Private Home, Highlands

Scotland is celebrated for its rugged landscapes and cool northern light, yet those attributes can also make for chilly, draughty homes. A new private residence created by SHS Burridge Architects provides a stunning solution, maximising natural light whilst offering protection from the elements.

Bright spaces

The client offered a basic brief to the architects and collaborated closely with the creative team to develop the concept. The final design is characterised by delightful bright spaces, with windows positioned to follow the sun throughout the day: rising in the bedrooms at the east elevation, tracking across south facing windows in the living spaces before setting on the west-facing dining room and balcony.

The building is laid to limit heat loss and maximise solar gain, with triple-glazed windows offering high airtightness, lobbied doors to eliminate drafts and a Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery system maintaining the balance between warmth and fresh air. An interesting trait of the property is the use of smart technology to enable the owners to control the power and heating from their phones.

Russwood were extremely helpful and very knowledgeable in supplying Accoya wood for the exterior. Accoya not only offers an attractive finish but also has the benefit of being low maintenance and sustainable, and the timber was factory coated to further minimise heat loss. The end result is a build that’s as efficient as it is beautiful