TREE house

This new family home in the Scottish borders is built over five levels to address its dramatic sloping woodland setting

- Caroline Ednie

OWNER Paula Milanesi

PROJECT Contemporary self-build

LOCATION Scottish Borders

SIZE 145m2

BUILD TIME 12 months

BUILD ROUTE Self-build with project manager

PLOT/HOUSE COST N/A

BUILD COST £198,000 (+utilities £12,000)

VALUE Unknown

EPC RATING C

Tucked away in a quiet woodland setting in the Scottish Borders is a family house that, according to owner Paula Milanesi, has been built with the generosity of many friends and colleagues who helped her achieve her first self-build for just under £200,000.

The project began in 2013 when Paula started to think about the plot, adjacent to her parents' home, as a potential site to build a home that she could settle in with her two children.

“The site wasn't really used. I thought that if I could build this house it would give me financial security and I could be close to mum and dad. Originally, I had thought I could build a kit house, as my budget was incredibly tight, but it was not a plot that lent itself to that." At this point, Paula decided to have a chat with an old friend, architect Neil Taylor of Edinburgh-based TAP Architects. “Neil was a friend from school, and he was really excited about the idea of building on the site. It took me a while to work up the courage to go forward as there were so many risks involved, but Neil was very patient.”

LOCATING THE HOUSE

The first challenge was where to locate the house. “It wasn't an easy site to develop, with flood risk in the flatter areas next to the river and steep slopes and bands of protected trees elsewhere," explains Neil.