Of all the things I thought people would be interested in about our eco-extension, it wasn't the rain chains that came to mind. But, they are the feature that everyone asks about! In July last year I wrote a post extolling the virtues and beauty of rain chains but that was before we'd put them [...]

In this blog post I'm going to give you a few tips on what you can do to make your building project more eco-friendly. With the way the UK government has approached the green building agenda in the last 5 years, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's no life left in it. There may [...]

I'm not sure whether it makes me feel good or bad knowing that our new extension is being built in the same way as a Lidl supermarket. What does make me feel good though is knowing that one of the most cost-conscious retailers has endorsed this new, environmentally sound method of construction. When I say [...]

Last summer when we were staying in the Alps I noticed that our idyllic chalet-hotel had an intriguing alternative to traditional downpipes. Instead of solid black pipes to transport the rainwater from gutter to drain it had simple, chunky chains. Not only did they add interest but they were completely mesmerising when it rained because [...]

After that first winter of wearing dressing gowns in bed and cuddling hot water bottles it was clear that we needed to do something to make the house warmer. The fact that frost never stayed on our roof identified it as the problem. For many houses, fitting loft insulation is a straightforward job with a quick [...]

Talk to anyone about old buildings and they tell you how important it is to let them breathe. Having only recently understood what this means, I find myself using the word breathability in the same way as I use the word sustainability - with the assumption that everyone knows what I'm talking about. So, for [...]