ecclesmains: an exclusive housing development of five houses in the Scottish borders

The main aim of this exclusive development of five houses is to strengthen the identity of Eccles as a settlement and to integrate the built form and the urban space to create a memorable and enjoyable place that is a strong positive experience.

The site for the development is in a key location within the village and forms an L shape around the remaining farm steadings. The design concept is to place four of the houses around a courtyard, similar in scale to the existing steadings, with the fifth house placed as a continuation of the building line on the main street. The new courtyard is linked to the main street via a smaller court and a pedestrian vennel. The layout has been arranged so that the vistas in the vennel and the courtyard are closed by the village hall to the south and the new houses to the north, to create an intimate pedestrian environment with sympathetic hard and soft landscaping and boundary walls, and parking spaces with the option of private garages.

The built form of the houses is derived from the traditional two storey Scots house with a traditional pitched roof. A single storey living wing abuts the body of the main house, forming an L shape plan, and enjoys an open pitched roof and top lighting. Chimneys on gables are a recurrent motif.

The houses have three bedrooms on the upper floor, two of which have ensuite bathrooms, and there is an additional bedroom on the ground floor which can double as a study within a discrete area of the house.

Finishes generally are to a high standard and sustainability is a key philosophy of the development. Each house enjoys a large garden to the rear.