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novolit magnesite / woodwool board There are various types of cement/wood wool board combinations with Heraklith (which uses a magnesite cement) being one of the better known makes in the UK. Although the cement component is a cause of embodied energy, there are several ‘green’ advantages which count in its favour high timber content [...] 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 taken [...] September ’11
Constructing with FSC timber (or another accreditation organisation such as PEFC) is potentially one of the greenest ways of building for several reasons.more +/-» However, the UK seems to have a rather backward, or at least over-cautious attitude towards timber construction and this is outlined below. Grading timber There are [...] multiple glazing Types of sealed unit As a minimum try to use sealed units with a spacing of 16 or 18mm. rather than 6mm. This is the optimum gap for heat insulation. However the frames need to have sufficient rebate for this. See window design. Use a filler of argon gas rather than air. [...] 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 FSC Woodmark or the PEFC stamp are the most reliable means to know that the timber [...]
Part composted MDF ready to be spread on farm land Stability, workability and low embodied energy Made from wood fibre which is heavily compressed (in spite of it being called Medium Density Fibreboard) and bonded with some (or possibly no) formaldehyde adhesive, MDF is kind of similar to but at the other end [...] Brettstapel construction Solid timber construction or Brettstapel is a method of using massive solid timber (usually) held together with hardwood pegs. Pioneered on the continent, it has a number of enthusiasts in Scotland. See for instance Allan’s log house. While there are not many examples of large modern houses using the method there are plenty [...] October 2009 On the Hill of Bandodle, Aberdeenshire, stands a beautiful timber frame house designed by architect Genevieve Jones for her family. Incorporating high levels of insulation (in the form of 350mm of shoddy obtained from Elgin woolen mill) and mainly locally sourced materials, Larch, Douglas fir and Caithness slate, the house also has [...] Hedgehog Self Build Co-op, Hogs Edge, Brighton august 2009 Started in the late 1990s this development of ten timber frame houses is based on the Walter Segal approach to construction. They incorporate high levels of Warmcell insulation and benefit from south facing solar gain. The living roofs are of Sedum. It may [...] October ’09 Locally grown timber Situated in the Scottish Highlands, this nearly completed timber house is composed of three hexagonal areas plus a sun room which extends segmentally out of one of the hexagon sides. The framework is of local Douglas fir and the rain screen of wany edged larch, also locally grown. Much [...] Walter Segal self build This is made up of 3 adjoining houses which were built by three families, starting in 1993. They were constructed according to the Walter Segal self build approach to construction and incorporated a number of ecological principles: High insulation values. Most of the external surfaces have 200mm of insulation, some [...]
a Segal self build house in Brighton The Walter Segal self build approach to construction is uniquely organised so that anyone who can use basic tools such as a saw, hammer, drill/driver, tape measure, etc. can build a house. There are even one or two cases of single parent mothers, who have had only [...] October 2009 The Findhorn Foundation near Fores in the North East of Scotland has a couple of interesting areas of eco-housing and a whole approach to living lightly on the earth including 750kW of electrical energy from 4 wind turbines recently installed for Findhorn Wind Park Ltd which is the trading arm of Findhorn Foundation. [...] How clean is wood burning? Arguably one of the greenest methods for heating a rural house in the UK (including domestic hot water) is a combination of solar thermal collectors (for summer) and wood pellet or chip (for winter). Logs come a close second if they are dry and burn cleanly. They are also [...] |
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