Joseph Thurrott Architects
a passivhaus certified architecture practice specialising in low energy design
Plot 19 House
Scotland's Housing Expo 2010, Balvenie, Inverness
The Plot 19 house at Scotland's Housing Expo is a reinterpretation of a Scottish rural vernacular house type: the But n Ben. The architectural language of this vernacular model is one of symmetry and simplicity. Unfortunately, the restrictive footprint does not lend itself to modern family life. How can this typology be used to accommodate contemporary living?
By splitting the house in two distinct, offset volumes a larger footprint can be achieved whilst maintaining the proportion of familiar 6m wide gable-ended volumes found throughout the Scottish countryside. Each volume has a distinct character: a ‘closed’ white rendered north elevation serves as an environmental buffer whilst giving privacy to the occupants and an ‘open’ timber clad south elevation provides maximum passive solar gain and a direct connection with the garden. The living, dining and cooking spaces in the ground floor plan are arranged around a south facing landscaped court, reinforcing the connection between the inside living spaces and the outside space of the garden. A double-height living volume serves as the focus of the house, linking ground and first floor rooms whilst permitting an abundance of direct southern sunlight into the heart of the home.