Just watching Grand Designs and the straw bales and feeling very sad

[Katymac]

As I probably won't be able to have them

It just isn't very economic
& Building regs don't like it
& I can get a better U value with polystyrene
& anyway after my survey last week no parents care about green construction anyway

I care, we want to do a strawbale house one day. No definite plans yet but all our one day things do happen - one day!

look at it this way, can you afford it? will YOU feel good about having it? you will get around building regs, and who cares if parents aren't bothered?
you will be marketing your nursery as a "greener" nursery, I presume, and just because the parents you have surveyed don't seem bothered I am sure that in time you will get people coming to you simply because they do care about it

It was an awesome building - inside & out

I find out tomorrow night (at a gala dinner - so no pressure then to look the gallent loser)

I don't think I can afford the straw bales (unless I can get an investor & so far I haven't)

last night grand designs was fantastic -the sheer love that they had for the place was incredible!

sorry - no help with straw bales.

currently at planning stage for building our own house .. we've managed a straw bale garage detached from house so building regulations not such an issue

Main house will probably be beco (polystyrene) blocks ..

I like Beco - how does it do with U values?

pretty darn good, ours is trying to be passive, they reckon the back half of the house won't need any central heating

front is a lot of glass so we've had to do a lot of work on U values !!

I SO want passive - but I don't think we can afford it

& I recon we will need air con in the summer - which isn't very passive

err perhaps not !

There is a heat exchange system we were looking at .. can't remember the details

We're aiming to go the whole hog, green roof (sedum) ground source heat pump/wind turbine AND solar panels =/rain water collection

drainage with be a biodigester and reed bed system

gawd i'm boring myself now

sorry can get quite evangelical on the subject

Still got to get through the planners though...

Me too

Meeting architect next Wednesday to start the whole thing

I am really scared

Architect will be fine (they love eco stuff very good for the cv) Scarier still are planning committees ...

Good luck

Hope to see you on Grand Designs ??

Hi Katymac. Sorry to hijack. How are you doing?????? Sounds like things are finally moving forward for you too.

Yep - trying to speak to accountant about setting up the Ltd company

Architect on his way

Loan about to be taken out

Everything going forwards - maybe - the floorplan has changed a bit - have a look on my profile

I'm really glad for you. We had our Green Card medicals last week so things moving forward here to , but by no means so exciting.

You will have them soon (fingers crossed)