As featured in Livinglife 10 by Livingroom Estate Agents,
Guernsey.
Le Camptrehard and Les Piques Farm are very different homes but
they share a common purpose: to be environmentally friendly and to
reduce energy bills. Livinglife talks to Rosie Dorey and Claire
Watts about their respective projects, which have broken new ground
on the island. Architects BASMooarc were involved in both ventures
and the expertise acquired in the process can benefit anyone who is interested in 'future
proofing' their home.
Le Camptrehard
Rosie Dorey is hesitant about calling her home, Le Camptrehard, an
'eco-house' and is cautious when speaking about her project in case
it is interpreted as 'me patting myself on the back'. However, if
you are interested in saving energy, Rosie is an excellent person
to talk to and she cannot hide her enthusiasm for the
subject.
There are two imperatives for avoiding the needless waste of
energy: to save money and to help the environment. Rosie's husband,
Rupert, knew that energy prices were going to go up and felt that
they 'couldn't afford not to do it.' Rosie simply wanted to live
without being profligate with energy: she believes we should all be
conscious of the fact that energy, water and food are precious and
the Earth's resources have to be shared.
When the Dorey family bought Le Camptrehard in 2003, it was a
traditional Guernsey house which had been extended over the years,
resulting in an amalgamation of different styles which were not all
aesthetically pleasing. Rosie and Rupert wanted to make the house
flow better by removing the most recent additions; their starting
point was to create a big, informal family living space in which
they could cook, eat and socialise. The result is undoubtedly
gorgeous and proves that 'eco-friendly doesn't have to be living
with a hair shirt on. You can live stylishly and comfortably whilst
saving energy.' At the beginning of the project, Rosie was only
thinking in terms of energy-efficient lighting, but as her research
progressed it became apparent that there were more technologies
available which were worth exploring.
Before looking into these technologies, however, Rosie explains
that the first priority must be insulation: 'It's not worth
spending a penny before your property is properly insulated.' Since
the Doreys were refurbishing rather than building from scratch, it
was impossible to achieve something which would have no need for
heating but they have certainly taken what measures they can. The
new part of the house has cavity-wall insulation and the huge
Pilkington K glass panels are double-glazed and argon-filled,
effectively meaning that they are triple-glazed. Whilst in the past
windows tended to be a weak spot in terms of thermal efficiency,
technological advances in the manufacture of glass have
circumvented this issue. The original house is of traditional
granite construction but the new build wraps around it on three
sides 'like a thermal blanket.' The fourth side is the front of the
house, which benefits from natural sunlight as it faces the south.
Good insulation in the roof is also important, and Rosie points out
that small changes like the installation of a porch or even a
curtain inside the front door can stop heat leaking out of a
property.
Once thermal efficiency has been addressed, other technologies can
be considered. These do not come cheap but over time your
investment should be returned, especially if fuel prices continue
to escalate. At Le Camptrehard, a ground-source heat pump is used
to heat the whole house and provide it with hot water. The latent
heat in the ground is harvested by the pump; although it requires
some energy to run it, for every unit of electricity which goes in,
three units are extracted in the form of heat.
A whole-house ventilation and heat-exchange system works by taking
heat out of the air in the house before it is expelled, and warming
air from outside before it is brought in. Solar photovoltaic cells
on the roof make energy from light, and Rosie asserts that passive
design should orientate a house so it makes best use of solar gain.
Above the family dining table, angled, static flutes ensure that
the area is shaded in summer and benefits from what sun is
available in the winter: this was the idea of BASMooarc's Jamie
Falla. The house also features underfloor heating, which works on
the storage heater concept and is more efficient than
radiators.
Lighting used to account for a major part of the average
consumer's energy bills, but now it is possible to have tasteful
and effective lighting which uses a fraction of the power. When
Rosie and Rupert started work on Le Camptrehard LEDs were not
effective enough for the job of 'task lighting'; however they have
come a long way since then and now you could light a whole house
using LEDs, which use between one and five watts each. The Doreys'
light fittings are LED-compliant so they can be changed as the
technology continues to progress. They also have a sun pipe which
illuminates an area with no windows, and a Helvar lighting system
which Rosie describes as 'an extravagance' but ensures lights are
not accidentally left on.
It is easy to forget that, until recently, 'green living' was
often regarded as the preserve of hippies. Rosie says that it was
frustrating to undertake her project when she did - just five years
ago - although 'You've got to jump on the bandwagon at some point.'
Since then the prices of technologies have come down as competition
in the market has increased. It is perhaps inevitable, then, that
Rosie feels she could have done more, but the Doreys have lowered
their total energy consumption by around 60%, which is all the more
impressive when you consider that they have increased the size of
their home. They expect to recoup their investment within eight
years, fewer if fuel prices continue to rise.
Rosie extends her eco-friendly ideals into everyday life: she does
not put the washing machine or oven on unless they are as full as
possible, nor does she use a tumble drier, using instead an
old-fashioned drying rack on pulleys which hangs from the ceiling.
'One of the paradoxes of today,' she adds, 'is that energy use
isn't going down because, as appliances become more
energy-efficient, we use more appliances.' It is clear that we can
all make an effort not to use energy in a wasteful, carefree
manner. 'We need to conserve the energy we have and be more
thoughtful about how we use it,'
says Rosie.
http://www.basmooarc.com/le-camptrehard
Les Piques Farm
When James and Claire Watts saw a house made of straw bales on the
programme Grand Designs they were fascinated; they spent the
following seven years considering and researching their project,
which is nearing completion. Straw bale building is a radically
different approach to the process of building and as a material
straw excels in both cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency. It
doesn't attract vermin, as seed heads are removed during baling. It
also forms an acoustic barrier and you might be surprised to learn
that plastered straw bale walls are more fire retardant than
traditional timber-framed walls. Even better, as a farmer, James
could grow the straw himself.
Claire approached Straw Works, a UK-based company offering a
complete service from design to completion. Director Barbara Jones
wrote 'Building with Straw Bales' and her projects include
libraries and even schools. She wasn't fazed by the fact the Watts
live in Guernsey and the couple felt encouraged to make the project
happen. 'It was all about losing your inhibitions and going with
the flow,' says Claire. Simon Cottell of BASMooarc designed the
extension and even attended a course in the UK on straw bale
construction. Barbara had offered to help fight planning laws if
necessary but, despite being a first on the island, Building
Control were extremely supportive and the approvals took no
longer
than normal.
Rae Parkinson of Straw Works agreed to come to Guernsey to tutor
the builders in straw bale construction, but first the foundations
had to be built. Simon and Claire wanted to 'go totally eco' with
the foundations, using tyres packed in situ with limecrete, but
time was a factor and James had an eye on the budget so they had to
compromise. First they laid a conventional concrete foundation then
added recycled 'foam' glass building blocks. The cavity is filled
with a granular material called Leca (Lightweight Expanded Clay
Aggregate), which is light, insulating and free draining, essential
for keeping the base of the bales dry. When Rae arrived, she told
the Watts that the Leca could have been built straight on the
ground, without the need for concrete. 'We were gutted,' admits
Claire, 'In the modern world we're so used to thinking we need
concrete, but its ecological impact is horrendous. You've got to
let go of what's been drummed into you and be more trusting.'
James grows wheat annually, but at one point the family feared
they would have to wait a whole year for a sufficient harvest.
Showing that farmers have different criteria for assessing the
weather from the rest of us, Claire says, 'The weather was so bad
James was going to have to graze the wheat, but then we got some
rain.' Claire remembers the harvest as an exciting time and they
were able to ask their baler to pack the bales tighter than usual,
making them extra dense. 'Rae said they were the best bales she'd
ever seen, but because we knew what we were doing we got them
right.' The bales were staked with seasoned hazel rods and the ends
made flat. 'The straw is easy to deal with and can be cut with a
saw,' explains Claire. 'Rae was brilliant, she let us make our own
mistakes - which were easily corrected.' A team of up to eight
people built the straw bale walls, which were flexible and easy to
put up. A wooden wall plate capped the top of each wall, with holes
cut to allow more stakes to be driven down through the bales. Straw
can take the weight of a roof and is suitable for two-storey
buildings, although the Watts' extension is one storey high.
Stuart Ogier of Limegreen Buildings prepared the lime mortar which
covered the straw bales. Lime plaster has to be used as it allows
the walls to 'breathe' and prevents moisture getting into the
bales. Three coats were needed on the outside and each Les Piques
Farm coat had to dry before the next was applied. This was a worry
as by now it was October and wet weather would have forced the
Watts to cover the outside and leave it until next spring. At this
point in the project a lack of rain was a blessing. Lime has a
different finish from standard plaster: slightly imperfect, but it
adds to the building's character and charm. 'The house will have a
story,' adds Claire, 'we can see the differences along the
way.'
The Watts' extension is the first straw bale building in the world
to have a flat roof, due to the complexities of fitting in with,
rather than having to replace, the existing roof. Barbara Jones was
against the idea but James and Claire had been given planning
permission for a flat roof and, once the design had been settled,
it proved impossible to adapt it to incorporate a pitch roof.
'James had a crisis of faith and we went through every single way
to get a pitch but it wouldn't work and it would have looked
ridiculous.' The roof overhangs by two feet on all sides to further
protect the walls. Claire is full of praise for Apex, who supplied
the flat roof: 'It's got an incline to shed water to the edge and
Apex gave us a 25-year guarantee that it won't leak.' A material
called Kingspan provides some insulation in the roof but sheep's
wool is the main insulator; it's much more expensive than standard
insulation but Claire is delighted with its eco credentials. 'It
makes sense to use what's available.'
In common with most builds, this project has not been without its
challenges. The Watts had to change builders, which wasted a month
of precious summer weather. The windows could not be measured until
the build was up, which again caused anxiety about the weather. Yet
Claire would advise anyone contemplating a similar build to go for
it, especially now there is knowledge and expertise on the island.
The Watts family can now look forward to enjoying the extra space
the extension will provide. Children Thomas and Imogen will have
bigger bedrooms and their home will have a large lounge leading to
an open-plan kitchen, a second bathroom, a boot room and
larder/utility. Claire hates the thought of heating with oil so the
house will be heated by a woodburning stove in the kitchen. The
extension itself will not need heating, as straw is such an
efficient insulator. It insulates both ways, so will keep heat out
in the summer.
Like all innovative ideas, straw bale building has been pioneered
by the passionate and used by those with the vision to see its
potential. It is firmly based in the sustainable, 'green building'
culture that has brought to the construction industry many new
ideas about energy efficiency and responsibility towards the
environment. Simon points out that Guernsey now has very little
natural material to build with. The majority of building materials
are imported to the island, which creates a huge carbon footprint.
'Harvesting and baling your principal structural material, which is
also renewable, from fields only a few miles away has to be the
most sustainable approach'.
The architects at BASMooarc feel privileged to have been involved
in both of these projects. 'These were exceptional clients,' says
Jamie Falla. 'Sustainability has always been at the core of our
work but it takes special people who are willing to test new ideas
and innovate to really push the boundaries of what is achievable.'
BASMooarc are pioneers in the future proofing of housing, with 2016
regulations being their standard. Jamie is confident that people in
Guernsey are embracing a more responsible approach to energy use:
recycling has become part of our lives and proposals for a huge
incinerator have been rejected. 'We should be proud of where we're
going,' he adds. It certainly makes sense to go the extra mile when
it comes to the homes we live in.
Photography by John O'Neill - www.opa.gg
