Page 128 - Homes & Interiors Scotland

ARCHITECTURE

sparkle and glitter as the light changes, like “a work of art in themselves”,
he notes. He has created a series of waterfalls along the walls of the ter-
race. These collect rainwater that is then funnelled into the greywater
storage tank in the basement and used to flush the property’s toilets.
The environmental spec at Hart Street is impressive. The glass roof
has eight photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and is pitched at an
angle that is sufficient to provide privacy but won’t block the sunlight for
the neighbouring properties. Throughout the house the windows and
rooflights generate heat; every one has a shutter system that changes the
look of the space but also acts as a means of harvesting heat and light. “It
was the Dutch architect Aldo Van Eyck who said: ‘A house needs to be a
cave as well as a bird’s nest.’”
Murphy has also devised an air-reclamation system that pushes air to
the bottom of the house that is then stored and used to heat the property
at night. There is no gas supply; heat is harvested from the log burner
that, in turn, heats the water supply.

HOMES & INTERIORS SCOTLAND