For Those Who Build
Megan and I met in our first year of studying architecture. We’ve worked together in University, in practice and in our own studio. We’ve lived in Dundee, in Rome for a short spell, and in Glasgow where we started Baillie Baillie. In 2020 we moved to Plockton, a small fishing village in the West Highlands, close to the Isle of Skye.
We’re building our own home, shaping our own way of living, and enjoying being able to help others do the same.
Before we set off for the Highlands, friends in Glasgow gave us a lovely old book to send us on our way – Little Things That Matter: for those who build, by Edwin Gunn - published in 1925. It’s a kind of source book of tips and details, helping others to navigate through the pitfalls of building, aided by those who’ve been tripped up there themselves. The author writes “every architect who strikes or avoids a ‘snag’ ought to open the matter to his fellows”. In the spirit of Edwin Gunn, we want to share our personal experiences of building, snags and all.
We’ve renovated two homes together, designed and built new homes for other people, but I suspect like a surprising number of architects, we’ve never actually lived in a house that we’ve designed and built ourselves. As well as looking forward to going through the same process that we guide our clients through, we’re also looking forward to reflecting on the journey, and using that knowledge to inform our process as a studio.
Our homes are where we spend much of our lives. Where we sleep, eat, socialise with family and friends, where we relax, and increasingly often, where we work. Our “corner of the world” as Gaston Bachelard put it. Building your own house is an opportunity to make a place that truly enriches the everyday. If you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity, it’s something worth doing well.
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This is the first journal entry of a series on our self-build process, and more will follow, but if you want to hear about what we’re up to in the meantime, or talk about your own project, you can get in touch anytime.
