RIAS AWARDS 2012Forestry Commission Scotland / Wood For Good

Best use of timber

JudgesThe judging panel, led by RIAS President Sholto Humphries, included Dr Anne Lorne Gillies, Scottish singer, songwriter, broadcaster, author and academic, Robert Dye of Robert Dye Associates, London and Peter Wilson, Director of the Wood Studio at Edinburgh Napier University.

RIAS

The awardsAs part of the annual RIAS Awards scheme, Forestry Commission Scotland and Wood for Good have combined to sponsor a new award aimed at encouraging innovative and creative use of timber in new buildings in Scotland. The award seeks also to stimulate greater appreciation of home grown timber and its potential for use in construction, with added consideration given to thoughtful and appropriate use of different species. Technical competence is of course paramount and the design and detail of how the timber is used was as much a part of the assessment criteria as imagination and overall architectural excellence. There is no restriction on building type or scale of project – from small to large and from domestic to commercial, the challenge is to show how suited the use of timber is to the development of new architecture in Scotland.

Model ‘D’ HouseLocation: Old Rayne,

Insch, Aberdeenshire

Date Completed: October 2011

Building Type: Residential

Architect: Gokay Deveci Chartered Architect

Client: Sylvan Stuart Ltd. Timber Engineers and Log Construction

Contract Value: £140,000

Main Contractor: Sylvan Stuart Ltd

Timber Supplier: James Jones & Sons Ltd

The ProjectThe house is located near Insch in Aberdeenshire, and is designed to demonstrate an alternative to the type of properties currently offered by volume developers. The design aims to provide an approach to rural design that is innovative, relates to its context and that can work on a larger scale. The design also seeks to stimulate revisions in our current thinking about rural house design, including the architectural design, and increased ecological awareness concentrating on more environmental-friendly design and use of local materials.

The client, Sylvan Stuart Ltd, is a timber frame building company, specialising in timber log buildings for the leisure, recreation and housing markets in rural areas. The clients’ aims were to develop alternative contemporary design proposals that would facilitate the provision of affordable, good quality and low-energy designs that utilise home-grown timber.

use of timberThe ‘Model D’ house was constructed almost entirely from home-grown timber, and designed to meet the Government’s ‘Zero-Carbon’ targets in new housing developments for 2016. It is built with an innovative double-stud system for wall and roof construction, which also accommodates a continuous use of polythene sheeting for maximum air tightness to meet the ‘Passivhaus’ standards.

Durability and a homogeneous appearance is provided by the meticulously detailed external rain screen which provides shading and privacy where required. The external rain screening is oven-treated homegrown Larch timber with a long life. The screening protects the inner Pine timber wall cladding, and also provides the house with its own microclimate.

The structural frame, including joists, rafters and panel and wall framing is fast growing Elite Sitka Spruce from Dumfries & Galloway. The rain screening posts and slats are heat-treated selected Scots pine from upper Deeside, and decking is Scots pine from Cairngorm National Park. First floor flooring is Scots pine, and the Ground floor flooring is Douglas fir. External wall cladding and soffits are Larch.

WINNER

“THE AWARD RECOGNISES THE INNOVATION AND

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN OF THIS TIMBER FRAMED, TIMBER CLAD PROTOTYPE FOR DEVELOPER HOUSING

IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. IT IS A HUGE CREDIT TO BOTH

ITS ARCHITECTS AND THE INSPIRED DEVELOPER”

RIAS

“WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT

THIS AWARD CELEBRATES A

TRULY INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE USE OF HOME-GROWN

TIMBER.” ANDY LEITCH OF FORESTRY

COMMISSION SCOTLAND

“THIS ALTERNATIVE CONTEMPORARY DESIGN DRAWS UPON THE ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE OF TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS. LARGE WINDOWS IN THE SOUTH FAÇADE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOLAR GAIN AND MAXIMISE VIEWS. AN EXTERNAL RAIN SCREEN PROVIDES SHADING AND PRIVACY. THIS HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME UTILISES ITS SETTING AND NATURAL DAYLIGHT TO RADICALLY REDUCE COSTS. THE MODEL ‘D’ HOUSE IS A MODEL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.” JUDGING PANEL

PHOTOGRAPHY STUART JOHNSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY

“THIS INGENIOUS CONVERSION OF A RURAL MILL CREATES A HOME WITHIN A LANDSCAPED SETTING WHICH DRAWS UPON ITS INDUSTRIAL HISTORY TO CREATE A DELIGHTFUL CONTEMPORARY LIVING SPACE. EXISTING WALLS CREATE A SERIES OF SHELTERED GARDEN COURTYARDS. THE PLAN IS TYPICALLY ONE ROOM DEEP, WITH SIMPLE LINEAR CIRCULATION. THE EXISTING FABRIC HAS BEEN RESPECTED, INCORPORATED, AMENDED AND EXTENDED WITHOUT RESORTING TO PASTICHE.”JUDGING PANEL

Location: Loch Ussie, by Maryburgh

Date Completed: September 2011

Building Type: Residential

Architect: Rural Design

Timber Supplier: Cromartie Timber and Russwood

The ProjectThe project is unashamed in its celebration of the relationship between old and new, represented by the crisp timber forms that float in and around the massive stone ruins of the former Mill. The existing walls create a series of courtyards, some of which have begun to be re-inhabited by nature.

The project brief was for a large family house. The architects were keen to re-imagine the building in a progressive form, layering a series of forms over the ruins to create a clear juxtaposition of old and new. The project engages with the building’s past, without replication of its traditional forms.

use of timberThe new building is a reinvention of the old, it is grown out of the ruin, but is not constrained by it. The flexibility of timber construction, has allowed these new forms to slide within, alongside, and over the old stone structure.

A three storey timber ‘tower’ sits at the southernmost part of the house, rising from formal dining room, to sitting room, to master bedroom, which has a high level 270 degree view of the wider countryside. Intriguing courtyard spaces create a variety of sheltered spaces. The western courtyard allows evening light to be drawn through the depth of the house, through an existing tree that has been preserved, and which became the axis for this series of spaces.

Native Scottish Larch ‘board on board’ cladding has been used predominantly, offset by the use of native Oak internally, expressed as structure, and as finishings. All the timber has been sourced from Highland based suppliers, and built by local contractors.

bogbain mill

SHORTLIST

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAN DICKSON & ANDREW LEE

“THIS CAREFULLY COMPOSED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING HOMES FOR OVER 100 PEOPLE, COMBINES A VARIETY OF DIFFERENTLY SIZED BUILDINGS SET AT VARYING ANGLES TO THE STREET. THE USE OF COLOUR CONTRIBUTES TO THE DELIVERY OF A STRONGLY URBAN COMPOSITION, UNUSUAL FOR THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS CAREFUL YET ENGAGING NEW ADDITION TO SHETLAND’S HOUSING STOCK IS UNDERSTATED BUT HIGHLY VISUALLY APPEALING, BRIGHTENING THE LANDSCAPE AND AMENITY OF LERWICK.” JUDGING PANEL

Location: Quoys, Lerwick, Shetland

Date Completed: May 2010

Building Type: Residential

Architect: Richard Gibson Architects

Client: Hjaltland Housing Association

Contract Value: £4.5m

Main Contractor: E&H Building Contractors

Timber Supplier: James Donaldson Timber Ltd and International Timber

The ProjectGrödians is a new-build social housing development, commissioned by the Hjaltland Housing Association, comprising a mix of 1, 3 and 4 bedroom dwellings in flatted, semi-detached and detached housing. It is the most recent of a staged housing development in the outskirts of Lerwick. Housing is placed within a new ‘Homezone’ based road layout comprising of communal parking, front amenity areas and larger central green spaces with private rear gardens.

In a place where the winter months are prolonged and harsh and daylight hours are minimal, the extensive planting and landscaping has been designed to bring shelter and reduce the wind chilling of the houses. A vibrant colour scheme was designed to maintain a visual warmth and ‘cheery’ appearance during winter. Close attention has been paid to the energy use and sustainability and the scheme exceeds the 2009 Building Standards baseline in terms of energy and carbon use by a margin of 15%, aided by connection to the Lerwick District Heating System.

use of timberThe scheme builds on a tradition of timber construction in Shetland, originating from the islands’ close links with Norway, which encouraged the importation of prefabricated boats and buildings. Brightly painted timber boarding was used rather than masonry cladding and initiated a break from the brown stain and white paint previously associated with timber cladding. Grödians takes this a stage further with a more adventurous and vibrant use of colour that is emphasised by the dark grey tiled roofs.

Timber is also used extensively in landscaping and the traffic calming measures associated with the ‘Homezone’ road design. Heavy sleepers were employed for the vehicle proof planters that define the offsets in the carriageways and for ‘furniture’ in the public amenity areas. Boarded fences are also used extensively to define the site, divide private from public space, shield refuse containers and provide shelter – with higher fences linking houses and blocks to reduce wind accelerating through the gaps. Timber used in this way is left unpainted to provide both contrast with the brightly painted houses and to provide robust forgiving surfaces in public areas.

Grödians

PHOTOGRAPHY PHATSHEEP PHOTOGRAPHY & RICHARD GIBSON ARCHITECTS

SHORTLIST

“THIS IS A COMPLEX AND INTELLIGENT RESPONSE TO A VERY DIFFICULT SITE. THE APPEARANCE OF THE BUILDING BELIES ITS INNOVATIVE USE OF TIMBER. SET WITHIN THE EXISTING SCHOOL CAMPUS, THIS BUILDING PROVIDES STATE-OF-THE-ART ACCOMMODATION. THE NEED FOR LARGE VOLUMES DEMANDED CAREFUL HANDLING OF THE BUILDING’S MASS. STUDIO SPACE ON THE FIRST FLOOR LINKS DIRECTLY WITH THE SPORTS HALL. THE TIMBER LINING GIVES THE MAIN SPACES VISUAL RICHNESS AND A FEELING OF WELCOME THROUGHOUT.” JUDGING PANEL

Location: George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh

Date Completed: January 2012

Building Type: Education

Architect: LDN Architects

Client: George Heriot’s Trust

Main Contractor: John Dennis and Company Ltd

Timber Supplier: Finnforest Merk of Germany

The ProjectLocated in Edinburgh’s Old Town Conservation Area, the site is bounded on two sides by Greyfriars Graveyard, and a restricted view of it can also be seen from the Castle Esplanade. The building attempts to imitate the mass of the previous building by broadly staying within the form presented to Greyfriars Graveyard. The new building also respects the existing stepped nature of the site with a retaining wall running across the full width.

Previously, physical education was taught in a variety of spaces in the school, of varying appropriateness. The objective of the new building was to create a first class indoor sports facility for the school. The new building provides facilities previously lacking in the school and allows physical education to be taught in custom made, modern spaces.

use of timberThere was a desire that these spaces should have a feeling of richness and warmth that can be lacking from sports hall spaces; the use of an exposed timber structure and cladding was a logical step within the design process.

Developed in conjunction with the Structural Engineer and subsequently the suppliers, Finnforest Merk of Germany, the engineered timber structure system ‘Kerto’ was utilised for the structural frame and laminated structural timber panel system ‘Leno’ for the structural deck of the roof, both of which are exposed within each of the two sports spaces.

The spaces are clad in Birch plywood in a combination of solid panels at low level and perforated acoustic panels at high level. This materiality is also continued through the other teaching spaces and the main circulation space so providing a unified palette of materials and continuous feeling throughout the building.

Heriot’s Centre for Sport and Exercise

PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL ZANRE

SHORTLIST

“THIS NEW HOME IS DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE IN FORM, A CALM, CONTEMPLATIVE SPACE. THE EXTERNAL TIMBER ENSURES THAT THE BUILDING DOES NOT INTRUDE UPON ITS NATURAL SETTING. TO KEEP THE BUILDING LOW IT CONSISTS OF THREE SEPARATE ELEMENTS: LIVING, BEDROOMS AND STUDIO. THE SAME RESTRAINT AND RELIANCE ON NATURAL MATERIALS IS EVIDENT IN THE UNCLUTTERED INTERIORS OF CAITHNESS STONE AND OAK.” JUDGING PANEL

Location: Glendale, Isle of Skye

Date Completed: September 2010

Building Type: Residential

Architect: Dualchas Building Design

Contract Value: £470,000

Main Contractor: Donald MacKenzie of Dunvegan

Timber Supplier: Caley Timber

The ProjectThe building consists of three separate elements, each containing a distinct function: the living accommodation, the bedroom wing, and a studio space. These elements share a common form and external finish; simple pitched roofs with horizontal timber cladding. Their arrangement on the site forms a sheltered entrance terrace between.

use of timberExternally the building is clad in a Siberian Larch horizontal rain screen cladding. This build-up allows the gutters, rone-pipes and sliding shutters to be concealed, emphasising the simple forms. The window openings, framed simply in Larch, are carefully lined through to avoid any cutting of board widths. Sliding shutters enhance security when the building is not in use. As the timber weathers, it will become silver, echoing the profiled metal roof finish.

The internal finishes are equally consistent, with Oak-faced plywood lining the walls and ceilings throughout. The joints of these panels have been carefully lined through with the 600x600mm Caithness stone tiles. The wall panelling in the living spaces and bedrooms, conceals cupboards, wardrobes and doors. The warmth of the Oak finish is heightened by the use of horizontal concealed lighting in the open plan living area.

House at Borreraig

PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES BENEDICT BROWN & ANDREW LEE

SHORTLIST

“THIS SMALL, CRAFTED STRUCTURE IS PART HIDE, PART BRIDGE AND PART SCREENING. THE GAPS BETWEEN THE BOARDS REDUCE WIND LOADING AND RESTRICT VISUAL DISRUPTION FOR THE BIRDS. STRUCTURE AND INNER FACES ARE STAINED DARK, EMPHASISING THE HORIZONTALITY OF THE EXTERNAL BOARDS. FOR A VERY MODEST BUDGET, THIS BUILDING CLEVERLY ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF HUMAN VISITORS. ITS RAW, ELEMENTAL FORM IS AN APPROPRIATE FOIL TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.” JUDGING PANEL

Location: West shore of Loch Leven, Fife

Date Completed: October 2011

Building Type: Public

Architect: Icosis Architects

Client: The Rural Access Committee for Kinross-shire (TRACKS)

Contract Value: £12k foundations £22k Timber elements

Main Contractor: Hutton & Read Ltd

Timber Supplier: Russwood

The ProjectThe new bird hide at Loch Leven was commissioned by The Rural Access Committee of Kinross-shire (TRACKS) and Scottish Natural Heritage as part of a phase of works to provide barrier-free access to the 12.5 km Loch Leven Heritage Trail for walkers of all ages, cyclists and wheelchair users. This is a small, but carefully crafted structure: part hide, part bridge and part screening, providing an enclosed viewing platform overhanging the loch, whilst reducing noise and visual disturbance to wildlife from the path.

It is hoped that the Loch Leven Bird Hide will enhance the experience of users of the Heritage Trail, providing a place to stop and enjoy the natural beauty of the loch and its wildlife.

use of timberThis structure uses three different types of Scottish timber – Douglas Fir, Larch and Oak – each specified for its particular and practical qualities. The main beams for the floor, roof and bridge utilise the strength of Douglas Fir; the frame, louvers and cladding are done in Larch, including varying profiled board widths for cladding the hide and grooved Larch also used for decking boards; whilst the elements requiring a higher quality finish – the viewing apertures, shelves and benches – were formed using Oak.

The foundations for the hide sit on the (varying) shoreline of the loch, which required a temporary water-filled cofferdam to enable the installation of the three pre-cast concrete bases. Two large Douglas Fir beams are bolted to these bases, on to which the bridge and hide are secured. The hide was constructed in panels off-site at Hutton & Read’s workshop – with the inner frame of each panel stained black and clad externally using five varying widths of Scottish Larch – in order to reduce time and minimise disruption to wildlife during assembly at the loch.

Loch Leven Bird Hide

PHOTOGRAPHY ICOSIS ARCHITECTS

SHORTLIST