Output details

New House at Carrick View, Netherley, Aberdeenshire (A View of the Landscape)

Research Question: Strategies for connecting existing houses to their gardens as amenity

Methodology: Through specific design; client consultation.

Like many of the old houses with gardens, this one in Rosemount, Aberdeen, has well composed-facades on to a front garden or street; public rooms are placed on this frontage, completing the design. At the back of these houses, however the gardens are frequently less well addressed by the rooms in the house, as they were often used for services such as wash-houses and coal stores, as well as the location of kitchens. The way out from the house into the garden is often surprisingly convoluted and certainly not generous, in some cases even difficult.

The work undertaken through EIGHTYSEVEN Architecture has aimed to study this problem in a number of projects in various locations, from Aberdeen to London. The design response usually involves the placing of an enlarged kitchen and dining area to the rear of the house, with generous new openings creating a direct connection with the garden. This results in better utilisation of the garden all year round, by accessing it easily, and simply as a visual backdrop to the interior-. What were often small, dark, unattractive and badly organised spaces become bright, airy and generous volumes that respond to modern family life.

Other research within this Research Theme (all Vila Domini and Wiedermann):

Johnstone Street, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire

Home Farm Cottage, Durris, Aberdeenshire

Cunningham Park, Harrow

Arduthie Road, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

New House, Cults, Aberdeen

Dissemination Method:

Lectures:

-EUSAS (Edinburgh University Student Architecture Society) Sept 2012;

-Scott Sutherland School of Architecture RGU, various times

Exhibitions:

-North East Open Studios (NEOS) Sept 2011

-North East Open Studios (NEOS) Sept 2012