EKJN Architects, Linlithgow, West Lothian & North Queensferry, Fife

Sustainability Through Design

EKJN's Managing Director Scott Wallace holds Certification in Building Energy Modelling Using PHPP (Passive House Planning Package), and has years of experience in energy-efficient design, insulation upgrades, passive solar design, stack-effect ventilation, heat pumps, solar panels, photovoltaics and wind turbines. He is a member of the Association for Environment Conscious Building and the Scottish Ecological Design Association.

In addition EKJN's Jon Newey was awarded RIAS Accreditation in Sustainable Building Design in 2017, and has years of experience in low energy buildings, including passive solar design, heatpumps, biomass boilers and solar panels.

At EKJN we take our responsibility to the environment very seriously. By constructing sustainable buildings we ensure your needs are met and quality of life improved, but without compromising the quality of life for future generations.

In practicality ‘eco’ design principles spread much wider than fixing a few solar panels or a wind turbine onto a roof. This technology has a place of course, and we have successfully designed a number of solar and wind systems for clients in recent years. If you feel this is a step too far there are a whole host of other approaches that can save energy (and money) and preserve natural resources without you even realising it. It's your choice how far to take it. It could be something as simple as adding extra insulation to the walls and roof during construction, making sure your garden room is adequately shaded from the summer sun, or sourcing the timber floors from a local sawmill. If you want to invest in green technology we can help with that too; rainwater harvesting, solar arrays, heat recovery systems, ground source heat pumps and grass roofs are just some of the techniques we have used for past clients.

EKJN’s Sustainable Design Manifesto

Design to satisfy real needs rather than transient fashionable and market-driven needs

Design to minimise the ecological footprint of the building, reducing resource consumption including energy and water.

Design to use locally available materials and resources wherever possible.

Design to harness solar income (sun, wind, water/sea power and bio-mass) rather than non-renewable fuel such as fossil fuels.

Design to enable separation of components of all materials at the end of the building’s life (including the fixtures, fittings and furniture) in order to encourage recycling and/or reuse of the components.

Design to make use of reused and recycled components where they are available.

Design to exclude the use of substances toxic or hazardous to humans or other forms of life at all stages of the lifecycle of products/materials

Design to educate the building users, thereby creating a more equitable future.

Design to foster debate and challenge the status quo.

Some examples we have been working on recently:

Grieves Cottage, Peaston
Rehabilitation and extension of a derelict farmworker's cottage in East Lothian. The project includes exceptionally high levels of insulation, a NIBE ground-source heatpump (horizontal trench), heat-recovery ventilation, locally-sourced materials, a log burner and a ground-mounted photovoltaic array.

Williamson House, Bo'ness
A major refit of a split-level house which includes underfloor heating in multiple zones, high levels of thermal insulation and a NIBE ground source heat pump (deep bore type).

Lafferty House, Westfield
A major refit of a detached house which includes underfloor heating in multiple zones fed from an accumulator tank heated by a gasification biomass boiler.

Maternaghan house, Westfield
New-build house with log stove, ground-source heat pump (horizontal trench), thermal store and whole-house heat recovery system, as well as passive design principles of super-insulation, high thermal mass, airtightness, high-performance windows, and a layout that maximises the site's south-facing aspect.

Castlebank Horticultural Centre (Phase 2), Lanark
Conversion and extension of a listed sawmill building to create a horticultural training centre which includes 3.5KW photovoltaic array and solar thermal hot water. Low energy lights, high performance windows, reclaimed/recycled and locally-sourced materials, and high standards of insulation/airtightness complete the low carbon package.

Stewart House, Linlithgow
A refurbishment and extension of this 1930's house included the addition of external wall insulation, high performance windows, and a large photovoltaic array on the south-facing roof slope.

CSJ Headquarters
Wind turbines, Solar powered ventilation system, and rainwater collection systems

St Nicholas Primary School
Natural Ventilation, Solar control glass, passive solar design principles, high levels of insulation, locally sourced materials

Signorini House, Linlithgow
Solar panels to provide hot water

Frater House, Falkirk
Biofuel boiler, thermal storage tank and underfloor heating

Dalgety bay dental surgery, Fife
Heat recovery ventilation system, under floor heating, sun tubes to bring natural light to the internal spaces.

Shieldaig Bar and restaurant
Recycled school lab benches for the bar, recycled copper sheeting, local stone paving, heat-recovery ventilation system.