This project was led by Andrew Brown of Brown + Brown Architects. The project brief was to design a religious building at Spital Burn in rural Aberdeenshire. The focus of this project was contextual design.

The design strategy was to use the ruins of the existing stone wall as a shell and drop in a more modern and sleek structure inside of it. The result was the design of a large black steeple shaped building that protruded from the ruins. This created a huge contract between the historic rubble wall and the sharp face of the new building.

The building was made from Glulam timber beams and columns and was super insulated before being clad in charred timber shingles on the gable ends and black corrugated metal sheet on the pitched faces. the charred timber gave the building a natural feel while still contrasting with the stone wall and landscape while the black corrugated metal sheet gave the building some presence in the landscape as well as protecting the building from rain and wind. To make this a religious chapel, a glass cross was placed on the south face of the building to allow a beam of light to shine through, this created a spiritual atmosphere inside which focuses your attention on the nothing but the cross.

The internal walls were finished in Birch Plywood with hidden fixings, and concealed lighting. This allowed the internal space to be much more refined and minimal, to focus your attention on the light shining through the cross.

I felt this building didn’t want to blend into the landscape or be hidden from the nearby road, I felt this building had to have stature and presence as it is a chapel in the middle of a rural landscape. It had to stand out and catch the eye of anyone who passed. I like how the building contrasts with the landscape as well as the ruins of the existing stone wall.

End of Year Show 2014 – Scott Sutherland School of Architecture.