Dualchas Architects

Our story

Co-founders and identical twins, Alasdair and Neil Stephen, founded Dualchas from a desire to help halt the population decline of the Highlands.

From considered beginnings, Alasdair and Neil sought inspiration from the true vernacular of the Highlands – the blackhouse. The blackhouses of the Highlands of Scotland
were byre dwellings in the tradition of ‘long houses’ which have existed in Northern Europe for over a thousand years.

Unlike other countries, the long houses of Scotland were not protected as were often regarded as a sign of poverty and backwardness. The team at Dualchas were the first architecture practice in Scotland to develop a modern longhouse. It was done with a simple objective; to offer an affordable, beautifully designed alternative, which could be seen as part of the cultural regeneration of the Highlands.

The Dualchas team continues to forge the path of creating more affordable housing for the Highlands of Scotland as well as expanding into public and commercial projects, centred on ideas promoting sustainability through the use of energy harnessing technology, the careful choice of materials in the build, and the life-use of the building.

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Portfolio

Project: Our Projects