Case Study 8

Taigh Dubh

Having raised their family in Linlithgow, Stuart and Yvonne recently retired and were looking to move into their forever home. “We were interested in relocating to Stirling or the surrounding area but struggled to find anything suitable on the market. We then started to consider a self-build and by chance a plot came up for sale, we put in an offer and were delighted it was accepted. This was our first step towards our self build.”

“We met Alastair, the owner of Alastair Forbes Architects through the purchase of the plot. We had no experience of working with an architect so after looking around we approached Alastair to find out if he could assist us, which we are so glad we did, as it was the best decision we made. Discussions with Alastair were constructive, and he quickly picked up on what we were trying to achieve. The rural agricultural setting influenced the design and materials used."

“The design reflected elements of the previous barn located on the site, with some inspiration we found from traditional longhouses from our time spent on the Isle of Tiree. The house is understated but looks beautiful and sits perfectly in its surroundings. There is a public footpath that runs alongside and it’s great to hear passers by giving their opinions, some love it, some not so much, but we love it so that’s all that matters!”

“The end result is low energy home that looks fantastic and works efficiently.”

So why choose to work with ADW?

“We were introduced to Rationel products by Alastair through his previous dealings with ADW. We had considered a few options but chose Rationel Auraplus windows due to the aesthetics, security, and quality. The Entrance doors are high performance and there was plenty of choice.

We met with Sandy Anderson at the Cumbernauld showroom a few times to get things right. He was excellent, nothing was too much trouble, he was very knowledgeable and helpful and gave us support, time and space to ponder things over before making our final decisions, which we really appreciated. It was a pleasure to work with ADW, the whole process from quote to order went smoothly with no snags. We hadn’t embarked on anything like this before so were nervous when it came to things like placing orders, but Alastair and Sandy were a great source of support and with their help everything went fine.”

“The work was carried out by Iain Wilson of RTA Building & Construction Co. Ltd who specify Rationel windows regularly due to their quality. "Iain was second to none, he was great at problem solving and always found solutions to any issue that cropped up“

"ADW advised of weights and sizes of all items arriving at site so that we could ensure no issues with manoeuvring products on site or with install. Iain was second to none, he was great at problem solving and always found solutions to any issue that cropped up” – RTA Building & Construction.

End Result

“We just love the end result! The floor to ceiling windows in each bedroom look especially impressive. We went for a black colour externally to allow them to “disappear” into the cladding but were not sure about being so bold internally, but we have no regrets and are glad we did as each view looks framed and it’s a great contrast to the walls & floors. It gives a contemporary feel and the windows have now become a feature in each room. We decided to go for triple glazing as the uplift in cost was minimal but the difference in energy loss was substantial.

The products work perfectly, we appreciate the weight associated with triple glazed doors but they still feel light to operate. We would certainly recommend! We were not sure what to expect self-building but it was all about the people for us, the team we had around us were professional and supportive and made the whole experience a pleasant one."