Dunmore Villa stands quite literally on the shoreline of West Loch, on the northern edge of Knapdale within the scenic beauty of the Kintyre Peninsula.

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The original dwelling was constructed in the 1960s and has suffered the consequences of being in such an exposed location. Nicholson Nairn were tasked with the objective to upgrade the thermal and weather resistance of the building but crucially to remodel what was a monstrous carbuncle within such a sensitive setting. Detailed negotiations with the Local Planning Authority resulted in acceptance of a truly contemporary building.

 

The existing structure was retained but felt roofs and concrete tiles were replaced with profiled zinc. Walls were externally insulated and clad in a treated larch cladding with contrasting local stone and zinc panels. What had been an underused external paved area was enclosed with a fully glazed atrium that now creates the dining area and kitchen as a heart to building. Photo-voltaics and high efficiency wood-burning technology, in addition to the massive upgrade of thermal resistance of the fabric, bring Dunmore Villa into the 21st Century.