The Artisan House - NEC 2011

Here are the photos of the completed Artisan House that we built at the NEC in 5 days. I thought you might like to see it.
The concept is pretty simple - a contemporary cottage that uses prefabricated 'cassette' panels to wrap around the internal green oak frame, insulated with recycled glass and incorporating a home office/studio for 21st Century Artisan's. We clad ours in kiln dried oak with a brick plinth laid with lime mortar.
The underlying aim was to make it highly thermal, natural, pragmatic and affordable so we up scaled the insulation, made it as airtight as possible, eradicated any thermal bridges, avoided any petrochemicals, toxic, or overly processed materials and used timber (all FSC certified), lime, clay and other natural materials that could be reused and were not environmentally harmful. The cost of a three bed (1400 sq ft) home (as pictured) is £112,000 fully built - but if you add in kitchens, bathrooms, decoration etc and all the renewable technology we used I think the COMPLETE house cost (ie ready to move in) would be about £160,000. That is pretty amazing for a home that meets CfSH level 4 and 5 I think.

We would love to hear your thoughts - things you like, things you are not sure about, what other features would you like to see in the expanding portfolio etc etc?

Anyhoo - here are some pics. I haven't added the photo of me being interviewed by Croatian TV - think Borat but with a lady (who asked me if the people lived in our houses with sheep and cows inside too). But maybe if you leave me enough comments I will post that picture too (don't get excited - its not that funny).

front  - the solar panels provide domestic hot water and the air source heat pump fires the underfloor heating

The oak pergola (or is it a verandah?) was a big success as it gave depth to the back elevation and was beautifully made. You can just see the PV panels in the middle - for electricity.

The projecting gable enabled us to have a family bathroom with space for a bath and a shower. The ensuite bathroom was huge so could be divided into dressing room/ bathroom. The jetty over the front door provides visitors with shelter and also adds projection and interest to the design.

The interior is light and simple - with just enough oak to give you the 'border oak' essence - without dictating the room.

Kitchen by DeVol - lights by Screwfix!

The woodburner was optioned as a back up heat source for our EPC /CfSH rating. We can get the house to level four (depending on plot specifics) or 5 (by using triple glazing and a few more renewables) but the basic fabric of the standard house is rated exceptionally well.

Painted windows in muted heritage shades, galvanised guttering, beautiful bricks, lime mortar and a rustic/modern edge are becoming some of Border Oak's trademark features.

And so I hope you like it - even if its not your cup of Earl Grey I hope it illustrates our craftsmanship and workmanship, and our commitment to building the finest sustainable homes for all sorts of people. Exciting times!

ps don't forget our Open House Day - April 22nd 10 am- 3pm.

open house day

Here is the invite to our 'open house' day on Good Friday. I do hope some of you can come.
We will be opening our house (based on the Pearmain Cottage) and the pretty oak framed cottage I blogged about for months - so you get to see a variety of cottages, new and old (well our house is 6 years old - does that equate to 'old'?) large and small (well, ours is about 1600 sq ft and the other house about 900 sq ft).

All you need to do is call the office (01568 708 752) and book a slot - Hannah will take your details and then send you directions.

We will have portfolios and brochures and a team of Border Oak people on hand to answer your queries.

Can't stop to chat though - I have a house to sort out!

farmhouse fantastic

I have some lovely friends who have recently completed their beautiful Border Oak home - and if you buy Ideal Home magazine this month you too can have a look at their wonderful oak framed farmhouse.

I have added some of the photos here, but there are lots more in the article itself. It has a vibrant, homely ambience that really jumps off the page - someone who visited their house recently even remarked to us that 'stepping inside was like being embraced in an oak hug' - high praise I believe! And even more wonderfully a baby is now on its way - thus proving the magical properties of a Border Oak home (I think that is a claim that requires independently verified scientific support - of which I have none). 

 The design is very classical Border Oak - one wing in full oak framing with a jetty (the sticky out upper level with lovely shaped feet and brackets), the other wing is SIPs and oak with a brick outer face.

The kitchen is arranged as a large living, cooking, eating space which works so well for families (and for entertaining I imagine - I have the same layout here but we never have people round, because Ben is not a social butterfly and finds it all a bit of a faff (aka as talking to people) , but my resolution for 2011 is to have lots of pals round and to drink lots of wine. Just to make sure that the open dining/cooking/living arrangement works of course - all in the name of research).

The hall way is open to the sitting room so both feel larger and less formal

Clever cupboards built into the eaves..........leading through to a posh en suite. My en- suite is just being painted (don't worry, by a professional not me) - so hopefully it will look clean, if not glamourous. Not sure is ANYTHING I have ever done could be called glamourous - maybe in the next house? I doubt it.

I like how the house is full of personality and fun - and I love this idea of a wall full of family and friends

I also love the big bold brave fabric choices - it works so well with the granite and the grey painted units.  My gorgeous new roman blinds by the ever amazing Marina (hello!) are ridiculously timid - stripes, plains and spots - all in grey, beige, cream etc. The nearest I got to crazy was a bit of floral - in french grey. I need to experiment.

Splashes of aqua thread the interior together which is furnished with a mix of inherited pieces and ebay finds - layers of textures, with some patina and resonance really work well with the new oak and natural materials I think.

And the plot is, quite simply, spectacular - on the edge of a beautiful village, large, with mature trees and surrounding farmland  = J-E-A-L-O-U-S

Rush out and buy yourself a copy of May Ideal Home - I shall be testing you all with a multiple choice exam.

The next post will be about the Border Oak open day (at my house and a nearby cottage) on Good Friday. And I also have a post to do regarding the NEC show - when I get the photos. And the website is crunching away (I think) along side our magazine/newsletter. So many balls in the air as usual! And I was supposed to be on holiday this week..............

more photos from the NEC

When I woke up this morning these photos were in my inbox - and as you can see it is pretty much finished! Well, as with all builds, it is the little fiddly bits that eat up the time and I know there will still be loads to do over the next few days but it is such a relief to see that the house is really taking shape.

This is the studio/office/utility/ground floor bedroom - which has a HUGE ensuite bathroom in the first floor. I think the solar panels are going on the roof.

I have been really worried about it being dark inside as some parts of the NEC are very gloomy. It seems that we might have a sunny patch though judging by the photo. I imagine it will still be dark even with all those windows.

In retrospect I should have asked for a four light window in the middle bay rather than the three light - as you climb the stairs it is a lovely feature (I have a four light version here at home)

But all in all our little eco house is looking fab - now I just have to pack 3 suitcases (one for me , one for each tiddler) make a cake, a cottage (he he he) pie (for mother in law who is coming to help out with childcare) pack the car (with all the props) print off about 50 photos, collect my dry cleaning and find some ribbon.............the list is getting shorter.

If I don't get chance to post before I leave, fear not I will be back next week with a show round up. Looking forward to meeting you all and getting my life back!!

who wants to see a Border Oak house built inside a big shed - day one?

When you think about it, it is a very strange concept - a real , life sized house that has been built once, taken down, driven up the M5, unloaded and is now being built again in a big metal shed. But progress looks great so fingers crossed the house will be ready for next Thursday. Please say you will come and have a look........NEC National Homebuilding &Renovating Show Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (24th -27th March)

So these are the floor panels that we have made  - just for the show (we have to protect the floor). I have white oiled the ply - well not me actually doing the oiling itself you understand (plant based natural oil by OSMO and FSC timber of course) but the floor panels will make the ceiling heights a bit lower than in the 'real' house. These floor panels also help with the speed of the build.

 The oak frame is simple and sits in special box holes made in the floor panels - you can see the holes to the left.

 Can you see how much machinery we have to have for a little house - ridiculous really (and very expensive) but very safe and much quicker.

This is the kitchen oak frame - done in a couple of hours! 

 And these are the external walls going round - finished in oak cladding with  stainless steel fittings. The walls are prefabricated (insulated with eco recycled glass as well) in our workshop so again, its all pretty quick. Eat your heart out Germans!

Can you see the black sheathing at the bottom? We will have a brick plinth here with lime mortar - fabulous.

And from the other side. Due to time constraints we will leave some of the walls exposed internally like this rather than dryline it all.

I am hoping that I can get photos every day between now and next Wednesday ( I need them to see what I have to remember to take with me!) If you would like free tickets just call the office 01568 708 752.

a sneak peak - more to show at the show

I am officially not very good at blogging, it has been so long since I gave you anything new to look at - but as an excuse we are all pretty busy at work getting ready for the NEC National Selfbuild Show (pretty busy = manic)

There is so much to do and so many things to remember. Building a whole house (and a brand spanking new never been built prototype house at that) in 5 days sounds so simple when you say it, but the reality is that it is a blimmin' crazy amount of work for everyone - but I think we will just about get it all together in the end.

One of my jobs is to sort out all the graphics, photos, portfolios etc and so last month I commissioned lots of new photographs. And one of the lovely projects was this gorgeous little barn. It may be small from the outside but seems so bright and spacious, surprisingly big too.

And if you fancy seeing more of this fabulous two bedroom, single storey oak framed barn you will have to come to the NEC  - call Border Oak for free tickets!

There is a Clearview Stove at the heart of this house - with an oven and hot plate too. We are having a Clearview Stove at the NEC showhouse too - we have worked with Clearview for more than 25 years and have one installed at the Border Oak office which heats the whole building using our own off cuts (ben and I have a CV here too - but he always forgets to bring me any wood.........)

I love the projection that gives the front an 'entrance' space - such a small addition that makes a huge difference to how the building functions

can you see the clever little stairs behind the kitchen? there is a bedroom in the vaulted space above the other bedroom and bathroom. It has open mullions to stop it feeling too enclosed. basically it is a 'bonus' room in the dead space which I think is a great way to stretch a small footprint

the main living room has a vaulted ceiling and so although the kitchen would be tiny if subdivided, the height of the room and the long vistas give a wonderful sense of space. The beautiful oak is wonderfully articulated in a space like this

lots of windows, a light stone floor, pale furnishings and the high ceilings  - all these make the space bright and airy. It would make an amazing holiday bolt hole -which is exactly what it is!

NeC show house progress

It's all go go go at the mo mo mo - all hands on deck for the NEC show (did I tell you that we are building a whole house in three days?) Sorry, that sounds like a lyric from a terrible song.

Thought you might like an update on progress

Well the house is currently half up in our workshop (it is too tall to fit in so we will have to build it in two bits)

But it looks really great - sort of simple, modest and exciting all in one. Its bigger than I imagined but I don't think thats a bad thing- especially as it has a large home office/studio (to enhance the home working idea). The oak frame looks especially nice and very simple (which helps with the affordability angle)

I have been filling my time with sourcing items to go with it and trying to get publicity, brochures, exhibition material all prepared and ready. It is manic and to make matters worse/better its half term too. I feel very bad for my lovely children that I am pretty much tied to the laptop and not giving them the attention I should. If its not the laptop its the phone - you can tell I have been making lots of work calls because Min now answers the phone with an official sounding 'good morning, Minnie speaking'.

So far I have found a lovely kitchen www.devolkitchens.co.uk, a fabulous woodburner www.clearviewstoves.co.uk and some amazing, local paint www.potsofpaint.co.uk and a great stair runner made from Shetland undyed wool by Roger Oates www.rogeroates.com. All of them have very high sustainability credentials, most are local, all work really well and also look the part, so it should be exciting to see it come together in 4 weeks time. And most importantly all the companies were delighted to be involved with our innovative new product which is very encouraging.

I am hoping we will have our FSC accreditation and know the result of the FMB award by the time the show opens but most of all I am hoping the new Border Oak website will be up and running too - even if not fully complete. Watch this space! A sneaky peak below

better pop off now- so much to do....................