Project Details

Client: Highland Housing Alliance and Albyn Housing Society

Quantity Surveyor: WSD Scotland Ltd

Structural Engineer: Fairhurst & Partners

Urban Designers: Cadell2

Contract value: £0.25m

Completion: August 2010

Funding: Scottish Government

Energy efficiency Rating: 84 (B)

Space heating requirement: 56 kWh/m2/year

How much carbon to run? 19Kg/m2/year

Locally Inspired

The Timber House design, clad in aluminium, evokes the style of the corrugated iron buildings typical of the Highlands.

Construction Innovation

The Timber House has cross-laminated timber walls made from pieces of spruce and pine laid together across one another and bonded together to form a very strong 95mm thick panel. Using timber to form the walls has great environmental benefits. As timber grows, it consumes carbon which is locked into the wood for the lifespan of the building, and longer if the timber is recycled. The cross-laminated timber panels are pre-fabricated in Sweden but there is great potential for them to be made in Scotland from homegrown timber.

Sunny Aspect

Large south-facing windows to the rear face onto the garden, making the best use of natural light and gaining heat from the sun. The north-facing front has smaller windows to reduce heat loss from the house.

Healthy Materials, Healthier Homes

Water vapour can lead to mould growth, increasing the chance of health problems such as asthma. Timber can allow moisture vapour to escape naturally through the walls. Natural materials have low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – harmful chemicals found in some building materials and paints. We expect The Timber House to be a more healthy building to live in.

Highly Insulated

Hemp is a natural material with excellent insulation properties. Our house has 200mm thick hemp slabs fixed to the outer walls. The roof is made from pre-fabricated panels filled with insulation made from recycled paper. Timber is warm to the touch and has high thermal mass – the ability to retain heat – which reduces temperature swings in the house. Solid timber also reduces sound transmission between floors. In addition, the pre-fabricated panel system makes it easier to achieve high levels of airtightness, therefore reducing draughts.

Fast Construction

Large pre-fabricated panels and simple construction mean that house walls can be erected up to roof level in a few days. The tongue and groove panels are bolted together at the corners for strength. Wiring is dropped into small voids formed in the panel joints, allowing an uninterrupted, exposed finish to the timber walls and ceilings.