A dramatic rural Manx hillside retreat worthy of TV’s ’Grand Designs’ is featured in the latest edition of Architecture Today.

Sartfell Cottage at Sartfell, Kirk Michael, is the impressive home of management consultant and former research scientist Dr Peter Lillywhite and his wife Carole.

Designed by architects Foster Lomas, it comprises a striking modern stone-faced extension around an old Manx farmhouse, with triple-height library atrium and clerestorey.

The old white-rendered cottage on the seven-acre site is visible from miles around and known locally as ’Cloud 9’.

Planning consent for the renovation of the main cottage and erection of a new extension to provide additional living, and tourist accommodation (14/00434/B) was approved in 2014.

In 2016, plans for the construction of a visitor centre with roof deck viewing platform (15/01194/B) were also approved.

Peter and Carole met through their mutual love of birdwatching.

They bought the old cottage and section of river valley to create a new home and nature retreat after returning to the British Isles after a stint working in Australia.

The Architecture Today article notes the ’precision-engineered perforated steel steps, gantries and bookshelves’ that draw you to the dramatic panorama beyond.

A continuous ribbon window, running the full width of the house, is framed by board-marked concrete.

Above is a 360-degree-view study.

The triple-height library atrium is lined with steel bookshelves.

Telephoto lenses, cameras and at least three sets of binoculars are scattered across the deep window reveals.

This is a bird-watchers’ hide on altogether a different scale.