Gallery: White House: Scottish Ruins T...

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Photo © Andrew Lee

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This mid-1700s house on the wind-whipped Scottish Isle of Coll has been revitalized by a contemporary renovation after being abandoned for 150 years. WT Architecture was tasked with the unusual challenge of integrating a crumbling ruin with a modern, environmentally sensitive home. The White House's fractured façade forms the perfect bookend for the new building, contributing great character and history while protecting the new home from the brutal Atlantic winds. Step inside and you'll find yourself firmly in the 21st century - the home features sweeping banks of glass that face the breaking ocean, open living spaces, and locally sourced low-impact materials.

The massive stone walls of the original home were doomed to failure as they were set on top of a sandy foundation and further eroded by treasure hunters searching for buried gold. A century later the home was abandoned to the whims of the coast until a couple decided that it would be the perfect backbone for a new house. The first job was to firm up the home’s stone walls and foundation. The new home huddles within the confines of the immense walls and branches out with a glass-lined living room at the home’s core. The other wing is buffeted by a large dry stacked stone wall. Lighter materials such as wooden beams and steel provide basic building elements while reducing the energy needed to ship materials to the site.

1 Comment

Finocchio March 18, 2012 at 6:38 pm

I visited the coast of Scotland (along the Strathclyde) in 2003. There were many such cottages abandoned and just aching for an imainative eye. This fortunate example found just that fortunate eye. This simply defies description. To say it’s inspired is understatement. To say “I’d like to live there” is understatement. Well done.