Harmony House: A Dialogue Between Timber, Stone, and Light
Nestled within a secluded woodland site, Harmony House by Brown & Brown exemplifies a seamless fusion of natural materials and contemporary design.
Crafted from locally sourced stone and prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT), the home rises elegantly from the steep topography, presenting a carefully balanced composition of solidity and lightness.
Timber as a Defining Element
While the lower level is anchored by robust stonework, the upper storey expresses a lighter, more refined material language through its finely detailed timber fins and cladding. The Imbue timber cladding, coated in Teknos Silver Grey, was chosen to evoke the soft, silvery patina of naturally weathered wood, ensuring the home blends effortlessly into its wooded surroundings from day one. Over time, the coating allows the material to age gracefully, maintaining a timeless, understated appearance that resonates with the Scottish landscape.
Complementing this, the vertical fins are crafted from Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain, a laminated thermally modified Radiata Pine known for its exceptional stability and durability. Like the cladding, these fins feature a wire-brushed texture that accentuates the natural grain of the timber, adding tactile depth and visual warmth to the facade. The careful spacing of the fins creates a gentle rhythm, filtering light and offering subtle privacy without compromising the panoramic treetop views.
A Material Dialogue Between Warmth and Weight
The juxtaposition of locally quarried stone with thermally modified timber establishes a rich dialogue between permanence and delicacy. Inside, the exposed CLT panels extend this conversation, their natural tone and grain echoing the textures of the external timber. The result is a holistic material experience where every surface feels connected to the environment outside.
By finishing the Imbue cladding in Teknos Silver Grey, the architects achieved a delicate balance: a finish that softens the timber’s tone while preserving its natural character. The silver hue not only harmonizes with the stone base but also reflects the changing light of the forest canopy, allowing the house to subtly shift in appearance throughout the day.
Sustainability and Longevity
Sustainability was at the heart of Harmony House’s design philosophy. The use of thermally modified Radiata Pine for both the fins and cladding enhances the timber’s resistance to weathering and decay, reducing the need for chemical treatments and extending its lifespan. Combined with CLT construction, passive solar design, and the stone’s inherent thermal mass, the home achieves remarkable energy efficiency with minimal environmental impact.
The silver-grey cladding and finely detailed fins are not just aesthetic features, they embody the project’s core ethos of material honesty, sustainability, and harmony with place. Together, they transform Harmony House into a structure that feels both grounded and ethereal, timeless yet evolving with the landscape that surrounds it.
