Ambrismore, Mount Stuart Trust
Key Facts
Client
Mount Stuart Trust
Location
Ambrismore, Isle of Bute, Argyll and Bute, PA20 0QA
Value
£1,460,000
Internal Floor Area
510m2
Completion
March 2017
A new model of sustainable rural living
Project Info
Ambrismore aims to re-establish a cluster of rural homes through the remodelling of a disused farm steading in an arrangement following the historic ‘fermtoun’ model. Acting as a catalyst, the existing byre informs the scale, mass and orientation of the other three new build ‘prototype‘ dwellings. The new dwellings are offered as short assured tenancies with the aim of providing quality affordable housing for local island residents. The existing byre and prototype buildings are both highly insulated and are heated by a shared woodchip biomass boiler augmented with wood burning stoves. The future intention is to source biomass fuel from the Bute sawmill waste products to keep all resources on-island.
Through a mixture of new build and adaptive re-use of existing buildings, Ambrismore has created a new interpretation of the historic fermtoun model.
Ambrismore is an exciting prototype for small scale rural development; creating high quality, efficient, environmentally friendly accommodation set within the stunning landscape of the west coast of the Isle of Bute.
One of a number of projects which stemmed from the Mount Stuart Trust Masterplan which was carried out by Page\Park in 2008. This study appraised the estate’s redundant building stock and created a phased vision for its future reuse.
Selected Awards
Saltire Housing Design Awards 2017 – Shortlisted