Kit The Builder

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311 Posts

Sheffield Builder #retrofit #passivhaus #EnergyTransition #StrawBale #yorkshire

Other interests include #socialism #hiking #cycling #climbing #PeakDistrict #labour #SocialJustice #nature #politics #SpeculativeFiction #TransRights #queer #history #ClimateJustice #EnergyMastodon #gardening #compost #woodcraft #chickens #woodland #fungi #lichen

Header: thatched, earth walled, timber frame barn I worked on (during my apprenticeship)

Profile: me, white, 30s, smiling, lifting a straw bale.

#passivhaus
#retrofit
#Naturalbuilding

Amazing that the court of appeal has reinstated the right to wild camp on Dartmoor! Massive thanks to all those who have been pushing for this, and a little bit of hope in an otherwise bleak time.
#Dartmoor #WildCamping #RightToRoam

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/31/wild-camping-dartmoor-court-appeal

Wild camping allowed on Dartmoor again after court appeal succeeds

Dartmoor National Park Authority had appealed against January high court ruling that outlawed practice

The Guardian
This is the window cill detail (compare with the photo 2 posts back). I've been asked why not do the usual EPS+direct render. This approach is certainly more expensive but should be more robust long term, and uses much more responsible materials - cellulose is super low up-front carbon, and isn't plastic. The rainscreen is a much more robust finish than direct render - the gap creates two lines of defence against rain, and the render can dry much faster, so less/zero risk of algea staining.
This is the general wall detail we're going for. This approach seems to be quite popular at the moment, Andy Simmonds (AECB, simmonds mills) and Tim Hulse (ecovert) have been doing this a lot and have supported me with this project. I realise this will not be in an optimal order for narative but I can't think to hard after a day of ground works...

Did some quick and dirty pre retrofit airtightness testing last night. House is a 1952 cavity masonry semi in the south west. All figures ach @50Pa. Right off the bat we got 7.7, slightly disappointing but entirely unsurprising.

I then went through a series of steps if temporary sealing to get an idea of which (easy to get to) leaks where contributing to the total.

First up I sealed the remaining vent openings in the bed rooms. These are ~
100x150 mm grilles through the wall...

Stinkhorn in the garden #fungi

Investing £20 bn into home insulation would reduce emissions AND fuel poverty.

Investing it into carbon capture is merely an indulgence towards fossil fuel companies and billionaires with private jets (and isn't even backed by a tax on them).

#Climate #FuelPoverty #UkPolitics

https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23379125.chancellor-invest-carbon-capture-projects-20bn-funding/

I've been struggling with this myself, so I thought I'd repeat it for other people that might be dealing with the same thing:

Not every hobby needs to be a project. Not everything needs to be a whole *thing* with a goal and an endpoint. It's okay to not finish something. It's okay to pick up something for a bit, explore it, start making something, and then drop it without making any "progress".

Productivity is capitalist bullshit that doesn't need to infect your free time too. Have some fun

@roomaroo hi Olly. Yes, there is a great small practice in Sheffield called Croft https://www.croftdesigncollective.co.uk/. James, Eve and Flo all did their part 2 at the Centre for Alternative Technology so sustainability + retrofit central to their work. Also James Woodcock at Fieldpractice https://www.fieldpractice.co.uk/, formerly of Architype. Let me know when you need a builder!
Home - Croft Design Collective

Croft Design Collective is a design led architecture practice that puts sustainable design at the heart of everything we do. Our work is bespoke and informed by you and the place in which your project is located.

Croft Design Collective | Sustainable Architecture | Cornwall
@symroe @paul totally!
@symroe @paul I've done something like that with wood fiber but it was a completely new roof with new rafters. Changes the line if the roof if you are connected to other houses. A great way to do it though.