KJ Tait

The Vinery-Banff

Date
7 December 2023

The Vinery is category B listed and is all that remains of the extensive series of buildings and gardens forming part of the Duff House estate, however it had been underused since the 1980s, with years of neglect and deterioration.

 

The building has now been repurposed into a community facility after its sympathetic repair through the use of traditional materials and techniques. Energy usage has been considered in the design, with heat recovery ventilation, air source heat pumps serving underfloor heating and generating hot water for use in the kitchen. The new timber frame of the Vinery has been locally crafted.

 

Aberdeenshire Architectural and Landscape Design Awards 2023

 

The Vinery is winner and recipient of the Ian Shepherd Award due to restoration of the buildings being successfully achieved by restoring the structures which stood on the site previously.

 

The judges commented that it was good to see a redundant building brought back into use through its restoration and modernisation and felt that it is now an asset within the centre of Banff. It was commented that buildings such as these are tough to restore and to find new uses, so the work here is admirable.

 

Video Link:

The Vinery - Aberdeenshire Council