Private Residence - Edinburgh

A spectacular single-storey wraparound ground-floor extension—housing a new kitchen, utility, dining and living space—features 125 m2 of Fancy Beach Whitbed Portland stone cladding, carefully chosen to complement the existing sandstone of this impressive listed Edinburgh villa-style home.
Originally built in 1899 in the Scots Renaissance style, the villa was unexpectedly listed during the design phase of the renovation.
Portland stone was selected to soften the transition between the contemporary new design elements and the homes original rubble and smoothed blond sandstone façade. Renowned for its sympathetic colour palette, Portland stone harmonises with the existing masonry, while its fossil-rich texture ensures each block is a unique piece of geological art. Its timeless durability has been demonstrated over centuries of architectural use across the world.
“We chose Portland Stone for several reasons - we liked the pale buff colour, it is suitable for the weather in Edinburgh, and we also really liked the texture and being able to see some of the fossils etc. We also enjoyed the large format of it, as it’s possible to create something that appears more monolithic. We would definitely use it again.” Sarah Braun—Archer + Braun Architecture