Smithton Regional Offices and Workshops
Inverness

Client:  Forestry Commission Scotland

Budget: £1.2m

A joint commission for HRI and Hurd Rolland Partnership's Edinburgh office, the Scheme is designed to ecological principles that aim to limit the detrimental effects of building on the environment from construction and use.

Key to this principle is use of energy (throughout the life cycle) and a sound understanding of the users requirements both present and future. The brief required the Design to showcase sustainable Scottish timber products and other advanced ecological technologies such as photovoltaics, controllable solar shading/passive stack systems/biomass heating system/grey water recycling/controllable ventilation/heating by conduction/and the use of natural lighting throughout.

Materials have been chosen for their low energy and pollution in manufacture as well as for their life cycle and technical performance. Structural frames are softwood, a renewal low energy resource, with toxic timber treatments only used for columns in contact with the ground. Wall, roof and floor constructions have high levels of insulation. Finishes are safe and non-toxic including organic paints and stains and natural linoleum. Heating systems are energy efficient with intelligent control systems.

The building is designed to achieve an “excellent” rating under BREEAM assessment and much of the specification is determined by this requirement.
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