R emote, heathery, craggy, coniferclumped Argyll sounds like an unlikely setting for a piece of highconcept architecture. But Hundred Acre Wood, a new house fully eight years in the making and referencing Scottish precedents from ancient brochs all the way to Charles Rennie Mackin tosh, has announced itself as a striking presence in the landscape.
Making a grand statement, however, was never the main point of this project, either for the architect or the client. “The house is autobiographical and was built around us and our needs as a family,” explains the owner. “We're in the fortunate position that we've done what's right for us rather than what might appeal to somebody else.”
The story of how Hundred Acre Wood came to be began 15 years ago when the owner spotted the plot for sale. “I was flicking through the 's Wednesday property supplement and saw an ad for a plot on Loch Awe,” he recalls. “My wife and I had always thought it would be lovely to have a house overlooking the sea. Of course, Loch Awe is not the sea, but we put in an offer anyway and it was accepted. We didn't have a burning desire to live in Argyll; it was very much the plot that sold itself to us rather than us going looking for it.”
