August 15 2014

Chambers MacMillan Architects have followed up their award winning Ramp House with a design for wheelchair accessible cottages in Cupar, Fife, which has just broken ground.

The Rings is a fully accessible self-catering villa with eight wheelchair accessible bedrooms in a bid to target the ‘accessible tourism’ market. As one of only a handful of such facilities in the country to offer ceiling hoists it has been given a £165k Scottish Rural Development Grant.

It is the brainchild of farm owner Moira Henderson who will use her own training as a nurse to provide care to guests during their stays.

Architect Ian McMillan told Urban Realm: “We picked up the project last summer, when the previous designer failed to get planning and had the appeal turned down, whilst the project had been submitted for warrant.  To us it just didn't fit into the rural setting.  So we redesigned it from scratch. 

“As it was a greenfield and very prominent site, we integrated it into the landscape creating two folded hill-like forms with sedum roofs.  The plan shape also presents a narrow facade to the road, and open out to the south and the landscape.

“We also changed it from a 2 storey to a single storey building, which as well as making it more accessible, offered the client more flexibility in letting options and make good business sense. The two cottages can open up into one, or can be subdivided into 4 diifferent lets.  The whole building is category one accessible, including the kitchens.”

Currently out to tender the project is expected to begin construction in October for completion by summer 2015.

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