Tips on building orientation in choosing and developing a building plot

It seems obvious, but it is sadly often too true that new homeowners make some classic mistakes when orienting their new luxury home within their building plot or in choosing a building plot which offers the essentials for good orientation.  In particular it is vital to think carefully about building orientation and energy consumption when building your new home.

Building orientation is important in reducing energy consumption and keeping the interior temperature comfortable.  When designing and siting your new home within your building plot, it is necessary to think about using the sun to your advantage.  As we all know, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and is higher in the summer sky and lower in the winter sky.  Therefore the orientation of the whole building should be planned and constructed to capture free heat in the winter and minimise too much heat in the summer.  Since you live in your home through summer and winter, you should design it for the entire year. The ideal house orientation is that the main long axis (the ridge line) of the building runs from east to west. It is generally agreed that you can move this orientation  by as much as 20 degrees without ill effect, but that the most glass finishes on the building should face towards the sun.

When choosing a plot or deciding the building orientation of your new home within a plot it is important to take into account the location of landscape features on the building plot, for example trees and walls, which may impact on how you harness the sun for your home. Ideally you do not want landscape features blocking the sunlight as the sun tracks across the sky.

When planning your building, think about where to locate your living areas.  The rooms most used must be on the side of the house orientated towards the sun, i.e. the kitchen, lounge, dining etc. The least used rooms such as garage, laundry etc will be on the more shaded side of the house.  These shaded rooms can also act as additional thermal mass, if properly insulated. (Thermal Mass is material that absorbs heat from a heat source, and then releases it slowly  - such as concrete or bricks).  Thinking through how your home will relate to your garden is also vital, providing sun-filled sheltered areas adjacent to house interiors to allow seamless indoor/outdoor living spaces.

When buying a building plot and planning and designing your new home, a sustainable, whole house approach to design and construction is essential.  For more information on passive solar design click here>

Location is more than spectacular views (although we have those too!)

It will seem an obvious point, but if you talk to any experienced professional in the property sector you’ll always hear the following three words as the most important criteria for buying and selling a home: location, location, location.  When investing in a bespoke luxury property this is even more vital, but it is not always easy to find plots in the ideal location.  We continually research the best locations for our clients which is much more complex than simply providing spectacular views .   Ultimately the location you choose for your home will not only have the greatest impact on its value within the market, but also the pleasure and convenience of living in the best location for you.   You can always change what’s inside your home but you can never change what’s outside of it.  Finding the correct location for your new home will affect both its future value and the pleasure that you have in living there.

Finding top quality locations is very much the key to our success for both our developments and bespoke homes and we have a set of criteria which we follow. Our main aim is to identify beautiful country locations which are also within easy reach of major cities and transport links, allowing the best of both worlds. Being close to a main road and rail artery or an airport can have far reaching consequences for the value of your home as well as the convenience and pleasure of a relaxed lifestyle.  We identify thriving village communities which can offer many lifestyle benefits including speciality shopping and eating out, outdoor recreation, community activities and nature and wildlife.  Other more practical aspects include local facilities such as health centres and schools.

A further vital aspect of location is the position of the building plot within the neighbourhood or community.  Whether the site is within or on the edge of a town or village, the surrounding landscape, the views on offer and the orientation of the building to the sun are also vital considerations.

Working with architects and other professionals, Richmond Homes has identified some excellent sites for bespoke homes in Fife and Perthshire, click here for more details>.  We are currently in the process of finalising new development sites south of Edinburgh so please let us know  if you would like to be kept up-to-date.

Local collaboration is the key to a sustainable luxury home

In the 40 years since Richmond Homes first started out building luxury homes, our long-term partnerships with specialists in the building trade have been crucial to delivering top quality homes for our clients. The companies we work with have the high level of expertise, reliability, innovation and professionalism which we need for our projects.

A new and exciting development in the building industry is in “green” energy and sustainability. Ecological solutions for environmentally-friendly living are becoming increasingly important to our customers and our partnerships with local specialist firms help us to deliver high quality energy efficient homes for them.

One of our long-standing partnerships is with Rob Roy Homes, a timber frame manufacturer based in Perthshire. Rob Roy Homes were established in 1974 supplying top quality timber frames for self builds and commercial use.  Since then they have developed a strong “green” focus, using sustainable timber to create energy efficient frames for homes. Rob Roy’s excellent timber frames essentially form the backbone of a new home, from the inside and outside, providing the structural support for all the essential building elements that follow. The company has developed an innovative high performance insulation system named ULTRAwarm thermal and acoustic performance specification.  Their enthusiasm, expertise and high quality product is the reason we return to them time and time again when building a new Richmond Home.

Another valued partnership is with Glendevon Energy, based in Kinross, a key provider of micro-renewables in Scotland for Richmond Homes. Hugh Wallace and Jamie Adams of Glendevon have a proven track record of excellence in their field, supplying, installing and servicing biomass, solar and heat pump systems. Their technical knowledge of eco-energy solutions is of the highest standard, and the company can design systems which are tailor-made to customer’s requirements. Richmond Homes owners benefit from low carbon luxury living, resulting in a reduced impact on the environment and lower home running costs, two factors that are important to our customers.

Working with excellent local companies like these, we are able to provide sustainable luxury homes for our clients. Together we deliver a top quality home that will withstand the test of time, respect the local environment and meet the individual needs and desires of our customers.