Straw, lime and a living roof:

Sunnyside Croft Studio

Buchan coast, Aberdeenshire · 2007

Our role: Specialist consultant and training adviser
Client: Private client
Award: Gold, Green Apple Awards 2007 (national winner)

Sunnyside Croft Studio is a 5m by 20m timber and straw bale building, lime rendered and limewashed, with a living soil roof. It draws on the local tradition of building with timber, lime and clay. We were involved from inception to completion as specialist consultant, training adviser and site operative.

Before & after

Drag across the image to compare the building before our work and after completion.

Sunnyside Croft Studio after restoration by LTM Group

Sunnyside Croft Studio before restoration

BeforeAfter

Sunnyside Croft Studio, Buchan coast, Aberdeenshire — photograph 1

Sunnyside Croft Studio, Buchan coast, Aberdeenshire — photograph 2

Sunnyside Croft Studio, Buchan coast, Aberdeenshire — photograph 3

Sunnyside Croft Studio, Buchan coast, Aberdeenshire — photograph 4

Sunnyside Croft Studio, Buchan coast, Aberdeenshire — photograph 5

The challenge

The project brought together volunteers, designers, contractors and suppliers, many new to natural building. The aim was not only to build a sustainable studio but to share the skills involved as widely as possible.

Our solution

The foundations used recycled tyres and paving slabs, the timber floor floats on a grid of pads, and load-bearing straw bale walls are finished externally in lime and internally in clay render. The soil roof sits on recycled corrugated iron. We ran hands-on workshops in lime harling and plastering, turning the build into a training opportunity for everyone involved.