The aim was to create an emotive piece of architecture
RIAS Scottish Award winner 2021
Groves-Raines Architects Studio for private client
Contract value: undisclosed
GIA: 70m2
Kyle House, together with other buildings in the area, is part of Wildland, an ambitious 20-year project by Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen which intends to restore the landscape of Highland estates through careful conservation. Kyle House had been derelict; the aim was to create an emotive piece of architecture. It first appears still to be in its original form but the large, frameless gable windows at ground floor level reveal subtle but significant interventions. The monumentality of a heavy oak front door marks the transition from the rustic exterior to a refined, monastic interior. With little remaining of the original, the plan was wholly reinterpreted – space is given in equal measure to sleeping, eating, living and bathing. The material palette is simple: Caithness stone, oak, lime plaster, metal ironmongery and glass. The result is a contemplative house, built to last and perfect for immersing yourself in the dramatic setting.