My design for a music retreat located on the banks of Loch Lomond is for the charity Sistema Scotland, who work with children from challenging backgrounds and aim to transform their lives through music. The scheme carefully integrates both the surrounding landscape and the client’s needs creating a private space away from the busy, neighbouring town centre of Balloch.
My project focusses on the aspect of retreat following the clients preference for somewhere the children can escape their normal city lives whilst also respecting the area of natural beauty the site is located in. Using the original topography and vegetation, already providing privacy to the site, three main spaces were created in the landscape all reflecting the function of the building nearest; an area to play, an area to circulate and an area to perform. This allows the landscape to be integrated with the design as well as strengthening the relationship between the residential building and the performance hall.
The residential block is alive with colours indicating the different spaces within making the building an easier and more exciting experience for the children. In order to strive for a low carbon design, locally sourced materials have been used in construction, as well as green roofs and a small body of water in between helping boost the microclimate and introduce natural cooling.