STUDIO
ILDSJEL

Located within the Morebattle Conservation Area in the Scottish Borders, this project transforms two semi-detached cottages and a detached eighteenth-century byre into a single family home.

Rather than extending the existing house, the design reimagines the relationship between the existing buildings. The original cottage will continue to provide quieter living and sleeping accommodation, while the former byre will become the heart of the home, housing a generous kitchen, dining and family space that reconnects the buildings with the garden.

The project is guided by a philosophy of repair before replacement. Existing stone walls are being carefully retained and repaired using traditional materials, while new interventions are deliberately simple, robust and contemporary. A corrugated metal roof reflects the byre's agricultural origins without attempting to imitate the historic fabric, allowing old and new to be read as distinct but complementary elements.

Alongside conserving the character of the buildings, the project demonstrates how traditional rural architecture can be adapted for modern family life through sensitive retrofit. Improvements to the thermal performance of the building fabric, together with carefully considered spatial planning, aim to create a comfortable and energy-efficient home while preserving the qualities that give the buildings their enduring character.

The project reflects Studio Ildsjel’s wider approach to working with historic buildings: creating contemporary homes that respect existing fabric, embrace the character of older buildings and allow them to continue evolving for future generations.

Construction is currently underway, with the first phase focusing on the refurbishment and retrofit of the existing cottage before work begins on the conversion of the historic byre.