Strathisla is located in a residential setting within the Dee valley town of Banchory. The form, footprint, and elevations have all been designed to evoke a modern response to the surrounding street which holds numerous architectural styles and periods.
The main body of the house, running east / west with a 40 degree roof pitch, roof windows and dormers makes up the primary accommodation with a 1 & 3/4 storey massing. The garage and rear lounge create an additional wrap around form on the north east corner while the living room forms a gabled extrusion on the south face of the main body. The living area takes advantage of sunlight throughout the day thanks to a large glazed gable. This gable, along with other windows, allow light to penetrate deep into the plan throughout the year, particularly in the winter months when natural daylight is limited.
Materials are used to purposely break up the elevations and emphasise changes in use or projections from the main, white house facade. The large projections accommodating the garage and open plan living area are wrapped in Quartz Grey Zinc Standing Seam roofing and cladding which continues to wrap around the rear corner extrusion off the main building. Vertical larch cladding with mid grey vacuum coating is used to differentiate smaller projections from the main form. The principal entrance, dormers and the external wall to the rear lounge provide a contrasting break in materials between the extruded forms and the different purpose of the spaces within.
The whole building benefits from a factory-injected insulated timber frame with detailing that reduces heat loss & cold bridging whilst increasing air tightness, reducing the CO2 footprint and heating bills. The heating system, in conjunction with a Mechanical Ventilation & Heat Recovery unit will help reduce the energy requirements for this family home.
Office Administrator
Angela started working with the Fiddes Architects team in 2021 as office administrator.
Angela has an enthusiasm for home and interior design and has been on the other side of the table during her own Fiddes architects self-build project.
Outside of the office Angela enjoys walking, keeping fit and interior decorating.
Project Architect
Eddie became part of our team in 2019, bringing with him a wealth of experience garnered from diverse practices, spanning projects ranging from public sector housing to multimillion-pound private estate developments on the picturesque West Coast of Scotland.
Since his arrival at the practice, Eddie has played a vital role in the successful delivery of numerous conversion, extension, and new build projects. His dedication and commitment were further underscored by successfully qualifying as a chartered Architect in 2022.
A key member of the team Eddie assumes the role of lead Architect on several projects, where his penchant for problem-solving and passion for environmentally conscious design shine through.
Apart from raising a young family Eddie is fascinated by engines, cars and a big motor sports fan.
Associate Architect
Since joining Fiddes Architects in 2016 Finlay has helped grow the practice’s reputation and has been central to our journey in gaining a number of architectural awards. Finlay qualified as a chartered Architect in 2018 and has since honed his expertise assuming responsibility for their oversight from inception to fruition, spanning all phases of design and construction.
Finlay has experience in both the Public and Private Sectors of the Architectural and Construction industry and had a lead role in large scale housing regeneration projects, adaptation works, and private housing projects.
Finlay’s passion in architecture rests with simplistic, contemporary, design which maintains subtle links to the vernacular whether that be in building, landscape or cultural forms. Finlay believes that great design is manifested from attention to detail and working closely with clients and as a team.
In his downtime Finlay enjoys travelling, sports, D&D and gardening.
Director / Architect
Having served his time with two well-known Scottish Architect Practices in Glasgow, Eoghain also worked in New Zealand as a Project Architect before establishing Fiddes Architects in 2009 in his native home town Banchory.
With a building contractor as a father and being brought up on a building site it was little wonder that Eoghain knew from a very young age that he wanted to become an Architect. The knowledge gained in those formulative years where every home was a self-build gave Eoghain an excellent foundation in the hands-on side of building which he still draws on to this day.
Eoghain loves what he does and is passionate about all things design related with a strong focus on how things are put together. Responsible for developing the vision of the practice and coordinating the design of projects Eoghain works with a talented team of architects to deliver buildings that improve the life of our clients. Throughout the project process he is directly involved and is passionate about the detail, ensuring that we deliver buildings where the architectural vision has been carried through to completion.
Outside of work Eoghain loves the outdoors, especially camping trips around Scotland with his young family, keeping fit & playing music. At home small scale projects are always on the go,,,,,, building things is in his DNA.