The Mill Residential Biggar, Scottish Borders The Mill sits amongst a collection of disused farm buildings that nestle into a steep hill over looking a valley in the Scottish Borders. The mill’s distinctive long form emerging out of the hillside gives it a striking yet exposed position on the site and supported an architectural solution contained within the original walls, which were consolidated and repaired using stone from the site and repointed with lime mortar. The roof and floors were beyond repair, so a new insulated timber building was slotted within the existing structure. The length and orientation of the original stone walls of the mill building allowed this new structure to push up above the top of the walls to form a largely glazed clerestory. The original front door is reused, entering into a boot room lined in larch. This opens on to a dining-hall with glimpses into the main living spaces beyond. Steps lead down a half level to the kitchen, which opens out to a wild garden space through large doors in an opening that originally allowed cart access. The main living space is half a level up from the dining-hall, with a new window pushed in to the thickness of the wall, acting as a viewing point for the valley below. An accessible bathroom, utility and bedroom are tucked in to the partially underground north end of the building. On the upper floor there are three bedrooms, two accessed from the west stair and one from the east stair, allowing a double height space between to give light below.
ARCHITECT WT ARCHITECTURE I CLIENT PRIVATE I STRUCTURAL ENGINEER DAVID NARRO ASSOCIATES I CONTRACTOR LAWRIE CONSTRUCTION LTD I QUANTITY SURVEYOR ROBERT L RIDDELL I PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW LEE
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