STEPHEN’S ADVICE
“When you’re looking for a plot you have to seek out all the local estate agents and you have to keep ringing them or there’s a danger that they will forget about you. There are a lot of people looking to do the same and there’s a lot of competition out there. It’s also important to start talking to local people, asking questions about vacant land or things for sale and making useful
contacts.”
CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS
ARCHITECT/CERTIFIED
PASSIVHAUS DESIGNER Eric Parks, Buckrose Ecological Architects
www.buckrose.co.uk
PLANNING CONSULTANT
meet or approach Passivhaus standard on a grand scale: “The problem lies in the culture of the industry, and in the skills required to build this way. But I do think we will see a change for the better over the next 10 years.” The reward for his patience is a light and airy
modern home which from the outside, sits beautifully in the village alongside much older period properties built in traditional styles. What Stephen calls “the dark times,” when he didn’t have planning permission and had invested his money in an expensive plot, seem far behind as he sits in his kitchen overlooking the thriving garden, landscaped by renowned Yorkshire designer Sally Tierney.
“Sally had written a book on garden design and I called her up to discuss the project,” he says. “The garden was intended to fit with the village. It’s not quite done yet – the wildflower meadow to the side of the house has yet be completed.” Old Forge Cottage has three bedrooms plus
an office, which could be converted into a further bedroom, and has been designed to create a low-fuss, minimal maintenance project for Stephen and Daisy. They have taken a minimalist approach, using products that contained no Formaldehyde, and sustainable timber – the architect willingly incorporated these into the specification. A key reason for wanting a Passivhaus was to save money on bills. “The heating and lighting bills at my draughty old period house, with no
44
www.sbhonline.co.uk
cavity wall insulation and no double glazing, were £3,000 a year – this house should cost nothing to run,” Stephen explains. “I think this shows that Passivhaus and renewable energy sources are the way forward. It is what people want.”
And although Stephen says that he would never buy a plot of land in the green belt again – “this factor added over a year to my project and complicated it considerably. I didn’t have any problem with it being stone, and having the cottagey look, but we were arguing over the exact colour of the stone, the mortar, the fascia, the guttering, to a ridiculous level of detail” – he is very happy in his new home. “I love it,” he says. “There is a real sense of wellbeing living in a Passivhaus which is difficult to explain to anyone who doesn’t. The fresh, filtered air, the low requirement for heating – it has not been on since January – and the quiet provided by the insulation are lovely.” And despite the “dark times”, he would consider undertaking a self-build project again, with the aim of realising his dream to build a striking contemporary home next time. “Of course, I have learned a lot over the past few years,” he says. “The main thing is to plan it all thoroughly in advance and be resilient. You have to stick to it and accept there will be setbacks and it will probably take longer than you thought. Whilst it is by no means an impossible task, it is not easy or for the faint-hearted. You really do have to grit your teeth and stick at it.”
Walton & Co 0113 245 8100
CONTRACTOR I & C Watts
www.icwatts.co.uk
WINDOWS & DOORS
Green Building Store 01484 461705
greenbuildingstore.co.uk
ELECTRICAL WORK &
SECURITY SYSTEM Steve Bowe, Guardian Alarms
www.guardianalarms.co.uk
SOLAR PV & BATTERY STORAGE
Phil Roberts, Electric Future
ef.energy
AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP
Duncan McCombie, YES Energy Solutions
yesenergysolutions.co.uk
KITCHEN
Kitchen Design House
www.designhouseuk.co.uk
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Sally Tierney MSGD, BSc (Hons), Yorkshire Garden Designer
yorkshiregardendesigner.co.uk
july/august 2019
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