New Scottish House
Grand Designs magazine Jan 2008 edition features return visit to the Leijser House. The house was offered for sale by Savills for offers over £575k
Leijser House images by Keith Hunter from Studio KAP 16 Oct 2008
A Dutch/Scottish couple with two children recently returned from many years in Africa bought a beautiful sloping site with long views towards the Campsie Fells and required a contemporary, energy-saving 4 bedroom house which could support an informal lifestyle and maximise the changing Scottish daylight.
A two storey box on one storey plinth built into the hillside is arranged into mid-floor (entry level) accommodating family/social spaces; upper floor accommodating bedrooms, bathrooms and study overlooking the living area and lower floor accommodating guest bedroom, hobby room and storage. The double height living space is washed with daylight from a continuous roof light slot and is the spatial climax of the composition.
As featured on Channel 4 TV's Grand Designs programme Apr 2006
Leijser House in Balfron
The setting for this four-bedroomed house is a south-facing sloping site with long views towards the Campsie Fells and a tree-fringed northern backdrop. Adjacent buildings are Victorian stone houses (partly rendered) or 30 year old brick and render developer’s houses. The site overlooks the cottage identified as the birth place of Alexander Thompson.
The new house aligns itself with the neighbouring building line and overall height. It is arranged on 3 levels (conceived as 2 storeys on a plinth) to minimise cut and fill on the site. A partly covered terrace both signals the new entrance route on the eastern side and provides some privacy from the neighbouring property.
External materials are chosen for their quality in relation to this particular setting and to create (as far as is possible) a maintenance-free exterior, which would weather in a controlled and aesthetically pleasing manner.
Western-Red Cedar shakes make a conscious effort to sympathise with the leafy setting and are framed by smaller areas of concrete and render on the lower levels. The sloping roof is located behind a parapet wall and is not visible from the road, reducing both the visual bulk of the house and establishing the building as a simple wall elevation on the hill. Openings are carefully proportioned and window frames are in stained hardwood.
Photos of the Leijser house by Theo Leijser, from Studio KAP Apr 2006
Balfron house - image © adrian welch may 2006
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Balfron Buildings: page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt