THE HOUL
Simon Winstanley Architects
ARCHITECTS
Simon Winstanley Architects
AREA
182.0 m2
PROJECT YEAR
2009
CATEGORY
Houses
LOCATION
Castle Douglas, United Kingdom
Text description provided by architect.
The Houl, , is a contemporary single storey 'long house' which is recessive in the landscape, sustainable in its construction and achieves a 'zero carbon' rating by using very high levels of insulation, whole house heat recovery ventilation, air source heat pump and a wind turbine.
The entrance to the house is sited on the north east side of the house under the cover of the roof to provide shelter from the prevailing wind.
The principal rooms are situated along the contour of the site to enjoy the spectacular views across the valley to the west. The ancillary service spaces are generally to the rear.
The slope of the roof of the main living accommodation follows the slope of the hillside with the roof of the rear accommodation meeting the main roof at a shallower angle to allow morning sunlight to penetrate the centre of the house through clerestory windows.
The house is constructed in steel and timber frame with walls clad in cedar weatherboarding and the roof finished with pre-weathered grey standing seam zinc. Windows are triple glazed with a thermally broken timber frame.
