The_woodlouse
MY BLOGS
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The Woodlouse
http://thewoodlouse.blogspot.com/
Bloggery about plans for strawbale building, with associated rambles and occasional rants about related issues of sustainable building, materials and peripherals, the planning system, and any tangential things that I feel the need to share.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 78 )
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Design and Access Statement?
Below is a draft Design and Access Statement (DAS) to accompany our planning application. It now appears we may not be required to submit one as the... Read more
Posted on 20 October 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
No More Pink
I'm feeling very fuzzy headed but pleased, having just finished extensive 'artists impression' of the bungalow design and its position in the street, mostly to... Read more
Posted on 17 October 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Colouring
We're finally nearly there with the plans for planning permission. I think I had in mind that this stage of the planning would be the simplest, perhaps because... Read more
Posted on 05 October 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Musical Interlude
Our designer is starting the build of his own strawbale home this month, and I'm waiting for various people to get back to me with information about different... Read more
Posted on 09 September 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
The Wonderful World of Wood-pulp
As explained previously (see The Importance of Fitting In) when we wrap our bungalow with strawbales the bedroom that projects forward of the main building... Read more
Posted on 23 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Elevated Greenery
Had another meeting with the local planning officer last week. We thought it was about time to check they were supportive of our plans in general, and wanted... Read more
Posted on 18 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Future-proofing and Car Crashes
We've had a change of plan about the massage treatment room which outwardly may not be very exciting but it was something that had been increasingly niggling... Read more
Posted on 10 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Strawbale Wrappaging
By way of showing that wrapping a building in straw really is a viable and sensible option, below are photos of the strawbale wrap completed by Jakub Wihan... Read more
Posted on 01 August 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Cobwebs and Measuring Headaches
The most taxing mission yet (mentally at least) has been gathering the measurements necessary to arrive at the above sketch of the main roof trusses. Read more
Posted on 30 July 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
A Good Pair of Boots
It's been a week or so of structural fact-finding missions for me and the bungalow. Lots of crawling about in the loft, lifting roof tiles, sticking my head int... Read more
Posted on 28 July 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
The Importance of Fitting in
Before deciding to make an offer on the bungalow I went to talk to the local planning officer again. We needed to know what the planners' reaction might be to... Read more
Posted on 22 July 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Fact Backed Rant
I think it might be time for a bit of explanation of why we want to wrap a perfectly good bungalow in straw. Because - like so many buildings - it isn't actuall... Read more
Posted on 18 July 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
The Bungalow
So then, the bungalow. It's a two bed brick built, cavity walled, bog-standard 60's bungalow, that has mostly been left alone apart from basic redecorating and... Read more
Posted on 13 July 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Progress Report (there Has Been Progress...)
Apparently my last post was 10 months ago. There wasn't much to report over the winter as housing and land markets had their winter dip, then I just got a bit... Read more
Posted on 13 July 2011 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Conservation Conversation.
Today we finally went to talk to a planning officer, motivated by a couple of possible plots which have come onto the market in roughly the right area for us,... Read more
Posted on 03 September 2010 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Strawbale Frenzy
Last week I was on a fantastic Building With Straw-bales course run by amazonails and held at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), near Machynlleth in... Read more
Posted on 09 June 2010 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Planning Issues - Part 3
I think when I first read the Local Plan planning policy documents I was either in a very optimistic mood, or reading late at night when my mind was shutting... Read more
Posted on 17 May 2010 ARCHITECTURE, HOME -
Planning Issues - Part 2
What is our scheme, and why would we need to build outside the DDB (Defined Development Boundary – see last blog, Planning issues – part 1)? We want to build... Read more
Posted on 14 May 2010 ARCHITECTURE, HOME