overview
‘Timber frame’ has several meanings:
Platform frame where walls are assembled on site into storey[for the purposes of part B (fire) of the Approved Documents to the Building Regulations] this means a. any gallery[for the purposes of part B of the Approved Documents] - A raised area or platform around the sides or at the back of a room which provides extra space. Habitable room A room used, or intended to be used, for dwellinghouse[for the purposes of part B of the Approved Documents] -
A unit of residential accommodation occupied (whether or not as a sole or main residence):
a. by a single person or by people living together as a family
b. by not more than six residents living together as a single household, including a household where care is provided for residents. (See also paragraphs 0.22 and 0.23.)
Dwellinghouse does not include a flat or a building containing a flat. purposes (including; for the purposes of Part B, a kitchen, but not a bathroom). if its area is more than half that of the space into which it projects; and b. a roof, unless it is accessible only for maintenance and repair.[for the purposes of part B (fire) of the Approved Documents to the Building Regulations] this means a. any gallery[for the purposes of part B of the Approved Documents] – A raised area or platform around the sides or [...]
summer 2011
The Lammas project at Tir y Gafel, Glandwr, Pembrokeshire, is Wales’ first collective initiative based on what is now the (TAN)6 national planning guidance for sustainable rural communities. (One Planet Development).
Planning permissionthe legal basis for being allowed to do some form of development such as building a house. (not to be [...]
Larch house entrance
Although not self built, the two passivhauses at Ebbw Vale may be very relevant to many self builders. Built in 2010 as show houses mainly for the attention of housing associations, they are attractive and innovative while being relatively modest. The 3 bed Larch House is clad with a locally sourced [...]
The Van Midden house is at the Lembas Organics farm at the Bridge of Muchalls, Stonehaven. It is a very low energy house due to high levels of insulation and the use of timber I beamsprefabricated timber beams with a web of OSBOriented Strand Board and softwood flanges. They are very light, efficient and [...]
Bringing existing houses up to a high standard of energy efficiency is a much greater challenge than with new ones.
This particular example of eco renovation is outstanding because of the way it will achieve a net zero carbon rating while at the same time reaching CSH
Code for Sustainable Homes. A standard for eco-houses developed by the Building Research Establishment. It covers a wide range of criteria
Code for Sustainable Homes. A standard for [...]
This timber post and beamSubstantial, usually horizontal structural member. house in Aberfeldy pioneered “breathing construction” in the UK.
Designed by Gaia Architects and built in 1992 this well insulated passive solar house also has a wood burning stove and stack effect cooling for summer. The building materials used were chosen for being non-toxic [...]
The Tree House in Clapham, London is a recently completed and very elegant example of a self built detached house. It has, on occasion, been open to the public as part of the London Open House programme. Situated on a small urban plot of land dominated by a large sycamore tree it has [...]
the front of the house with double storey[for the purposes of part B (fire) of the Approved Documents to the Building Regulations] this means a. any gallery[for the purposes of part B of the Approved Documents] - A raised area or platform around the sides or at the back of a room which provides extra space. Habitable room A room used, or intended to be used, for dwellinghouse[for the purposes of part B of the Approved Documents] -
A unit of residential accommodation occupied (whether or not as a sole or main residence):
a. by a single person or by people living together as a family
b. by not more than six residents living together as a single household, including a household where care is provided for residents. (See also paragraphs 0.22 and 0.23.)
Dwellinghouse does not include a flat or a building containing a flat. purposes (including; for the purposes of Part B, a kitchen, but not a bathroom). if its area is more than half that of the space into which it projects; and b. a roof, unless it is accessible only for maintenance and repair.[for the purposes of part B (fire) of the Approved Documents to the Building Regulations] this means a. any gallery[for the purposes of part B of the Approved Documents] – A raised area or platform around the sides or at the back of a room which provides [...]
This 122 m² passive solar house in Montrose was the winner of the Angus Design Award 2006. It is a post and beamSubstantial, usually horizontal structural member. structure of Douglas fir and has larch cladding with breathing walla bit of a misnomer. A better term is ‘vapour open’ because it is not air [...]
October 2009
Set on a windswept hillside overlooking Scapa Flow is what is probably the UK’s most northerly straw bale house. At the stage of being wind and weather tight but not yet plastered internally, this is an example of a building with very low embodied energythe total amount of energy it takes [...]
January ’13
Advantages of timber
Constructing with FSCForest Stewardship Council (who accredit timber) timber (or another accreditation organisation such as PEFCProgramme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. See their web site) is potentially one of the greenest ways of building for several reasons.
Timber itself captures and locks up CO² as it grows and keeps [...]
sourcing timber
Sourcing sustainably produced timber and manufactured timber building products requires checking the following -
Was the timber sustainably grown? How far has it travelled? Does it contain chemicals such as adhesives or timber treatment?
The FSCForest Stewardship Council (who accredit timber) Woodmark or the PEFCProgramme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. [...]
There is a line of thought that says that if beautiful basic building materials are used sensitively and creatively then there is less need for decoration, in the same way you would probably not want to paint over stylish tiles or a hardwood floor. The paint stripping industry is witness to this. This is all [...]
timber house in the Field of Dreams, Findhorn FoundationThe Findhorn FoundationThe Findhorn Foundation is a large community near Inverness. There is a strong emphasis on sustainable building and living. is a large community near Inverness. There is a strong emphasis on sustainable building and living.
See some of the wealth of interesting UK timber designs here.
advantages and drawbacks
Timber can provide some of the greenest solutions to house building for several [...]
October 2011
Background
If you are thinking of building a green building then it pays to be aware of where this whole process is going
Eco-house design is a fairly recent development which started getting off the ground in the UK during the mid 1990s.
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Although you will probably end up using [...]
There are many purposes a window can serve and several of these have important ecological considerations:
Letting light in Collecting solar heat Providing a view Acting as a door The visual character of a house
Windows may have associated drawbacks to consider:
They may let in too much light at certain times Too [...]
The concept of ‘sick building syndrome’ has now moved from speculation into widespread acceptance with several well designed studies showing how people can react badly towards certain aspects of poorly designed buildings. This subject has several partly overlapping areas
air quality problems associated with dampness microbe allergens poor ventilation chemical pollution pollution from [...]