Where you should locate and site your house and what it should look like
The location and siting of your house is just as important as what it looks like. To help you, the broad meanings of location, siting and design have been set out below. This is followed by a table which provides detailed information on the key design considerations relating to each term.
Location: Careful positioning within the wider landscape. New build should try to fit into the landscape and respect traditional settlement patterns. Consideration should also be given to constraints on locations such as local development plan policies, the potential for flooding and proximity to utilities.
Siting: Responding to the character of your site to achieve a well designed layout. This is important because a poor layout can detract from good design. Layout considerations relate particularly to topography and site levels, and how best to use these to create an attractive and practical site. Creating a well designed site, with careful consideration of where and how the house is placed on site can also save money – from extensive site preparation works to running costs. For example, orientating the house to enhance shelter and solar gain can help retain heat and reduce energy consumption. Consideration must also be given to access (driveways), drainage and hard surfacing (parking), as well as to landscaping which can be used to integrate your house into its surroundings.
Design: What your house looks like. This can be described as the choice of building materials and colours. It also includes details such as the style of windows, doors, dormers, chimneys, porches and conservatories.
The Scottish Government strongly supports good rural house design. In November 2011, it published a document called Rural Design: Future Landscapes. This brings together a range of rural design initiatives which have been carried out by the Government in conjunction with two rural local authorities. In particular, there was collaboration between Scotframe, Proctor & Matthews Architects and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on a kit house re-design exercise. The idea behind the project was to create a new portfolio of houses, more in-keeping with Scotland’s rural vernacular.