Eastgate, Denholm

Brief

Our clients, a retired couple, had recently downsized from a large family home in the Scottish Borders to a more manageable three-bedroom property. While the house was suited to their day-to-day needs and family gatherings, its internal arrangement felt cramped and fragmented, limiting both functionality and enjoyment of the generous rear garden.

The brief sought to rationalise the existing layout and create a more spacious, light-filled home centred around a new kitchen, dining and living space connected directly to the garden. An equally important aspiration was to future-proof the property by enabling comfortable single-level living, with accessible living, sleeping and sanitary accommodation all located on the ground floor. Improving energy efficiency and reducing long-term maintenance requirements were also key objectives of the project.

Proposals

Although structurally sound, the original house was fragmented and inward looking, with a series of poorly connected rooms and no meaningful connection to the garden. The design reworks the internal arrangement to create a clearer and more coherent sequence of spaces, improving circulation, functionality and access to natural light throughout the home. As part of this reorganisation, the former kitchen was reconfigured as a ground-floor bedroom, supporting the clients’ aspiration for long-term single-level living.

A compact central zone forms a spatial spine, containing storage, utility and sanitary functions. This arrangement establishes a clear progression through the house, connecting the formal dining room and library at the front to a new open-plan kitchen, dining and dayroom at the back.

Positioned to the rear, the extension forms the social heart of the home and strengthens the relationship between the interior and the garden. The dual-aspect space draws daylight deep into the plan and frames views of the surrounding landscape, creating a bright and welcoming environment throughout the day and across the seasons.

Expressed as a simple cubic form, the extension is defined by a careful balance of solid and void. A composition of rooflight, window and corner glazing is arranged to frame and face the garden, which extends diagonally from the house. This controlled arrangement modulates light and reinforces the dialogue between interior and landscape.

Clad in pre-weathered grey timber, the volume sits in quiet contrast to the existing building with the material selected for durability and its capacity to soften over time. The restrained form and precise openings lend clarity to the intervention.

Environmental performance is improved through the retention of the existing structure, targeted fabric upgrades and the replacement of the oil-fired boiler system with an air source heat pump.

The result is a coherent and adaptable home that supports the clients’ current lifestyle while providing the flexibility to meet their future needs. The formerly constrained plan has been transformed into a precise sequence of spaces, defined by natural light and a renewed connection to the garden.

Eastgate, Denholm

A contemporary garden extension and internal reorganisation that bring clarity, light and flexibility to an existing home, supporting long-term living and a closer relationship with the garden.

Project Team

McKay & Partners

Ainslie Contracting Ltd

David Barbour

Status

Completed

Brief

Proposals