Thomas Robinson Architects

Here in Scotland, we’ve seen an explosion of garden rooms and modernist extensions in recent years. These are built to house offices, studios, gyms and even swimming pools. Our desire for wellbeing and fitness, and homeworking for a better work-life balance has impacted architects positively.

These additions tend to be in a more modern style to the original home – a sleek sloped zinc roof, perhaps, and an expansive glazed front. Where modern meets traditional is an interesting place for an architect’s creativity to flourish. Marrying two styles can be wonderful when elements of each complement each other.

Take this stand-alone building, pictured, which was designed to be a swimming pool and gym alongside a Scottish country home with expansive grounds. Its contemporary appearance sits well among the trees where the greenery is reflected back in the windows, and the timber cladding nestles in harmony with the woodland around. Inside, the heated pool area is flooded with light. High-end polished-limestone flooring and sandstone walls give it a luxurious clean finish, with a cedar ceiling to soften the atmosphere and present the idea of being beneath trees in the forest.

Another area where these sleek modernist additions work well is in public spaces – a café added to a stately home or museum is an increasingly common one. It’s the architect’s job to make sure they don’t clash with any traditional styles in the area, and to marry up materials, lines and styles so that there is always cohesion between old and new.