Truss House

for a private client has been undertaken in response to governmental concerns regarding the future provision at a national level of an energy efficient, sustainable, high design quality housing stock in rural areas. The project received research funding and developed a prototype at the BE-ST. (see R&D pics). Specifically, the project demonstrates the application of design economy, low operational and embodied carbon/energy consumption and combined with careful observation of site specificity and use of materials and construction, in pursuit of an affordable, yet high quality contemporary architecture. The slightly sloping windy rural site, located near Fraserburgh, Scotland, consisted of derelict farm buildings . Excluding the foundations, the project’s budget was set at £150,000 – around £1,200 p/sqm2. The achievement was a genuinely affordable contemporary house with lowest energy standards. Design Rationale- Roof trusses are the most common and cost-effective way to build roofs in the UK. The ‘Integra House’ employed the well-understood concept and technology of truss manufacturing to design a edited truss type that will provide the super structure and envelope for the entire house, including floors, walls, and the roof. The truss frames which consisting the floor, walls and roof element which are then transported to site and erected in a day It eliminates structural members for large openings, as the large openings at the gable ends are not dependent on a structural lintel provision where the living and bedroom are located. It does not need a specialist lifting equipment and individual trusses can be lifted by two people. The House enables reduction of site operations, including different trades. All external walls and roof cladded with untreated larch cladding. The design targets the ease of buildability in remote rural locations using locally available workforce.