Thinking outside the box

Homeowners across the north-east of Scotland are pushing the boundaries of modern day architecture in a quest to extend their homes in new and unique ways.

Traditional box-shape extensions with grey harling walls are making way for contemporary forms with vaulted ceilings and exposed trusses, flat roofs with glazed feature lightwells and large bi-folding and sliding doors.

According to RIAS chartered practice MAC Architects, a surge of growing families are wanting more say in which direction their builds are taking and choosing alternative design features which will give them the space they need.

Jonathan Cheyne, director of the award-winning team, said: “Back in the nineties the conservatory was a must have for expanding families – but they were too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

“Today homeowners are braver in their design decisions and aspire for unusual shapes and different materials. Their design brief is to have room to grow, but they’re conscious of adding value to their property at the same time.”

Here are some popular design features for modern day extensions. Timber cladding on your extension will give a fresh and contemporary finish. From Scottish larch to western red cedar, there is a huge choice of natural and coated timber options which are cost effective, durable and low maintenance. Using large bi-fold and folding doors and transparent glazed corners from floor to ceiling provides interesting design features, combined with letting a vast amount of natural daylight into your new space Today modern families want a useable and practical space for carrying out a myriad of daily tasks. The open plan concept fulfils this need perfectly and more of us are choosing one large open space for our kitchen, living and dining areas The shape of your roof naturally impacts on the shape of the room below so avoid the generic rectangle and choose different forms. Consider vaulted exposed roof trusses with clerestory windows or a flat roof with a feature roof light.

Jonathan said: “This current demand for inspiring yet functional extensions is largely down to changing technology and its impact on the home design process.

“We have access to a multitude of ideas thanks to online design information sites such as Houzz and Pinterest. You can then talk about them with your architect to see if they will work in your home. Homeowners can uncover architectural tips from international experts on hundreds of design and cultural blogs.”

MAC Architects is one of only a few practices in Scotland to have 3D BIM software integrated at the core of their business. The BIM concept creates a virtual construction model of a project prior to physical construction increasing accuracy, reducing uncertainty, maximising efficiency and simulating and analysing impacts.

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