This home became part of the Scottish landscape thanks to the heavy use of sustainable wood

Since meeting as aid workers in Sudan, Elaine and Theo Leijser had traversed the African continent on numerous postings but in 1998 they returned to Elaine’s native Scotland, seeking stability for their two boys. They just couldn’t find a house they liked within their £350,000 budget, but Dutch Theo has house building in his blood. ‘My father did it and I’d always wanted to do the same.’ So when they found a 1200sqm field with staggering views only 16 miles from Glasgow, it was too good an opportunity to miss. At first they tried to design a house themselves, but after three months they threw in the towel and hired local architects, Studio KAP.

The couple supplied a meticulous brief. Their wish list included a double-height atrium and covered outdoor area, and they supplied a CD of hundreds of images of architectural details they liked or loathed. Luckily, Studio KAP had just as much stamina as the Leijsers when it came to perfecting the design. They created a cardboard model of the plot so that Theo and Elaine could decide on the home’s shape and its exact position. The couple also played with colour ideas using Photoshop. ‘During the process there was constant discussion,’ says Elaine. ‘The design kept getting better, after a year we got it right.’

The final result consists of a double-storey, cedar-clad timber box, sitting on a concrete basement. While a local contractor built the concrete section, Theo sourced the prefab timber frame from a company in Devon. ‘I’d spent time in Sweden with work and been really impressed with how thermally

efficient and solid their buildings are,’ he says. ‘The amazing thing about these systems is that the company build almost everything, including plug sockets, into the frame at the factory so when it arrives on site it goes up in two weeks.’

The build began in March 2005, and Theo and Elaine aimed to move in six months later. All was going to plan until the windows that Theo had ordered from Sweden arrived five months late. Despite the delay, which meant the family didn’t move in till December, Theo is adamant that he made the right choice. ‘The quality is incredible,’ he says of the triple-glazed, super-insulated windows, ‘and with the exchange rate, it was cheaper to import from Sweden than it was to buy double-glazed windows here.’

Entering the house, the impact of these windows is immediate. A huge solid pane punctures the living room wall, providing outstanding views of the mountains. In the kitchen, glazed folding doors lead out to a covered balcony, and throughout the house frames of varying width and height suck in light and give glimpses of the countryside beyond. The windows were also a crucial element in making the house sustainable. ‘We didn’t want to build an “eco” house full of gimmicks,’ says Theo, ‘but wanted to create a home that was sustainable, practical and comfortable. We decided that with our budget, the most effective solution was to make the house thermally efficient.’ The prefabricated walls are packed with rock wool insulation and the building is exceptionally airtight. They have also installed underfloor heating, a heat recovery system and a wood-burning stove. ‘When the house was designed they said that we wouldn’t need any heating, but we couldn’t believe it,’ says Elaine. ‘But our gas bill for the first three months came to £3.50!’

The family are also thrilled with the layout. At basement level there is a secluded bedroom and bathroom for guests and a soundproofed games room, which could be converted into a garage or combined with the other rooms on this level to create a separate apartment with disabled access. The top floor has bedrooms and a bathroom for the boys, a master bedroom with en suite and a study tucked into a galley that overlooks the living space below. But it is the first floor area, with its soaring double-height atrium that makes the house special.

But the family are on the move again, although not as far as Africa this time. An unexpected career development for Theo means that Cornwall beckons, and it’s a sad goodbye to their Scottish hideaway. ‘We built this house to live here for 30 years, so it’s a real shock,’ says Theo. ‘It’s a dream job offer, but we’re leaving a dream house behind.’ After the couple’s experience on this project, it surely won’t be long before Cornwall has its own Leijser original.

The postmortem

Would you do it again? ‘We’ve learnt so much and are so happy with the results, it’s certainly something we’d consider’.

Top tip

‘Think about how you want to live as a family unit and create a very detailed brief’

Useful Contacts

Architect: Studio KAP www.studiokap.com
Main contractor: PAN Joiners and Building Services www.panjoiners.co.uk
Builders: Brick and Steel Construction Ltd 0141 810 1919
Timber frame: Avalon Timber Frame Homes Ltd www.avalontimberframehomes.com
Groundworks: Caley Construction www.caley-construction.co.uk
Landscaping: Endrick Landscapes 01360 449 270
Cedar shake supplier: John Brash Group www.johnbrash.co.uk
Electrical contractors: Kenlite Electrics 0141 339 7490
Plasterers: Jamieson Plasterers 0141 956 1061
Plumbing and heating: Mark D Gray Ltd, 01355 524 520
Windows and external doors: Tanums Fonster www.tanumsfonster.se
Cedar wood products: Canada Wood www.canadawood.info
Kitchen: Tradestyle Cabinets Ltd 0141 781 6800
Bathroom suites: Bathstore www.bathstore.com
Underfloor heating: Invisible Heating Systems www.invisibleheating.co.uk

Words: Cathy Stongman Images: Jefferson Smith