BALERNO FARMHOUSE

Radical reinvention of a historical family farm near Edinburgh

This project forms part of vital succession planning for a historic family farm near Edinburgh. Addressing the lack of a suitable family home for one of two brothers through a radical reinvention and enlargement of a late-Victorian cottage on the farm land, much of our clients’ brief centred around dealing with the ebb and flow of daily farming life. Our design uses the original cottage as the contextual anchor around which a new range of extensions and outbuildings form a traditional three-sided farm courtyard. A sequence of generous arrival halls, boot rooms, drying rooms and utility spaces are cleverly organised. Our clients are determined that the architecture and construction of this project mirrors the ethos of the farm: locally sourced, zero-waste, ethical and healthy. All materials used must be healthy to human and planet alike, also fully reusable or recyclable at the end of their lifespans.