Croft 3

The Client purchased a disused Croft in 2019 to expand her busy local restaurant, previously operating out of a home kitchen. The restaurant is a valued community resources, a fact borne out by the over 70 letters of support received for the planning application. The development sees the adaptive reuse of a dilapidated stone barn into a dining hall, with a timber extension housing foyer, kitchen and visitor facilities. Croft 3 is defined by two pitched volumes echoing the twin hills of Ulva, The contrasting gables of stone and timber take their cues from the local vernacular and offer strong profiles regardless of the direction of approach. Visitors approach from above, the long roofs of the building appearing below the sea and Ulva beyond. Descending, the landscape becomes hidden from view as the building is accessed via an intimate foyer. From there one turns into a tall, light hallway, before turning again, through a deep doorway into a grand dining-room with spectacular views. This sequence heightens the sense of space and connection to the landscape beyond by first disassociating visitors with the scale of the setting. The design targeted low embodied and operational carbon use. The existing structure has been restored using lime mortar and salvaged Basalt from the original structure. Overhead, a ceiling of pine rafters and plywood brings warmth to the tall, open space. Heavily insulated to reduce heat loss, the thick envelope is punctuated by existing and new openings. Windows and doors are set deep in the wall for the original apertures, preserving the appearance of punched openings, whilst new windows are flush with the external face to trace the form of the original building.