Most of the stone used to integrate the home within its surroundings was gathered nearby over the years, while the oak cladding was harvested from trees felled on site. Partially built into a slope, the home has a turf-covered roof that makes the program virtually indistinguishable from afar. Combined with triple glazed glass walls and clerestory windows throughout the home provide natural light, an enclosed glass room for drying laundry reduces the overall energy load while treated sheep’s wool insulation and a heat transfer ventilation system keeps the warmth in without suffocating residents.
Thermal massing, underfloor heating, solar-heated water and a kachelofen stove keep the home warm during Scotland’s rough winters, and what energy is required for electronics and illumination is generated with a small wind turbine on site. The turbine provides far more energy than the home actually requires and the rest is fed into the national grid. In addition to providing a comfortable home environment for their own family, the client is keen to communicate the importance of preserving natural resources by setting an example with their own earth-friendly farmhouse.
+ Mark Waghorn Architects
