Four rudimentary derelict buildings formerly occupied this site, too disparately scattered to evoke a sense of place. Instead, the new dwelling deliberately echoes the archetypal clachan arrangement in layout. A series of different scale buildings are grouped around an external courtyard to create a sense of arrival.

Set within Antrim Coast & Glens AONB, the design had to respond to the stunning Straidkilly landscape sloping towards the coast, whilst also negotiating the small settlement character of dwellings on its approach side.

In section, restrained single-storey pitched-roof forms greeting the arrival-courtyard stretch towards the steeper side of the site to gently overhang a stone plinth, reminiscent of a pre-existing ruin or suggestive of a rocky outcrop.

This shift in scale is navigated via a timber-clad entrance portico presenting onto a generous staircase, revealing the inverted plan. The social heart of the home is open-plan, abundantly glazed, availing of the magnificent views.

Materials are from the familial palette of the locale: re-used basalt stone from the demolished structures, crisp white render to contrast, Irish blue limestone lining external window reveals, and finely textured Ayan timber adding warmth.