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Isle of Man House by Gort Scott
Gort Scott, a Hackney-based studio, has completed a house on the Isle of Man, UK, featuring rugged grey walls constructed from locally quarried stone. The two-storey building is situated within the grounds of a larger country estate and is designed to accommodate two separate apartments: a guesthouse on the upper floor and an au pair's residence on the ground floor. The roof, covered in grey slate, pitches upwards, forming an asymmetric gable at one end of the structure, which architect Jay Gort notes contributes to its striking silhouette against the landscape. This design allows the building to rise prominently from the site's high point, establishing a visual relationship with other notable features on the horizon.
The architectural approach prioritizes a harmonious integration with the surrounding environment and the existing estate. The upper-floor guesthouse is accessed via a concrete staircase and balcony that extends over a stone wall, connecting it to the main house. This design choice anticipates that guests will spend most of their time at the primary residence. Consequently, the garden and driveway are designated exclusively for the ground-floor apartment, ensuring privacy for its residents. The staircase, featuring stainless steel balustrades, serves as the sole entry point to the upper level.
Gort Scott specifically opted for regional materials and traditional construction methods, aligning with the expertise of local contractors. The external walls are built with a blockwork cavity and an outer face of 250-millimeter-thick Castle Town Stone, sourced from Pooil Vaaish quarry, located only a few miles from the site. This choice of material and technique reflects a commitment to local resources and craftsmanship. The dark, rough texture of the stonework is deliberately contrasted with crisp, pre-cast concrete window and door surrounds, which highlight the careful composition of openings on all sides of the building.
Inside, both apartments feature a simple, open-plan layout, comprising living and kitchen areas that lead to two double bedrooms and a bathroom. The upper guest apartment's entrance opens directly into the kitchen, which flows into a double-height living and dining space. This area benefits from natural light provided by a skylight and a large floor-to-ceiling window that offers access to a steel balcony facing the sea. The ground-floor au pair apartment's entrance leads into its living and kitchen area, providing views of neighboring fields, the estate grounds, and the sea. Glass entrance doors open onto a patio, which is sheltered by the balcony of the upper apartment.
The building's form is composed of three main parts: the central body of the house, a table-like terrace at the front, and an external stair at the rear. The terrace and stair are constructed from slender, exposed in-situ concrete with stainless steel balustrades, designed to appear as large, functional outdoor elements. These structural components are integrated into the external wall, with concrete supports flush against the stonework, creating a visual effect of concrete 'veins' within the stone walls. This detail is consistently applied, including to the wind post in the accompanying garage building. The tone and finish of the in-situ concrete were chosen to complement the pre-cast window surrounds, ensuring a cohesive aesthetic.
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