“In Germany, people come and sign a contract and the building work goes ahead very quickly. In England it takes far longer to find a plot and gain planning permission. It can be very complicated and frustrating for everyone, but after planning has been achieved, we can go ahead and specify all the materials,” explains Baufritz’s Oliver Rehm.
“Much of our factory is automated, using machines that have been designed especially for us, and we use state-of-the-art CAD technology that’s linked to our systems to ensure millimetre precision.
“It’s great to see the product that you’ve designed being made so accurately by machines, and you don’t have to worry about the execution on site, because everything is so precise. I always feel elated when a house arrives from Germany on the back of a truck and is finished within just a few days – it’s a very exciting process.”
External walls are packed with Baufritz’s thermally efficient wood shaving insulation, made from off-cuts from the manufacturing process and protected from fire, fungus and pests using a natural treatment made from soda and whey. The shell is 100 per cent biodegradable and can be completely returned to nature.
“We did manage to block the road for several hours because our driveway is long and steep, so access was tricky, but everything was soon craned into position,” says David. “It only took four days to erect the walls and roof of the house, and I built a small scaffold tower and filmed the whole thing using a time-lapse
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www.sbhonline.co.uk
camera – making a short film of our build.” The Jones’ were flown out to Germany prior to work starting onsite, where they liaised with their Baufritz project manager to choose all fixtures and fittings, including sanitaryware, tiles, flooring and light switches, leaving only the kitchen to be sourced separately. “It was enjoyable but tiring, because we’d be working well into the evenings,” says David. Not only is the house incredibly highly insulated and triple glazed, but it also benefits from a ventilation and heat recovery system. Built-in protection against electromagnetic pollution levels shields against cell phone radiation, and harmful substances are eliminated at every stage.
“The previous house had oil-fired heating, but after much thought we settled on installing a ground source heat pump, with underfloor heating on all levels,” says David. “We chose engineered walnut flooring for several rooms, with herringbone parquet laid in the sitting room, and followed this through with walnut for the internal doors and kitchen.”
The main kitchen was crafted in the UK from sustainable birch plywood, combined with locally-sourced sycamore and walnut wood to create the cabinetry and hand-carved drawers. Low energy appliances were chosen, including an eco-friendly boiling water tap. “What we love about this house, apart from the fabulous setting, is the feeling of quality,” says David. “Everyone comments that it’s a peaceful, calm and relaxing place to be, and it’s also a healthy home – both for us and the environment.”
VAULTED
A high, vaulted ceiling coupled with the views makes the home’s master bedroom a tranquil and airy retreat
CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS
DESIGN & BUILD, WALLS, WINDOWS, INSULATION, ROOF TILES,
SANITARYWARE (ETC) Baufritz
www.baufritz.co.uk
GROUNDWORKS Eclipse Construction
www.eclipseconstructionltd.
co.uk
BASEMENT
Glatthaar Fertigkeller
www.glatthaar.co.uk
BESPOKE KITCHEN George Robinson
www.georgerobinsonkitchen
s.co.uk
GARDEN DESIGN
Hannah Genders
www.hannahgenders.co.uk
LIGHTING DESIGN Re:light
relight.ltd.uk
september/october 2019
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