Gullane House, East Lothian

A Timber Extension near the Beach

This modest project improves a terraced bungalow in Gullane with a contemporary timber extension and a reconfigured layout.

Our client bought the property in this location to connect with the outdoors and be close to the sea, but she needed more space and wanted a layout better suited to her lifestyle.

The challenge was to improve the house with a modest budget, so we started by looking at its existing qualities and deciding what we wanted to keep.

The living spaces worked well, the lounge was sunny and spacious and the kitchen had been recently fitted out to a high standard by the previous owner. We therefore left these rooms relatively untouched and located the extension on the rear elevation, completing a sequence of living spaces that connect the front and rear of the house.

1/2 Existing Plan

2/2 Proposed Plan

Within the new dining space a strip of timber windows wraps around the corner, providing a generous outlook to the garden and views of the changing East Lothian sky. The timber ceiling structure is left exposed to express how the space is made, and built-in bench seating focuses the room around the table. Glazed double doors provide direct access to the garden and bring in afternoon sunlight from the west.

On many projects the aspiration is to create a bigger, more open space but here it was clear that several smaller spaces within the extension would work harder.

Along with the dining space, the extension also includes a practical area for storing coats and shoes, and an en-suite to the master bedroom with access to the outdoor shower, which was a key client requirement from the outset.

To facilitate access to the en-suite/outdoor shower we switched the bedrooms around so that the master bedroom, with a generous new east facing window, is now at the rear.

Externally, the extension is grounded by a solid brick basecourse, with the timber cladding above chosen to sit comfortably within the garden setting. The roof ties in with the eaves of the existing house and then pitches up toward the garden, a small adjustment in section that increases the sense of space internally and reinforces the outward focus of the plan.

The extension is constructed in timber frame with wood-wool insulation in the walls, a straightforward construction approach that reduces embodied carbon while improving the overall environmental performance of the building.

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Project Details

Location - Gullane, East Lothian
Status - Completed September 2025
Contractor - Platinum Property Services
Structural Engineer - NStructural
Photography - Tom Manley Photography

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0131 258 3228
mail@neilmiddletonarchitects.co.uk

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