Using naturally twisted grain, the roof-cap sparked a memory of a Le Corbusier sculptural masterpiece (Notre-Dame-de-Haut) crossed with ancient towers in the Border landscape. Following the wood grain creates something unexpected yet natural to the material, adding a twist to the notions of protection or isolation that towers suggest. The Peel towers in the Borders tend to follow the valleys and often lie in ruins now. They are part of the Border landscape.
The oak has been locally sourced in the Scottish Borders. Riven refers to oak that has been split from large butts by ‘wedge-and-mallet’ and not converted to planks by machine.