Spey Street Lane
A low carbon home from a disused garage
The project transforms a disused garage by Leith Walk in Edinburgh’s city centre into a low carbon family home.
A raised courtyard at first floor level brings daylight and air into the heart of the house whilst maintaining privacy for occupants and neighbours on the constrained site. A double height living space with mezzanine is positioned at the rear of the property with bedrooms arranged over two storeys adjacent to the lane at the front.
The building adopts fabric first principles to minimise energy consumption, constructed from a highly insulated timber structure with triple glazed windows. Heating, hot water and power is via a combination of low carbon technologies including solar panels, mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) and air source heat pump. Rainwater harvesting and low flow fittings minimise water consumption.
The exterior reflects the character of the lane with a traditional rough-hewn stone elevation adjoining the existing stone garden walls and a metal sliding shutter similar to those found along the lane at the entrance.
