Master Builder Magazine: August-September 2023

FEATURE THE ROOST

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6: Hard going on the Staffordshire Moorlands

High up near the Peak District, with turbulent weather conditions and limited road access via single track lanes, the logistics were complicated, affecting deliveries to the rural hamlet and the choice of construction techniques the team could use. The blanket of snow may be beautiful but it did little to aid delivery of the project, nor did the water ingress in the foundations, which required water to be pumped from the site every morning. The team also lacked storage space for equipment and parking.

5: Standing up the seams

The Planners would not allow a new- build house on the site, which is why the project had to use completed concrete blockwork and metal cladding to replicate the original block, steel-clad barn. So the team installed a standing seam metal cladding system.

7: An ecological haven

Friends to bugs and birds, the family was keen to invite wildlife onto their property, installing an insect hotel on the right and nesting boxes and an overhanging roof for the sparrows to roost in on the left. The rainwater is captured by a drainage system at the top of the site and is carried via a pipe (unseen) into the rainwater attenuation pond at the front of the house. There are now fish in the pond and the family didn’t even put them there.

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8: Sun power

The team installed photovoltaic (PV) panels for solar power, along with a Tesla Powerwall battery wall for back-up energy during a power outage. The family uses their own stored power during the night.

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