Set in a picturesque, wooded spot near a National Park loch, this project is for a 2-storey, double-pitched newbuild traditional Scottish cottage-style home, that will sit in harmony with its surroundings.
There is currently a 1980s bungalow on the site, but it was built to poor construction standards, and has exceeded its intended lifespan with a number of fabric failings evident, including bowed roof and subsidence. The plan is to demolish this and create a home of a much higher build-standard about two metres further up, to avoid any possibility of flooding from a neighbouring burn. The new property is designed to exacting ecological and sustainability measures, with energy-efficient systems, and will stand the test of time with far greater robustness, providing a warm, inviting, and spacious forever home for its owners.
Materials are a simple and natural palette of render, stone, and slate. Having stone cladding to the central portion off-sets the render elsewhere. Details such as a stone base course, stone quoins, stone window surrounds, and canopies over entrances help further with enhancing the visual quality of the mostly symmetrical design. Aluminium-clad timber framed windows will offer robust weather protection and fit the aesthetic.
Our energy-efficient design combines an efficient floor plan, the orientation on site to benefit from solar gains, natural shelter, protection from overheating, and high levels of thermal insulation and very low levels of thermal bridging. Additionally, a whole-house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery for improved ventilation and air quality is included in the design. Air-source heat pump technology provides the necessary warmth, and an efficient wood burning stove in the lounge area offers a secondary heat source but is mostly for additional comfort and atmosphere.
Read more about the Newbuild Rural Home in National Park project.
