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When Angela and Andrew Eggerton decided to create a bespoke new home in their native Aberdeenshire, the process wasn’t without its moments of drama. From purchasing the site remotely from Canada, to Covid hitting halfway through the build – there were some stressful times. But, thankfully, the development side of the project was an altogether drama-free experience. This was shaped by a close relationship with the architect (Angela’s brother), as well as a top build team that navigated through the pandemic, and a quantity surveyor that helped the couple come in under budget.
The project was kickstarted when Angela and Andrew, who were based in Canada at the time, received a call from Angela’s brother Eoghain Fiddes of locally-based Fiddes Architects. “A plot became available through former clients – they had bought the site, but decided not to build on it,” says Eoghain. “They gave me first refusal on the land, and as serendipity would have it my sister was looking for somewhere to build at the same time.”
“The site was perfect,” continues Angela. “We were hankering to come home and when Eoghain sent us photos, and indicated that gaining planning would be possible, we made a decision based on that. We knew the area, plus we felt we were in a position to take on the project financially. We just went for it.”
There was a derelict cottage on the site, which is surrounded by other residential properties to the east and south. The plot benefits from an outlook over a field to the west and a small patch of woodland to the north. From the outset, the plan was to clear the site and build an entirely new home based around the couple’s requirements, and those of their three children. It would be set directly on top of the footprint of the pre-existing property.
The knock down and rebuild project replaces a derelict dwelling; the style and efficiency of the new home far exceeded the planners requirements. The family considered the landscaping early on, and organised the levels, paths, patio and decking from the outset
In terms of their design brief, the couple had previously lived in Norway and this experience influenced their main ideas. “We loved our Nordic house – it was very bright and open plan, with wooden floors and a heat pump. Overall that was what we wanted and that’s where we got our inspiration,” says Angela.
“Our initial thoughts were that we definitely wanted an open-plan kitchen area. But it shouldn’t be completely uninterrupted. We wanted the feel of a free-flowing house, but with the ability to close things off and separate the rooms. So we had the idea for pocket doors between the kitchen and living zones. Andrew has been working from home and it works perfectly.”
The Eggertons desire for a cool and sleek home was heavily influenced by Nordic design and architecture
The couple’s priority was for a family dwelling, but with their own separate spaces. “We discussed where we would like our bedrooms, for example our eldest son has his room downstairs – this helped to free up additional space upstairs and he really enjoys the independence,” says Angela.
When Eoghain came back with layout options, the design then gradually evolved for a moderately-sized family house. This included a semi-detached double garage, with access provided by means of an existing driveway. The drive offers hardstanding to the south of the site, with the principal elevations to the south and west. This means that the Eggertons can take advantage of solar gain and also views of the garden.
The exterior features a mix of timber cladding and fibre cement slate tiles for a clean aesthetic
A simple linear, L-shaped plan provides the necessary accommodation and living space in relation to the site’s aspect, whilst keeping the building footprint to a minimum and allowing for a natural secluded area to be formed in the garden (to the south). Careful consideration was also given to how the building should look and sit on the site. As a result, it is split into a group of three one-and two-storey structures.
The two-storey main body of the house, running east to west with a 40° roof pitch and roof windows, makes up the primary accommodation and living spaces. A secondary building element – the single storey open-plan living area – protrudes from the south west corner, taking advantage of the afternoon and evening sun, thanks to the large glazed features. To the east side of the building there is a double garage that can’t be accessed from within the house, but instead via a pedestrian access door to the rear, and an electronic roller door to the front.
The family says the kitchen is their favourite area of the house. The open-plan zone comprises the kitchen, dining and a small sitting area – ideal for family time
The Eggertons were keen on a simple and contemporary look, along with a natural colour palette. This influenced the materials, according to Eoghain. “The family was keen on a clean design with neat junctions between the roof and walls and concealed gutters,” he says. “So, this was behind the idea of the fibre cement slate used on the roof, which continues down and forms the cladding. It’s both a cost-effective and low-maintenance material. The slaters had never installed it on walls before and were pretty excited by it.” Elsewhere a white silicone render system has been used on the main gables and garage, with larch timber cladding featuring on the wedge-shaped, single-storey open-plan living area.
Closer look Mixing internal finishes
The Eggertons’ choice of materials has created a complementary colour palette for their new home. Different products were purposefully used to emphasise the individual elements of the design. The living area is clad in larch, which will be left to silver naturally, with minimalist junction details. Apart from the sustainable benefits, larch cladding was chosen in direct response to the site context, and to help the building sit respectfully on the site. For the roof and two-storey section, Marley Eternit Thrutone fibre cement roof and facade slates were chosen with lead flashings.
These were selected to offer a modern interpretation of the local vernacular, and they’ve adopted the traditional Scottish detailing of simple clipped eaves. Finally, the StoSilco silicone render system was chosen to give the appearance of traditional white wet dash cement, but with modern-day benefits. StoSilco offers high levels of water repellence, which is the ideal finish for exposed environments as it gives protection against weathering, cracking, damp and staining.
The final design sailed through planning. Following the tender process the main contractor, who had worked on previous projects with Fiddes Architects, went on site in late 2019. By this time the Eggertons were living nearby in Aberdeenshire, with the intention of supervising the build. This initially went to plan, with demolition of the derelict house followed by the foundations and installation of the 140mm timber kit. After eight weeks the building was wind and watertight – and then the pandemic hit.
The staircase is a striking architectural detail. The crisp angles and mixture of white plaster and warm timber give a stunning effect
As a result the schedule was knocked out of kilter, with the nine-month contract delayed by around three months. “We had sold our own house, so we had a date we had to move into the new property. Then work had to stop and we had a half-built house,” says Angela. “Thankfully it was all fine in the end. When the contractors started again they really went for it. Eoghain encouraged us to stick with the decisions we made, which meant that there were no further delays. We occasionally checked in with the quantity surveyor to make sure that we stayed on budget.
Pocket doors have been used to great effect through the house. They section off the living room from the open-plan zone downstairs
“This can be difficult sometimes,” continues Angela. “You can get carried away when you are looking at things like kitchens and bathrooms. We upped the spec and went over budget with the kitchen, but made savings in the bathrooms. The kitchen we felt was important and the bathrooms less so. We made savings by going for aqua shower panels, which worked out cheaper as the builders were able to put the panels on the wall. The result looks like tiles, but we didn’t need a specialist tiler. It’s a lot easier to keep clean and we actually prefer the effect as it looks so good.”
In addition to the crisp clean finishes and functionality, the house also performs optimally in terms of its energy efficiency. The building has an insulating envelope with a high level of detailing that reduces heat loss and cold bridging, whilst increasing airtightness, which in turn limits the reliance on the heating system.
Glazed doors that wrap around the corner of the room, coupled with rooflights, ensure the area is flooded with natural light
The main living areas also benefit from natural light from the south and west, increasing the potential for solar gain through the Nordan Alutech windows, which feature throughout. The couple selected a water-based underfloor heating system, as well as a Samsung air source heat pump and hot water system – plus they ensured Ethernet wiring was installed across the whole downstairs to deliver reliable network and internet connectivity. “The air source heat pump is fantastic and we keep the house at a continuous temperature. The kitchen patio in the summer is also an amazing sun trap,” says Angela.
With futureproofing in mind, there are points on the roof where solar electric panels can be fixed should the family feel that they need these in future. But at the moment it’s all about enjoying their new home. “It all comes down to budget and there are options, such as converting the garage loft space into a craft and art room for me one day,” says Angela. “But we have no immediate plans as we’re just loving our new home as it is. We’re all just happy with what we’ve got.”
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