Trusted Architects in Inverness

Size is not everything - although popular TV shows would have you believe that bigger is better, this is not necessarily the case! We encourage you to think carefully about the spaces that you need. Remember that well-designed, and carefully constructed space can have far more value than large, but poorly designed space. Our experienced architects will work through your brief and requirements, and from this derive the size of house that suits you. We would encourage building a home that is not larger than you need, or will need in the future, as much as to save on building materials and future energy costs.

In general, the first five Design stages can take approximately 6 months, including the development of your design and going through the Planning and Building Warrant consents. You will find the step by step process in our brochure. A house typically goes through our workshop in 3-4 weeks. On-site assembly of the prefabricated panels is typically undertaken in 4-5 days, and our teams will then stay on site for a further 2 weeks to ensure that the Shell is 100% wind and watertight. Internal fit-out time depends on your location and finishes, but this typically take 15-20 weeks after the Shell is complete.

Most older homes are very air leaky, and suffer from draughts. This means higher energy bills and can create an uncomfortable environment. Modern homes, on the other hand, are very air-tight and suffer few leaks. This means that energy bills are lower, but a ventilation system is required to refresh the internal air periodically. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is a type of whole-house ventilation. Because MAKAR homes are airtight to Passiv Haus standard, we use MVHR to ensure indoor air quality is maintained. Moisture can be dealt with using the breathing wall, but we also have to refresh our indoor air to deal with pollutants and CO2 build-up. The MVHR unit transfers the heat of outgoing stale air to the fresh incoming air, ensuring that you lose as little energy as possible, and that fresh air delivered around the home is pre-warmed.

Most of our builds to-date have been across the Scottish Highlands, however we build across Scotland and have recently begun our first project south of the border. Your site location in relation to our Inverness HQ will have a bearing on transport and labour costs, although most other costs will remain unaffected.

Yes we can do. Our standard system already meets most of the Passiv Haus criteria, and with a few tweaks we can reach the standard for certification. Find out more here.