New Buildings: Golf View Appts

Regional Award Entry for Moray

Golf View Apartments, Stotfield Road, Lossiemouth for Mr G Thomson

The possible development of a gap site along Stotfield Road presented many problems from the outset not least how to construct a building down a rock face in close proximity to neighbouring properties.

The accommodation brief was developed to maximise the potential of the stunning views over Moray Golf Club towards Stevenson’s Lighthouse and the Moray Firth horizon beyond.

A major design consideration was how to maintain the fairly domestic scale of the houses along Stotfield Road and yet accommodate the desire to have extensive balconies overlooking the golf course.

A brief for six two bedroomed flats with penthouse over was developed together with constructional considerations in forming the building hewn out of the rock face and adequately dealing with site levels to ensure access down to the lower garden area.

The structure of load bearing concrete block walls supporting intermediate concrete floors ensured high levels of sound insulation between the flats which together with good quality timber windows, patio doors and glazed screens ensured any external noise especially low flying jet aircraft from nearby RAF Lossiemouth was reduced as much as possible.

The powder coated galvanised steel structure along the balconies together with the balustrading provided a minimal visual intrusion along the balconies. This contempory appearance to the north contrasts from the more traditional treatment of the building along Stotfield Road. The general massing with a large hipped roof also ensured the property did not dominate the skyline when viewed across the golf course from Lossie beach.

The overall effect is however to provide a stunning contemporary addition to Lossiemouth’s seaward frontage.

Mon 1st Mar 2010