Many dwellings in Tiree are derived from a distinctive vernacular with substantial white washed stone walls, thatched or 'flattened' black pitched roofs, and a distinctive eaves/wallhead condition. This project draws on the principles of that simple vernacular to underpin the overall design approach while also evolving to provide a contemporary and comfortable holiday cottage. The cottage feels familiar and appropriate without reverting to pastiche, with scale and geometry derived directly from its siting between two existing houses - one of strong traditional vernacular character, the other more generic. The new cottage provides a ‘mediating’ element between these two buildings and their respective plan geometries and forms.