The island is renown for its relentless wind so the existing house was nestled within windbreaks. We proposed a radical rewilding of pastures turning an agricultural ditch into wetland and planting new birch forests in the path of the wind. This enabled siting the new house at the centre of a ‘natural’ landscape off a walled orchard.

The landscape had long been altered by human activity, but our vision was to reintroduce natural elements and create a harmonious relationship between the house and the surrounding environment.
Our design focused on the stream that had been diverted into a ditch, releasing it to create a wetland habitat. The house was placed centrally within this rewilded landscape, with protective windbreaks of silver birch forests surrounding the property. The building’s placement and the materials used, such as dry-stone walls and mass plantings, created a landscape that felt both natural and carefully curated. The layout of the house, from its public to private spaces, reflected this balance, ultimately offering the owner a sanctuary at the heart of a thriving wildlife sanctuary.