King's Cairn

A house at Archerfield Estate, North Berwick, East Lothian

Architect: Daniel Bär — 2025

King's Cairn is a single-storey dwelling with a separate guest annex, built within the wooded edge of Archerfield Estate on the East Lothian coast near North Berwick. Designed by architect Daniel Bär and completed in 2025, the 310 m² house wraps around a sheltered courtyard that unifies its two wings, with a palette of natural brick, polished concrete, and bespoke glazing. A reflective water basin at the centre of the courtyard imprints the sky onto the floor. The design is passive solar, supported by a ground source heat pump and a photovoltaic array.

I photographed King's Cairn over two days in autumn, working with the low coastal light and the reflective surfaces of the courtyard at different hours from morning to night. The work was featured in Wallpaper* (March 2026) and EK Magazine (November 2025). The project has been recently shortlisted at the Scottish Design Awards.