Northcliff

The brief

The client wanted an open-plan house on a sloping site that makes the most of the views out over the Forth.

How we built it

We used the slope to fit an enormous basement under the house, giving room for a workshop, wine cellar and games room. Above it, a beam and block floor carries a timber stick-built frame, insulated with blown-in recycled paper.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing and high-performance sliding doors and windows open the living spaces to the water, and open comb ceilings add height inside. The walls and roof are clad in standing seam metal, with render board and a single-coat silicone render, and solar panels on the roof.