T
he
brief
energy
was
to
efficient
build
home
an
which
was in keeping with the local
surroundings. It was important to Mr and Mrs
Orr to build a property that encompassed
traditional values with a modern twist as the
plot sits beside farmland. Budget was also a
key factor for the couple, they wanted to build
a house within their budget but with scope
for expansion in the future. The property is
situated in a rural location at Lomond Muir
Farm, Wester Balgedie, Kinross-shire.
DESIGN
The clients brief was to build an energy
efficient home within their budget but also
to allow scope for expansion in the future.
It was also important for the design to be in
keeping with the rural location, however they
did not want to house to be too traditional.
As energy efficiency was a high priority for
the client, we decided to use the Kingspan
TEK SIPs system. The walls and roof of the
property is constructed using structural
insulated panels (SIPs) connected with a
unique jointing system that minimises the
amount of air that can pass through the
joints. To allow for expansion in the future,
the house is designed and constructed as
1.5 storey shell. However, to keep within the
clients’ budget, at the moment the house only
has 3-bedroom ground floor accommodation
measuring 170m2. In the future there is
scope for creating a further 80m2 first floor
accommodation, which due to the Kingspan
TEK roofing system will allow the rooms
to be fully vaulted, creating a unique living
space.
For the exterior of the property, natural
materials such as slate roofing and sandstone
cladding were used alongside, wet-dash
roughcast and maintenance free windows
& weatherboarding. Due to the Kingspan
TEK, SIPs system, the dwelling is highly
insulated
with
an
excellent
airtightness
level and incorporates underfloor heating, a
wood burning stove & a solar thermal roof
installation to supplement the energy demand
for hot water.
Passive solar gain is maximised with large
South facing windows. All this combined
with an MVHR system has allowed THCL to
produce an A-Rated energy efficient house.