Today we’re bringing details of the Machrimore Mill conversion at Southend on the Mull of Kintyre. This is the single finalist in the Conservation category so there is nothing to vote on. The panel of judges who will decide on the main awards of winners in each category will be charged with finding the right solution to the position of this finalist.
The winners of the public vote in the other 3 categories will receive Certificates awarded by For Argyll, media partner of Argyll’s Sustainable Design Forum in this initiative.
Now let’s take a close up view of the Conservation category finalist.
Machriemore Mill, Southend, Kintyre
The photographs above show, top, the restored upper level facade of the conversion; above, from the left, the ‘before shot’ of the full height facade, the ‘after’ shot of the same facade and a shot of the open plan main living area.
The citation for Machriemore Mill is:’This is the only submission in the Conservation category. It represents a conversion to a dwelling house from a derelict former oatmeal mill, lying unused since the 1960s and also a Category B listed building. Much of the reconstruction has employed reclaimed materials and the original waterwheel has bveen completely restored. The building is now insulated to a high standard and this, with the underfloor heating system, results in a low carbon footprint for the building’.
We’re curious about:
- the interior layout – it looks like it has 3 levels;
- the location of the restored waterwheel – it would be good to have a shot of that.
We like:
- the reclaimed materials used, some of which will have been required by category B listed status;
- the quality of re-pointing in the exterior stonework;
- the low carbon footprint achieved for the building;
- the lightness of the interior with white walls and light wood;
- the invitation of the flexible open plan living area.
What about you? What do you think of this finalist and do you have information to share on materials? Use the Comment box at the foot of this article.
Refresh your memory and VOTE
While you have no online vote in this category because there is only one finalist, you do, however, have a vote in each of the other 3 categories.
You don’t have to live in Argyll to vote so, whether or not you do, if you haven’t voted yet, refresh your memory on the finalists in each of the 3 voting categories by clicking on our coverage of each – linked below.
Sustainable Design Awards categories and finalists are:
- Small scale residential category (single houses to schemes up to 5 units)
- Large scale residential category
- New build non-residential category (public buildings)
You will also be interested in the initial article on Argyll’s new Sustainable Design Awards, on the Sustainable Design Forum whose initiative has launched them and in other articles on sustainable design projects – all in our archive of articles on sustainable design projects.
Then go VOTE at the Argyll Sustainable Design Forum’s online voting page. Closing date is 27th November.
The challenge
Between now and the end of the voting period, we will be publishing a series of articles related to buildings, design, materials, systems, and initiatives, including a look at a project for a sustainable community. By the time we get the judges decisions on the main awards winners and get the results of your online voting for the public’s winners, you will have a lot of information on this very interesting lifestyle and environmentally responsible subject.
it will be interesting to see how the judges’ decisions compare with yours.
And just to put our own neck on the line, we’ll identify our winners – and then we can all start arguing.
