UK Business Directory

Architecture
High Quality Design We take pride in providing a high quality professional service and design with care and sensitivity to the character of the existing architecture, surrounding context and environment. We believe that a balanced approach is best which incorporates traditional building methods with contemporary ideas and that better standards deliver superior buildings which, together with considered and integrated landscaping, contribute to creating successful sustainable places. We strive to bring design quality to each and every project. As a recognition of this we have received many design awards, including success in this year’s Saltire Society Awards. Budget, Timescale & Commitment All of our projects have budgetary and time constraints. We are adept at working within the agreed construction cost budget. We have the staffing levels and time management skills to allow us to allocate resources which will allow us to work with clients to achieve a successful outcome within agreed project time scales. Low Carbon / Low Capital Cost We have developed strategies in our previous projects to allow Low Carbon Buildings to be procured at levels of low capital outlay. We can advise on systems considered appropriate. We can undertake Energy Audit’s during the design process to determine the best solutions while also looking at the financial costs and returns on investment. Some features also qualify for grants and funding assistance. Local Climate, Global Responsibility Our practice has worked extensively in Dumfries & Galloway and further afield in Scotland for over 25 years. This experience has informed an innate knowledge of the local climate and exposure, particularly in coastal areas. This knowledge establishes the necessary requirements of the building fabric that are needed to keep out the weather over the long term, whilst providing pleasant and easily maintained interior comfort levels. We believe that using this depth of knowledge in tandem with our principles of sustainable design put us in a stronger position to deliver successful buildings. With these principles we are designing homes which meet the Government’s 2016 aims for Zero Carbon Homes today. We aim to demonstrate that this target can be achieved economically without significant additional costs by becoming energy efficient and applying the appropriate use of green technology in a variety of ways. A Holistic Approach A sustainable approach to the design of a building should be holistic and integrated. Proposals can provide a building with a mixture of sensible features either passive (eg insulation, orientation to the sun) or active (eg air or ground source heat pumps & heat recovery ventilation). Sustainably Sourced We aim to specify natural materials from appropriate sustainable sources, to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building, both during its construction and together with the energy in use strategies described above, during its life span. Natural, durable external and internal finishes would be specified to minimize maintenance requirements. Insulation, Thermal Mass & Air tightness

Practise Awarded
Saltire Society Housing Design Award, Design Commendation from the Glasgow Institute of Architects and a Chartered Institute of Building Commendation Award for Deepstone. The project was also shortlisted in the Roses Design Awards.