Restorative Farming and Biodiversity

FarmED restorative farming

I had the pleasure of attending a talk and lunch at FarmED in Oxfordshire recently. Its purpose is to educate about sustainable farming. This includes not only restorative farming practices but also supporting local micro-businesses. The buildings are designed by Timothy Tasker Architects and to Passivhaus standard. The design clearly opted for a thermal wrap […]

Forever Home in the Countryside

Escape to the Countryside and create a Forever Home! Many people are looking to escape city life and start a new one in the countryside. More space, light and views is a priority, as is a well-designed garden. But as with all adventures, there will be many unknowns and challenges. Forever homes are more eco-friendly […]

Eco homes

Eco homes are beautiful Eco homes come in all shapes and sizes. I would argue (but I am biased!) that eco homes are more beautiful than normal homes, simply because building with the environment in mind, leads to a more sensitive design. Are eco homes expensive to build? They don’t have to be more expensive […]

How to Reduce Your Energy Bills

reduce your energy bills

How a Holistic Services Strategy can Reduce your Energy Bills Last year, at the AECB* conference, we met Atamate, some pioneering services engineers. They have managed to achieve Passivhaus levels of energy use in buildings only fitted with building regulations levels of insulation. They have done this by using controllable, instant heating solutions, combined with […]

Timescales for your home project

Eco self build first floor 3D

Timescales for your home project Good quality design takes time We are often asked how long a project might take to get to the build stage. Here are some example timescales for your home project in the chart below. These show expected timelines for different types of project, whether an eco-home, a barn or an […]

Eco home improvements (without building)

Eco home improvements

Below we have listed various eco home improvements. These are all actions you could take if you are not planning any building work right now. They also include actions that would suit a heritage home. If you are planning building work, these options will still apply to you. But you also have some extra possibilities […]

Eco upgrades to your home (as part of building work)

Eco upgrades to your home

Eco upgrades to your home. How to improve your home both in terms of well-being and energy efficiency (without paying through the nose!) We can ensure that any eco upgrades to your home will be in proportion to other works you would like. Essentially, making you eco by default!   Below we have listed various […]

The benefits and drawbacks of pre-fabricating your dream home

self build eco house

Have you considered using pre-fabrication as a method for building your own home? Germany has been at the forefront of pre-fabricating home design for over 50 years (https://www.weberhaus.co.uk/) and the benefits are very German; time efficient, quality guarantee, energy efficiency guarantees. These advantages are also useful to British self-builders. Anyone who has spent time on a […]

Hemp, Lime and Timber Frame Prefabricated Panels

Greencore Construction

Hemp, lime and timber frame prefabricated panels are an exciting way of creating eco-homes. I recently visited a ecohouse (that doesn’t look ‘eco’) completed in August 2016 and built by Greencore construction and was given a guided tour by Julia Bennett and Ian Pritchett. Prefab or craft, can you have both? I wrote a book on […]