Our clients Alan and Liz Davidson wanted to move back to their home town of Stonehaven and sought our help to transform the former telephone repeater station at Amy Row in Cowie, Stonehaven into something that is simple, hinted towards an art deco style and had a curved design.

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"Our main aim was to preserve and enhance the existing building which was in a 1930s style (although not built until 1952). We wanted an Art Deco/Streamline Moderne theme in keeping with the original structure and also reflecting the nearby Art Deco outdoor swimming pool and the seaside location. The extension was to include a second storey and a large balcony taking advantage of the seaviews to the south. It was also to have some signature features – the curve around the dayroom, the moongates, the through-the-wall fire, the glass blocks and the staircase wrapped around the lift. The lift itself was part of the plan to “future-proof” the house for our old age. Sustainability was another consideration – hence, the rainwater harvesting system and the log-burning stove.

 

 

One of the things we thought we should mention (possibly as advice to anyone else who’s thinking of home-building) is the importance of using professionals. There were enough challenges anyway and they would have been so much worse if we had not had the expert help of a quantity surveyor, a structural engineer and, of course, the co-ordination and guidance from Norman at Roundhouse Architecture through the planning & building warrant system and through the construction phase on site. Our main contractor Gus (AW Cameron Joinery Ltd) worked together with Norman to include the features that we had specifically asked for, including the moon gates, through-the-wall fire and the glass bricks that have made the house unique: Norman with the design element, and Gus making it all happen. "

Alan & Liz Davidson

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The former telephone repeater station building was comprised of a main square block with two lesser height and smaller rectangular wings.  It was our clients vision to bring these elements together to create a unique family home.

 

It was a very interesting project for the team with some unusual features including a curved self-supporting staircase which wraps round the lift and a curved steel structure that forms the dayroom window and balcony.   There were also some  sliding glass moon gates which is something we don’t see every day.   The project brought about some very interesting design challenges which we thoroughly enjoyed working through.

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Once we had completed the detailed design work, the actual construction detail still had to be worked through.  The various challenging aspects of the project were handled one at a time on a collaborative basis including the clients,  the main contractor, supporting specialist contractors, and the structural engineer.  As a team we solved each problem and each element was designed and implemented on site to the clients satisfaction.

 

Whilst this was a complex project which posed many unexpected challenges, it serves a good example of what great team work can achieve.  We are naturally thrilled for our clients who are happy with their new home and we're thrilled to have been part of their design journey. 

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