House with a view This unique self-build townhouse has a fantastic outlook
A sloping plot brought challenges
for the architect-owner of this contemporary townhouse, but also inspired a unique home for his family
With its huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking one of Scotland’s most beautiful canals, unique architecture and cosy interiors just right for family life, this house is the successful result of beautiful design, lessons learned and an eye to history. Designed by architect Adam Toleman, 51, of Arka Architects for his family – wife Therese, 52, and children, Anya, 20, and Peter, 16, – it fulfils all their desires perfectly. The project began four years ago, when Therese and Adam were looking to sell their previous home near Falkirk in Stirlingshire, which Adam had also designed and built. They wanted to move into Falkirk itself and initially looked at period properties. ‘We realised that taking on an old house was going to be costly,’ Adam reflects, ‘and having already built our own home, where everything was designed by us for us, we knew that this was the way forward again.’
The challenge was finding a good site that offered enough space to build an interesting property, and one that would suit all their needs. Therese and Adam spotted a suitable plot online that sat above Falkirk’s historic Union Canal and would give them fantastic open views. It already had planning permission for a two-storey house so the Tolemans snapped it up.
Having lived in one bespoke home, the couple had ideas about what had worked really well, and what could be improved upon. ‘When we had a family conference about what we wanted in the new house the main message seemed to be: “It has to be better than the last one!”,’ says Therese. ‘For instance, I’m very cold-blooded so I wanted it to feel warm and comfortable, and for the living room to have a cosy feel, as well as incorporating the great views.’
Its sloping site inspired Adam to design a four-bedroom, threestorey building, borrowing the idea from a townhouse project he’d recently completed. For his own home, Adam added in some new features, from the internal oak staircase that feels like a piece of sculpture to the tall windows with their oak shutters.
‘The stove in the living room was an essential component, as were the shutters to keep out the cold on winter nights,’ says Therese.
At just under 400 square metres, the site is also quite narrow, which suited the townhouse idea, and the unusual ‘stair tower’ on the side was inspired by castle architecture. ‘I enjoyed the challenge
of this vertical arrangement of space. I wanted random windows on the side elevation with the stair, like a castle, but the planners wanted a bit more order,’ Adam explains, ‘so I redesigned them, but kept them looking as irregular as I could.’
One of the most striking features of this house is the beautiful light and the flow of space. On the ground floor the hallway featuring the staircase is lit by windows and the skylight high above, while the dining/kitchen takes in the views. The living room is directly above on the first floor, which also has a void so you can look down to the dining area from the living room. Peter’s bedroom on the other side of the floor overlooks his den below. There’s also a study.
The couple’s bedroom is on the top floor and is split-level, with a raised seating area on the corner ‘like an eyrie,’ Adam says, offering the most spectacular views. The main family bathroom is also on this level along with Anya’s bedroom and the adjoining snug.
‘I wanted a division between the ‘eyrie’ and our bedroom so we could have the views on one side and privacy on the other,’ says Therese. ‘I’d seen a slatted room divider in Heal’s when I was on a trip to London and got Adam to
‘I absolutely love this house and keep thinking we were so lucky to get the plot,’
SAYS THERESE
design a version of it in ash for this space. I love having a quiet glass of wine up in the eyrie as the sun goes down.’
Adam and Therese hit an unforeseen problem when their previous house took much longer to sell than expected. ‘We had already got the site and planning permission but couldn’t start the build so, frustratingly, we lost that first year,’ Adam says. It wasn’t until
May 2014 that they were able to begin the construction.
The process was straightforward as Adam already knew the contractor, having worked with them on other projects, but the budget was an issue. ‘When we costed the basic timber frame and linings – all the fundamentals but
none of the bespoke detailing – we found we were already sitting high on the budget,’ he explains. Then there were expensive elements, such as the beautifully textured brick, which came from the Netherlands. The windows are triple-glazed by Rationel, and there's underfloor heating on the ground floor and radiators above, along with a woodburner in the living space. They also splashed out on Porcelanosa kitchen cabinetry, bathroom fittings and tiling, customised items including the staircase and extras such as the Tom Dixon pendants that cast a warm glow over the dining table. It meant borrowing an extra £50,000 but Adam felt it was worth it. ‘We’re planning to be here for a long time so we invested carefully,’ he says.
Today the couple agree that the living room is a highlight for them. ‘You can sit reading on your own by the fire or have all the family on the sofa and it feels right either way,’ Therese reflects. ‘It’s the heart of the home, and this space has really become the heart of the family. I absolutely love this house and think we were so lucky to find the plot and get planning for what we wanted to build here.’