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Taigh Cùirt-Lios, St Andrews
New-Build Single-Storey Eco-Friendly House (see video below)
 

Taigh Cùirt-Lios sits on a gently sloping site on the outskirts of St Andrews. The design is conceived as a collection of seven linked pavilions, each with its own individual character. The pavilions are grouped around the north side of a private courtyard. The kitchen-dining pavilion has a large glazed roof lantern in addition to the south-facing windows. The Living room pavilion includes a covered patio and bifold doors to maximise the indoor-outdoor relationship with the courtyard. The TV room pavilion is clad in charred cedar weatherboards and includes a corner window facing south and east.

A fabric-first approach was adopted in the design to reduce primary energy consumption. The southerly orientation of all the main living spaces combined with minimising the north-facing glazing means maximum free solar gain throughout the house. Glazing has been optimised for maximum daylighting with extrenal shading where needed to prevent summer overheating. High levels of thermal insulation in all the external fabric and good attention to airtight construction have also helped to reduce energy demands.

The house has underfloor heating throughout running from an air-source heat pump. Hot water is generated by a solar-assisted heat pump system. A roof-mounted photovoltaic array generates free electricity.

Project Film: