King’s Cairn in Archerfield, East Lothian

Set within a wider masterplan development on an estate in a stunning coastal location in East Lothian, this self-build home has been carefully and deliberately designed, so it sits comfortably in the natural woodland surroundings of the plot.

The aim was to create a contemporary house that maximised the potential of the site in terms of orientation and outlook without the building overpowering or appearing too dominant amongst the high pine trees. The result is a functional house layout with comfortably sized rooms and a restrained palette of materials that provide the definition and character of the house design.

The overall form of the house will be characterised by three zinc-clad, pitched roof forms that create a small cluster of buildings.

The two main pitched roof forms are positioned to create an L-shaped plan layout and have been pulled apart slightly to create the entrance, hallway and main circulation areas. This separation also acts as a visual marker for defining the entrance to the house. The third pitched roof form contains the client’s collection of cars.

King’s Cairn in Archerfield, East Lothian

Zinc was chosen as the main cladding material for the walls and roof, with a contrasting white facing brick at ground floor level providing a horizontal pattern and relief to the walls that contrasts with the vertical standing seams of the zinc-clad walls above. It is envisaged that the monochromatic quality of the house will serve to enhance the natural colours of the surrounding woodland trees and vegetation when viewed together.

Our clients set out to build an energy-efficient house from the outset and researched SIPS as a construction method. Although large in size, the house has been designed to be as efficient as possible in terms of the SIPS construction and minimising the amount of structural steel required. The house is currently under construction on site and is due to be completed in early 2023.