Cairngorms ‘climate proof’ retreat given the green light

Quarry_HouseMoxon Architects has secured planning consent for a ‘climate proof’ forest home within the Cairngorms National Park.

The timber-clad scheme will be nestled in a redundant quarry and will join a small cluster of houses and community buildings which are surrounded by the national park’s Crathie Wood.

The building’s location will afford a degree of protection from the extreme weather which can affect the area, where bitter northerly winds can cause temperatures to plummet to -20C in the depths of winter.

To beat the elements rooms are oriented to the south and west to maximise solar gain whilst the homes profile follows the slope of the landscape to minimise exposure.



Architect Ben Addy said: “The brief for this house was that it should be of the woods as much as it is in the woods. Although the overall footprint is very simple the interior spaces are deliberately ‘misaligned’ in order to create pockets of space that embed the building in its surroundings with sheltered niches and frequent unexpected views.”

Construction is set to start on site in mid-2016.


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