Archive for the ‘Building Design’ Category
Sunday, June 6th, 2010
Family Home, Swansea. 3 bedrooms + detached garage & garden room [238m2 total floor area]
Floor plans [click to enlarge]
Designs are just complete and planning application submitted for this new house. The development site has been created by subdividing a large area of unused and overgrown land from an existing residential property. The site is South facing and inclined with lovely distant views which drove the design process towards passive solar layouts and larger openings facing South. (more…)
Tags: gower, green, house.new.build, materials, work in progress
Posted in Building Design, Wales, design & orientation, green, heating, plumbing & electric, materials, swansea & gower, work in progress | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
For better or worse, the boiler scrappage scheme is now in Wales:
“We have allocated £2.5 million to the boiler scrappage scheme for 2010/11.
Up to 5,000 Welsh households could benefit from increased energy efficiency of their heating systems because of the scheme.
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.
How do I apply?
After 6 April, you can apply by:
Telephone: 0800 316 2816 or
Visit:
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/energy/efficiency/boilerscheme/;jsessionid=TDqdL0ZWNQkVlTLLJFMyShwCZtnfG5M8vwXbZnJnJTFZSGtDhb2r!-1614394458?lang=en
http://www.heeswales.co.uk/
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.
Posted in Building Design, Energy Saving Refurbishment, Uncategorized, Wales, about Neil & NASA, costs, heating, plumbing & electric, top tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
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 (more…)
Tags: art&design, buildings
Posted in art & design, buildings, materials, top tips | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
You may have heard ‘boiler scrappage’ in the national news recently, offering £400 grants to homeowners towards replacing old & inefficient boilers, but what’s not immediately clear is this cash is available in England only. Wales are set to receive £4m funding from Westminster and are considering a similar scheme, but details have yet to be agreed. WAG environment minister Jane Davidson said they are “…considering introducing a similar scheme in Wales … taking into consideration the impact on those in fuel poverty, the relative carbon savings and value for money.” If this statement is worked through and grants are actually distributed to those most in need [i.e. those in 'fuel poverty' [fuel poverty = households spending >10% of income on fuel to heat their home to 18-21degC]], rather than the less tangible aim of CO2 reduction, then great, send money where it does most good & reduce emissions in the process. It also ties in well the existing homeowner grant scheme in Wales -
HEES [Home Energy Efficiency Scheme]
http://www.heeswales.co.uk/
(more…)
Tags: green
Posted in Building Design, Energy Saving Refurbishment, Wales, about Neil & NASA, costs, green, heating, plumbing & electric, top tips | No Comments »
Sunday, January 10th, 2010
beautiful window, also Palma cathedral
Tags: materials, photography
Posted in buildings, materials | No Comments »
Sunday, January 10th, 2010
simple cheap [free?] materials used inventively with care & craftsmanship, lovely how they’ve been polished by feet over the years…
pic taken at Palma cathedral a few years back
Tags: materials, photography
Posted in landscape, materials | No Comments »
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
I’ve just taken on a farmhouse / barn restoration & conversion, visited in the FREEZING weather today to check progress [-7 degC according to the van thermometer!]. I lost all feeling in my fingers at one stage so got the camera out instead…
typical stone wall – two ‘skins’ of dressed stone with a loose fill middle of rubble & whatever else was to hand [like many modern 'cavity' walls too!]
(more…)
Tags: barns, conversion, materials, work in progress
Posted in materials, work in progress | No Comments »
Monday, January 4th, 2010
Taking the plunge… playing with the software… first posts SOON…
after a couple of years of web holding pages this is finally it, live website V.1. The layout will probably morph a little as I learn the ropes…stay tuned!
Posted in Building Design, Business, Clippings, Energy Saving Refurbishment, NASA Work Portfolio, Uncategorized, Wales, about Neil & NASA, art & design, buildings, built work, costs, design & orientation, employing an architect / builder, green, heating, plumbing & electric, landscape, materials, swansea & gower, top tips, work in progress | No Comments »
