Dormer bungalow extension, Horton, Gower.
Existing ground floor area 87m2. Proposed extension 25m2.
Design + Build
Building work completed March 2009.
existing ground floor plan
A lovely small home dating from c.1920′s. Nice traditional materials and details but the exiting property was massively compromised by the small cramped kitchen / dining room and a single reception room. Read the rest of this entry »
Last year [2011] was unprecedented; returning to Wales and ‘starting again’ in 2006 meant work was predictably scarce for a couple of years, then only slightly better during 09 & 10!, but last year was without doubt the busiest of my life!
Busy schedule = ‘doing it’ not ‘talking about it’ = a stagnating web site, so with the best of intentions I’ll start to post some of the projects I’ve been keeping busy with…
New build low energy house for private rental, Ely, Cardiff.
Proposed total floor area 84m2
Design [+ build option]
The design brief was for a cheap to build house with very low running costs, with a target to achieve ‘Passivhaus’ performance. The house, on the outskirts of Cardiff, was to be built by the site’s owner and [first time] developer for private rental.
The commission extended my then fledgling knowledge of Passivhaus through design, research, PHPP modelling, negotiating building regs and a full construction info package tailored to the developer’s experience. Unfortunately the scheme stalled as a result of the financial crisis and remains [as yet] unbuilt.
I have integrated aspects of Passivhaus into almost all my subsequent projects, but would love the opportunity to pursue a new full Passivhaus design + build soon.
Ground floor plan
First floor plan
Passivhaus is a design standard for producing ‘superinsulated’ buildings that lose so little heat conventional heating systems [e.g. boiler + radiators] can be done away with. The Passivhaus concept originated in Germany, spread to Scandinavia, and is now becoming popular across Europe. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve wanted to build a wooden surfboard for years & am now finally going to get round to it – I’ve signed up for a three day course in Solva next month to build a Hollow Wooden Surfboard [HWS]. The course is being run by Rich Blundell of Tree to Sea & previously Grain surfboards at Paul Reisberg’s boat building workshop in Solva; Paul’s boat building blog is here
I like the home made ethic and eco-credentials of wooden boards, and their strength and longevity. I came seriously close to taking the plunge last year, trying to source enough large blocks of balsa or paulowina to make two boards Read the rest of this entry »
House extension, alteration & refurbishment. Horton, Gower.
Design + build
Existing house: 58m2 Remodelled property: 110m2
Planning approval granted , so detailed design now under way on another extremely ‘fine grained’ extension.
Existing property is a tiny c.200 yr old cottage, one of the oldest surviving buildings in Horton, that has been insensitively ‘modernised’ in the past, and whose Read the rest of this entry »
Ruperra Castle, nr Rudry
GRAND DECLINES: THE DERELICT MANSIONS OF WALES 1995 – 2010
Photographs of the ruined mansions and larger houses of Wales
New Build House, Dunvant. 3 bedrooms + detached garage & garden room
238m2 total floor area
Floor plans [click to enlarge]
The site is South facing and inclined with lovely distant views which drove the design towards passive solar layouts and large openings facing South. Read the rest of this entry »
For better or worse, the boiler scrappage scheme is now in Wales:
The Welsh boiler scrappage scheme will be launched 6 April 2010.Then the scheme will be open to applications from homeowners over the age of 60. Successful applicants will be offered a voucher worth £500 which can be used to help replace G-rated boilers with A-rated boilers.
The boiler scrappage scheme will be managed alongside our Home Energy Efficiency Scheme by Eaga Cymru.
After 6 April, you can apply by:
Telephone: 0800 316 2816 or
Visit:
Successful applicants will be sent a voucher worth £500. The voucher then needs to be presented to an installer registered with the scheme who would install the replacement boiler.
If you are eligible for this scheme, you may also be able to benefit from additional discounts offered by British Gas, Eaga Heat, npower and Scottish & Southern Energy. For more information on these discounts, please contact the relevant energy provider.
We’re signed up for Architect in the House again.
For a minimum donation of £40 to SHELTER, the housing & homelessness charity, you’ll get a ‘brainstorming’ session to find or refine design ideas for your home - new kitchen / diner, extra bedroom, energy saving refurb…
The link at the bottom of the page goes to the website to find out more.
I love stairs.
Most architects love stairs and dream of extravagant jobs that would fund explorations into more adventurous designs, I know I’ve go a few ideas up my sleeve given half a chance! but until then we must satisfy ourselves with tantalising pictures of other designer’s work - stair porn!
from http://asaptucson.com
Bookshop in Porto from http://www.flickr.com/photos/stukinha
There IS a website dedicated to the pursuit of the perfect stair, that delicate balance between physics, invention, art, aesthetics, safety, economy… and it IS called STAIR PORN. Check out some of Read the rest of this entry »