Historical landmark for a new home. The White House by WT Architecture

First there were the ruins of an old farmhouse on the Isle of Coll in Scotland, then along came architect, William Tunnell from WT Architecture who turned those ruins into a modern home that exudes all the charm of the old building and intimately engages with its natural setting.



The Isle of Coll is in the Hebrides Scotland, an under-populated, incredibly unique natural place. The ruin known as the “White House” had once been one of the grandest houses on the island. Even though it had been abandoned for over 150 years, William Tunnell’s clients fell in love with the whole thing, ruins and all, but at the same time they wanted a contemporary home for a family with three children.





So, the architect not only built a new house using recycled materials from the site, he even incorporated the ruins into his project.





One side of the new H-shaped house is slotted into the old, limestone ruins, looking onto its dramatic roofless courtyard and even keeping the cracks in the walls. The bar in the H-plan has been turned into a glass-walled living area with incredible ocean views, connecting with the new wing.



Recycled rubble from the original house was used in this part, and the treated timber exterior was stained black, referencing the tar roofs of the local fishermen’s cottages.



The end result is a house that blends ever-so-gently into its spectacularly fine natural surroundings. The attentive use of materials ensures that the project is contiguous with the history of the site, which has now been injected with new life – thanks to the far-sighted clients.

Project: William Tunnell Architecture, http://www.wtarchitecture.com
Location: Isle of Coll, Scotland, UK
Year: 2010
Photography: © Andrew Lee
Link: http://www.floornature.com/blog/riba-national-award-2012-glenariffe-house-mcgarry-moon--8308/