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This is where I write: my simple-to-build and cost-effective low environmental impact garden office/studio, with its sedum roof, grown from seeds. A green roof replaces the greenness displaced by the building!
It is lime-rendered, breathable, timber frame with wood fibre and Warmcel recycled newsprint insulation (the cheapest), triple glazed Passivhaus-certified windows from Germany (also the cheapest) and underfloor heating, hardly needed, on a renewable energy tariff. Cost was about £800 per square meter.
It sits on railway sleepers resting on old tyres, with no need for foundations. Don’t worry, it’s been checked by a structural engineer and won’t collapse on me!
If anyone wants one, I can design one for them to fit whatever space they have; the design equally fits an extension to an existing property. This one has two rooms, but it could be bigger, smaller and even have two storeys.
It did not need planning permission in this particular case, because of the distance from the house, and its height.
Do get in touch if you want more details. I built it based on research I did while writing my book on Sustainable Home Refurbishment.
While you’re at it, why not order also a copy of the book? I’m selling Sustainable Home Refurbishment: The Earthscan Expert Guide to Retrofitting Homes for Efficiency at 10% discount off the full price of £34.99.
Praise for this title:
“This is an excellent book – comprehensively-researched, powerfully-presented and crystal clear. It should be the first stop for anyone seeking objective advice in a field cluttered with misleading claims. I couldn’t recommend it more strongly.” – George Monbiot
“As the idea of radical retrofit of our existing housing stock gradually moves from geek-dom to chic-dom, this book is a must have for all involved in this burgeoning industry. This book is both for the capable amateur and the professionally engaged. There is all the detail you could wish for with a vast array of practical examples and materials. This is not a book for the total novice but is a life saver for anyone on the road to radical retrofit. We can’t recommend it highly enough. David has managed to make the book a good and interesting read whilst managing to get all the necessary hard-core energy information in there as well.” – Penney Poyzer (tv presenter, writer, Queen of Green, grass roots activist) and Gil Schalom (architect) .
