My Barn Conversion … musings in small-house, off-grid, architecture, design with smatterings of art, history and literature

So far in this series of my favourite things at the barn I’ve focussed on original features, this is the first of the new features we’ve introduced during the conversion. We chose these oak beams instead of steels to support the first floor for a couple of reasons. From a ‘healthy house’ perspective we minimised…

I’m a little late in posting this as it was taken a couple of months ago, but I think it’s worth adding as it gives a feeling of the internal space on the first floor as it starts to take shape.

The Code for Sustainable Homes is an essential read for anyone considering a sustainable home building project. In its own words: The Code for Sustainable Homes has been introduced to drive a step-change in sustainable home building practice. It is a standard for key elements of design and construction which affect the sustainability of a…

The term BREEAM is one that I’ve come across in various contexts over the course of this project and thought I’d better find out what it means… BREEAM is a widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. The assessments are carried out by qualified practitioners. For many types of development, assessments are a prerequisite. Through…

A piece of good news that is of great interest personally and I’m sure of interest to many people planning conversions and other projects, is that the installation of solar thermal & PV panels, combined-heat & power systems, biomass systems and water & ground source heat pumps will no longer require planning permission, so long…

Llandeilo has been grabbing headlines recently with talk of launching its own currency under the banner of being the first transition town in Wales. The transition town movement concerns itself with tackling two major challenges, Peak Oil and Climate Change. The approach to tackling these challenges is by broadly applying permaculture principles, considering energy efficiency…

I have an urge to further extend and heighten these dry stone walls. I’ve always fancied living behind a wall. I think there’s something primal going on here.

I can’t believe that April is drawing to a close and I’ve not managed an update since the end of March. On the basis of my laziness I’ll save time a update the whole month in one go. The first fix electrics are now completed and plumbing is to follow over the next couple of…

Peak Oil is a notional point in time. It is reached when the rate of global oil production hits its maximum level from which the only way is down. In these terms downs means escalating costs of extraction & production, restricted supply, unfulfilled demand and increasing prices. The foundations of the peak oil concept lie…

Photo = light & voltaic = electricity Photovoltaics is a technology that utilises light to generate electricity. As such it is an essential tool in the development of more sustainable methods of electricity generation. Simplistically, electricity is generated by the photons from sunlight colliding with electrons within the solar cell. Solar cells are solid state…

Beautiful things electrical cables… especially when they mean that you’re making some progress with the first fix.

Being a fan of lists, we’ve been using one to keep track of those items that we need to specify and decisions we need to make in regard to the detailed design of the conversion ~ attention to detail. This is the current position: Ground or Air Source Heat Pump that is the question. >>…