Chairman’s Award for Architecture

Ostro Passivhaus

Award

Ostro is a contemporary and exemplary low-energy dwelling in semi-rural Stirling. A Certified Passivhaus, the building achieves extremely low operational and embodied carbon emissions and attained ‘Gold’ accreditation in Section 7 of the Scottish Technical Standards. Adopting a fabric first approach, the building minimises energy demand before turning to renewable technologies, which is articulated in the building’s concept. Internally the spatial layout is organised around an exquisitely crafted black stained timber joinery element: a ‘box within a box’ that houses […]

“It sends all the right messages about energy. The architect is driving an idea forward. It's full of light, and beautiful spaces and energy kicks it into the clear blue water.” A clear winner, there are lots of strong points we should be pushing as a profession. The brief addresses how we live. There's a narrative inside with the dark stair core. I like the plan. Passivhaus has been a mock vernacular. This is innovative in the modern tradition”