Image by Richard Gaston, courtesy of Izat Arundell
Caochan na Creige, a small but cleverly conceived dwelling on the wild coast of the Isle of Harris, has won the 2025 Laurence McIntosh Interior Design Award from RIAS.
Laurence McIntosh is proud of its longstanding sponsorship of the award, but never more so than when it recognises and rewards young emerging architectural talent. The 2025 winner, Izat Arundell (led by Eilidh Izat and Jack Arundell), demonstrated (in spades) that the future of Scottish architecture is in very safe and creative hands.
Images by Richard Gaston, courtesy of Izat Arundell
Caochan na Creige is truly a labour of love. It sits in an unforgiving but beguiling landscape, and was built – by hand – over the course of 18 months by Eilidh and Jack (along with Alasdair Izat, Eilidh’s brother, and Dan Macauley, a friend and stonemason). It now stands as the home the share.
The stone-clad building blends effortlessly into the rugged Hebridean landscape, giving the home the appearance of a modern-day blackhouse. Its interiors are shaped around the contours of the land, with a restrained but richly textured palette of natural materials. The judges described the project as a testament to what can be achieved through patience, skill and a profound respect for place: a richly personal and beautifully crafted work that shows the strength of emerging architectural voices.
Images by Richard Gaston, courtesy of Izat Arundell
Images by Jack Arundell, courtesy of Izat Arundell
David MacDonald, of Laurence McIntosh, said, “These two extraordinarily creative grafters have conceived and executed an exceptional piece of work. We were particularly impressed by the quiet precision of the interior craftsmanship, and the architects’ resourceful use of space.
“Eilidh, Jack, Alasdair, and Dan should be rightly proud of the home they have built – a work in near perfect harmony with the landscape surrounding it.”
