Rowallan

This property is an existing coach house within the Rowallan Castle estate, near Kilmaurs, Ayrshire. The estate was originally designed by the 19 century Scottish Architect, Sir Robert Lorimar. This building is in a grouping of 3 estate buildings all designed by Lorimar. The 3 properties consist of an engine house, coach house and gamekeeper’s cottages to the north. The coach house is centred on a tree-lined axis with the front entrance of Rowallan house. All the buildings are grade b listed. Our client is a keen golfer and wished to have a country retreat within the estate grounds next to the recently opened championship golf course designed by Colin Montgomery. We were commissioned to design a private residence within the shell of the disused coach house. The internal plan layout of the existing building is less refined than the externally detailed craftsmanship.

Rowallan

Our design approach was to respect the quality of the original architecture and design by Sir Robert Lorimar. Any new interventions to the elevations would be sensitively handled with a scale and proportion that would not distract from the original details. The local planning department welcomed this design approach. Our early designs required us to insert a new plan into the original coach house layout and be confident that the main spaces worked well together and that the horizontal and vertical circulation made sensible connections. We worked with our client and the planners to ensure that there was no need to extend the building footprint, therefore retaining the integrity of the existing building and its architecture. The upper floor in the attic required to be lowered to achieve sensible head heights in the new bedrooms. We tried to avoid a pastiche design, but instead present an honest and respectful conversion.

Rowallan

Credits

Private House.
Kilmaurs, Scotland.
2009-2011

Client: Private
Gross floor Area: 450m²
Architect: Guido MacLellan
Structural Engineer: N/A
Contractor: N/A