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The stable was given the name ‘ the grainstore’ in the 80’s television programme Starthblair and was used as a builders store for years. We bought this property in 2000 whilst working as architects in private practice in Glasgow before finally moving there in 2002 to renovate the property and set up Urban Creatures. The build took us 2 years, we featured in magazines such as Grand Designs and Homes and Interiors Scotland, and came 2nd in a national competition to find the best Small Self-Built House. Martin’s training as a carpenter before studying architecture was useful.
Our approach was to retain the traditional stone frontage but to maximise daylight entering the building by knocking two smaller openings into one. The only part of the building not replaced was the stone facade. We deliberately designed a fresh light filled minimalist interior to be highlighted against the traditional exterior and vice versa. The result was a contemporary bright open plan home that appeared small from the outside but was described as a ‘tardis’ internally by many visitors due to the amount of natural light, long internal views and choice of reflective finishes and concealed lighting. |
