The Hen House

This award winning house was commissioned by Nick and Kate in 2007. We were excited to experiment with new forms but had a small budget. We wanted to use simple robust materials both to withstand the climate and suit our pockets. We went to the architect, Alan Dickson, of Rural Design, with our own references to Arvo Alto’s Summer house, Corbusier’s Cabanon, Eames Case Study House No 8. Alan showed us some of his favourite contemporary buildings from Sweet Apple Architects, and modern Nordic projects. We found that our interest in the simple and unadorned coincided. From this, together with detailed consideration of the topography of the plot itself, a fruitful, fun, collaboration began that resulted in the form of the Hen House very quickly. The initial sketches together with the HenHouse model can be seen in the V&A Dundee. The interior furniture uses Nordic influenced designs, Robin Day sofa’s, use of plywood for stairs and fixtures, Jacobsen chairs.

The building immerses you in the elements, land and a quiet contemplation of the natural world. It sits within a sublime topography, a building that is peaceful and calm, a perfect restful retreat for two.
The house has been designed for low impact both in its energy and water usage. From a state of the art waterless toilet, (Simploo), to a super insulated envelope, it is comfortable whatever the weather and we will be connecting it soon to our solar panels and micro wind turbine to provide electricity powered by light and wind. This beautiful building has been recognised nationally and internationally, being awarded the Saltire Medal in 2010 and in 2018 becoming part of the permanent design collection at the V&A Dundee.