Year: 2007

One of those frequently occurring eco-building terms, thermal mass is often mentioned but rarely defined. The thermal mass of a building is an assessment of the ability of its internal fabric to absorb and store thermal energy. Through absorption of heat, the temperature of a material increases – the amount of heat that must be…

Whilst a little late in the day for our barn (it was built 100+ years ago) the orientation of a building to the sun and the suns relationship with the buildings windows, doors and other openings are the focus of passive solar design. Through effective passive solar design we seek to harness the power of…

From the back of the barn, along one side of the ‘garden’ (the enclosed area to the back of the barn) runs a mortared stone built wall. This wall butted up to the rear wall of the barn and so needed to be removed or rebuilt to avoid damp problems. Additionally, an entrance to that…

Seems to me that the negativity around the recent ‘British Monsoons’ is getting out of hand. If you’ve been flooded out, then fair enough, but for those of us lucky enough to live on high ground, let’s stop moaning! So in my attempt to redress the balance here are my reasons for embracing the rainy…

I’ve had a few concerns about the foundations of the barn, specifically how much of the soil that has built up around the walls we will be able to clear to install new drains and discourage damp without exposing the foundations. With pick and spade I sunk a trench to see what was what (or…

I’ve been at the barn for a few days, digging holes, hitting things with hammers & lugging things around with a wheelbarrow – my builder competency level is somewhere around that of navvy. The most constructive of my efforts has been in putting walls up on a previously opened sided barn using corrugated galvanised sheets.…

The younger sibling of the ground source heat pump (GSHP), the air source heat pump (ASHP) is an exciting development in heating technology. They operate on the same principles as the under-ground alternative, but draw thermal energy from the air rather than underground – air at ambient temperatures is passed over a finned heat exchanger…

We have a few fruit trees just behind the barn. I ate the sole surviving plum the other night, so can’t share that with anyone, however, there are still some lovely young pears growing. Anyone have any idea what variety they may be? All assistance in pear identification will be gratefully received! Click on the…

Déjà vu I seem to have been here before! With detailed plans and a bill of quantities all worked out, quotes from builders are the latest task to appear on the horizon. So off I go again working my list through wrong numbers, unreturned calls, incorrect messages, retirees, long backlogs and lack of tradesmen. Do…

The basis of heat pump technology is something that we are all familiar with as it is the same as that used in refrigerators or air conditioning units. The core function of these units is to take heat from the ground and transfer it to a building for the purpose of heating water. This heated…

Here we concern ourselves with the volume of space we live in and through consideration of proportion aim to create harmony and reason within that space. Architectural practice since ancient times has constrained itself by the use of proportional systems that guide the selection of forms for inclusion within a building. Systems of proportion are…

Whilst a superficial consideration of modern house design often may lead to the conclusion that external sound is simply something to be shut out, minimised and in a perfect world eradicated, in reality this is a more complex design consideration. Sound can tie us to our surroundings, sooth us or excite us, an absence of…