Extension in Fochabers, Moray

Kitchen/dining extension to an attractive stone-built cottage in a conservation area in the centre of the Morayshire village of Fochabers.

This project is a kitchen/dining extension to an attractive stone-built cottage in a conservation area in the centre of the Morayshire village of Fochabers.

Work to the existing property included a new contemporary style bathroom on the ground floor and an enlarged master bedroom on the first floor (incorporating space occupied by the old bathroom).

The extension is clad in vertical fine sawn board-on-board Western Red Cedar which was left untreated. The cladding was carefully set out to avoid any cut boards beside the window openings. The windows and doors are douglas fir which was finished with a modern microporous product to offer long-lasting protection while being a good colour match for the timber in its untreated state and allowing the grain to show through.

The extension roof is natural slate in a staggered pattern frequently seen on the roofs of distilleries and agricultural buildings in the area. The gutters are concealed at the wallhead behind the cladding. The kitchen/dining is open up to the apex of the roof (a height of 4.3m at the centre) and this, together with irregularly placed south-facing rooflights, creates a generous light-filled space.

The end wall has large bi-folding doors and the line of the gable is set at an angle to the rest of the house to create a small sheltered decked area which affords some privacy from the busy Aberdeen to Inverness road and nearby bus-stop. Irregularly placed slot windows permit intriguing glimpses of the interior without opening the clients to unwelcome scrutiny.

The extension is highly insulated with 200mm in the roof and 160mm in the walls. Taking account of solar gain and heat generated naturally by cooking in the kitchen it is anticipated that little or no heating will be required in the extension, although two small radiators were installed as a backup.

A new front door was built in the existing stonework with dressed stone features and historical detailing so that the doorway integrates well with the original cottage and looks like an original part of the property.