Stoer School consultation

The online survey can be found at - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/stoer-school

All images described in the survey are at the foot of this page

Initial surveys and design work determined that the best way to use the available space within the school building is to add an upper floor. This can be achieved by altering the roof

structure & increasing the overall ceiling height. The structure of the roof is in good condition. Due to the sloping ceilings of the upper floor, the space is more suitable to be used for bedrooms than main living space. Therefore, two-storey houses work better than flats.

Where possible, the existing window openings have been incorporated into the design to

avoid un-necessary work to the stone façades. Additional roof windows will be required.

Several design options have been proposed for 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom houses respectively.

Whilst there is potential to use almost all of the available floor space for housing purposes, it is also possible to take a mixed-use approach. Some portion of the school could still provide a community use, or be converted to suit other commercial or business enterprises.

Another option is to adopt a CoHousing model to provide homes for the local community.

In this approach, residents share facilities such as outdoor spaces to grow food. A shared

'Common House' provides additional space for residents to meet & socialise, and could

provide office/studio/workshop space that they would not have in their own homes.

The school building could accommodate the 'Common House' - either stand-alone, or

forming part of shared community facilities. Individual houses, owned or rented, would be

built on adjacent land south of the school.

New housing would be designed to make a 'light-touch' on the existing landscape.

Shared car parking in front of the school building would avoid the need to build a road.

The new houses will be designed as low structures to avoid obscuring views of the

school from the wider landscape. The buildings will be south-facing, with main living

spaces enjoying views over the lochan.

Community self-building might also be considered, particularly if it forms part of a

Cohousing approach. There is the potential for shared renewable energy sources. In particular, the nearby lochan may provide an opportunity for water source heat pump technology. The modest size of the houses makes modular, or another pre-fabrication technique, feasible.