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Name: kenna.studio
Address: Scotland
Price range: $

Taking on a construction project is daunting, so it can help to know what to expect. To learn more about the building process, why not give yourself a head start by reading ahead? Here, we share our expertise, industry-related knowledge and updates on our current projects.

Coldwells Build unveils a new certified Passivhaus range

The Coldwells Build Passivhaus range launches early 2024. Our ready-to-go, design-driven homes combine premium, sustainable materials with the speed and precision of prefabricated construction.

Passivhaus • 2 Min Read Time

How We Did It: Transforming a Traditional Stone Cottage into a Modernised, Energy Efficient Home

Our clients sought to remodel, extend and improve the energy efficiency of their cherished period cottage, all whilst honouring its rich and notable history.

Interview, Renovation • 2 Min Read Time

High angle shot of a muddy building site. The foundations of a new house are in place. Concrete builder’s blocks are stacked in pallets and surround the foundations, ready to build walls. A yellow digger, barley fields and forest is in the background.

8 Ways to Find Plots for Sale in Scotland

Finding good quality, buildable land is vital for a successful self-build or custom home project. Explore all avenues with our guide to discovering building plots in Scotland.

Advice • 8 Min Read Time

Tips For a New Build Garden

Where should you start with a new build garden? TV gardener, Scott Smith and garden designer, Iona Hilleary share their ideas to transform a bare, empty plot in Scotland.

Advice • 5 Min Read Time

A construction worker lays concrete blocks in wet cement to build the finished floor height of a new build home.

What Types of Building Insurance Should Your Contractor Have?

Emma Whyatt, Director of Federation of Master Builders Insurance Services explains the types of cover your builder should have and which policies you should consider yourself.

Advice • 5 Min Read Time

An outside shot looking into a heavily glazed house. Through the glass, a dog can be seen sitting at the bottom of a birch plywood spiral staircase. The home’s exterior materials are made from timber cladding and board marked concrete.

Coldwells Build Winners at 2023 Federation of Master Builder Awards

Coldwells Build are honoured to be named Scotland’s overall winners for our Farragon and The Arbor House projects at the 2023 Federation of Master Builder Awards.

Custom Build, Press • 2 Min Read Time

A partially-built home clad in grey corrugated sheeting. A black door is in the middle of the sheeting. Beyond the home, there is rural views of farmer’s fields. Rubble and builder’s sand can be seen in the foreground.

8 Things to Know Before Building a Passivhaus Home

If you’re new to Passivhaus, Rupert Daly, Passivhaus designer and associate director at John Gilbert Architects, provides insight into this low energy building standard.

Passivhaus, Interview • 10 Min Read Time

Traditional granite cottage and byre connected with modern, blackened timber and glass extension with a child walking.

Cost of Renovating vs Building a New Home

Which project is the most cost effective? Which is the fastest to complete? We look at some of the key elements to help you decide whether to renovate or build from scratch.

Advice, Custom Build, Renovation • 5 Min Read Time

A twilight shot of a modern, cantilevered house, looking from the outside in. The lights are on inside the property and floor to ceiling glazing allows you to see right inside the home. A man and a woman can be seen sitting on a couch watching TV. The home’s materials include board marked concrete and timber cladding.

The Arbor House in ELLE Decoration

The Arbor House in Aberdeen is featured alongside some of the world’s most beautiful properties in June 2023’s edition of ELLE Decoration.

Custom Build, Press • 2 Min Read Time

Two builders install a window in a half-built home.

All New Homes in Scotland to be Built to Passivhaus Equivalent Standard From 2025

Get ahead of the curve and understand what the new building regulations mean and how you can build a compliant, future-proofed Passivhaus home.

Passivhaus, Advice • 2 Min Read Time

A wide shot of a modern home. The first floor- a long, elevated, timber and glass building- cantilevers above a concrete colonnade. There is lots of floor to ceiling glass in the property and you can see right through to the other side. The house is made from timber cladding and board marked concrete. Trees and garden surround the property.

Coldwells Build in The New York Times

Our latest custom build, The Arbor House, is featured in The New York Times this week. Coldwells Build managed the project over the course of 16 months, bringing to life the design by Brown & Brown Architects.

Custom Build, Press • 2 Min Read Time

A pallet of builder’s blocks sits on a muddy construction site. A wheelbarrow sits next to the blocks. In the foreground, a new wall is being built from concrete blocks on the foundations of a new house.

How Much Does it Cost to Build a House in Scotland in 2023?

How much should you set aside to build your dream custom home in Scotland? Our cost guide includes real life examples, £/m² building prices and the factors affecting construction costs in 2023.

Custom Build, Advice • 7 Min Read Time

A timber frame sits on the ground at a new build construction site. Grass and daises surround the timber.

How Much Does an Extension Cost in Scotland in 2023?

How much does an extension cost? Here are up-to-date figures to guide your project, plus what you need to consider when working out cost.

Custom Build, Advice, Renovation • 5 Min Read Time

A man in a blue shirt and a woman in a white shirt stand together in front of a timber larch cladding.

Partners in Passivhaus: Interview with BE-ST

We spoke to Built Environment Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) about our mission to accelerate sustainable, innovative and future-proofed housing in Scotland.

Interview, Passivhaus, Press • 2 Min Read Time

3 timber ply shelves and a desk workspace. The shelves are stacked with various plaster sculptures, protective masks, buckets and a tin of varnish. Two stools sit under the shelves.

Scottish Sculpture Workshop Transformed

Coldwells Build is proud to have delivered a renovation project which has tremendous community and cultural value.

Community • 2 Min Read Time

Inside a half-built timber frame home. Materials include Oriented Strand Board (OSB). One wall of the new house is covered in silver, windproof building paper. Timber frames are exposed. Electrical cables hang from the ceiling. Sawdust covers the concrete floor. Barley fields are in the distance.

Top 5 Benefits of a Passivhaus Home: Why You Should Build One

With energy costs soaring and Scotland's net zero target fast approaching, we all need to be using less energy. We discuss the top 5 benefits of a Passivhaus home.

Passivhaus, Advice • 5 Min Read Time

Two builders stand at the site of a new build home. They read large, white plans which are resting on a pile of concrete blocks. A yellow digger is parked in the background.

This Is Why Your Builder Needs To Know Your Budget: The Top 4 Reasons

Nothing is worse than designing your dream home and then learning it’s out of reach. We explain the top 4 reasons why your builder should understand your budget.

Custom Build, Advice • 5 Min Read Time

Concrete blocks and scaffolding boards stacked on a building site. Exposed rock is in the background.

Material Prices Are Through The Roof, So Is 2022 a Good Time to Build a House?

A shortage of construction materials saw prices hit a 40 year high in 2021. Will the trend continue in 2022? And what could it mean for your custom home project?

Custom Build, Advice • 5 Min Read Time

Dappled light on modern, blackened timber and glass box shaped extension surrounded by woodland

Coldwells Build Crowned National Winner at Prestigious Construction Awards

The Coldwells Build team are honoured to be named national winners for our ‘Cornival’ project at the 2021 Federation of Master Builder awards.

Press, Interview, Renovation • 5 Min Read Time

A master bedroom with a double bed with linen duvet. Exposed white ceiling ties. Floor to ceiling glazing shows off beautiful rural views. Balcony doors are open. Balcony has glass handrails and black timber flooring.

This Is The Truth About Building a Custom Home: It’s An Emotional Rollercoaster

From excitement to anxiety, we explore the emotional highs and lows of building a house and share what you can expect during the construction process.

Custom Build • 5 Min Read Time

Build a Career

Through our dedication to training and promoting from within, we ensure our values and standards are passed from one generation of craftspeople to the next.

View Opportunities

Two construction workers look through a laser level to set the finished floor height of a house they will build.

Learn

Coldwells Build unveils a new certified Passivhaus range

How We Did It: Transforming a Traditional Stone Cottage into a Modernised, Energy Efficient Home