No two brochs are exactly the same and there is no single example which represents all broch architecture. They are different shapes, heights, diameters, and constructions. Some are solid based, some ground-galleried, some have several intramural cells, some only one.
We decided our design should be an amalgamation of the features of various brochs resulting in a broch which is inspired by and showcases all the important and characteristic features of Iron Age broch building.
The further up the broch we go, the fewer examples there are on which to base our design, and even those brochs which stand to a significant height have had antiquarian restoration and conservation work.
To test our ideas, in 2017 we held an event in Stirling called 'The Broch Symposium'. Here we presented the first draft of our broch design to a number of broch and traditional building specialists from across the UK. The critique we received from attendees has informed elements of our current design.
In 2020, Caithness Broch Project's Iain Maclean worked closely with historical reconstruction artist and illustrator Bob Marshall to develop the design further and create this beautifully rendered 3D model which captures the detail of the structure and communicates its overall effect.