Architecture Practice, BAILTEAN AILTEIREACHD ’S RÙM DÀNACH:
TOWNSHIPS, ARCHITECTURE & The ROOM of POETICS

BERNERAY MANSE

Context

The former manse at Ruisgearraidh, on the Island of Berneray is one of the Telford parliamentary manses situated throughout Scotland.   The Berneray manse, category B listed, was built in c. 1829 and is a classic example of the standard two story type.

Building on our work at nearby Trumaisgearraidh, we have been commissioned to assist with renovation plans to bring the building back into habitable use as well as adapting the house sympathetically to reflect the needs of modern domestic life. 

Architecture
Ruairidh Moir – Architect
Gordon McGregor – Architect
Murray Morrant – Architectural Assistant

Location
Ruisgearraidh, Isle of Berneray, Scotland

Allocation Date
2021

Client
Casey McIntyre & Ashleigh Forster

Status
Planning

The Telford two storey manse type is very simple in it’s articulation and is handsomely proportioned.   A simple dual pitch roof minimizes need for valleys or cuts in slate.  The plan form is arranged somewhat symmetrically, with the single story porch to one side to form the main entrance, keeping a parlour room nearby presumably for quick access for visitors and the parish flock. 

The rear of the plan featured a single story wing hosting byres, coal sheds and other subsidiary accommodation.  These low lying wings were interrupted centrally by a raised staircase roof, breaking the form of this wing.  While the main elevation may be considered as functionalist, and perhaps austere the rear elevation is far more lively and varied.  Looking at the built remains across Scotland of the type, it is fair to conclude that the rear and side elevations were less strictly dictated and controlled, and allowed for minor variations to the type particularly to the single story elements to the side and rear.   

Reconfigurations

In the case of the Berneray Parliamentary Manse, the rear wings were clipped off in the 1960’s. As a result, our proposed approach allows for a dialogue with the geometric roots of the original building in a unique meaningful way.

Technical

The proposals can be categorised under conservation and restoration principles, as well as adaption of historic buildings. We are taking a careful approach to built fabric which remains, such as moulded cornices and other elements of built fabric will be protected as far as possible, and replicated when practical to do so and where it will not be confused with original fabric.

Diagrams

Pre-Construction

COMUNN EACHDRAIDH NIS
Reinvigorating a civic Building by transforming the 1878 former Cross School buildings on the Isle of Lewis into a modern museum facility.

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CRUACHAN BEAG
Reinhabiting a ruin. On the Isle of Eriskay, a two-celled stone bothy lain in a ruinous state situated on a spectacular promontory, was a favourite for onlookers to photograph. This structure was formerly a home, and may later have become a dairy shed. What was clear, however, was that numerous adaptations had been made over time to the building.

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EDINBURGH TOWNHOUSE
Our design proposes modifications to the kitchen and dining areas of the property to the rear garden, examining the property holistically in relation to the building character and function.

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A VESSEL OF CHRONICLES AND VOYAGES
We propose a building as a campus, placed on the shore line and creating a kind of landscape that evokes the qualities of this place.  Large blocks are anchored against sheltering walls, like ships come into harbour. We propose a dynamic and exploratory building, blending historical narrative with a forward-thinking approach. The vessel navigates through time, filled with chronicles and opportunities for new voyages.    

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BERNERAY MANSE
Building on our work at nearby Trumaisgearraidh, we have been commissioned to assist with renovation plans to bring the building back into habitable use as well as adapting the house sympathetically to reflect the needs of modern domestic life. 

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QUEENS CROSS CHURCH
Queens Cross Church is a Grade A listed building, designed by the renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It no longer serves its function of a church, however continues to be used as a base for the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.

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COMANN EACHDRAIDH SGÌRE A' BHAC
The site of the former school in the district of Back, Isle of Lewis, has been a vacant wound in the area ever since the school buildings were removed.  It is a site of emotional connection and historical association, with many having either being educated there or being related to those who were.

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CARLOWAY MILL - Proposals for a Harris Tweed Textile Mill in the Outer Hebrides. The Carloway Mill produces its own yarns and patterns before the beams are sent out to crofters to weave on traditional looms. Following this, the woven textile returns to the mill for meticulous checking, washing, steaming and warping.

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GALLAN HEAD MASTERPLAN
During the cold war the MOD took the headland into their possession to establish a major surveillance including accommodation for around 200 people. This headland and the buildings associated, remained in military control until 2010. The Gallan head community trust has since taken possession of this headland buildings.

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IONAD EILEAN NA H-ÒIGE
The location that inspired Whisky Galore and the site of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s first Scottish landfall, the Isle of Eriskay has an incredibly rich and eclectic history. Affectionately known as ‘Eilean h- Òige’ (the isle of youth), Eriskay was only first populated after the Highland Clearances and has a relatively short history of inhabitants, but a history that could rival any of its neighbours.

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ARTISTS STUDIO
PLACING LIGHT ATOP THE HILL
Across the Outer Hebrides, patterns of former habitations punctuate the landscape. In the case of Lemreway, a remarkable collection of blackhouses sit elevated above the new village, quite forgotten despite their prominent position overlooking the village.

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LOBSTER HOUSE. Positioning a new home on a narrow ledge between bedrock and a blackhouse ruin. What to do on a challenging site to amplify the found qualities of the place.

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CROWNING THE CITY - “Rock, Water, Wood and Space” symbolises the natural environment of Finland. The nodes in the landscape is imbued with history and traces of past existences which can be read and understood when presented. Much like a fine Malt Whisky, the landscape provides ingredients for multiple interpretations and close associations between people and their environment.

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WINDYHILL. Building on Mackintosh - Windyhill was the first prototype house from world renowned Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and is his last remaining project still used for its own original purpose.

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HOUSE FOR AN ARCHAEOLOGIST - Building in and of the land. We have also taken cues from extensive analysis of key archaeological sites in the locality, such as Skara Brae and Maeshowe in relation to composition of geometry as well as key drivers and components in relation to the arrangement of domestic life.

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