June 20 2014

Brown & Brown architects are moving on site with the £420k restoration of an 18th century boatshed in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, on behalf of Portsoy Organisation for Restoration and Training.

The foundation stone for the project will be laid in the next few weeks as work to transform the boatshed into a workshop for the preservation of traditional boat building skills gets underway. Mirroring the timber and craft which goes into boat building the revamped structure will retain an existing stone-kiln, creating adjustable timber ‘pod’ rooms within.

Project architect Kate Brown said: “The focus of the project is to introduce contemporary elements into the ruins (and the wider historic harbour), without compromising the very sensitive context. This will be achieved by slotting a large timber structure within the existing walls, and creating a highly insulated structure, lined in timber to reflect the building’s use and history.

“A glazed area connects the two stone buildings, and acts as an informal gathering space, with tiered seating, providing the potential of use by the wider community for events etc. It’s very important to be able to read the layers of the building, in order to understand what elements are original and what are new. In order to achieve this there will be some areas of visible stone internally, which allow visitors to read how the new/old flow together.”

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