The challenge set out in a speech by MAKAR CEO Neil Edgar, delivered to rural housing leaders in Dundee this week at the Scottish Rural and Islands Housing Association Conference.

MAKAR homes are designed to be highly thermally efficient, but it is incredibly important to check the as-built results against the theory. So, to test our models, we have teamed up with The Data Lab and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for a 15-month project to determine the exact heating cost of our Paradigm Prototype Home.

Housing policy and design in Scotland and the UK have primarily focused on heating our homes, but we also need homes that remain comfortable during hotter summers and heat waves. At MAKAR our homes are designed to be comfortable all year round.

We were delighted to invite First Minister, John Swinney, to tour our affordable home prototype to discuss the challenges faced by innovative housebuilders in Scotland. He saw first-hand what it looks like to build a net zero home that is affordable to both build and heat, and to a standard people are proud to live in.

What if we could rapidly assemble healthy and affordable homes that people actually want to live in, with no risk of damp or mould? It's time Scotland built better homes that provide warmth, protect health and offer true affordability. Using Scottish timber and natural materials, we assembled this prototype home to pre-fit out stage in just 7 days... Here's a brief intro into how (and why) we did it!

MAKAR’s home-grown home is being manufactured to demonstrate a transformative approach to social homebuilding across the UK. 

As the Scottish Government faces the challenge of building 15,000 social houses a year, MAKAR has begun the manufacture of a toxin-free prototype next home next to their workshop that will prove social housing can ditch imports and health hazards for c.£5 weekly heating bills.

The future of Scotland’s built environment is undergoing a radical transformation. The adoption of the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) represents a shift toward sustainable, liveable, and productive places. This goal cannot be realised through a business-as-usual approach; instead, it demands a rethink of how we design, build, and inhabit our homes.

From the Georgian terraces of Edinburgh to today’s modern rural developments, the efficient and adaptable terrace housing model continues to prove its value as a fundamental component of our urban and rural landscapes.

Timber-rich homes provide a catalyst for housing regeneration in Scotland. We need more homes—if they are built from local timber and timber products, they can also help us tackle the climate crisis.

The housing crisis goes deeper than just a severe shortage of homes. It is rooted in the toxic materials we are building homes from. How we dwell defines us.