Eco Home
Innovative eco building
One of the things I’m most passionate about in my professional career is creating beautifully crafted eco homes, and at the moment we’re lucky enough to be working on a really exciting eco build in North Nibley, rural Gloucestershire.
It’s the stuff that dreams are made of for eco enthusiasts – a beautiful valley setting, a terrific client, and the chance to work with some incredible, ground-breaking materials.
Our client is fantastic – she’s creating her dream home and is incredibly brave and experimental in terms of choosing details and features; the project is really fulfilling for her and in turn, the team at Bespoke is really enjoying helping her to realise her vision. We’re installing reclaimed kitchen units, underfloor heating, locally sourced materials – and a whole range of cutting edge eco products.
This has got me thinking and in this blog I want to talk to you about some of the more unusual aspects of this build, to show you how you can incorporate eco-friendly techniques into your design and build.
We’re installing a standing seam roof – which beautifully complements the building, and is extremely durable and hard-wearing. This type of roof is made of vertical panels that run up the length of the roof, and seams that connect the panels together. The construct of this material means that the roof can move under thermal expansion, and also that there’s very little chance of leaks, unlike traditional roofing where gaps in the tiles can lead to water ingress. It’s sleek, modern and available in lots of different materials so you’re sure to find something that works with your budget. Eco credentials? It’s hardwearing, long-lasting, and likely to cost a lot less than traditional roofing to maintain over the lifetime of your home.
We’re also working with Accoya cladding to the external elevations. Accoya cladding is an extremely durable modified timber, sourced from fast growing, sustainable forests. It provides a long-lasting finish and is easily recycled at the end of its lifetime. It’s a great product to use on external elevations, and looks fantastic.
One of the more unusual features we’re working with on our eco build in North Nibley are Internorm windows. These beautiful contemporary windows are incredibly versatile and available in a range of shapes and sizes. They are created with sustainability and responsible building in mind and incorporate a whole lot of technology, including energy saving built-in ventilation, sound reduction and thermal insulation.
I guess the aim of this blog is to encourage you to consider the more unusual choices, especially if they are sustainable and responsibly sourced. As well as protecting the environment that you’re building in, you’ll save money in the long run. You certainly don’t need to compromise on style and finish – some of the most exciting sustainable options are also the most visually stunning.
We can’t wait for this exciting design and build to be completed so we can show you the finished building – it’s set to be really special. Keep an eye on the blog for more news about this and other projects.
If you’re considering a new eco-friendly design & build project, barn conversion or renovation, contact the Bespoke team for a no-obligation chat.