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

Windyhill

Context

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. Part of the charm of the house in comparison to other remaining examples of his work is that it is a working home, a dwelling house. Completed in 1901, the house was pivotal in Mackintosh’s artistic and creative development.

Our first official project, BARD were commissioned by Windyhill’s proprietor to design a high quality garage structure adjacent to the building, replacing a c. 1980s car port. The process required careful observation and analysis of Mackintosh’s design intentions; leading later to our assistance in the restoration of a number of elements across the property inside and out.

Our design is an abstraction and continuation of the narratives of the site’s original author, choosing not to imitate Mackintosh’s artistic language but to respond to the concerns and advances of the present time.

Architecture
Ruairidh Moir – Architect
Ciaran Gallagher – Concrete, Glass
Nikitas Papadopoulos – Glass
Charles Tulley – Glass

Structural Engineer
Tom Hay (Pluton Engineering)

Location
Kilmacolm, Inverclyde, Scotland

Client
Private

Contractor
H&H Services

Status
Construction

Related Projects
Queen’s Cross Finial, Kilmacolm Coach House

Scope of work
Project specification, concept design, planning permission, detailed technical design, procurement, construction

Design and Narrative
The new garage references Mackintosh’s own hand and those from which he drew. His botanical study ‘Sea Pink, Holy Island’, where he labels ‘seed’, ‘bud’ and ‘flower’ adjacent to the various elements of the plant – completed the same time as the house in July 1901 – presents ideas similar to those which percolate Windyhill, serving as a relevant narrative from which to construct a contemporary architecture. The resultant structure is comprised of 3 main elements: a concrete basin, where ground and wall are one; articulated tapering steel stanchions which grow to support a plate steel roof; and hand-finished translucent glass which wraps around the perimeter, enclosing the construction in an atmosphere of trapped fog. The motor garage represents the established seed or bud, ahead of its future ‘bloom’.

Technical
The roof structure does not have visible bracing, and its main material is both its skin as well as structure being 6mm plate steel. The precast masonry elements were lifted into place by crane and installed in a single day. Followed by the steel tapering stanchions and enormous delta roof pieces which took just one further day for installation. This was made possible by meticulous drawing, model testing, constant dialogue with contractors, fabricators and structural engineer and by reviewing the prefabricated elements as they were being made.We are delighted with the result.

"It does not seek to announce its existence, more the opposite, it attempts  not to be there, to be silent. It promotes the theory of the unity of opposites,  being deliberately lightweight against the solid mass of Windyhill. Through the  use of ethereal transparent materials the proposals are dematerialised, where  a morphism will prevail, where a building of today will support a masterpiece  of yesterday. It will do this by being itself with no attempt to emulate or copy.  Architecture has always been concerned with new thinking, technological  discoveries and design innovation. I suggest that Charles Rennie Mackintosh  would support this.” – John Cunningham FRIAS

Process

Pre-Construction

The project spawned from the analysis and assessment of the existing conditions and narrative of the site.

Fabrication

The six tonne steel roof was prefabricated in two triangular sections by H&H Services in Maryport before being transported to site for installation.

Installation

Installation of the major structural elements was completed over two days: one day for precast walls, and one for the steel roof.

Glass

The glazing was designed as serious of rhythmic verticals encased in bronze and brass framing with the hand-painted kiln-fired pattern work taking its cues from glasswork elsewhere in Windyhill.

Doocot

Originally designed by Mackintosh, the doocut had been replaced with an out of proportion reconstruction which had fallen into disrepair. BARD undertook an analysis of Mackintosh drawings and original photographs for its restoration, leading later to similar restorative work at Mackintosh’s Queen’s Cross Church.

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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Leverhulme Community Hub
The proposal sought to update the original building while maintaining its original character. It transformed the space to serve new functions, preserving the structure for future generations from its former use as a school to a more versatile community space.

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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
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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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