre will create educational opportunities, attract visitors to the region, and support the regeneration of Uig and surrounding communities." The community company has recently launched its website https://lnkd.in/e-_rJCpZ which gives a great insight in to the story behind the project and the reasons it is so important. All they need now is to secure the final funds to make it happen. This story is not so much about the remarkable people of St Kilda, but the remarkable people of Uig. For Iain and Joni, and the rest of the members of the community group, building the project would be a just reward for their years of perseverance, but also a reminder of the power of individuals, wherever they live, to make a difference, to make the world a better place. #CommunityLedDesign #RuralRegeneration #CulturalHeritage #GaelicCulture #ArchitectureWithPurpose #PlaceBasedDesign #IslandCommunities #ArchitectureForGood #ScottishArchitecture #Dualchas #ReiulfRamstadArkitekter

As you loop round Loch Slapin on the road to Elgol on the Isle of Skye you may notice this Dualchas house perched on the east side of the loch in the community of Torrin. But you may not, as its recessive colour and modest-scale interlocking boxes makes it surprisingly quiet and unobtrusive.     It's hard to imagine that the design caused so much controversy when first proposed- over 100 objections, and a full planning committee where every councillor opposed it. One even described it as "resembling a Soviet-era nuclear bunker".    But our client, with the support of the local planning officer Graham Sharp, kept faith in the design and the process. The Scottish Government Reporter rejected the arguments of the councillors, and gave it approval.    In all the work we do, we believe in being respectful to our landscapes, our communities, our culture.  

Boreraig house was built for a Buddhist in a deeply Presbyterian part of Skye. Both traditions share a strong sense of dignity and respect, which informed the intention to create a place that was quiet and contemplative. With three parallel linear forms and a surrounding wall, the form is inspired by the traditional Highland blackhouse and its stackyard enclosure. The stone, timber and metal of the outside references the materials of its surroundings, making the building recessive in the landscape. Inside, Caithness slate and oak panelling give the house a warm austerity, with careful lining up of joints in the floor, walls and ceiling so no misalignment unsettles the eye. Behind many of the wall panels are concealed cupboards so that the house can stay uncluttered, increasing the sense of calm. A natural bowl in the landscape was turned into a lochan by damming the out-flowing burns. This has became the focal point of the views and attracts abundant wildlife, increasing the sense of tranquillity. For the owners Dominic and Lukas, this is their retreat, their spiritual place, their home. #ruralarchitecture #isleofskye #scottisharchitecture