Headquarters building, East Lothian
Photographs: Paul Zanre



This new building is located on the outskirts of Haddington in East Lothian, with panoramic views to the Lammermuir Hills. The building will be the new headquarters for McInroy & Wood, a leading firm of personal investment managers.

The site provides a secluded but spectacular hillside setting, bounded by mature trees and agricultural land. The two storey L-shaped building was designed as a contemporary re-interpretation of a country house appropriate for its rural location. It forms a south-facing cloistered courtyard with double-height timber columns supporting a zinc and natural slate roof, with sandstone walls reaching out into the rural landscape. Most areas of the building rely solely on natural through ventilation with solar shading provided by the oversailing roof.



The building utilises intelligent building management systems for both mechanical and electrical services. Natural ventilation is used in most areas, with energy-efficient heat-pumps used elsewhere. Heating is triggered by PIR sensors and controlled by the Building Management System. Lighting is controlled by daylight sensors and presence detectors.

The building adopts a modern vernacular, espousing a narrative of ‘wall, cloister and enclosure’.

Professional Team
Client: McInroy & Wood Ltd
Architect: Michael Laird Architects
Project Manger: Davis Langdon
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: K J Tait
Structural Engineer: SKM
Quantity Surveyor: CBA





The building utilises intelligent building management systems for both mechanical and electrical services:

Mechanical:
· Natural ventilation is used in all areas except sanitary, kitchen and completely enclosed spaces (ventilation as required per Building Regulations)
· Where cooling cannot be controlled by natural means, energy-efficient inverter-driven air heat-pumps are used
· Condensing ‘A’ rated boilers have been fitted to achieve high efficiency with low emissions
· Heating optimisation and control is carried out by an Intelligent Building Management System
· PIR sensors have been fitted in individual rooms to trigger heating when occupied and only giving a basic background heat when not used to save energy
· Variable speed pumps have been utilised to efficiently match load with demand
· Solar-controlled glazing is used to reduce overall cooling requirement with solar shading provided by the oversailing roof
· The building was thermally simulated using IES software to identify accurate heating, cooling and ventilation requirements
 
Electrical:
· The lighting scheme is controlled by an Intelligent Lighting Control System
· Internal and external lighting is controlled by a range of daylight sensors, absence detectors and presence detectors

The new building is located on the outskirts of Haddington, East Lothian, just off the A1. The site is adjacent to Alderston House, a large neoclassical country house. The building was completed in Autumn 2007.





Michael Laird Architects: East Lothian Building - PR from 2006

McInroy & Wood, Haddington

Michael Laird Architects received planning permission for a contemporary building in the heart of rural East Lothian. The building will be the new headquarters for McInroy & Wood, a firm based in Haddington, and follows on from the opening of MLA’s widely-praised HQ for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The site provides a secluded but spectacular hillside setting. The three storey L-shaped building is designed as a naturally-ventilated modern country building appropriate for its rural location. It forms a south-facing cloistered courtyard with double-height timber columns supporting a zinc and natural slate roof, with walls of local stone reaching out into the rural landscape.


image from Michael Laird Architects

Professional Team
Architects: Michael Laird Architects
Client: McInroy & Wood Ltd

The new building is located on the outskirts of Haddington, East Lothian, just off the A1 on a south-sloping site with panoramic views to the Lammermuir Hills. The site is adjacent to Alderston House, a large neoclassical country house.

Rear of the building showing courtyard partially enclosed by cloisters:

building image from Michael Laird Architects

Offices for McInroy & Wood, Haddington: Info received Feb 2006

Scottish Architecture

Other offices by Michael Laird Architects include RBS World HQ offices



Haddington buildings

East Lothian building : house

Edinburgh : back to index

East Lothian offices : Michael Laird Architects