Ivy Cottage, Hightae
A contemporary rural attic conversion
This project transforms the underused loft of a traditional cottage
in Dumfries and Galloway into a bright en-suite bedroom with views over the surrounding countryside.
Although relatively spacious, the layout of Ivy Cottage
meant it had only one bedroom, which had put previous buyers off and left the house
empty and unloved for several years.
However, our clients, Norman and Angela, could see the possibilities
in the cramped, dusty attic, and after buying the cottage approached us to
explore how it might be converted into a second bedroom.
The key move was to introduce a long dormer window to the
rear elevation. This was a carefully judged intervention: large enough to unlock the potential of the attic but proportioned to avoid overwhelming the scale and simplicity of the original cottage. It also allowed us to retain the existing attic stair, integrating the new spaces into the house with minimal disruption.
Existing Attic
2/2 Proposed Section1/2 Existing Section
We worked closely with the structural engineer to develop a
timber truss system for the new attic structure. This allowed the
conversion to be designed without any steelwork, helping to reduce the project’s carbon
footprint, and make the construction more practical and cost-effective.
Internally, the structural timber is left exposed around the
windows to frame
the view beyond.
Externally the dormer sits comfortably in its setting; contemporary in character but deliberately restrained.
Black timber cladding and a shallow-pitched slate roof give it a crisp, minimal presence, whilst the white aluminium-clad timber windows provide a contrast and a subtle nod to the whitewashed walls of the original cottage.