Design Statement Page 1

University of the Highlands and Islands

Architectural Technology

Graded Unit 1

Design Statement Andrew Maggs 14002754

Site: Chanonry Point

Design Statement Page 2

CONTENTS Page

1. Introduction 3

2. Report 4

2.1 Heating 4

2.2 Orientation 5

2.3 Personal opinion 5

3. Conclusion 6

Design Statement Page 3

1. Introduction

I have designed a 3 Bed house on a site at Chanonry point, the house has great holiday let potential and with generously sized rooms and the great location it is situated in then people will be queuing up to stay in this house.

The development will bring jobs and interest to the area. Developments often bring more people to the area whether its tourists or people who would like to move to and live in there.

I think with the style of this project being very similar to local vernacular hat it will enhance the area and inspire more people to build projects in the region. It will get a lot of views from the public and from the golf course so the way it is built and how it affects the area is important.

Design Statement Page 4

2. Materials

My Building is faced with natural stone, which could be bought from Stone works in inverness, and I’m also looking into reclaimed stone from local farms and developments. The roof consists of CUPA Spanish slate from Pru’s Inverness with a standard precast concrete Ridge tile. The windows are UPVC with a powder coating which has a metal effect supplied by Polyframe to make them more aesthetically pleasing, upstairs I have put in Velux windows as it is a one and a half storey building and I didn’t want to change the roof line so the building looks sleek but bold, I feel if I put dormers in it would look to big and bulky. All the windows and external doors in the building are fitted with Triple glazing. The master bedroom comes with its own balcony, which is accessed by a UPVC French door that matches the ground floor windows and Veluxes. The balcony has a glass railing and is inset into the room so the roofline is not affected.

For the driveway I have decided to go with a resin based layer with dark coloured stones. Because the site is on a tight bend having a gravel driveway would get distorted by turning into it all the time.

The internal of the house is a 6-inch timber kit frame made off site to save storage of material on site and is much quicker to put up therefore being able to clear the small site very easily and quickly.

Spray foam insulation supplied by “Greenco insulation inverness” will be used all round the house with knauf recycled sound insulation between the floors (the eco-friendly equivalent of fibreglass insulation). As well as this there will be SF 19 Foil Insulation which is taped at the seams and gives the equivalent of 750 mm if mineral wool.

I chose spray foam because it is much more efficient than most other domestic types of insulation. When you spray it on it expands rapidly and vastly so it get in all the small cracks and seems of the building and almost air seals it making for a much better seal and keeping the heat in more. Another great point about this method of insulating is the for this size of building it can be completely finished in just one day leaving more time for other important things.

2.1 Heating

The central heating will be an oil and standard boiler system. As the house is so well insulated the heating requirements will be so minimal. Installation of oil central heating is very common and simple therefore a benefit is that it is relatively cheap to install.

Design Statement Page 5

2.2 Orientation

The orientation of the house is south-westerly; this means that the living and dining room get the best views and sun in the evening along with the master bedroom. The snug area will get a good but dimmer light in the evening which in summer will be better for relaxing as you won’t have the same amount of glare and solar gain in that part of the building.

On the exterior of the building I have put in curved walls that reach around the driveway and entrance way, this it to act as a wind barrier and also to help with privacy as this is a very exposed site. These will be made with the same stone as the house.

2.3 Personal Opinion

I think this building will look very nice, it is tasteful and nothing too dramatic but it is still bold and has a great sense of presence at the same time. I think the layout works well and with the versatile living spaces mean that there is always a place in the house to be no matter what time it is or what the weather is like.

Design Statement Page 6

3. Conclusion

This project is a bit different to your average self-build, with the site being small and in such a popular location with golf course adjacent to it. But considering the design aspects and material usage and positioning the house will serve its purpose and at the same time be aesthetically pleasing whilst still fitting in with the local vernacular in its own way.