Northern Exposure

Unfortunately it has been a while since I have added to the blog – this was due to balancing my workloads between my current employment and my part time masters. Alas the combination of coursework, lectures and exam preparations got the better of me regarding time; however I now have a lull for 3 months in classes and will soon update the blog with some recent activities and thoughts on the course so far. For now however I will cast my mind back to August last year, and to Scotland’s Housing Expo, where I took the opportunity to view some of some Scotland’s most revered architects attempts to create innovative modern low energy housing designs, constructed of sustainable local materials.

The site contains in total 52 houses, a mixture of bold designs and realistic solutions. Several units were incomplete due to the impact of the financial crisis, and snagging required to others but considering the current state of the construction industry in Scotland this is understandable. Around 20 of these homes are affordable rent or low cost home ownership with a shared equity scheme, delivered by the Highland Housing Alliance in conjunction with Albyn Housing Society Ltd and Cairn Housing Association.

MASTERPLAN

In attempting to avoid the traditional cul-de-sac of the neighbouring developments, master planners Cadell2 have considered the Scottish environment and climate and how to respond to the sensitivity of the Scottish landscape. The individual housing sites are located perhaps more closely than normally associated with traditional housing schemes in an attempt to recreate the more socialable, dense, tight knit communities of Scotland’s past and moving away from detached properties by including a couple of possible terraced house solutions. The site makes good use of its outdoor spaces, including a wide village green and play area avoiding the usual accompaniment of uninviting railings and hard landscaping, as well as a gentle sloping avenue enticing people to a wooded area north of the site. The two main streets through the site have also been located to incorporate the existing waterways on the site. Although efforts have been made to reduce car numbers, an opportunity to make the site entirely car-free has been missed. The Expo in particular could have been a great exemplar of how cars can be separated from housing design, emulating several housing developments around Europe that the Expo perpetrates to admire. According to the site plan however the site is not linked up the surround housing schemes, possibly restricting permeability, although access to walking, cycling and public transport routes are provided at the south of the site.

AFFORDABLE_TERRACE

Although not initially overwhelmed by its metallic exterior and its vernacular house shape, on reflection ‘The Timber House’ by John Gilbert Architects certainly avoided the pitfalls associated with unrestrained double-storey glazing that so many of the other house designs seemed to submit to (i.e. overheating, privacy, carrying of odours and expensive). That’s not to say that there is a lack of natural light. After negotiating the semi-detached house’s slightly awkward entrance, the spacious lounge area is naturally well-lit by an extensive corner glazing incorporating timber double-glazed argon filled doors. This is a sentiment that is continued in every room, with generous but understated glazing provided to the kitchen and first floor bedrooms.
The combination of warm timber internals and natural light is backed up by the timber framed external wall construction, consisting of 95mm cross-laminated timber frame pre-fabricated from Sweden (do they not make this in Scotland?) enabling quick erection and a high thermal mass. Ventilated corrugated aluminium sheeting insulated with 200mm hemp is then attached to this frame, avoiding overheating from insolation in summer and keeping the house cosy in winter. The aluminium façade is continued in the pre-fab roof build-up. I would question the use of aluminium here, being that as a material it has an extremely high embedded carbon levels so should really not be considered when conceiving a ‘low carbon’ house. Aesthetically, it also doesn’t really work here, and in time the walls could become reminiscent of the many decaying out of town shopping warehouses that blight the landscape around most cities. In terms of its use of reflecting solar radiation in the summer, several other materials and coatings with high albedos are also available, and the use of suitable coloured paint can add to this as well as getting away from the gloomy grey pebbledash housing that we are so accustomed to in Scotland. The architects might not have pushed the boat out when it comes to taking design risks; however its modest attributes could make it attractive to private housing developers and with heating bills as low as £73/year (54 KWh/m² energy consumed, heating only) it has the potential to appeal to the social housing attempting to combating fuel poverty.

SECRET_GARDEN

Isle of Skye practice Rural Design’s Secret Garden plot was a great example of how space within a dwelling can be used resourcefully without stifling design inventiveness, and providing the added bonus of a large outside space required for a sustainable lifestyle such as food production. By strengthening a traditional highland house design, the architects have created a modest yet welcoming environment with a balanced room layout.
On entering the detached property, the staircase to the upper level is carefully tucked away removing its use as a feature but freeing up more space. The large living/dining area overlooking the stretch of garden to the rear of the property, clearly connected by large single storey full height glazing (with a slight overhang from above) and roof lights within the lounges sloped ceiling section. By separating the footprint of the two levels within the property, the architect is then able to make use of the room space over the lounge area, giving the room a more spacious and inviting feel again achieved in conjunction with timber internal finishes. The 3 bedrooms upstairs all face the rear of the property, maintaining privacy, and once again making full use of roof space to increase the perception of space. The use of roof space generally here does have its short fallings though, as indicated in the houses low carbon credentials slightly especially in comparison with its neighbouring sites. With an annual energy bill for heating of £320 (126 KWh/m²), its timber frame with 350mm insulation will need to be complemented perhaps by ensuring that the building is air-tight (perhaps built to Passiv Haus standards) and possible use of heat recovery technology.

MISHAPS_OTHERS

These two designs, although not perfect, stood out for me particularly. However there were also a number of successes and mishaps scattered around the development as a whole, each with their own nugget of value. As previously mentioned, several designs opted for full height double storey triple-glazing designed no doubt to increase heat gains from solar radiation. Twin Peaks by Joseph Thurrott highlighted the flaws associated with this feature when not correctly positioned, by creating too much roof space leading to expensive energy bills and smells directing from the below kitchen towards upper bedrooms, not to mention inadequate shading to prevent overheating. The Apartment by Keppie Design displayed an interesting solution to this problem by providing every apartment with a glazed balcony and retractable doors between this space and the living quarters, allowing more flexibility and the potential to warm air during the day ready for release within the property in the evening. Timber was present in most of the buildings, mostly prefabricated but not always sourced locally which was a let-down. Black was also present in a lot of buildings, no doubt due to its heat absorption properties however it remains to be seen how popular this tone is with buying customers. JM Architects went one step further with specifying black rubber to the outer face of their terraced housing on Stealth Terrace, although they attempted to balance its impact in the long term by introducing climbing ivy. NORDs Stone House made excellent use of local Caithness stone and the building form created a uniquely shaped lounge area. However the houses room layout seemed at odds with conventional wisdom, placing the dining and kitchen area on different floors (the dining area with it’s very on en-suite bathroom?) ensuring that any residents life would be spent firmly on the stairs. Visitors were equally confused by the abnormally high storage spaces provided in the bedrooms of the terraced housing scheme Three on Nine by Graham Mitchell Architects. Workspaces generally seemed to be an afterthought in most designs, many placed within hallways or redundant upper floor space created by vast glazing.

CONCLUSIONS

So what can be taken from the once dubbed ‘Highland Housing Expo’? The now defunct name at least explains its location in Inverness, not exactly the most accessible venue to promote quality design around Scotland. Low Carbon and Zero Carbon houses are always going to be a hard sell on their own, with higher purchasing costs clients will find it hard to visualise where all that extra money is going when so many of the advances are coming in energy generation technology and hidden away thicker insulation. The clients and architects at the expo have recognised this, and acknowledged that there is a need to re-evaluate the design of houses to give the client something more tangible for their buck. The designs also show the lack of a silver bullet for house design, each with their own appeals and snags. Sacrifices are always made. At the heart of any solutions though is a combination of very plain detailing and innovative use of new technologies and techniques, not a bombardment of gadgets. In this respect better information could have been on display regarding the energy saving devices spread around the sites. I was also genuinely surprised at the number of families and ‘average punters’ attending the expo. Participating architects could have learned a lot from spending some time eavesdropping on their prospective inhabitant’s thoughts, perhaps making use of those hallway workspaces they neglected to integrate properly into their designs….