Like so many we started watching Grand Designs and got hooked. I think it was the Huff House episode that introduced us to the concept of ecobuild and the Passiv Haus concept. Visits to the big exhibitions followed and the realisation that whilst Huff was pretty expensive there were many alternatives. There followed the inevitable plot searches which merit a post of their own . It was luck in the end that found us our 4 acre plot with permission for two semis, the planners and neighbours were happy with one big house so we were ready to go . After an exhaustive process (another post ) we selected an architect . Again ,somewhat by chance we chose as a result of GD. We watched the Hoo House episode and liked the style so much that we googled the architect involved. This is how we ended up working with Jerry Tate - a wholly satisfactory experience (thus far!) www.jerrytatearchitects.com/index.htm
SO our plan is for a build to Passiv Haus standards which for newcomers means very high insulation and air-tightness so that energy input is minimal - for many months of the year if not all we aim to have very little heating input. Some of that will be from our own wood ( see next post ) into wood burning stoves. From our field we will grow coppiced wood, fruit trees and keep hens pigs and sheep.
So here is a picture of what has sustained us on our many site visits. It is a 'Kelly Kettle ' www.kellykettle.com/?gclid=CKa4_7rVqasCFagntAodaQzwLA, a sustainable way of making a hot drink out doors. In essence the body is a water jacket which also acts as a chimney for the small twig fire which is contained below . Early days involved much huffing and puffing and mixed results . Now , largely due to a store of dry twigs and the hollow dry stems of umbellifers (cow parsley or hogweed) we can have a hot drink ready in 3 minutes - a boon after a hard days work outside.
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