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HebHomes director Alasdair Stephen said, ' We had an overwhelming response for the position advertised.  In many ways this is a sad reflection of the state of construction in the UK.  However, it also resulted in a fantastic array of talent to choose from.  Liz Marley was the standout candidate with a superb CV that includes deliverying some truly wonderful projects on a large commercial scale.  Her organisational, detailing and technical skills will allow HebHomes to provide a better service and better products.  We are certain she will be a success.'

Liz Marley said. ' Moving to Glasgow is a big change for me but one I am already enjoying.  I am thrilled to be working at a business with such ambition and fantastic designs,'

HebHomes director Alasdair Stephen said, 'This particular design is proving very popular.  Although it has a small footprint the house is spacious and luxurious.  It is particularly suited to sites like this which have panormamic views to enjoy.  Unfortunately noone on site has seen them yet.  The weather has been very wet and miserable.  However, our contractors have never flinched.'

This house is being slated in Spanish slate and will be clad in board on board vertical Siberian larch.  Once this weathers it will blend in beautifuly with the silver birch trees which surround the site.  Drystane dyking will tie the building into the landscape, defining the entrance area and a 'stackyard' garden to the south of the house.  Completion is expected in early spring.

'When we first approached the park's planning authority the first reaction was negative.  However,  after the officials saw our sympathetic design with the balanced elevations and correct proportions, their view changed - they could see that the design not only ties in with the traditional housing of the area, but has a similar footprint and form to an existing cottage on the site.   They were persuaded  that the landscape would be enhanced, not harmed, by a new building in this sensitive location.

'We feel that this is a vindication of developing the Whitehouse Range.  These houses are supposed to accurately reflect the simple classical proportions of many traditional houses in rural Scotland and so will be welcomed in locations where planning consent can be difficult.   Our clients are certainly delighted after initially being cautious about their chances of success.'

The WH202 house is based on a beautiful renovation carried out by Dualchas Building Design in Elgol on the Isle of Skye and has proved to be a popular design since being launched with the new website. 

HebHomes director Alasdair Stephen said, ' There is never complete certainty that an application will be approved.  However, with recent success in the Cairngorm National Park and now in Perthshire, we see this as confirmation that our design are well suited for rural landscapes and well liked by planners.'

All three houses are due to be constructed this year, giving a boost to the local economy.

Dualchas partner Neil Stephen said, “Other nominations include the refurbishment of the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Maggie’s Centre at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow, so it is a great accolade to be shortlisted alongside these outstanding projects.

“Skye is definitely on the map when it comes to modern architecture – but it is a modern architecture that respects our beautiful landscapes.”

The building is an abstracted form of a longhouse, with a larch exterior, enclosed by a stone wall, with an interior of oak walls and Caithness stone floor.

Sholto Humphries, president of the RIAS said: “We had 71 submissions from throughout Scotland, ranging in scale from a few thousand pounds to over £60m. The number of entries is a tremendous vote of confidence and confirms that this new award is now the single most important recognition of architectural achievement in Scotland.”

Neil Baxter, secretary of the RIAS, said: “I think we’ve got a renaissance in architecture in Scotland right now. It’s particularly amazing given that we are in such difficult times and the commissioning environment has never been tougher. My view is that cost cutting can be short-sighted. You build in durability and you gain better long-term benefits if you build quality. The work we’re seeing in Scotland is some of the very best in Europe.”

A house by Skye architects Dualchas Building Design has been shortlisted for the prestigious RIAS Awards. The two bedroom house in Boreraig, north west Skye, is one of 23 buildings that have been nominated for the award being organised by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

Dualchas partner Neil Stephen said, “Other nominations include the refurbishment of the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Maggie’s Centre at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow, so it is a great accolade to be shortlisted alongside these outstanding projects.

“Skye is definitely on the map when it comes to modern architecture – but it is a modern architecture that respects our beautiful landscapes.”

The building is an abstracted form of a longhouse, with a larch exterior, enclosed by a stone wall, with an interior of oak walls and Caithness stone floor.

Sholto Humphries, president of the RIAS said: “We had 71 submissions from throughout Scotland, ranging in scale from a few thousand pounds to over £60m. The number of entries is a tremendous vote of confidence and confirms that this new award is now the single most important recognition of architectural achievement in Scotland.”

Neil Baxter, secretary of the RIAS, said: “I think we’ve got a renaissance in architecture in Scotland right now. It’s particularly amazing given that we are in such difficult times and the commissioning environment has never been tougher. My view is that cost cutting can be short-sighted. You build in durability and you gain better long-term benefits if you build quality. The work we’re seeing in Scotland is some of the very best in Europe.”

HebHomes plan to introduce a range of double roof longhouses like Boreraig in the near future.  Contact us for more details.

Interesting feature on Rural Living view article here

The fee of £7500 covers a range of consultants including the architect, land surveyor, sewerage and drainage specialist, civil and structural engineer and heating system engineer.  It is a comprehensive package and all at a very competitive price. 

The Airigh is inspired by the sheilings (àirighean) of the Scottish Highlands.  These small dwellings were used as summer houses when the cattle were out on the pastures.  Our range of buildings are an extremely modern interpretation of this building type.

Some Airigh's may be "off grid" in remote locations, while others could be on the croft or set within a garden. Depending on how they are used, they will have to meet different planning and building regulations - but the Airigh is adaptable to meet each particular purpose - whether a simple starter home, special holiday accommodation, or even a studio or loom shed.
One key aspect of the Airigh project is to allow crofters to provide high-quality holiday-lets at a low cost. A simple building with a wall of glass and a terrace to face the views will work wonderfully well - and could provide an important source of revenue for people in our more remote and beautiful communities.

It is different in the ease of construction - because it is in simple panels which are able to be handled by two people in to place, it is easy to transport and build. It can be erected to wind and watertight within a couple of days, keeping costs down.  But because the Airigh is modest in form and scale, we have found that discussions with planners show that they would allow these to be built in places where a more traditional house would not get planning consent. The idea is that they not only make a small imprint on the landscape due to their point foundations (minimising earth works and costs), they blend in.

A character of the sheiling is that they were often built by people within the community as summer houses and given their own personality by their owners. Although the Airigh is a fully-engineered component SIP system, they can be modified and also clad in a variety of materials so that each one is distinctive. HebHomes can provide an erection service, or people can build them themselves.  For more information visit www.airigh.com

HebHomes director Alasdair Stephen said, ' We are always looking at ways of improving our product.  We belive that by increasing the thickness of our standard SIP we can drive down lifetime costs by further reducing the the energy bills of the end user.  It will also reduce the carbon footprint of the building.

'There is a balancing act between captial cost and lifetime costs.  This change in specification will have no impact on construction cost but will reduce heating bills.  It is a very welcome development.'

HebHomes can provide their kits in even thicker SIPS or with additional insulation.  Costs will be supplied on request.

The houses share a common language, simple forms low in the ground and traditional in form, siting and massing using a limited and neutral palette of materials. Each house has been carefully designed for its specific site with simple plans and well proportioned spaces.  There is generosity without grandeur and quality without luxury.  Where possible the houses are lit from more than one side to get maximum benefit from the sun in all seasons at all times of the day.    
 
The houses use natural materials with low embodied energy, including sheep's wool insulation and woodfibre sheathing board on an untreated softwood and OSB frame, resulting in a breathable, durable construction. As far as possible the materials used in the construction will be sourced locally. They will be built within ten miles of the site in CARBONlite Design & Build's workshop and can be delivered to the site and erected in as little as 2 days. This reduces the risks of delays due to adverse weather conditions, avoids the plot becoming a building site and minimises on-site waste.
 
There are five house types ranging in size from a 2-bed longhouse up to a 4-bed L-shaped house with separate open-plan wing for kitchen, dining and living spaces.

 
This is a great opportunity to purchase a Dualchas designed house on a fantastic site.
 
The house designs and purchase details can be seen at the Craigwood Homes website:
 
http://www.craigwoodhomes.co.uk/