Lochside holiday house, Scottish Highlands

We were approached by Haysom Ward Miller Architects, who specialise in sustainable and energy-efficient projects, to design, supply and erect a SIPs kit for a lochside project in the Scottish Highlands. The client brief was to design an off-grid, low-energy house in this remote coastal location, making the most of the extraordinary setting with the least disturbance to it.

Challenges

This was a uniquely challenging site due to its remoteness and very difficult and restricted access. No mechanical assistance was possible, therefore our SIPs kit had to be designed, engineered and pre-cut to overcome these obstacles. Everything had to be done by hand and our panels were delivered to the site with the assistance of a Land Rover and small trailer.

The design was very complex, incorporating three different floor levels and eight roof areas in a single-storey building. A stone chimney was included in the centre of the house and this had to be incorporated into the SIP design. It resulted in our SIPs kit being erected ahead of the chimney, which was a first for us.

Lastly, these remote, exposed, coastal locations usually experience a challenging climate and this location was no exception. The erection of the SIPs kit had to be done during the winter month of January, which brought us snow and high winds. On the plus side, there were no midges!

SERVICES DELIVERED

We designed, engineered, supplied and erected the SIPs kit for this stunning project. Not only is the method of construction with SIPs very energy-efficient, this house is also completely off-grid, with its own water supply, sewage treatment and electrical system, all designed to minimise overall energy use.

This house won the RIBA House of the Year 2018.