Dalston Works, completed in Summer 2017, is the world’s largest timber building. It was designed by sustainability specialists Waugh Thistleton Architects. I spoke with Dave Lomax, Senior Associate at the practice. Built for London Developer Regal Homes, Dalston Works is a ten-storey complex housing 121 flats, as well as overRead More →
In a beautiful valley high up in Exmoor, Hawkland Ecological Construction have started work on a new straw bale house. I went to see the beginnings of the structure. The timber platform rests on a foundation of used car tyres. These in turn rest on compacted hard core. TheRead More →
The UK is in the middle of a major housing crisis. Meanwhile, there are millions of unused shipping containers in the world. I went to meet Iain Clark, of London housing cooperative the Yellow Brick Road, to see how recycled shipping container homes might help. According to the homelessRead More →
Hempcrete is a lightweight concrete, made of lime, water, and the shredded stems of hemp plants: hemp shiv. The material was developed in France over the last 40 years, by builders looking for a breathable material to use for repairing period buildings. Highly successful, it was also adopted for newRead More →
Bradfield Woods is one of Britain’s finest ancient woodlands, managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. It is mainly coppiced, and there is a particularly high biodiversity. In 2011 the Trust built a new education and visitor centre. The aim was an eco-friendly structure, that would blend into its surroundings. Read More →
Sustainable settlements like Hockerton Housing Project are a model of a potential future. There are lifestyle changes and time commitments for the inhabitants, and I was keen to see how this worked in practice. There are several sustainable settlements around the UK and Republic of Ireland – for example, LammasRead More →
I stayed for a weekend at the Totnes Passivhaus B&B, in Devon. It is owned by Adam Dadeby (co-author of the Passivhaus Handbook) and his partner Erica Aslett. Visiting was an opportunity to experience the air quality and comfort levels of a Passivhaus. Totnes Passivhaus is a ‘retrofit’ of aRead More →
Hawkland are helping to build a 2 bedroom load-bearing straw bale house in a quiet residential street in Oxfordshire. In the first article of the series I looked at the roof structure as it neared completion, mounted on temporary supports. Here I return as the load bearing straw bale walls areRead More →
This year’s Grand Designs Live was held at the Birmingham NEC, 19-23 October. This is a huge show with over 500 exhibitors – including areas for self building, interior design and gardens. The annual Self Build on a Shoestring competition asked for designs for a cost-effective starter home. Self Build on a Shoestring:Read More →
Using sustainable materials can massively reduce the environmental impact of your building or renovation project. But what about energy efficiency in the lifetime of the building? Cost and energy efficiency go hand in hand. Keeping an old and leaky building at a comfortable temperature is expensive. Adding solar panels or other ‘bolt-on’ renewableRead More →