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Studio Building Planning Permission Granted

We are delighted to have received Planning Permission for this standalone Studio and Sauna building. The studio is located on the site of an existing garage in a clearing within a mature grouping of deciduous and coniferous trees. The building will house an art studio space, sauna and outdoor shower.  

Black stained timber and pared-back detailing will be used to create a striking yet discreet structure within the trees.

Arisaig Planning Granted

We are pleased to announce that our project for a new house near Arisaig has been granted planning permission. Commanding fantastic views over Loch Nan Ceall, the proposal is for a new build house featuring a Douglas-fir frame and constructed sustainably using breathable wood-fibre insulation. 

 
 
 
 
 

New Build House in Edinburgh Complete

We have recently completed this new build family home in the Swanston area of Edinburgh. The house is designed to nestle into it’s sloping site whilst maximising the views of the Pentland hills beyond.  The orientation and form of the dwelling creates two private courtyards allowing the occupants to enjoy the morning and evening sun both outside and in the principal living area. 

 

Planning permission for Loch Lubnaig house and swimming pool

HLA are delighted to announce that full Planning permission has been granted for a wide ranging set of proposals to an existing dwelling house & former agricultural settlement on the banks of Loch Lubnaig, in the National Park of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. 
 
The approval includes for a new ancillary dwelling house, the extension and renovation of an existing Victorian house and a new contemporary swimming pool building, alongside an extensive landscaping strategy. A palette of traditional and contemporary materials, including brick, timber, red tin, natural stone and shuttered concrete has been employed to help restore the site to a condition fit for family use. A new ground source heat pump system will provide power to the site. 
 
Construction is expected to commence on site in the Summer of 2016. 
 
 

Planning Permission in Belhaven

We are delighted to have received planning permission for a new build house in Belhaven, East Lothian.

 

The house will sit at the rear of a long plot with a narrow plan to nestle into the shape of the site. It is split into two main components separated by a modest entrance courtyard. The walls will be clad in brick to match neighbouring buildings, and timber cladding left untreated to grey gradually and blend into the leafy garden surroundings.

 

Swanston Planning Granted

We are delighted to have received planning permission for this new build house in the south of Edinburgh. Set over 2 levels, the transparency of the elevations visually connect the interior spaces with 2 new courtyard gardens, whilst the upper roof terrace takes in fantastic views to the Pentland Hills.

 

Foundations Complete

A party was held at the site of the new Conacher Reynolds house to celebrate the completion of the foundations.  The neat concrete pads will support the green oak frame giving a light touch on the sloping landscape overlooking the sea.

 

Planning Permission for new house in Midlothian

Helen Lucas Architects have received plannning permission for a new low energy house in rural Midlothian. The house will feature an air source heat pump, rainwater harvesting and solar panels. The building will be clad with lime render, larch boarding and standing seam zinc roofing.

Planning Permission Granted for Canaan Lane

Planning Permission has been granted for a new house on Canaan Lane in Edinburgh's Morningside neighbourhood.

 

The 3d image below shows how the new 3-bedroom family house will use natural local sandstone to match the adjacent historic house, with a contemporary zinc-clad upper storey.

 

Award nomination: Saltire Society Housing Design Awards

We are delighted that our project at Grange Loan, Edinburgh has been nominated for a Saltire Society Housing Design Award, in the  category for alterations, renovations and extensions.

 

Winners will announced by the Minister for Housing and Welfare, Margaret Burgess MSP, at the Awards ceremony on Monday 9th September.  The chair of this year's judging panel is the broadcaster Lesley Riddoch.

 

Highland Hot Tub

The sea might be cold but the cedar hot tub installed at this seaside house makes enjoying the water a little bit easier in the north west of Scotland.
 

Mini-Me

It is fifty times bigger but even we were surprised by how similar the completed kitchen at Stoer is to the cardboard model made almost two years earlier to help the clients get a sense of the space beneath the oak scissor trusses.

 

You can see from the finished photograph that the clients decided to add some additional top light during the design process but little else has changed during the later stages of detailed design amp construction. The double height space is the heart of this rural home beautifully sited on a Sutherland croft.

 

Photos of this croft house in its unique setting can be seen here >.

 

Seaside Home Complete in Inverness-shire

A new seaside family house is now complete in Roshven, Invernessshire.

 

The environmentally friendly house is constructed entirely of wood with Green oak frame creating large double height internal spaces. The timber walls have been super insulated with NBT breathable wood fibre insulation and a taped air tight wall construction. This makes the house very easy to heat. Due to the remote location there is no gas or water supply available. An Air Source Heat pump located under the houseuses electricity to generate energy at a three to one ratio to power the underfloor heating and domestic hot water. A bore hole drilled to a depth of fifty metres provides clean water from the rocks which is UV treated to provide the drinking water.

 

View more photographs of this project >

 

Proposals for Skye Croft

Helen Lucas Architects have designed a one and a half storey croft house for a remote windswept plot on northern Skye.

 

The living area is slightly sunken so when seated your gaze sweeps across the top of the machair and out to the sea beyond.

 

Crisp Corner Completes Cladding

Horizontal Siberian Larch Cladding gives this house a controlled furniture like appearance. The ebauer corner posts and window frames produce a subtle contrast with the siberian larch cladding.

 

More details of this project >

 

Progress update on a New Build in Roshven

A new build timber frame home in Roshven takes shape. The timber cladding has been added to a new build holiday home on the West Coast of Scotland.

 

The site overlooks a shingle beach with the building sited just above the high tide line. The siberian larch and iroko cladding will turn naturally to a silver grey harmonising with surroundings.

 

View the completed project >

 

 

New House Completed in North Berwick

Helen Lucas Architects are delighted that this contemporary, new build house is complete.

 

Overlooking the beach and sea, the colours of the environment leap into this modern stone clad house. The windows were carefully set out to capture the islands scattered in the North Sea at North Berwick, a coastal town approximately an hour from Edinburgh. The house is built from natural materials, stone, zinc and lime render. Wood fibre insulation was specified for breathability and the building was designed to be extremely energy efficient.

 

After careful consideration the clients decided to keep the interior very neutral to contrast with the colours in the landscape at this magnificent site.

 

View more photographs of this project >

 

Roof with a View

The standing seam zinc roof has been installed at the site of one of our new build houses in Roshven, Glenuig.

 

The zinc specified is prepatinated to a dull grey colour to blend in with the natural greys of the surrounding rocky beach site. Zinc is a self healing material that is infinitely recyclable. More photos to follow when the protective coating is removed.

 

View photographs of the completed project >

 

Timber Frame Erected in Roshven

The timber frame for a new house overlooking Goat Island on the west coast of Scotland has been complete.

 

Designed by Carpenter Oak Woodland from douglas fir the frame will remain visible after the building has been completed. The house has been designed to have a light touch on the landscape and sits on small concrete pads cast directly onto the rocky site.

 

View details of the completed project >

 

A Light Touch on the Landscape

Delicate concrete feet cast for a new house in Roshven.

 

The new house stands on a rocky beach just above the high tide line. This low carbon house has a green oak frame. The main timber columns land on these neat little concrete pads. This means that the ground beneath the house is relatively unaffected by the buildings presence.

 

Wherever possible we would recommend a light touch on the landscape. We have used this strategy on other remote projects in beautiful locations where preserving the landscape is of the utmost priority. Frisealach - another costal project on a rocky site - was completed in 2007.

 

View the completed project at Roshven >

 

Scissor Trusses Installed at Stoer

Three green oak scissor trusses are installed at new house by Carpenter Oak Woodland.

 

We were excited to receive site photos of the scissor trusses during their installation. The hand crafted green oak trusses will form the centre piece of this newly built family home situated on a croft in the north west highlands.

 

The green oak trusses are supported on conventional timber kit walls. Other projects also in collaboration with Carpenter Oak Woodland use green oak as their primary structure throughout such as our project currently on site in Roshven and Frisealach completed in 2008.

 

New House on Site in North Berwick

Shape of new house is revealed by the timber frame. The timber frame has revealed the form of the new house which is currently on site in North Berwick.

 

Our clients, who are based in Edinburgh, initially approached us to refurbish the property they had acquired overlooking the sea at North Berwick. After carefully considering refurbishment options and getting them priced it became clear that in this instance a new building was a sensible solution for this site. 20 VAT on the refurbishment costs become zero on a new build and our clients decided to change course and invest the 20 saving in gaining a bespoke, energy efficient house.

 

Planning permission was granted for the rebuilding of a new, greener house, more suited to the clients needs. They are looking forward to moving to this beautiful part of the coast when the project is complete.

View the completed project >

 

Sea Views at North Berwick

Window Setting Out at Coastal New Build House The architects for the new build house at North Berwick have been on site to check the exact positions of the glazing.

 

Facing north, the proposed house has windows arranged to frame the islands of Fidra, Lamb, Craigleith and Bass Rock. In this photo the island of Craigleith is framed by the kitchen window.

 

View the completed project >

 

Planning Permission in Stoer Lochinver

Permission granted for former croft in Sutherland.  The project team were delighted to gain planning permission for a new three bedroom dwelling on remote croft land in Lochinver Sutherland.

 

Situated on the coast in an area of outstanding natural beauty planning permission for a new house was granted under delegated powers by the HIghland Council in April. Helen Lucas architects are developing the proposals with the clients and are looking forward to starting on site in Spring next year.

View the completed project >