Strawbale house wins an award
Posted: 17/05/2008
A strawbale house in Wales was voted Grand Designs Eco Home of 2008 during the recent Grand Designs Live exhibition and associated Channel 4 TV programmes. The eco home, called Penwhilwr and located in St Dogmael’s, Wales, is a two-storey load-bearing strawbale structure with curved walls. Strawbale experts amazonails helped design and... more
Source: Green Building Press   

'Building Regs a bar to green refurbishment '- RIBA
Posted: 17/05/2008
Building Regulations are a “barrier” to the government’s carbon reduction targets, the RIBA has told a parliamentary inquiry into retrofitting commercial property. Written evidence from the institute to Parliament’s all-party urban development group claimed Building Regs were a stumbling block... more
Source: Rory Olcayto / Building Design   

Auction room is Europe's largest strawbale building
Posted: 14/05/2008
Even the grandest modern auction houses may have sold bales of straw in humbler early days, but since last week, when Princess Michael of Kent opened a newly-built fine art saleroom in the Essex countryside, a firm founded in the 18th century has been able to claim that it is actually built of the stuff... more
Source: Huon Mallalieu / Times online   

New report attempts to redefine 'zero carbon' housing
Posted: 13/05/2008
A new report by the UK Green Building Council (GBC) attempts to deliver a compromise solution to the ongoing debate as to exactly what "zero carbon" means in practice. The UKGBC's line is that developers should be allowed to use offsite renewable energy, but only where every effort has been made to first install onsite... more
Source: Green Building Press   

First green offices for Isle of Man
Posted: 13/05/2008
Plans for a new eco-friendly Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry headquarters at St John's are well under way following its recent application for planning permission. Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul Haddacks, was shown plans and enjoyed a tour of the proposed site – which is on land next to the Forestry, Amenity and Lands... more
Source: Isle of Man Today.co.im   

Green police station a first for Norfolk
Posted: 12/05/2008
A new flagship eco-police station in Aylsham has delighted the Norfolk force, which says it hopes it will pave the way for similar stations elsewhere in Norfolk. The building, designed by architect Mark Camidge, is almost carbon neutral and boasts an electricity-generating wind turbine... more
Source: Norwich Advertiser