HYDE + Hyde Architects have shared new renders of one of their latest projects – an off-grid home that will sit on the edge of a reservoir in rural North Ayrshire.
The project has already been granted planning permission and is now due to move onto its next phase.
With the homeowner looking to relocate from urban city life, Black Swan House has been designed as a place where she can embrace nature and enjoy the peace of a beautiful countryside setting.
Both the home’s design and name take inspiration from one of the practice’s first visits to the location, where they were struck by the gracefulness of the swans landing on the reservoir and gliding through the water. Sharing this same sense of precision and elegance, Hyde + Hyde explained that this reminded the client of childhood memories of folding traditional origami cranes with her grandmother.
Together, these observations and connections prompted the practice to explore how the swans’ grace could be captured by the home’s built form – to allow this to appear as though it too, had also just ‘landed’ on the water’s edge.
The practice used AI as an exploratory tool during early design stages to understand the swan’s anatomy and how it is able to land on and move through water. These learnings were translated into a series of abstract, symmetrical visual studies, which became a key touchstone throughout the design process – helping to shape both the emotional intent and architectural language of the house.
Hyde + Hyde added that this is expressed in the practice’s approach to the home’s form and structure, which sits parallel to the water’s edge and cantilevers lightly over the embankment, seemingly hovering above the water. Echoing the character of the site, where the reservoir – as a manmade addition – has become embedded into the natural landscape, the linear footprint of this one-storey home is also positioned to mirror a small, isolated island at the centre of the water and root the home in the setting.
Two cantilevered vertical timber screens stretch outwards towards the reservoir. Like the wings seen in origami cranes or the swans, these moveable screens are designed to shield the otherwise glazed facades to provide privacy and seclusion from a nearby highway and footpath.
The interior opens out into a floating open plan concept. Floor to ceiling glazing is introduced in the most used spaces, including the kitchen, living room and dining room.
In the warmer months, the glazed facades provide direct access to a covered wrap-around terrace.
To complement this openness, Hyde + Hyde arranged the home’s private uses into a series of more enclosed pockets that the homeowner can retreat into. Set either side of the entrance, these overlook the woodland and embankment at the front of the house for a greater sense of seclusion.
To enable Black Swan House to operate fully off-grid, sustainability has been integrated into every aspect of the design. The highly insulated building fabric is paired with a flat roof that utilises its surface area to harness solar energy through photovoltaic panels while skylights sit alongside the wider glazed facades to maximise daylight.
Renewable energy strategies will now be further developed to determine the most appropriate solutions for the site. This includes exploring ground source and water source heat exchange systems, as well as possible hydro-based energy opportunities associated with the adjacent reservoir or nearby watercourses.
Hyde + Hyde is architect and principal designer. The wider team includes KPA (structural engineer), Fairhurst (reservoir engineer), Huw Mellor (planning consultant), and Martin Jury (quantity surveyor).
