CONTEMPORARY SELF-BUILD
Zoe Roberts and Tony Francis designed their eco-friendly home in rural Dumfries and Galloway around the practicalities of modern country living
HOMEOWNERS Zoe Roberts and Tony Francis
SIZE107m 2
CONSTRUCTION Timber Frame
BUILD TIME 16 weeks
BUILD COST £260,500
WORDS Caroline Ednie
PHOTOGRAPHY David Barbour
When Zoe Roberts and Tony Francis were thinking about the design of their new home in rural Dumfries and Galloway, the practicalities of country living were uppermost in their minds. “Our brief at the early stage was a top 10 list. The first thing on the list was a ‘mud room.’ We have three Labradors, so managing three wet dogs on a cold winter day had to be made easy,” says Zoe. The house was completed in 2021 and the mud room may be only two square metres, but Zoe says, “It’s the most highly functioning room in the house!”
However, Beech Trees – as Zoe and Tony named their home in homage to its surrounding greenery – is a lot more than just a user-friendly home for wet dogs. It’s eco-savvy, built to Passivhaus standards within a budget of just over £260,000.
The project began around six years ago when the couple met on the Isle of Mull, where they both lived. “We were both ready to move on,” says Zoe. “During the course of our conversations, we talked about doing a job together. The absolute dream was to build a brand-new property with environmentally considerate credentials.”
RURAL DESIGN INSPIRATION
The couple decided to move to Dumfries and Galloway where they found and bought a rural plot. “The site is down the end of a little lane, and the view is absolutely stunning,” says Zoe. “It’s isolated although we have neighbours and it’s also within walking distance of the nearest town. At the time, it was nettles, docks, and rosebay willow herb up to our shoulders, but we both looked at it and said to each other that it was a no-brainer.”
A family connection led the couple to architect Kirsty Maguire — aspecialist in Passivhaus design. Their brief – in addition to the mud room for their dogs – was for three bedrooms and two bathrooms. But this plan exceeded their budget. “So we got a choice of two bedrooms and two bathrooms or three bedrooms and one bathroom,” says Zoe “We went for two and two, and it’s worked out really well.”
Kirsty Maguire’s design was for a sustainable, low-carbon house, reflecting its site and the rural metal roofs of the neighbouring farm buildings, referencing a beautifully weathered barn with a rust-red roof in an adjacent field.
“The shape of the building creates courtyards within the garden, which relates to the sunshine at different times of the day — it works like a
