Low Energy New Build House, Iron Mill Bay

Completed in 2019 this low energy new build house sits on a historic coastal site at Iron Mill Bay, Charlestown near Dunfermline.

Iron Mill Bay is on the shoreline of the Firth of Forth and formerly part of the Elgin Estate. The site is bordered with woodland where the remains of the Iron Mill Foundry on the Lyne Burn still stand. The derelict remains of the former Foundry cottage lie in the middle of the site and a disused railway line is located to the South East. The site, rich in industrial history, informed the design of the house which has a strong industrial concept.

The house design is for a two storey, five bedroom family home, with a floor area of 220m sq. The design and external building materials are strongly influenced by the site’s past with a saw tooth factory roof profile and rusted steel cladding. The house has a t-shaped floor plan and is orientated to maximise views across the Forth as well as natural daylight. At the heart of the home is a large brick double height public space with factory style windows, a gallery style landing and bridge to the master bedroom suite. A cylindrical sandstone stair tower references the tower of the old Foundry.

Weathered steel cladding at the ground floor celebrates the history of iron at the site. Timber clad bedroom accommodation at the first floor with a saw tooth profile reflect the industrial style.

It was important to our clients to create a home that will perform as efficiently as possible in terms of energy and impact on the environment. So a combination of renewable technologies will be used including an air source heat pump, rainwater harvesting system and using reclaimed materials where ever possible.