Aesthete

The Aesthete is a dwelling for art lovers inspired by the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh to form an appreciation for the romantic expression found in the joining of art, nature, and the built environment. A true image of an Aesthete is one that embodies a refined sensitivity toward the beauties of art and nature. The architectural Aesthete thus created focuses on the merging of various styles and organic design to embody the traditions of Scottish architecture in modernity.

Design Challenge

The Aesthete is a self-sustaining building with integrated systems that maintain its integrity and function throughout time. As the Aesthete strives to create solutions that satisfy the Architecture 2030 challenge, there are various symbiotic and multifunctional systems that provide life to the home. The house is situated on a sloped cliff, allowing easy water collection through a gutter system that surrounds the perimeter of the house, which is filtered and stored on site and feeds the heating system. The project also employs temporal materials such as stone or wood, that can withstand changes through time and weather. Using Scottish traditional materials such as the granite found in the site and local lumber, reducing the cost of construction, and supports local labor. The use of light wood frame structure matches the typical house design you find in Scotland, this material also helps to reduce carbon emissions by 40%. The house addresses passive survivability through the heating system of the hearths, designed around a central hearth, the center of the home, both physically and symbolically which is connected to the other two fire places in each bedroom and a fourth located in the gallery room, providing natural, hot water for the radiant floors and bathrooms without extraneous energy requirements.

Physical Context

As the Aesthete is located in the city of Kilmacolm, Scotland, the gallery room provides a center for community gathering to enjoy the art collected by the residents of the Aesthete. Visitors can access the gallery and other public areas of the property using the local trails adjacent to lake, providing lively activities and a great view from the Knappps Loch to the locals. The implementation of more woodland on site beyond the forestry to the South reintegrates ecological activity to the area. Having more areas of greenery allows local animals to create new habitats on the site, once lost by developments in the surrounding region. The open structure of the central tower provides a natural aviary for local birds nesting around Knapps Loch. The Aesthete itself is bermed into the cliff’s edge, providing natural heating to the home and an unobstructed view of the lake, creating a natural progression and integration of the natural and built environment.