Nominee Summary
MAKAR is pioneering timber-based off-site construction in Scotland, by designing and building natural, healthy homes. MAKAR has delivered over 250 of the UK’s most innovative Net Zero ecological buildings, and has now launched an affordable family home product with very low running costs, as a timely solution to Scotland’s housing and climate emergencies. MAKAR has set out to counter the assumption that building development is inherently bad for the environment, and their designs are challenging the industry to approach construction more sustainably; to eschew high embodied carbon materials and take a circular economy approach.
Reduction of carbon footprint
MAKAR has taken several steps to actively reduce their carbon footprint, emmissions and to challenge the norms of the volume-built housing industry. Material selection: MAKAR’s approach eschews high embodied carbon materials and instead designs for locally sourced natural and renewable materials. An independent study of previous MAKAR Terrace homes demonstrated embodied carbon figures 27% lower than standard timber frame houses and 39% lower than brick-built Passivhaus equivalents. In fact, these homes sequestered biogenic carbon—up to 39 tonnes per home—through use of untreated Scottish timber and cellulose insulation. Off-site construction: MAKAR has pioneered a unique off-site construction approach using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and a natural Structural Insulated Pannels (n-SIP) design which allows for high precision engineering of timber panelised ‘sub-assemblies’. These are made in a controlled workshop environment for precision, quality and minimal waste, and able to be delivered to site for rapid assembly. This process dramatically reduces embodied carbon, operational emissions and wastage. Ultra-low energy homes: Once built, MAKAR homes are designed to reduce energy demand and remain resilient under future climate conditions by following Passivhaus design and delivery. Through use of high-density natural cellulose insulation, triple glazing, airtight construction, and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems, these homes are warm in winter, cool in summer, and consistently healthy inside. This approach is not just limited to homes, and can be applied to larger commercial buildings, including MAKAR’s own workshop.
Overcoming challenges
Until relatively recently, MAKAR’s primary focus has been the Self and Custom Building (SCB) house market. During this time the company has faced a number of challenges, including winning acceptance of its build approach and specification form local authority departments, mortgage providers and insurance companies. With rising property prices not being met by wage increases, and relatively fewer social homes available to alleviate Scotland’s Housing Emergency, MAKAR has developed a scalable affordable housing product, which has been widely welcomed. The first of these affordable homes has been commissioned by Lismore Community Trust, gaining planning permission in a remarkable 30 days, demonstrating local government support for this model and approach. MAKAR has also faced challenges in developing a Scottish supply chain, though has overcome this in part by developing a short supply chain for its timber supplies, which all come from timber processors based in the North of Scotland, and using Scottish manufactured Oriented Strand Board (OSB). This gives the company a secure source of timber with negligible associated carbon miles compared with imported timber. MAKAR continues to innovate to meet the challenges of climate change, and has succeeded in many areas, including: n-SIP development to produce natural ‘breathing walls’, use of wood fibre insulation to help achieve Passivhaus certification, pioneering the use of Sitka spruce for long span trusses and posts in large buildings, and using advanced digital modelling to enable streamline off-site manufacturing, thereby reducing time on site and significantly lowering environmental impact.
