FEATURE GETTING YOUR HOUSE BUILT
Of course the most substantial – and potentially most daunting – part of any project is the build process itself. “Please don’t feel nervous if you have never set foot on a building site!” Harvey says. “The majority of our visitors are not in the building trade, and we will help you understand the various stages involved in a building project.” The NSBRC is laid out as an ‘educational journey’, designed to take visitors through the chronology of a self- build. The journey has been broken down into six core phases: ‘plan & site set-up’, ‘groundworks’, ‘walls & structure’, ‘roof’, ‘services’ and ‘finishes’. The ‘plan & site set-up’ area has been created to educate self-builders on the jobs that need taking care of before work begins. A range of equipment is on display such as mixers, cranes and excavators, as well as information on how to make sure things such as water, power (and portaloos!) are ready for the contractors. Tips are also provided on how to run and manage your site. The ‘groundworks’ zone is broken down into three sub-sections. The first section focuses on foundations – looking at which are right for your site and specifically its soil – as well as various floor systems. The next section gives the lowdown on the all-important underground services that need consideration, such as drainage. The final section gives visitors the chance to consider the design and construction challenges of building a basement. The next stop is the ‘walls & structure’ zone – one of the centre’s most popular exhibits due to the impact it has on the overall design and look of a house. The zone displays both new and ‘tried and tested’ construction systems, with various combinations of materials chosen based on individual performance, and how they work as an overall system. Each wall also features a different type of intermediate flooring. The ‘roof’ zone showcases four types of construction type: cut or traditional, attic truss, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and fink trusses. The displays also feature options for coverings, dormers, rainwater disposal and chimneys. The section demonstrates to visitors how roofs can be used as additional living spaces and provides information on the various choices of prefabrication that can speed up the build process. The ‘services’ zone addresses issues such as how you can heat your home and its hot water and how you’ll light and ventilate it, with energy efficiency at the forefront. A variety of systems and
july/august 2017
Renovation House COURSES
The courses held at the NSBRC are some of the centre’s most popular and useful offerings, covering everything you need to know to successfully complete your project on time and on budget. Here are the views of two satisfied attendees:
“It’s been the best value for money I’ve spent in a long time, the course paid for itself on day one, mostly through lots of good advice that will help us to save significant money on our self-build project as well as ensuring we make better informed decisions.”
“I attended the Self Build course with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever and was worried that I would look a bit of a fool among others on the course. It was reassuring to find out that, despite our varied projects, we were all beginners with a similar level of understanding. I now feel I am well informed and can confidently talk to architects, planners, builders and contractors with a good depth of knowledge and understanding behind me. I left feeling very positive and excited.”
options are on display, such as heat pumps and boilers, to help you decide what will work for your project as all such decisions will impact the performance rating of your self-build.
The last zone on the educational journey is the ‘finishes zone’, exhibiting a range of staircases, doors, floors and wall finishes. Every Saturday at 12 pm NSBRC staff offer a guided tour of the educational journey.
The help desk (open Wednesday to Sunday) offers visitors the chance to speak one to one with in-house experts on topics ranging from “planning to budgeting and plot finding to Building Regulations,” Harvey Fremlin explains. “A common question we get asked is ‘what materials shall I build my house with?’ We can show examples of many different building methods including oak frame, insulating concrete formwork (ICF), brick and block, structurally
insulated panels (SIPs), Passivhaus and more. Crucially, we can explain the pros and cons of each.”
DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
A permanent show home is on display at the centre, offering an example of the type of house and finish that can be achieved. The show home is a 2,300 ft2 Potton Ruskin house, part of the company’s Renaissance collection. It demonstrates how a modern interior with all the latest smart home technology can blend with the type of traditional-looking exterior that’s likely to satisfy planning authorities. It also allows you to see what kit home providers like Potton can offer, beyond the frame and its construction. The NSBRC features a zone dedicated entirely to the restoration and refurbishment of older properties, as opposed to new builds. The zone is
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