Hand Made Houses UK

13/06/2023

So today Matt Cracknell and I had a play with reciprocal roof structures refining calculations for the Longtown Community Primary School round house building. 30 degree pitch & self supporting = A win I think!

05/07/2021

Sweet Chestnut and Larch decking

03/04/2020

10/02/2020

Soil microbes have been found to have similar effects on the brain as prozac without the negative side effects and potential for chemical dependency and withdrawal.

23/12/2019

We’ll make hay while the sun shines😊‬The Times and The Sunday Times

‪https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eco-builders-are-clutching-at-straws-w5qdtnssk‬

01/12/2019

24/11/2019

examples of hybrid building systems that incorporate multiple natural building materials...wattle & daub, light-clay-straw, hempcrete, etc.

23/11/2019

There remains much confusion regarding whether clay plasters are suitable for bathrooms.

They are, in fact, extremely suitable due to their moisture absorbing capabilities.

In a study of using unfired clay materials in a test house in Scotland, Tom Morton, Principal Architect at Arc, Fife, UK, states that in the bathroom, ‘the clay plaster had such a strong ability to absorb peaks of air moisture after showers that it cleared the air without surface condensation. The effect of the extractor fan was of no statistical significance’

It is important however, not to use clay plaster where there will be running or standing water, such as wet rooms or directly behind sinks.

(Materials World, Tom Morton, Jan 2006 http://www.arc-architects.com/downloads/Materials-World-Article-Jan-2006.pdf)

25/10/2019

this is what looks like
walls (for super high insulation)
outside (for protection from weather)
on top (keeping it cool in summer)
inside (for mass & hummidity control)
design (to minimize heating needs)
(for mass & beauty)
sitting on a footer

The owners hunted for tons of to keep costs down (including all of the windows and fixtures). And the interior is design to ensure excellent and .

Cost was around $75/SF because most of the labor was supplied by the owners and through a series of handson .

23/07/2019

Our latest tree house is now complete and open for viewing at Nant-y-Bedd Garden in the Black Mountains.

Located in the beautiful gardens of Nant-y-Bedd in the Black Mountains. The round wood tree house was constructed from sweet chestnut and larch in the spring...

18/05/2019

Architects can limit the environmental impact building has on our climate using their power as specifiers, they just need do it, says Christine Murray.