THAT DUALCHAS TOUCH
The awards, commissions and order books speak for themselves; so many people want to be a part of this remarkable Highland story
For more than two decades the team at Dualchas has created inspired Scottish architecture and their work has grown in stature and importance. The practice was founded in 1996 by twins Alasdair and Neil Stephen, who wanted to play their part in helping halt the population decline of the Highlands. Their inspiration to develop a modern interpretation of the traditional black house helped start a renaissance in Highland architecture. Today the list of awards Dualchas projects have won is impressive, as is the demand for the team’s skills and the properties created through their complementary company, HebHomes. The Dualchas touch is available to everyone, not just those who can afford the full architectural service. A Dualchas client, says director Rory Flyn, is looking to build something new and to give their home character and context within its landscape – tthey are looking for something unique; Heb Homes often a pre-designed option, that fit a variety of rural context. The practice also works on renovations with people who can see that existing buildings can create incredible homes. ‘Often dilapidated structures are important in their setting and worth the effort of renovation,’ he added. Dualchas’ work on the conversion of an old Telford church in the Highlands saw their design take into account its floodplain location by raising the floor to comply with regulations. In doing so it brought the floor to the base of the windows and helped prevent the ceiling height from being overbearing. From the outside the church looked as it always had but a unique home was created. The Dualchas offices are on Skye and HebHomes is in Glasgow with members of both teams working at each. As we head into the post-pandemic period, Rory Flyn can see many more people, like he and his colleagues, developing a degree of home and office flexibility. ‘Home offices are going to become very important and they are something we design into houses anyway; private space which can be used as an office,’ he said. The designs which have played their role in the cultural regeneration of the Highlands are just as popular in other parts of the UK with HebHomes selling to England, Wales and Ireland. The Dualchas story continues, constantly creating housing for the Highlands and moving into commercial and public buildings. The ethos stays the same: design excellence, sustainability through the chosen materials and technology and respect for the landscape, heritage and culture.