Trossachs retreat is just the tonic

Families of children with cancer enjoy the benefits of £2m campaign to build the Ripple Retreat

Renowned architect Zaha Hadid once said that architecture is about wellbeing, meaning that a great design can make life much better.

The Ripple Retreat, drawn up by Kettle Collective Architects, does just that.

It serves as a holiday home for families with children who have cancer and is the brainchild of It’s Good 2 Give, a small charity in Edinburgh that was founded by Lynne Mcnicoll.

It was established in 2010 to provide help for such families after being inspired by the young people she met while fundraising for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Mcnicoll and her husband, Ian, had a shared ambition to provide a calm environment where young cancer patients and their families can rest while receiving support away from the everyday challenges of living with the disease.

The lochside home became a reality thanks to £2 million in donations and support from businesses including John Dennis Construction, Cundall, Harley Haddow, Kitchens International, James Morrow, Walker Group, Spifox – and the generous guests at recent Scottish Property Awards.

The first visitors walked through its doors last May when the house was officially opened by TV host Lorraine

Tony Kettle’s design makes the most of the retreat’s setting on Loch Venachar. Kelly and broadcaster Grant Stott.

The retreat sits on the tranquil southern banks of Loch Venachar in the Trossachs National Park.

Its rippled roof appears to move from the water’s edge before turning back on itself to become the horizontal plane that wraps around the living space.

Storey-high walls of glass connect the inside of the building to the natural beauty that surrounds it and parents can look on as children play in the outdoor playing areas.

The three-bedroomed contemporary house, which took 18 months to construct, was designed with the serene location in mind after the land had been donated by David Ferguson and his family. The loch inspired the pigmento blue zinc roof which captures the changing light across the water and creates a relationship between the building and its site.

Attention to detail is apparent throughout the house as architect Tony Kettle, who is best known for designing the Falkirk Wheel, and his team were conscious of the fact that many children would be arriving at the retreat straight from hospital.

For that reason, the house has been designed to feel very much like home, with comforts such as toys, books games and activities, while remaining practical for all abilities.

The kitchen, which was designed by Kitchens International, is wheelchairuser friendly with adjustable worktops and in the bathroom, the carved wood handrails provide both added décor and support.

All three bedrooms are barrier-free and the single bedroom includes a wet room.

The retreat is available for patients up to 21 years old and can accommodate a maximum of five guests, with space for a baby in a cot.

Families can also benefit from the charity’s monthly workshops and parent pamper boxes, which have been designed for unexpected overnight hospital visits.

The house does not mark the end of a patient’s recovery, but it does give families space and time to relax and for children to enjoy playing outdoors. n