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

IONAD EilEAn na h-ÒiGE

Context

Comann Eachdraidh Èirisgeidh (Eriskay Historical Society, CEE) was formed in 2010 by members of the Eriskay community to “identify, collect, preserve and display documents, artefacts, photographs, genealogy and other materials of historical value to both the Eriskay community and visitors”. Their biggest project to date, CEE has strived to save the school from further disrepair and along with BARD has developed proposals to reinvigorate the site with a variety of new functions, bringing it back into community use.

Architecture
Ruairidh Moir – Architect
Gordon McGregor - Architect
Andrew Lang –
Murray Morrant -
Ciaran Gallagher -
Charles Tulley – Architectural Assistants

Location
Isle of Eriskay, Scotland

Allocation
2022

Client
Comann Eachdraidh Eirisgeidh (CEE)

Status
Construction

Award
Scottish Design Awards 2022: Future Building Or Project (Finalist)

Award
Scottish Design Awards 2022: Future Building Or Project (Finalist)
BE-ST Awards 2023 - Just Transition Award (Winner)

The North-South extension which links the former schoolhouse to the ‘Horsa’ is deliberately kept long and low to remain subservient to the school building. The roofs are formed by a shallow pitch which rises along its length, following the topography. Floor levels rise gradually to do the same via a series of ramps, dealing with the level difference between the ‘Horsa’ and schoolhouse. Above the gathering and temporary exhibition rooms Heat Absorbing Light Shafts (HALS) give the building its distinctive punctuation on the roofscape, bringing light into the depths of the floor plan whilst also converting solar gain to hot water to be distributed to other areas of the building as a sustainable energy source.

The material palette throughout has been refined and restricted to bring all new constructions to a cohesive legibility. The materials are typical for the rural landscape though have been consciously deployed in an atypical manner. White painted concrete soap-blocks form the new walls whilst the roof is of sinusoidal fibre cement sheeting. These materials harmonise with the original core building whilst articulating their distinctiveness through detail.

Proposal

The focus of the scheme is the new museum and heritage spaces which will be based in the original school building. These will display the rich history of the island and its people within spaces many of its visitors will hold memories of. Where extensions are required these have been designed contemporary in their language yet congruous with their context. Familiar forms of pitched roofs and masonry walls ensure new buildings tie in with the fabric of the immediate site and wider island vernacular. A multitude of functions for islanders and visitors alike will populate the rest of the site with the society aiming to host various classes and events and overnight accommodation available in the well-being suites.

Process

Pre Construction

Presentation models built during design development for community consultations and update events.

Process

The Community Consultation and Update event in Eriskay where the public were shown the progress on site to date, as well as the efforts going on to bring the project to fruition

Technical

The existing school building will be significantly thermally improved with a full new insulation envelope specified in conjunction with Ecological Building Systems, meeting as close as is possible to EnerPHit standards (Passive House for refurbishment). Where there are new constructions these have been designed with high levels of insulation, beyond what is currently required by building standards, with a view to improving environmental efficiency and in turn economic sustainability by reducing running costs. These build ups are designed to be breathable to improve air quality whilst petrochemical based materials have been consciously avoided in favour of more sustainable alternatives. Renewable energy sources have been planned, with the inclusion of heat pumps and photovoltaic panels providing for space heating and hot water distribution.

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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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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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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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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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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